Say: “Flight will benefit you nothing. If you flee from natural death or from being slain, you will only be left to enjoy life for a little while.” Say: “Who can keep you away from God if it be His will to harm you, or if it be His will to show you mercy?” Other than God they can find none to protect them or to bring them support. God is indeed aware of those of you who hold others back; and those who say to their brethren: “Come and join us,” while they themselves hardly ever take part in the fighting, begrudging you all help. But then, when danger threatens, you see them looking to you for help, their eyes rolling as though they were overshadowed by death. Yet when the danger has passed, they will assail you (believers) with sharp tongues, begrudging you all that is good. Such people have not experienced faith. God will bring their deeds to nothing. That is all too easy for God. They think that the Confederates have not withdrawn. Should the Confederates return, they would wish they were in the desert, among the Bedouins, asking for news about you. Even if they were with you, they would take but little part in the fighting.
(The Confederates Al-Ahzab: 33: 16-20)
At this point the Qur’an restates an important value, one that corrects their notions about life and death, which had caused them to break their pledges and try to desert: “Say: ‘Flight will benefit you nothing. If you flee from natural death or from being slain, you will only be left to enjoy life for a little while. Say: Who can keep you away from God if it be His will to harm you, or if it be His will to show you mercy?’ Other than God they can find none to protect them or to bring them support.”
It is God’s will that determines events and destinies, directing them along a certain way that leads to a definite result. Death, whether in battle or by natural causes, is inevitable and occurs at the appointed moment: it comes neither a second early nor a moment late. Flight from battle will not spare the deserter what God has willed. Should they flee from battle, they are certain to meet their inevitable death soon, at the appointed time. All times in this present life are soon, and all life extensions are short. No one can protect anyone else against God’s will; no one can prevent it running its course. Should He will to harm someone or show him mercy, His will shall be done. Hence, the only proper attitude for anyone is to submit to God, obey His orders, and honor the vows given to Him in all situations of comfort and hardship. It is far better to place oneself in God’s hand, placing one’s trust completely in Him. He will, in any case do what He pleases.
The surah then clearly states that God knows the inner thoughts of those who not only stay behind at times of jihad, but who also try to dissuade others from joining the battle. It draws a very truthful picture of their mentality, yet it provokes laughter and derision at such people who are encountered in all communities. It is a picture of cowardice composed of lines of fright and panic in times of hardship, arrogance and presumptuousness in times of ease, a begrudging nature of every good thing, a reluctance to participate in anything good, yet a state of utter terror and hysteria when danger looms from afar. The Qur’an paints this picture with some fascinating touches that can neither be substituted nor replaced: “God is indeed aware of those of you who hold others back; and those who say to their brethren: ‘Come and join us,’ while they themselves hardly ever take part in the fighting, begrudging you all help. But then, when danger threatens, you see them looking to you for help, their eyes rolling as though they were overshadowed by death. Yet when the danger has passed, they will assail you (believers) with sharp tongues, begrudging you all that is good. Such people have not experienced faith. God will bring their deeds to nothing. That is all too easy for God. They think that the Confederates have not withdrawn. Should the Confederates return, they would wish they were in the desert, among the Bedouins, asking for news about you. Even if they were with you, they would take but little part in the fighting.”
These verses begin with the statement that God is fully aware of those who try to weaken the Muslim community by persuading others to stay behind. They themselves hardly, if ever, take part in any battle. Their attitude is well known to Him, and their scheming is exposed. The miraculous brush then begins to delineate the main lines that depict this type of people. They ‘begrudge you all help.’ They are very tight against the Muslims, unwilling to help them with effort or money, or even with sympathy and feeling. Yet “when danger threatens, you see them looking to you for help, their eyes rolling as though they were overshadowed by death. (Verse 19) This is a true-to-life, vibrant image of a cowardly people, yet it fills us with laughter when we look at their limbs shaking with fear. Worse still is the shadow they cast when the danger is over and security is assured: “Yet when the danger has passed, they will assail you (believers) with sharp tongues.” (Verse 19) They come out of their holes, swelling with false pride, unashamedly making all sorts of claims about their bravery, determination, unwavering effort, etc. Not only so, but they “begrudge you all that is good.” (Verse 19) Despite all their wild claims, they are unwilling to make any effort or donation in order to help with good works.
There will always be people belonging to this type in all generations and communities: boasting, cowardly, miserly and abusive: “Such people have not experienced faith. God will bring their deeds to nothing.” This is then the basic reason for their attitude. Their hearts have never experienced faith and they never saw its guiding light, or recognized its guidance. Hence, all their endeavors will end up in ruin. They cannot succeed because the basic element of success is absent from their lives. “That is all too easy for God.” Nothing is difficult for God, and His will is certain to be done.
The surah paints another derogatory picture of their condition on the day when the confederate forces acknowledged their failure and departed: “They think that the Confederates have not withdrawn.” They still tremble with fear, refusing to believe that those large forces have gone and all are now safe and secure. “Should the Confederates return, they would wish they were in the desert, among the Bedouins, asking for news about you.” How pathetic and laughable! If those forces did return, these hypocrites would wish that they were Bedouins, and that they never lived in Madinah. They would rather not have anything to do with the people of Madinah, not even know anything about them. They only want to inquire of travelers about what happened to them, but this would only be a casual inquiry, as when one stranger asks about another.
They wish all this despite the fact that they have been left behind, away from the battle, unexposed to danger. It is all fear at a distance. Hence, “Even if they were with you, they would take but little part in the fighting.” Such was the condition of the hypocrites, the sick at heart, and those who spread lies to weaken the Muslim community.
