Surah Al-Fath — Ayah 16 (48:16)
قُل لِّلۡمُخَلَّفِينَ مِنَ ٱلۡأَعۡرَابِ سَتُدۡعَوۡنَ إِلَىٰ قَوۡمٍ أُوْلِي بَأۡسٖ شَدِيدٖ تُقَٰتِلُونَهُمۡ أَوۡ يُسۡلِمُونَۖ فَإِن تُطِيعُواْ يُؤۡتِكُمُ ٱللَّهُ أَجۡرًا حَسَنٗاۖ وَإِن تَتَوَلَّوۡاْ كَمَا تَوَلَّيۡتُم مِّن قَبۡلُ يُعَذِّبۡكُمۡ عَذَابًا أَلِيمٗا ١٦
English translation (Saheeh International)
Say to those who remained behind of the bedouins, "You will be called to [face] a people of great military might; you may fight them, or they will submit.1 So if you obey, Allāh will give you a good reward; but if you turn away as you turned away before, He will punish you with a painful punishment."
- - To Allāh in Islām.
Brief commentary
O Messenger! Say to those bedouins who failed to travel to Makkah with you, testing them: “You will soon be called to fighting against a strong, courageous group of people whom you shall either have to fight in the path of Allah, or they may enter into Islam without a fight. If you obey Allah in Him inviting you to fight them, He will give you a good reward, i.e. Paradise, but if you turn away from His obedience, just like you turned away from travelling with the Messenger to Makkah, He will inflict a painful punishment on you.”