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Ayah
Word by Word
فَرِحَ
Rejoice
ٱلۡمُخَلَّفُونَ
those who remained behind
بِمَقۡعَدِهِمۡ
in their staying
خِلَٰفَ
behind
رَسُولِ
(the) Messenger
ٱللَّهِ
(of) Allah
وَكَرِهُوٓاْ
and they disliked
أَن
to
يُجَٰهِدُواْ
strive
بِأَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ
with their wealth
وَأَنفُسِهِمۡ
and their lives
فِي
in
سَبِيلِ
(the) way
ٱللَّهِ
(of) Allah
وَقَالُواْ
and they said
لَا
(Do) not
تَنفِرُواْ
go forth
فِي
in
ٱلۡحَرِّۗ
the heat
قُلۡ
Say
نَارُ
(The) Fire
جَهَنَّمَ
(of) Hell
أَشَدُّ
(is) more intense
حَرّٗاۚ
(in) heat
لَّوۡ
If (only)
كَانُواْ
they could
يَفۡقَهُونَ
understand
فَرِحَ
Rejoice
ٱلۡمُخَلَّفُونَ
those who remained behind
بِمَقۡعَدِهِمۡ
in their staying
خِلَٰفَ
behind
رَسُولِ
(the) Messenger
ٱللَّهِ
(of) Allah
وَكَرِهُوٓاْ
and they disliked
أَن
to
يُجَٰهِدُواْ
strive
بِأَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ
with their wealth
وَأَنفُسِهِمۡ
and their lives
فِي
in
سَبِيلِ
(the) way
ٱللَّهِ
(of) Allah
وَقَالُواْ
and they said
لَا
(Do) not
تَنفِرُواْ
go forth
فِي
in
ٱلۡحَرِّۗ
the heat
قُلۡ
Say
نَارُ
(The) Fire
جَهَنَّمَ
(of) Hell
أَشَدُّ
(is) more intense
حَرّٗاۚ
(in) heat
لَّوۡ
If (only)
كَانُواْ
they could
يَفۡقَهُونَ
understand
Translation
Those who remained behind1 rejoiced in their staying [at home] after [the departure of] the Messenger of Allāh and disliked to strive with their wealth and their lives in the cause of Allāh and said, "Do not go forth in the heat." Say, "The fire of Hell is more intense in heat" - if they would but understand.
Footnotes
1 - Literally, "were left behind [as Allāh willed]" due to their false excuses having been accepted by the Prophet (ﷺ). While pleased with their assumed deception, in reality, Allāh had prevented their participation knowing of their hypocrisy and evil intent.
Tafsir
Those who were left behind, from [the journey to] Tabook, rejoiced at remaining behind the Messenger of God, and were averse to striving with their wealth and their lives in the way of God. And they said, that is, they said to one another, 'Do not go forth, do not set off to [join] the fight, in the heat!' Say: 'The fire of Hell is hotter, than Tabook, and more worthy for them to guard against, by not staying behind, did they but understand', this, they would not have stayed behind.
"Hypocrites rejoice because They remained behind from Tabuk!
Allah says;
فَرِحَ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ بِمَقْعَدِهِمْ خِلَفَ رَسُولِ اللّهِ
Those who stayed away (from Tabuk expedition) rejoiced in their staying behind the Messenger of Allah;
Allah admonishes the hypocrites who lagged behind from the battle of Tabuk with the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, rejoicing that they remained behind after the Messenger departed for the battle,
وَكَرِهُواْ أَن يُجَاهِدُواْ
they hated to strive and fight, (along with the Messenger),
بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ وَقَالُواْ
with their properties and their lives in the cause of Allah, and they said, (to each other),
لَا تَنفِرُواْ فِي الْحَرِّ
""March not forth in the heat.""
Tabuk occurred at a time when the heat was intense and the fruits and shades became delightful. This is why they said,
لَا تَنفِرُواْ فِي الْحَرِّ
(""March not forth in the heat).""
Allah said to His Messenger,
قُلْ
Say, (to them),
نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ
""The fire of Hell...,
which will be your destination because of your disobedience,
أَشَدُّ حَرًّا
"". ..is more intense in heat;""
than the heat that you sought to avoid; it is even more intense than fire.
