Surah At-Tawbah, Ayah 83
Quran 9:83 · The Repentance · Madani · Para 10 · Page 200
فَاِنْ رَّجَعَكَ اللّٰهُ اِلٰی طَآىِٕفَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ فَاسْتَاْذَنُوْكَ لِلْخُرُوْجِ فَقُلْ لَّنْ تَخْرُجُوْا مَعِیَ اَبَدًا وَّلَنْ تُقَاتِلُوْا مَعِیَ عَدُوًّا ؕ اِنَّكُمْ رَضِیْتُمْ بِالْقُعُوْدِ اَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ فَاقْعُدُوْا مَعَ الْخٰلِفِیْنَ ۟
Transliteration
Fa-in rajaAAaka Allahu ila ta-ifatinminhum fasta/thanooka lilkhurooji faqul lantakhrujoo maAAiya abadan walan tuqatiloo maAAiya AAaduwwaninnakum radeetum bilquAAoodi awwala marratin faqAAudoomaAAa alkhalifeen
Saheeh International
If Allāh should return you to a faction of them [after the expedition] and then they ask your permission to go out [to battle], say, "You will not go out with me, ever, and you will never fight with me an enemy. Indeed, you were satisfied with sitting [at home] the first time, so sit [now] with those who stay behind."
Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir
If Allah returns you, O Prophet, to a group of these hypocrites who are firm in their hypocrisy and they ask you for permission to go out with you in another battle, then say to them: You, hypocrites, will never go out with me in Allah’s path, as a punishment for you and a means of avoiding the harms that may arise due to your presence with me. You were quite pleased to remain behind in the battle of Tabūk, so stay with those sick persons, women and children who remain behind.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)
If Allah brings you back to a party of them (the hypocrites), and they ask your permission to go out (to fight), say: "Never shall you go out with me nor fight an enemy with me; you were pleased to sit (inactive) on the first occasion, then you sit (now) with those who lag behind. (83)
Hypocrites are barred from participating in Jihad
Allah commands His Messenger, peace be upon him,
فَإِن رَّجَعَكَ اللَّهُ
(If Allah brings you back), from this battle,
إِلَىٰ طَائِفَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ
(to a party of them) in reference to the twelve (hypocrite) men, according to Qatadah,
فَاسْتَأْذَنُوكَ لِلْخُرُوجِ
(and they ask your permission to go out), with you to another battle,
فَقُل لَّن تَخْرُجُوا مَعِيَ أَبَدًا وَلَن تُقَاتِلُوا مَعِيَ عَدُوًّا
(say: "Never shall you go out with me nor fight an enemy with me...") as an admonishment and punishment for them. Allah mentioned the reason for this decision,
إِنَّكُمْ رَضِيتُم بِالْقُعُودِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ
("You were pleased to sit (inactive) on the first occasion...") Allah said in a similar Ayah,
وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَارَهُمْ كَمَا لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ
(And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away (from guidance), as they refused to believe therein for the first time.)[6:110]
The recompense of an evil deed includes being directed to follow it with another evil deed, while the reward of a good deed includes being directed to another good deed after it. For instance, Allah said concerning the 'Umrah of Hudaybiyyah,
سَيَقُولُ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ إِذَا انطَلَقْتُمْ إِلَىٰ مَغَانِمَ لِتَأْخُذُوهَا
(Those who lagged behind will say, when you set forth to take the spoils.)[48:15] Allah said next,
فَاقْعُدُوا مَعَ الْخَالِفِينَ
("...then you sit (now) with those who lag behind.") in reference to the men who lagged behind from [Tabuk] battle, according to Ibn 'Abbas.