Al-Fath (The Victory): (14) And to Allah belongs the Sovereignty of the Heavens...

After mentioning those who have a great reward among the sellers (in the pledge of allegiance) and those who have a painful punishment among those who assume (wrongly), He indicated that He forgives the former by His Will and punishes the latter by His Will.

His forgiveness and mercy are more general, more comprehensive, more complete, and more perfect.

And His saying, the Exalted: {And to Allah belongs the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth} indicates the greatness of both matters, because whoever has a great dominion, His reward and His gift are of the utmost greatness, and His punishment and chastisement are likewise of the utmost severity and pain.

{The laggards will say when you set out to take spoils: "Allow us to follow you." They wish to change the word of Allah.}

Say: "You will never follow us." Thus has Allah said beforehand.

They will say: "Nay, you envy us." Nay, they comprehended not except a little.

Commentary:

The laggards (those who stayed behind from the expedition) will say when you set out for the spoils of war (Ghanā'im) to take them: "Let us come along with you."

They desire to change the decree of Allah, which is that the reward and the spoils are only for those who participated in the endeavor and fulfilled their covenant.

Say to them: "You will never follow us." This is how Allah has decreed concerning this matter from before.

They will then reply, trying to find an excuse: "Rather, you envy us." (i.e., you are preventing us from sharing in the spoils out of envy).

The response to this is: "Nay, they do not understand anything except a little." They have no true comprehension of the reality of the situation, the wisdom behind the decree, or the true nature of the reward.