(41–42) “Go forth, whether light or heavy, and strive with your wealth and your lives in the cause of Allah. That is better for you, if only you knew. Had it been an easy gain and a moderate journey, they would have followed you, but the distance seemed too great to them. They will swear by Allah, ‘Had we been able, we would certainly have gone forth with you.’ They are ruining themselves, and Allah knows that they are surely liars.”

Allah Most High says to His believing servants, urging them to go forth in His cause: “Go forth, whether light or heavy,” meaning in hardship and ease, when eager or reluctant, in heat and cold, and in every circumstance.

“And strive with your wealth and your lives in the cause of Allah.” That is, exert every effort in this and expend all that you can of your wealth and yourselves. This proves that just as one must strive with oneself, one must also strive with one’s wealth whenever the need arises and calls for it.

He then says: “That is better for you, if only you knew.” That is, striving with your lives and wealth is better for you than holding back from it, because it brings the pleasure of Allah Most High, attainment of the highest ranks with Him, support for Allah’s religion, and inclusion among His troops and His party.

Had their departure been in pursuit of an easy gain—that is, a worldly benefit readily obtained—and had the journey been “a moderate journey,” meaning short and easy, “they would have followed you,” since it would not have involved great hardship. “But the distance seemed too great to them”: the distance was long and the journey difficult for them, and so they held back from accompanying you. This is not among the signs of true servitude. A true servant is one who worships his Lord in every circumstance, performing acts of worship whether easy or difficult. Such a person is Allah’s servant in every circumstance.

“They will swear by Allah, ‘Had we been able, we would certainly have gone forth with you.’” That is, they will swear that they remained behind because they had valid excuses and were unable to go forth.

“They are ruining themselves” by remaining behind, lying, and reporting what was contrary to reality. “And Allah knows that they are surely liars.”

This rebuke concerns only the hypocrites who remained behind when the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—set out on the Expedition of Tabūk and presented the false excuses they did. The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—excused them solely on the basis of their apologies, without putting them to the test so that the truthful could be distinguished from the liars. Allah therefore reproached him for being so quick to excuse them, saying: