Ayah
Word by Word
لَوۡ
If
كَانَ
it had been
عَرَضٗا
a gain
قَرِيبٗا
near
وَسَفَرٗا
and a journey
قَاصِدٗا
easy
لَّٱتَّبَعُوكَ
surely they (would) have followed you
وَلَٰكِنۢ
but
بَعُدَتۡ
was long
عَلَيۡهِمُ
for them
ٱلشُّقَّةُۚ
the distance
وَسَيَحۡلِفُونَ
And they will swear
بِٱللَّهِ
by Allah
لَوِ
If
ٱسۡتَطَعۡنَا
we were able
لَخَرَجۡنَا
certainly we (would) have come forth
مَعَكُمۡ
with you
يُهۡلِكُونَ
They destroy
أَنفُسَهُمۡ
their own selves
وَٱللَّهُ
and Allah
يَعۡلَمُ
knows
إِنَّهُمۡ
(that) indeed they
لَكَٰذِبُونَ
(are) surely liars
لَوۡ
If
كَانَ
it had been
عَرَضٗا
a gain
قَرِيبٗا
near
وَسَفَرٗا
and a journey
قَاصِدٗا
easy
لَّٱتَّبَعُوكَ
surely they (would) have followed you
وَلَٰكِنۢ
but
بَعُدَتۡ
was long
عَلَيۡهِمُ
for them
ٱلشُّقَّةُۚ
the distance
وَسَيَحۡلِفُونَ
And they will swear
بِٱللَّهِ
by Allah
لَوِ
If
ٱسۡتَطَعۡنَا
we were able
لَخَرَجۡنَا
certainly we (would) have come forth
مَعَكُمۡ
with you
يُهۡلِكُونَ
They destroy
أَنفُسَهُمۡ
their own selves
وَٱللَّهُ
and Allah
يَعۡلَمُ
knows
إِنَّهُمۡ
(that) indeed they
لَكَٰذِبُونَ
(are) surely liars
Translation
If there had been immediate gain (in sight), and the journey easy, they would (all) without doubt have followed thee, but the distance was long, (and weighed) on them. They would indeed swear by Allah, "If we only could, we should certainly have come out with you": They would destroy their own souls; for Allah doth know that they are certainly lying.
Tafsir
The following was revealed regarding the hypocrites who stayed behind [away from the campaign]: Had it - that to which you summon them - been a near, easily acquired, gain, a transient pleasure of this world, and an easy journey, of moderate [length], they would have followed you, seeking spoils; but the distance, the hardship, was too great for them, and so they stayed behind. Still they will swear by God, when you return to them: [saying]: 'Had we been able, to go forth, we would have gone forth with you,' destroying their souls, by swearing false oaths, and God knows that they truly are liars, in this saying of theirs.
Why Hypocrites would not join in Jihad
Allah admonishes those who lagged behind and did not join the Prophet for the battle of Tabuk, those who asked the Prophet for permission to remain behind, falsely pretending to have legitimate reasons to do so,
لَوۡ كَانَ عَرَضًا قَرِيبًا
Had it been a near gain,
According to Ibn Abbas, booty right in front of them,
وَسَفَرًا قَاصِدًا
and an easy journey,
travel for only a short distance,
لااَّتَّبَعُوكَ
they would have followed you.
وَلَـكِن بَعُدَتۡ عَلَيۡهِمُ الشُّقَّةُ
but, the distance was long for them), to Ash-Sham,
وَسَيَحۡلِفُونَ بِاللّهِ
and they would swear by Allah,
when you return to them,
لَوِ اسۡتَطَعۡنَا لَخَرَجۡنَا مَعَكُمۡ
If we only could, we would certainly have come forth with you,
had not there been a valid excuse, we would have gone out with you,
يُهۡلِكُونَ أَنفُسَهُمۡ وَاللّهُ يَعۡلَمُ إِنَّهُمۡ لَكَاذِبُونَ
They destroy themselves, and Allah knows that they are liars.
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