The Family of ‘Imrân

Surah: 3

Ayat: 167

Verse:

And that He might know the hypocrites, unto whom it was said: Come, fight in the way of Allah, or defend yourselves. They answered: If we knew aught of fighting we would follow you. On that day they were nearer disbelief than faith. They utter with their mouths a thing which is not in their hearts. Allah is Best Aware of what they hide.

Tafseer:

And that He might also know the hypocrites and those who when it was said to them after they had fled the fighting namely ‘Abd Allāh b. Ubayy and his companions ‘Come now fight in the way of God His enemies or defend’ us against the enemy by increasing the multitude of our fighters if you are not going to fight; they said ‘If we knew how if we were skilled enough to fight we would follow you’. God then said showing them to be liars They that day were nearer to unbelief than to belief for what they manifested of their forsaking the believers whereas before they had been outwardly nearer to belief; saying with their mouths that which was not in their hearts for even if they had known how to fight they would not have followed you. And God knows best what they hide of hypocrisy.