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yā-ʾayyuhā lladhīna ʾāmanū mā lakum ʾidhā qīla lakumu nfirū fī sabīli llāhi ththāqaltum ʾilā l-ʾarḍi ʾa-raḍītum bi-l-ḥayāti d-dunyā mina l-ʾākhirati fa-mā matāʿu l-ḥayāti d-dunyā fī l-ʾākhirati ʾillā qalīlun
O you who have faith! What is the matter with you that when you are told: ‘Go forth in the way of Allah,’ you sink heavily to the ground? Are you pleased with the life of this world instead of the Hereafter? But the wares of the life of this world compared with the Hereafter are but insignificant.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah At-Tawbah – Verse 38
38 . “O’ you who have Faith! What (excuse) have you that when it is said to you: ‘Go forth in Allah’s way’, you should incline heavily to the ground? Are you contented with the life of this world instead of the Hereafter? But the enjoyment of the life of this world, compared with the Hereafter, is but little.”
Occasion of Revelation
It has been narrated by Ibn-‘Abbās, as well as some others, that this verse and the verse after it have been sent down about the ‘Battle of Tabūk’. Some Islamic narrations indicate that the Prophet of Islam (S) usually did not make manifest the war decisions and his final aims concerning them for Muslims before the beginning of war in order that the Islamic martial secrets would not be handed to the enemy. But, the situation was different about ‘the Battle of Tabūk, where in advance he announced clearly that they were going to fight against the Romans. That fight against the Emperor of Eastern Byzantine, of course was not a simple matter, and Muslims should be completely prepared for that great war.
In addition to that, the distance between Medina and the country of the Romans was very long and, all things apart, it was summer, the hot season, and the time of harvest for both corns and fruits. All these affairs with together made the problem of going toward the battlefield extraordinary difficult for the Muslims, so much so that some of them showed hesitation in accepting the Prophet’s invitation. It was in those circumstances that these couple of verses were sent down and, with a very sharp and decisive tone, warned Muslims to be aware of danger, and made them ready to participate in that great war.
As it was cited in the occasions of revelation, the abovementioned verse is about the circumstance of the Battle of Tabūk. Tabuk is a region between Medina and Syria where the bound of Sa‘ūdi Arabia is located now, and, at that time, it was close to the lands of the Emperor of Eastern Byzantine, which was dominated over Syria. This event happened in the ninth A.H. viz. about one year after the occurrence of Mecca Conquest. With the most intensive manner, the Qur’ān invites people unto Holy Struggle. Sometimes it applies some encouraging words, and sometimes some scorning words, and sometimes it threatens them. It addresses people differently and through various ways in order to make them ready. Here, in this verse, at first it says:
Then, with a reproaching tone, and, referring to the life of this fleeting world and also the vast eternal life in the coming world, it says:
Did you do it while the advantages and the amount of the life of this world in comparison with the life in Hereafter is very little? The verse says:
How might a wise person submit such a detrimental exchange? And how does he lose an extraordinary worthy thing for reaching to a worthless little thing?