اَلَمْ تَرَ اِلَى الْمَلَاِ مِنْ بَنٖٓی اِسْرَٓایٖٔلَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مُوسٰىۘ اِذْ قَالُوا لِنَبِیٍّ لَهُمُ ابْعَثْ لَنَا مَلِكًا نُقَاتِلْ فٖی سَبٖیلِ اللّٰهِؕ قَالَ هَلْ عَسَیْتُمْ اِنْ كُتِبَ عَلَیْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ اَلَّا تُقَاتِلُواؕ قَالُوا وَمَا لَنَٓا اَلَّا نُقَاتِلَ فٖی سَبٖیلِ اللّٰهِ وَقَدْ اُخْرِجْنَا مِنْ دِیَارِنَا وَاَبْنَٓائِنَاؕ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَیْهِمُ الْقِتَالُ تَوَلَّوْا اِلَّا قَلٖیلًا مِنْهُمْؕ وَاللّٰهُ عَلٖیمٌ بِالظَّالِمٖینَ
Alam tara ila almalai min banee israeela min baAAdi moosa ith qaloo linabiyyin lahumu ibAAath lana malikan nuqatil fee sabeeli Allahi qala hal AAasaytum in kutiba AAalaykumu alqitalu alla tuqatiloo qaloo wama lana alla nuqatila fee sabeeli Allahi waqad okhrijna min diyarina waabnaina falamma kutiba AAalayhimu alqitalu tawallaw illa qaleelan minhum waAllahu AAaleemun bialththalimeena
Translations
Have you not considered the assembly of the Children of Israel after [the time of] Moses when they said to a prophet of theirs, "Send to us a king, and we will fight in the way of Allah "? He said, "Would you perhaps refrain from fighting if fighting was prescribed for you?" They said, "And why should we not fight in the cause of Allah when we have been driven out from our homes and from our children?" But when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned away, except for a few of them. And Allah is Knowing of the wrongdoers
Saheeh International
Bethink thee of the leaders of the Children of Israel after Moses, how they said unto a prophet whom they had: Set up for us a king and we will fight in Allah's way. He said: Would ye then refrain from fighting if fighting were prescribed for you? They said: Why should we not fight in Allah's way when we have been driven from our dwellings with our children? Yet, when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned away, all save a few of them. Allah is aware of evil-doers
Marmaduke Pickthall