اَلَمْ تَرَ اِلَى الْمَلَاِ مِنْۢ بَنِيْٓ اِسْرَاۤءِيْلَ مِنْۢ بَعْدِ مُوْسٰىۘ اِذْ قَالُوْا لِنَبِيٍّ لَّهُمُ ابْعَثْ لَنَا مَلِكًا نُّقَاتِلْ فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ ۗ قَالَ هَلْ عَسَيْتُمْ اِنْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِتَالُ اَلَّا تُقَاتِلُوْا ۗ قَالُوْا وَمَا لَنَآ اَلَّا نُقَاتِلَ فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ وَقَدْاُخْرِجْنَا مِنْ دِيَارِنَا وَاَبْنَاۤىِٕنَا ۗ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقِتَالُ تَوَلَّوْا اِلَّا قَلِيْلًا مِّنْهُمْ ۗوَاللّٰهُ عَلِيْمٌ ۢبِالظّٰلِمِيْنَ ( البقرة: ٢٤٦ )
Alam tara ilal malai mim Baneee Israaa'eela mim ba'di Moosaaa iz qaaloo li Nabiyyil lahumub 'as lanaa malikan nuqaatil fee sabeelillaahi qaala hal 'asaitum in kutiba 'alaikumul qitaalu allaa tuqaatiloo qaaloo wa maa lanaaa allaa nuqaatila fee sabeelil laahi wa qad ukhrijnaa min diyaarinaa wa abnaaa'inaa falammaa kutiba 'alaihimul qitaalu tawallaw illaa qaleelam minhum; wallaahu 'aleemum bizzaalimeen (al-Baq̈arah 2:246)
Sahih International:
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 Allah"? 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 Allah 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 Allah is Knowing of the wrongdoers. (Al-Baqarah [2] : 246)
1 Mufti Taqi Usmani
Did you not see a group from the children of Isrā’īl (Israel), after (the time of) Mūsā when they said to their prophet: “Appoint for us a king, so that we may fight in the way of Allah.”He said: “Is it (not) likely, if fighting is enjoined upon you, that you would not fight.” They said: “What is wrong with us that we would not fight while we have been driven away from our homes and our sons?” But, when fighting was enjoined upon them, they turned away, except a few of them, and Allah is Aware of the unjust.