Al-Baqarah 2:246 الم تر الى الملا من بني اسراييل من بعد موسى اذ قالوا لنبي لهم ابعث لنا ملكا نقاتل في سبيل الله قال هل عسيتم ان كتب عليكم القتال الا تقاتلوا قالوا وما لنا الا نقاتل في سبيل الله وقد اخرجنا من ديارنا وابناينا فلما كتب عليهم القتال تولوا الا قليلا منهم والله عليم بالظالمين ٢٤٦
أَلَمۡ
تَرَ
إِلَى
ٱلۡمَلَإِ
مِنۢ
بَنِيٓ
إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ
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
بِٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ
٢٤٦
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.
— M. Pickthall
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 Allāh"? He said, "Would you perhaps refrain from fighting if battle was prescribed for you?" They said, "And why should we not fight in the cause of Allāh when we have been driven out from our homes and from our children?" But when battle was prescribed for them, they turned away, except for a few of them. And Allāh is Knowing of the wrongdoers.
— Saheeh International
Hast thou not Turned thy vision to the Chiefs of the Children of Israel after (the time of) Moses? they said to a prophet (That was) among them: "Appoint for us a king, that we May fight in the cause of Allah." He said: "Is it not possible, if ye were commanded to fight, that that ye will not fight?" They said: "How could we refuse to fight in the cause of Allah, seeing that we were turned out of our homes and our families?" but when they were commanded to fight, they turned back, except a small band among them. But Allah Has full knowledge of those who do wrong.
— A. Yusuf Ali
Read Tafsir
Ibn Kathir (Abridged)