يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟
مَا لَكُمْ إِذَا قِيلَ
لَكُمُ ٱنفِرُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ
ٱللَّهِ ٱثَّاقَلْتُمْ إِلَى
ٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ أَرَضِيتُم
بِٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا مِنَ
ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۚ فَمَا مَتَـٰعُ
ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا فِى
ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ
إِلَّا تَنفِرُوا۟ يُعَذِّبْكُمْ
عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا
وَيَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْمًا
غَيْرَكُمْ وَلَا تَضُرُّوهُ
شَيْـًٔا ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ
كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
O you who believe!
What is the matter
with you, that when
you are asked to
march forth in the
cause of Allah, you
cling heavily to the
earth Are you pleased
with the life of this
world rather than
the Hereafter But little
is the enjoyment of
the life of this world
compared to the
Hereafter. If you
march not forth, He
will punish you with
a painful torment
and will replace you
by another people;
and you cannot harm
Him at all, and Allah
is able to do all things.
Admonishing clinging to Life rather than rushing to perform Jihad
Allah admonishes those who lagged behind the Messenger of Allah in the battle of Tabuk, at a time when fruits were ripe and shades tempting in the intense and terrible heat,
يَأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ
مَا لَكُمْ إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمُ
انفِرُواْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ
O you who believe! What is the matter with you, that when you are asked to march forth in the cause of Allah
if you are called to perform Jihad in the cause of Allah,
اثَّاقَلْتُمْ إِلَى الاٌّرْضِ
you cling heavily to the earth
reclining to remain in peace, shade and ripe fruits.
أَرَضِيتُم بِالْحَيَوةِ
الدُّنْيَا مِنَ الاٌّخِرَةِ
Are you pleased with the life of this world rather than the Hereafter
why do you do this, is it because you prefer this life instead of the Hereafter Allah next diminishes the eagerness for this worldly life and increases it for the Hereafter,
فَمَا مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا
فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ إِلاَّ قَلِيلٌ
But little is the enjoyment of the life of this world compared to the Hereafter
Imam Ahmad recorded that Al-Mustawrid, a member of Bani Fihr, said that the Messenger of Allah said,
مَا الدُّنْيَا فِي
الْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا كَمَا
يَجْعَلُ أَحَدُكُمْ
إِصْبَعَهُ هَذِهِ فِي
الْيَمِّ،فَلْيَنْظُرْ بِمَ تَرْجِعُ؟
The life of this world, compared to the Hereafter, is just like when one of you dips his finger in the sea, let him contemplate how much of it his finger would carry
The Prophet pointed with his index finger. Muslim collected this Hadith. Ath-Thawri narrated that Al-A`mash said about the Ayat
فَمَا مَتَاعُ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا
فِى الاٌّخِرَةِ إِلاَّ قَلِيلٌ
But little is the enjoyment of the life of this world compared to the Hereafter
“What compares to the provision a traveler takes.” `Abdul-`Aziz bin Abi Hazim narrated that his father said, “When `Abdul-`Aziz bin Marwan was dying he said, `Bring the shroud I will be covered with so that I inspect it.’ When it was placed before him, he looked at it and said, `Is this what I will end up with from this life’ He then turned his back and cried, while saying, `Woe to you, O life! Your abundance is truly little, your little is short lived, we were deceived by you.”’ Allah warns those who do not join Jihad,
إِلاَّ تَنفِرُواْ يُعَذِّبْكُمْ
عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا
If you march not forth, He will punish you with a painful torment
Ibn `Abbas said, “Allah’s Messenger called some Arabs to mobilize, but they lagged behind and Allah witheld rain from coming down on them, and this was their torment.” Allah said,
وَيَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْمًا غَيْرَكُمْ
and will replace you by another people
who will give aid to His Prophet and establish his religion. Allah said in another Ayat
الْفُقَرَآءُ وَإِن تَتَوَلَّوْاْ
يَسْتَبْدِلْ قَوْماً غَيْرَكُمْ
ثُمَّ لاَ يَكُونُواْ
And if you turn away (from the obedience to Allah), He will exchange you for some other people and they will not be your likes (Muhammad 38)
وَلاَ تَضُرُّوهُ شَيْئًا
and you cannot harm Him at all
you can never harm Allah when you lag behind and stay away from joining Jihad,
وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ
شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
and Allah is able to do all things
He is able to destroy the enemies without your help.