(11–13) “The Bedouins who stayed behind will say to you, ‘Our wealth and our families kept us occupied, so ask forgiveness for us.’ They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts. Say, ‘Who, then, could avail you in the least against Allah if He intended harm for you or intended benefit for you? Rather, Allah is fully aware of all that you do. No; you thought that the Messenger and the believers would never return to their families. That was made appealing in your hearts, and you harbored evil thoughts and became a people doomed to ruin. Whoever does not believe in Allah and His Messenger—We have prepared a Blaze for the disbelievers.’”

Allah Most High censures those Bedouins who stayed behind and failed to accompany His Messenger in jihad in His cause. Their faith was weak, their hearts were diseased, and they harbored evil thoughts about Allah Most High. He states that they would offer the excuse that their wealth and families had prevented them from setting out for jihad, and that they would ask the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) to seek forgiveness for them. Allah Most High says, “They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts.” Their asking the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him) to seek forgiveness for them would indicate that they regretted their actions, acknowledged their sin, and admitted that remaining behind as they did required repentance and the seeking of forgiveness. Had this truly been in their hearts, the Messenger’s prayer for forgiveness would have benefited them, for they would have repented and returned to Allah. What was actually in their hearts, however, was that they had stayed behind only because they harbored evil thoughts about Allah.

They thought that “the Messenger and the believers would never return to their families”—that is, that they would be killed and utterly wiped out. They continued to find this thought appealing and to take comfort in it until it became firmly entrenched. This was due to two things:

The first was that they were “a people doomed to ruin”—that is, doomed and devoid of all goodness. Had there been any good in them, such a thought would not have been in their hearts.

The second was the weakness of their faith and of their certainty regarding Allah’s promise, the victory of His religion, and the exaltation of His word. He therefore says, “Whoever does not believe in Allah and His Messenger”—that is, such a person is a disbeliever who deserves punishment—“We have prepared a Blaze for the disbelievers.”