Have you not seen those to whom it was said ‘Restrain your hands from fighting the disbelievers when they desired it at Mecca because of the harm the disbelievers had inflicted upon them — and these were a group from among the Companions — and establish the prayer and pay the alms’? Then as soon as fighting was prescribed was made obligatory for them lo a party of them fear people the disbelievers that is they fear punishment at their hands through death as they would fear the punishment of God or with more fear than their fear of Him ashadda ‘more’ is in the accusative because it is a circumstantial qualifier; the response to the lammā ‘as soon as’ is indicated by idhā ‘lo’ and what follows in other words they are taken aback by fear and they said frightened of death ‘Our Lord why have You prescribed fighting for us? Why not lawlā is to be understood as hallā defer us to a near term?’ Say to them ‘The enjoyment of this world that which is enjoyed therein or enjoying it the world is trifling it will end up by perishing; and the Hereafter Paradise is better for him who fears God’s punishment by avoiding disobedience to Him; and you shall not be wronged lā tuzlamūna may also be read lā yuzlamūna ‘they shall not be wronged’ you shall not be diminished of your deeds a single date-thread as much as the peel on a date-stone so struggle in the way of God.
