Surah At-Tawbah (The Repentance): Verse 38

Issues in the Verse

Know that when Allah (Exalted is He) explained the defects and disgraces of these disbelievers, He returned to encouraging their fighting, saying: {O you who have believed, what is [the matter] with you that when you are told, "Go forth in the cause of Allah," you become heavy toward the earth?}

The context is that Allah mentioned many reasons necessitating fighting them in the preceding verses, and He mentioned many benefits resulting from fighting them, such as: {Allah will punish them by your hands and disgrace them and give you victory over them} (At-Tawbah: 14). He also mentioned their reprehensible sayings and ugly deeds in religion and worldly life. Given all this, the only barrier remaining for a person to fight them is the fear of being killed and the love of life. Allah the Exalted clarified that this barrier is base because the happiness of this world, compared to the happiness of the Hereafter, is like a drop in the ocean. Abandoning great good for the sake of little evil is ignorance and folly.

It is narrated from Ibn Abbas that this verse was revealed concerning the expedition of Tabuk. This is because when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) returned from Ta'if, he stayed in Medina and commanded the jihad against the Romans. That time was during intense heat, the fruits of Medina were ripe, and they greatly resented and feared the expedition against the Romans, so this verse was revealed.

The scholars stated that the people found this difficult for several reasons:

1. The severity of the time (summer and drought).
2. The great distance and the need for extensive preparation beyond what was customary in other expeditions.
3. The ripening of the fruits in Medina at that time.
4. The intensity of the heat at that time.
5. The awe inspired by the Roman army.

These numerous factors combined, leading to the people's reluctance regarding that expedition. And Allah knows best.

It is said: The Imam calls the people to jihad against the enemy, and they respond (نَفَرُوا), meaning they go forth (يَنْفِرُونَ), which implies urging and calling them to it. Hence the Prophet's saying: (When you are called forth [to jihad], then go forth). The origin of Nafar (departure) is setting out for a necessary matter. The name for the group that sets out is Nafir. Hence their saying: "So-and-so is neither in the caravan (al-'eer) nor in the departing force (an-nafeer)."

His saying {اثاقلتم إلى الارض} (you become heavy toward the earth) originally is tathāqaltum. Al-A'mash recited it this way. Its meaning is that you became slow/sluggish, similar to His saying {تدارأتم} (you tried to ward off [the blame]). And similar to His saying {قالوا اطيرنا بك} (They said, 'We have been made unlucky by you').

The author of Al-Kashshaf said: The meaning includes the sense of inclination and clinging, so it is connected with ilā (to). The meaning is: you inclined toward the world and its desires, and you disliked the hardships and burdens of travel. Similar to this is {أخلد إلى الأرض واتبع هواه} (He inclined to the earth and followed his desire) (Al-A'raf: 176). Another opinion is that it means you inclined toward remaining in your land and staying there.

His saying {ما لكم إذا قيل لكم} (What is [the matter] with you when you are told) is, although seemingly an interrogation, intended to express extreme denunciation.

Then Allah the Exalted said: {O you who have believed, what is [the matter] with you that when you are told, "Go forth in the cause of Allah," you become heavy toward the earth?}

The meaning is as if it is said: We have mentioned the many compelling reasons calling for fighting them, and we have explained the great benefits achieved by fighting them, and we have clarified the types of their disgraces and ugliness that would compel a rational person to fight them. Yet, you abandoned all these matters. Is it not that your Lord commands you to fight them, and you know that obedience to the Lord necessitates great reward in the Hereafter? Is it fitting for a rational person to abandon great reward in the Hereafter for the sake of meager benefit obtained in this world?

The proof that the enjoyment of this world is little compared to the Hereafter is that the pleasures of this world are inherently base, mixed with afflictions and calamities, and inevitably temporary. The benefits of the Hereafter are noble, lofty, pure from all afflictions, and eternally everlasting. This necessitates the conclusion that the enjoyment of this world is little, contemptible, and base.

Know that this verse indicates the obligation of Jihad at all times because Allah the Exalted explicitly stated that their reluctance concerning Jihad is a reprehensible matter. If Jihad were not obligatory, this reluctance would not be reprehensible. No one can argue that Jihad is only obligatory at the time when the attack of the disbelievers is feared, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not fear the attack of the Romans upon him, yet he obligated Jihad against them. The benefits of Jihad are fully detailed in Surah Al 'Imran. Furthermore, it is an obligation of sufficiency (wajib 'ala al-kifayah); if some perform it, it is lifted from the rest.

Someone might argue that His saying {ذلك بأن الذين كفروا} (That is because those who disbelieved...) is an address to all believers.

Then He said: {ما لكم إذا قيل لكم انفروا في سبيل الله اثاقلتم إلى الارض} (What is [the matter] with you that when you are told, "Go forth in the cause of Allah," you become heavy toward the earth?). This indicates that all believers were reluctant regarding this command, and this reluctance is a sin. This implies the consensus of the entire Ummah upon sin, which casts doubt on the argument that the consensus of the Ummah is a proof (hujjah).

The Answer: Addressing everyone while intending only some is a common metaphor in the Qur'an and in all forms of speech, like the saying:

{إلا تنفروا يعذبكم عذابا أليما ويستبدل قوما غيركم ولا تضروه شيئا والله على كل شيء قدير} (If you do not go forth, He will punish you with a painful punishment and will replace you with another people, and you will not harm Him at all. And Allah is over all things competent.)