And when this reprimand indicated that among them were those who delayed from jihad, being preoccupied with wealth and children, and since what these verses included of commands, prohibitions, and admonitions was worthy of alleviating every sluggish one and invigorating every lazy one, the souls longed for what would happen after that. So He, glorified and exalted is He, informed about it in the styles of eloquence that reveal the conditions of those who remain behind and the stories of the stagnant, making it clear that there are those whom misery has overcome, so they did not benefit from the admonitions. He turned from the kindness of acceptance to reproaching the sluggish ones with a style of avoidance that indicates the confirmed anger for the evident wrath that exposes their disgrace and scatters their vices, bringing out what they entered into of general supplication in the name of faith. He said: "If it were" meaning: what you call to "a near provision" meaning: a worldly commodity "easy to obtain" and "a moderate journey" meaning: a just middle ground, "they would have followed you" meaning: for the hope of the provision along with the ease of the journey, for their aspirations are limited and attached to the present. "But" meaning: they did not follow you, being sluggish towards the earth and content with the fleeting present of the absent eternal, for it was "too far for them" meaning: the distance that is covered by the stride of the legs in walking, resulting in punishment and hardship. So what they would gain from it in terms of fatigue does not equal what they hope for from the provision. They sought your permission, and in this is an indication of their blame for their low aspirations and base qualities of incapacity, laziness, greed, and heaviness. And that this religion is strong, and only those with true determination and sincere resolve can carry it, as the poet said:

If he intends, he places his resolve between his eyes and turns away from mentioning the consequences.

So may Allah bless the resolute and those who endure hardships and burdens! And when He blamed them for their stinginess regarding the world, He followed it by branding them with leniency regarding the religion, saying, informing about what will happen from them as a sign of prophethood: "And they will swear" meaning: those who remain behind with a true report that has no falsehood in it "by Allah" meaning: the one who is the greatest of all when you return to them all for what they violated of Your sanctity by remaining behind from You for violating the sanctity of Allah. They will say with a lie: "By Allah, if we could" meaning: to go out to what you called us to "we would have gone out with you." They swear while they are "destroying themselves" meaning: with this oath that they intend for their lives, for they have lied in it and violated the sanctity of the name of Allah. "And Allah" meaning: while the greatest king, who is all-encompassing in knowledge and power, glorified is He: "knows that they are surely liars." They have combined between the destruction of their souls and the disgrace before Allah due to His knowledge of their lying in that they are not able. And the recompense for the liar in such a case is the eternal anger that necessitates everlasting punishment.