'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' Allah, the Exalted, says: "O you who have believed, what is [the matter] with you that when it is said to you, 'March forth in the cause of Allah,' you incline heavily to the earth? Are you satisfied with the life of this world rather than the Hereafter? But what is the enjoyment of the worldly life compared to the Hereafter except for a little?" "If you do not march forth, He will punish you with a painful punishment and will replace you with another people, and you will not harm Him at all. And Allah is, over all things, Competent." This verse is, without a doubt, a reprimand for those who stayed behind from the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, in the Battle of Tabuk. This occurred in the ninth year after the Hijrah, one year after the conquest, when he marched against the Romans with twenty thousand riders and foot soldiers. Many tribes of people and numerous men from the believers and hypocrites stayed behind. The reprimand in this verse is directed at the tribes and the believers who were in Medina, specifically mentioning three: Ka'b ibn Malik, Murarah ibn al-Rabi', and Hilal ibn Umayyah, due to their significant standing among the companions, as they were from the people of Badr and among those who are to be followed. Their staying behind was without any valid excuse, as will come. And His saying: "What is [the matter] with you" is an interrogative meant to express reproach and admonition. And His saying: "it was said" refers to the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, except that the action's subject is not mentioned, which necessitates a harshness and severity. And 'nufur' is the quick movement from one place to another for a matter that occurs. It is said regarding the son of Adam: he 'nufur' to the matter, and he 'nufur' with a strong and quick movement. And it is said regarding the animal: it 'nufurat' with the letter 'fa' pronounced, meaning it fled. And His saying: "you inclined heavily" is originally 'tathaqaltum,' where the 'ta' is assimilated into the 'tha,' thus requiring the 'alif' of connection, as in His saying: "fadarā'tum" [Al-Baqarah: 72], and as you say: "azzayyana," and as the poet said: 'You turn away from the noise when it calls you, sweet in taste when the kisses follow.' And Al-A'mash read - as reported by Al-Mahdawi and others - "tathaqaltum" in its original form, and Abu Hatim mentioned "tatathaqaltum" with two 'ta's and then a 'tha' with three dots, and he said it is a mistake or error, and he corrected "tathaqaltum" with one 'ta' and a 'tha' with three dots if it were to be read this way. And His saying: "you inclined heavily to the earth" expresses their staying behind and their refusal and abandonment of the campaign for the sake of remaining in their homes and adhering to their palm trees and their shades. It is similar to one who is "attached to the earth." And His saying: "Are you satisfied?" is a confirmation, saying: are you satisfied with the little of this world over the great of the Hereafter and its most fortunate share? Then He informed, saying: indeed, the worldly life, in relation to the Hereafter, is a little, a small amount. Thus, the strength of the statement gives astonishment at the delusion of one who is satisfied with the little instead of the much that remains.

And His saying: "Except you go forth" is a condition and a response. His saying: "He will punish you" is a general term that includes types of punishment in this world and the Hereafter. The threat in its generality is more frightening. A group said: He means: He will punish you by withholding rain from you. It has been narrated from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: "The Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, called a tribe to arms, and they sat down, so Allah withheld rain from them and punished them with it." And "painful" means painful, akin to the saying of Amr ibn Maadi Karb:

'Is it from the fragrance of the caller, the All-Hearing...'

And His saying: "And He will replace a people other than you" is a threat that He will replace for the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, a people who do not sit down when he calls them to arms. The pronoun in His saying: "And they will not harm Him at all" refers back to Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, meaning: that does not diminish His might and the might of His religion. It is possible that it refers back to the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, and that is more appropriate. "And Allah is capable of all things" means: of everything that is decreed, and replacing them is not impossible or difficult for Him.