Tafseer of The Repentance · At-Tawba · 9:42
Had it been an easy gain and a moderate trip, the hypocrites would have followed you, but distant to them was the journey. And they will swear by Allah, "If we were able, we would have gone forth with you," destroying themselves [through false oaths], and Allah knows that indeed they are liars.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
Explanation of the meaning of His word: لَوْ كَانَ عَرَضًا قَرِيبًا وَسَفَرًا قَاصِدًا لاتَّبَعُوكَ وَلَكِنْ بَعُدَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الشُّقَّةُ وَسَيَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ لَوِ اسْتَطَعْنَا لَخَرَجْنَا مَعَكُمْ يُهْلِكُونَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ (42) (Had it been a near [worldly] gain and a moderate journey, they would surely have followed you; but the distance was too far for them. And they will swear by Allah: "Had we been able, we would have set out with you." They bring destruction upon themselves, and Allah knows that they are indeed liars.) (42)
Abū Jaʿfar said: The Exalted, whose praise is mentioned, says to the Prophet ﷺ — and a group of his companions had asked him for permission to stay behind when he set out for Tabūk, and he granted them permission —: Had that to which you call them — the ones who stayed behind and those who ask you for permission not to set out with you on your military expedition to which you have called them — been (a near gain), He says: a present spoil (ghanīma) — (and a moderate journey), He says: and a near, easy place — (they would surely have followed you), and they would have set out with you to both [that spoil and that place]. But you called them to a distant place, and imposed upon them a journey that was hard for them, because you called them in the time of heat, in the season of the scorching summer heat and in the time when one is in need of shade. (And they will swear by Allah: "Had we been able, we would have set out with you"), the Exalted, whose praise is mentioned, says: and these people who ask you for permission not to set out with you will swear to you, O Muḥammad, as an excuse toward you with falsehood, so that you may accept their excuse and grant them permission to stay behind, swearing by Allah while they lie — "had we been able, we would have set out with you," He says: had we been capable of setting out with you through the presence of means, mounts and beasts of burden and all that a traveler and warrior cannot do without, and soundness of body and strength, then we would have set out with you against your enemy — (they bring destruction upon themselves),
He says: they bring upon themselves, through their false oath by Allah, ruin and destruction, because they make themselves inherit the wrath of Allah and earn for themselves His painful punishment — (and Allah knows that they are indeed liars) in their oath by Allah: (had we been able, we would have set out with you), because they were able to set out, since the possibility of doing so was at hand through the possessions they had, of which the warrior has need in his military expedition and the traveler on his journey, and through the soundness of the bodies and the strength of the frames.
* * *
And in accordance with what we have said concerning this, the exegetes have spoken.
* Mention of who said that:
16760 — Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His word: (Had it been a near gain) up to His word (liars): indeed, they were able to set out, but it was sluggishness from themselves and from Satan, and a lack of interest in the good.
16761 — Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Qatāda: (Had it been a near gain), he said: that is the military expedition of Tabūk.
16762 — Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq: (and Allah knows that they are indeed liars), that is to say: indeed, they were able.
