ٱلتَّوْبَة : ١٢٢

  • وَمَا And not
  • كَانَ is
  • ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ (for) the believers
  • لِيَنفِرُواْ that they go forth
  • كَآفَّةٗۚ all together
  • فَلَوۡلَا So if not
  • نَفَرَ go forth
  • مِن from
  • كُلِّ every
  • فِرۡقَةٖ group
  • مِّنۡهُمۡ among them
  • طَآئِفَةٞ a party
  • لِّيَتَفَقَّهُواْ that they may obtain understanding
  • فِي in
  • ٱلدِّينِ the religion
  • وَلِيُنذِرُواْ and that they may warn
  • قَوۡمَهُمۡ their people
  • إِذَا when
  • رَجَعُوٓاْ they return
  • إِلَيۡهِمۡ to them
  • لَعَلَّهُمۡ so that they may
  • يَحۡذَرُونَ beware
And it is not for the believers to go forth [to battle] all at once. For there should separate from every division of them a group [remaining] to obtain understanding in the religion and warn [i.e., advise] their people when they return to them that they might be cautious.
When the Prophet may peace and salutation be upon him was about to dispatch a raiding party after they [certain Muslims] had been reproached for staying behind - all of them went forth, and so the following was revealed: It is not for the believers to go forth, on a raid, altogether: why should not a party, a group, of every section, of every tribe, of them go forth, while the others remain behind, so that they, those who remain behind, may become learned in religion and that they may warn their folk when they return to them, from the raid, by teaching them some of the rulings which they have come to learn, so that they may beware? of God's punishment, by adhering to His commands and prohibitions. Ibn 'Abbaas said that this [verse] is specifically [intended] for raiding parties, while the previous one is [specifically] to prohibit any individual staying behind when the Prophet may peace and salutation be upon him sets out [on a campaign].