فَهَلۡ
عَسَيۡتُمۡ
إِن
تَوَلَّيۡتُمۡ
أَن
تُفۡسِدُواْ
فِي
ٱلۡأَرۡضِ
وَتُقَطِّعُوٓاْ
أَرۡحَامَكُمۡ
٢٢
Would ye then, if ye were given the command, work corruption in the land and sever your ties of kinship?
— M. Pickthall
So would you perhaps, if you turned away,1 cause corruption on earth and sever your [ties of] relationship?
— Saheeh International
Then, is it to be expected of you, if ye were put in authority, that ye will do mischief in the land, and break your ties of kith and kin?
— A. Yusuf Ali
Read Tafsir
Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
The Situation of the True Believer and the Sick-Hearted when the Command for Jihad was revealed
Allah mentions that the believers were hoping that Jihad would be legislated. But when Allah ordained it, many of the people turned back, as Allah says,
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ قِيلَ لَهُمْ كُفُّواْ أَي
…The Situation of the True Believer and the Sick-Hearted when the Command for Jihad was revealed
Allah mentions that the believers were hoping that Jiha
…