The Quran

Preface

وَلا عَلَى الَّذينَ إِذا ما أَتَوكَ لِتَحمِلَهُم قُلتَ لا أَجِدُ ما أَحمِلُكُم عَلَيهِ تَوَلَّوا وَأَعيُنُهُم تَفيضُ مِنَ الدَّمعِ حَزَنًا أَلّا يَجِدوا ما يُنفِقونَ

Yusuf Ali

Nor (is there blame) on those who came to thee to be provided with mounts¹, and when thou saidst, “I can find no mounts for you,” they turned back, their eyes streaming with tears of grief that they had no resources wherewith to provide the expenses.

Ḥamala, yahmilu, here seems to mean: to provide means of transport, viz. mounts (horses, camels, etc.) for riding, and perhaps beasts of burden for carrying equipment and baggage, suitable to the rank of those concerned. It may possibly mean other facilities for getting about, such as boots and shoes, or provisions: for any army’s march depends upon all these things. Where people fight as volunteers for a cause, without an extensive war fund, those who can afford it provide such things for themselves, but those without means, yet anxious to serve, have to be left behind. Their disappointment is in proportion to their eagerness to serve.