Surah Al-Baqara Verse 246 - English Translation by Shabbir Ahmed
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
Sustained commitment to the Divine Order with your lives and wealth is no easy undertaking. After the times of Moses, some leaders of the Israelites promised their Prophet (Samuel), "If you appoint a king for us, we will fight in the Cause of Allah." The Prophet said, "Is it your intention to refrain from fighting if it was decreed to you?" They said' "Why should we not fight in the Cause of Allah when we have been driven out of our homes with our children?" Yet when fighting was ordained for them, they turned away all but a few. Allah is Aware of the wrongdoers