Al-Fath (The Victory): (11) Soon will the laggards say...

After mentioning the hypocrites, the text addresses those who held back (from the expedition).

A group of Bedouins refrained from going out with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), assuming he would be defeated. They reasoned that the people of Mecca were fighting to defend the gates of Medina, so what would their situation be if the enemy entered their lands and surrounded them?

They offered excuses, and in their statement, {Our wealth and our families have preoccupied us}, there are two points that clarify the supposed excuse:

1. Their saying {Our wealth} and not just "wealth." This is because accumulating wealth has no end, so it cannot be a valid excuse. However, safeguarding what has already been gathered from scattered assets and preventing what has been acquired from being lost can be an excuse. Thus, they said, {Our wealth}, meaning what has become our property, not wealth in general.
2. Their saying {and our families}. If someone had argued that wealth should not reach a degree that prevents one from following the Messenger (PBUH), they could reply that family obligations and their protection do prevent one from attending to the most important matters.

Furthermore, despite offering this excuse, they pleaded, {so ask forgiveness for us}. This means: even while presenting our excuse, we acknowledge our wrongdoing, so ask forgiveness for us and pardon us regarding this matter of staying behind.

Allah the Almighty then refuted them, saying: {They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts}.

This statement has two interpretations:

1. The denial refers to their request, {so ask forgiveness for us}. The reality is that they pretended to believe they were sinful for staying behind, to the extent that they asked for forgiveness, when in their belief, they were actually doing good by staying behind.
2. Their statement {preoccupied us} implied that this was the only reason for their refusal. In reality, they did not believe this; rather, they refrained because they believed the Prophet (PBUH) and the believers would be overpowered and defeated, as stated immediately after: {Rather, you thought that the Messenger and the believers would never return to their families, ever}.

{And [saying], "Who then can possess for you anything against Allah, if He intends for you harm or intends for you benefit?"}

This means: You take precautions against harm and abandon Allah's command and His Messenger's, sitting back seeking safety. If Allah intended harm for you, your sitting back would not benefit you in the slightest against Him.

Alternatively, it means: You take precautions against the harm of fighting and the fighters, believing that your families and lands will protect you from the enemy. Suppose you protected yourselves from that worldly harm; who, then, can protect you from Allah's punishment in the Hereafter, which is more deserving of precaution?

We have previously discussed in Surah Ya-Sin regarding the verse {If the Most Merciful intends harm for me} (Ya-Sin: 23) that the preposition bi (with/by) is used when addressing the believer, as in {If Allah intends harm for me} (Az-Zumar: 38) and {And if Allah should touch you with harm} (Al-An'am: 17). However, when addressing the disbeliever, the preposition bi is attached to the disbeliever, as stated here: {if He intends for you harm}, and in {Who is it that can shield you from Allah if He intends evil for you?} (Al-Ahzab: 17). We explained the subtle difference there and will not repeat it here, so that this serves as an incentive to study the exegesis of Surah Ya-Sin, for it is a collection of rare pearls.

{Rather, Allah has ever been, with what you do, Acquainted}, meaning with what you outwardly show (like declaring war) while concealing something else.

< { Rather, you thought that the Messenger and the believers would never return to their families, ever, and that was made pleasing in your hearts, and you assumed an evil assumption, and you were a ruined people. } >