Imam Malik narrated that Abu Az-Zinad said that Al-A`raj narrated that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,
نَارُ بَنِي ادَمَ الَّتِي تُوقِدُونَهَا جُزْءٌ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ جُزْءًا مِنْ نَارِ جَهَنَّم
The fire that the son of Adam kindles is but one part of seventy parts of the Fire of Jahannam.
They said, ""O Allah's Messenger! This fire alone is enough.""
He said,
فُضِّلَتْ عَلَيْهَا بِتِسْعَةٍ وَسِتِّينَ جُزْءًا
(Hellfire) was favored by sixty-nine parts.
The Two Sahihs collected this Hadith.
Al-A`mash narrated that Abu Ishaq said that An-Nu`man bin Bashir said that the Messenger of Allah said,
إِنَّ أَهْوَنَ أَهْلِ النَّارِ عَذَابًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ لِمَنْ لَهُ نَعْلَنِ وَشِرَاكَانِ مِنْ نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ يَغْلِي مِنْهُمَا دِمَاغُهُ كَمَا يَغْلِي الْمِرْجَلُ لَا يَرَى أَنَّ أَحَدًا مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ أَشَدُّ عَذَابًا مِنْهُ وَإِنَّهُ أَهْوَنُهُمْ عَذَابًا
On the Day of Resurrection, the person who will receive the least punishment among the people of the Fire, wears two slippers made from the Fire of Jahannam causing his brain to boil, just as a pot boils. He thinks that none in the Fire is receiving a more severe torment than he, when in fact he is receiving the least torment.
The Two Sahihs collected this Hadith.
There are many other Ayat and Prophetic Hadiths on this subject.
Allah said in His Glorious Book,
كَلَّ إِنَّهَا لَظَى
نَزَّاعَةً لِّلشَّوَى
By no means! Verily, it will be the Fire of Hell. Taking away (burning completely) the scalp! (70:15-16)
هَـذَانِ خَصْمَانِ اخْتَصَمُواْ فِى رَبِّهِمْ فَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قُطِّعَتْ لَهُمْ ثِيَابٌ مِّن نَّارِ يُصَبُّ مِن فَوْقِ رُءُوسِهِمُ الْحَمِيمُ
يُصْهَرُ بِهِ مَا فِى بُطُونِهِمْ وَالْجُلُودُ
وَلَهُمْ مَّقَامِعُ مِنْ حَدِيدٍ
كُلَّمَأ أَرَادُواْ أَن يَخْرُجُواْ مِنْهَا مِنْ غَمٍّ أُعِيدُواْ فِيهَا وَذُوقُواْ عَذَابَ الْحَرِيقِ
Al-Hamim (boiling water) will be poured down over their heads. With it will melt (or vanish away) what is within their bellies, as well as (their) skins. And for them are hooked rods of iron (to punish them). Every time they seek to get away therefrom, from anguish, they will be driven back therein, and (it will be said to them):""Taste the torment of burning!"" (22:19-22)
and,
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِـَايَـتِنَا سَوْفَ نُصْلِيهِمْ نَاراً كُلَّمَا نَضِجَتْ جُلُودُهُمْ بَدَّلْنَـهُمْ جُلُوداً غَيْرَهَا لِيَذُوقُواْ الْعَذَابَ
Surely, those who disbelieved in Our Ayat, We shall burn them in Fire. As often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for other skins that they may taste the punishment. (4:56)
Allah said here,
قُلْ
نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ أَشَدُّ حَرًّا
لَّوْ كَانُوا يَفْقَهُونَ
Say:""The fire of Hell is more intense in heat;"" if only they could understand!
meaning, if they have any comprehension or understanding, they would have marched with the Messenger of Allah during the heat, so as to save themselves from the Fire of Jahannam, which is much more severe. Allah, the Exalted, then warns the hypocrites against their conduct
فَلْيَضْحَكُواْ قَلِيلً
So let them laugh a little...
Ibn Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas commented,
""Life is short, so let them laugh as much as they like in it. But when life ends and they are returned to Allah, the Exalted and Most Honored, they will start crying forever without end.""
وَلْيَبْكُواْ كَثِيرًا جَزَاء بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكْسِبُونَ
and (they will) cry much as a recompense of what they used to earn (by committing sins)."
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