The Quran

Preface

سَيَقولُ المُخَلَّفونَ إِذَا انطَلَقتُم إِلىٰ مَغانِمَ لِتَأخُذوها ذَرونا نَتَّبِعكُم ۖ يُريدونَ أَن يُبَدِّلوا كَلامَ اللَّهِ ۚ قُل لَن تَتَّبِعونا كَذٰلِكُم قالَ اللَّهُ مِن قَبلُ ۖ فَسَيَقولونَ بَل تَحسُدونَنا ۚ بَل كانوا لا يَفقَهونَ إِلّا قَليلًا

Yusuf Ali

Those who lagged behind¹ (will say), when ye (are free to) march and take booty (in war): “Permit us to follow you.” They wish to change God’s decree: Say: “Not thus² will ye follow us: God has already declared³ (this) beforehand”: then they will say, “But ye are⁴ jealous of us.” Nay, but little do they understand (such things).

Now comes out another motive behind the minds of the laggards. The journey for pilgrimage had no promise of war booty. If at any future time there should be a promise of booty they would come! But that is to reverse God’s law and decree. Jihad is not for personal gain or booty: see S. 8 and Introduction to S. 8, paragraph 2. On the contrary Jihad is hard striving, in war and peace, in the Cause of God.
Not thus: i.e., not on those terms; not if your object is only to gain booty.
See 8:1, and n. 1179.
The desert Arabs loved fighting and plunder, and understood such motives for war. The higher motives seemed to be beyond them. Like ignorant men they attributed petty motives or motives of jealousy if they were kept out of the vulgar circle of fighting for plunder. But they had to be schooled, and they were schooled to higher ideas of discipline, self-sacrifice, and striving hard for a Cause.