قQuranulKareem

Surah At-Tawbah, Ayah 42 (9:42)

ٱلتَّوْبَة

لَوْ كَانَ عَرَضًا قَرِيبًا وَسَفَرًا قَاصِدًا لَّٱتَّبَعُوكَ وَلَٰكِنۢ بَعُدَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلشُّقَّةُ ۚ …

Quran 9:42 is ayah 42 of Surah At-Tawbah (“The Repentance”), a Medinan surah of 129 ayahs. It is in Juz 10, on page 194 of the Madani Mushaf.

9:42
لَوْكَانَعَرَضًاقَرِيبًاوَسَفَرًاقَاصِدًالَّٱتَّبَعُوكَوَلَٰكِنۢبَعُدَتْعَلَيْهِمُٱلشُّقَّةُ ۚوَسَيَحْلِفُونَبِٱللَّهِلَوِٱسْتَطَعْنَالَخَرَجْنَامَعَكُمْيُهْلِكُونَأَنفُسَهُمْوَٱللَّهُيَعْلَمُإِنَّهُمْلَكَٰذِبُونَ٤٢
law kāna ʿaraḍan qarīban wasafaran qāṣidan la-ittabaʿūka walākin baʿudat ʿalayhimu l-shuqatu wasayaḥlifūna bil-lahi lawi is'taṭaʿnā lakharajnā maʿakum yuh'likūna anfusahum wal-lahu yaʿlamu innahum lakādhibūna

Had it been a near [i.e., easy] gain and a moderate trip, they [i.e., the hypocrites] would have followed you, but distant to them was the journey. And they will swear by Allāh, "If we were able, we would have gone forth with you," destroying themselves [through false oaths], and Allāh knows that indeed they are liars.(42)

Word by word

  1. لَوْlawIf
  2. كَانَkānait had been
  3. عَرَضًاʿaraḍana gain
  4. قَرِيبًاqarībannear
  5. وَسَفَرًاwasafaranand a journey
  6. قَاصِدًاqāṣidaneasy
  7. لَّٱتَّبَعُوكَla-ittabaʿūkasurely they (would) have followed you
  8. وَلَٰكِنۢwalākinbut
  9. بَعُدَتْbaʿudatwas long
  10. عَلَيْهِمُʿalayhimufor them
  11. ٱلشُّقَّةُ ۚl-shuqatuthe distance
  12. وَسَيَحْلِفُونَwasayaḥlifūnaAnd they will swear
  13. بِٱللَّهِbil-lahiby Allah
  14. لَوِlawiIf
  15. ٱسْتَطَعْنَاis'taṭaʿnāwe were able
  16. لَخَرَجْنَاlakharajnācertainly we (would) have come forth
  17. مَعَكُمْmaʿakumwith you
  18. يُهْلِكُونَyuh'likūnaThey destroy
  19. أَنفُسَهُمْanfusahumtheir own selves
  20. وَٱللَّهُwal-lahuand Allah
  21. يَعْلَمُyaʿlamuknows
  22. إِنَّهُمْinnahum(that) indeed, they
  23. لَكَٰذِبُونَlakādhibūna(are) surely liars

Tafsir (commentary) of 9:42

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Why Hypocrites would not join in Jihad

Allah admonishes those who lagged behind and did not join the Prophet for the battle of Tabuk, those who asked the Prophet for permission to remain behind, falsely pretending to have legitimate reasons to do so,

لَوْ كَانَ عَرَضًا قَرِيبًا

(Had it been a near gain), booty right in front of them, according to Ibn `Abbas,

وَسَفَرًا قَاصِدًا

(and an easy journey), travel for only a short distance,

لاَّتَّبَعُوكَ

(they would have followed you.) But,

وَلَـكِن بَعُدَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الشُّقَّةُ

(the distance was long for them), to Ash-Sham,

وَسَيَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ

(and they would swear by Allah), when you return to them,

لَوِ اسْتَطَعْنَا لَخَرَجْنَا مَعَكُمْ

(If we only could, we would certainly have come forth with you), had not there been a valid excuse, we would have gone out with you,

يُهْلِكُونَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَـذِبُونَ

(They destroy themselves, and Allah knows that they are liars.)

Read the full Surah At-Tawbah