Surah Al-Baqara Verse 246 - English Translation by Abdul Majid Daryabadi
Surah Al-Baqaraأَلَمۡ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلۡمَلَإِ مِنۢ بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَـٰٓءِيلَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مُوسَىٰٓ إِذۡ قَالُواْ لِنَبِيّٖ لَّهُمُ ٱبۡعَثۡ لَنَا مَلِكٗا نُّقَٰتِلۡ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِۖ قَالَ هَلۡ عَسَيۡتُمۡ إِن كُتِبَ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡقِتَالُ أَلَّا تُقَٰتِلُواْۖ قَالُواْ وَمَا لَنَآ أَلَّا نُقَٰتِلَ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَقَدۡ أُخۡرِجۡنَا مِن دِيَٰرِنَا وَأَبۡنَآئِنَاۖ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلۡقِتَالُ تَوَلَّوۡاْ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗا مِّنۡهُمۡۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمُۢ بِٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
Bethinkest thou not of the chiefs of the Children of Isra'il, after Musa? They said unto a Prophet of theirs: raise for us a king that we may fight in the way of God. He said: may it not be that if fighting were prescribed unto you, ye would not fight! They said: and wherefore shall we not fight in the way of God, whereas we have been driven forth from our habitations and children. Then when fighting was prescribed unto them, they turned away, save a few of them: and Allah is the Knower of the wrong-doers