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Surah Al-Ahzab, Ayah 20 (33:20)

ٱلْأَحْزَاب

يَحْسَبُونَ ٱلْأَحْزَابَ لَمْ يَذْهَبُوا۟ ۖ وَإِن يَأْتِ ٱلْأَحْزَابُ يَوَدُّوا۟ لَوْ أَنَّهُم …

Quran 33:20 is ayah 20 of Surah Al-Ahzab (“The Combined Forces”), a Medinan surah of 73 ayahs. It is in Juz 21, on page 420 of the Madani Mushaf.

33:20
يَحْسَبُونَٱلْأَحْزَابَلَمْيَذْهَبُوا۟ ۖوَإِنيَأْتِٱلْأَحْزَابُيَوَدُّوا۟لَوْأَنَّهُمبَادُونَفِىٱلْأَعْرَابِيَسَْٔلُونَعَنْأَنۢبَآئِكُمْ ۖوَلَوْكَانُوا۟فِيكُممَّاقَٰتَلُوٓا۟إِلَّاقَلِيلًا٢٠
yaḥsabūna l-aḥzāba lam yadhhabū wa-in yati l-aḥzābu yawaddū law annahum bādūna fī l-aʿrābi yasalūna ʿan anbāikum walaw kānū fīkum mā qātalū illā qalīlan

They think the companies have not [yet] withdrawn. And if the companies should come [again], they would wish they were in the desert among the bedouins, inquiring [from afar] about your news. And if they should be among you, they would not fight except for a little.(20)

Word by word

  1. يَحْسَبُونَyaḥsabūnaThey think
  2. ٱلْأَحْزَابَl-aḥzābathe confederates
  3. لَمْlam(have) not
  4. يَذْهَبُوا۟ ۖyadhhabūwithdrawn
  5. وَإِنwa-inAnd if
  6. يَأْتِyati(should) come
  7. ٱلْأَحْزَابُl-aḥzābuthe confederates
  8. يَوَدُّوا۟yawaddūthey would wish
  9. لَوْlawif
  10. أَنَّهُمannahumthat they (were)
  11. بَادُونَbādūnaliving in (the) desert
  12. فِىfīamong
  13. ٱلْأَعْرَابِl-aʿrābithe Bedouins
  14. يَسَْٔلُونَyasalūnaasking
  15. عَنْʿanabout
  16. أَنۢبَآئِكُمْ ۖanbāikumyour news
  17. وَلَوْwalawAnd if
  18. كَانُوا۟kānūthey were
  19. فِيكُمfīkumamong you
  20. مَّاmānot
  21. قَٰتَلُوٓا۟qātalūthey would fight
  22. إِلَّاillāexcept
  23. قَلِيلًاqalīlana little

Tafsir (commentary) of 33:20

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir
يَحْسَبُونَ الاٌّحْزَابَ لَمْ يَذْهَبُواْ

(They think that the Confederates have not yet withdrawn;) and that they are still close by and will return.

وَإِن يَأْتِ الاٌّحْزَابُ يَوَدُّواْ لَوْ أَنَّهُمْ بَادُونَ فِى الاٌّعْرَابِ يَسْأَلُونَ عَنْ أَنبَآئِكُمْ

(and if the Confederates should come, they would wish they were in the deserts among the bedouins, seeking news about you;) means, `if the Confederates should come back, they hope that they will not be present with you in Al-Madinah, but that they will be in the desert, asking about news of you and what happened to you with your enemy.'

وَلَوْ كَانُواْ فِيكُمْ مَّا قَاتَلُواْ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً

(and if they were to be among you, they would not fight but little.) means, `if they are among you, they will not fight alongside you very much,' because they are so cowardly and weak, and have so little faith, but Allah knows best about them.

Read the full Surah Al-Ahzab