أَلَمْ Did not تَرَ you see إِلَى [towards] ٱلْمَلَإِ the chiefs مِنۢ of بَنِىٓ (the) Children إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ (of) Israel مِنۢ from بَعْدِ after مُوسَىٰٓ Musa إِذْ when قَالُوا۟ they said لِنَبِىٍّۢ to a Prophet لَّهُمُ of theirs ٱبْعَثْ Appoint لَنَا for us مَلِكًۭا a king نُّقَـٰتِلْ we may fight فِى in سَبِيلِ (the) way ٱللَّهِ ۖ (of) Allah قَالَ He said هَلْ Would عَسَيْتُمْ you perhaps إِن if كُتِبَ prescribed عَلَيْكُمُ upon you ٱلْقِتَالُ [the] fighting أَلَّا that not تُقَـٰتِلُوا۟ ۖ you fight قَالُوا۟ They said وَمَا And what لَنَآ for us أَلَّا that not نُقَـٰتِلَ we fight فِى in سَبِيلِ (the) way ٱللَّهِ (of) Allah وَقَدْ while surely أُخْرِجْنَا we have been driven مِن from دِيَـٰرِنَا our homes وَأَبْنَآئِنَا ۖ and our children فَلَمَّا Yet, when كُتِبَ was prescribed عَلَيْهِمُ upon them ٱلْقِتَالُ the fighting تَوَلَّوْا۟ they turned away إِلَّا except قَلِيلًۭا a few مِّنْهُمْ ۗ among them وَٱللَّهُ And Allah عَلِيمٌۢ (is) All-Knowing بِٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ of the wrongdoers ٢٤٦
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.
— Come To Light