Tafheem ul Quran

Surah 9 At-Tawbah, Ayat 38-38

يٰۤـاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا مَا لَـكُمۡ اِذَا قِيۡلَ لَـكُمُ انْفِرُوۡا فِىۡ سَبِيۡلِ اللّٰهِ اثَّاقَلۡـتُمۡ اِلَى الۡاَرۡضِ​ ؕ اَرَضِيۡتُمۡ بِالۡحَيٰوةِ الدُّنۡيَا مِنَ الۡاٰخِرَةِ​ ۚ فَمَا مَتَاعُ الۡحَيٰوةِ الدُّنۡيَا فِى الۡاٰخِرَةِ اِلَّا قَلِيۡلٌ‏ ﴿9:38﴾

[9:38] Believers!38 What is amiss with you that when it is said to you: "March forth in the cause of Allah," you cling heavily to the earth? Do you prefer the worldly life to the Hereafter? Know well that all the enjoyment of this world, in comparison with the Hereafter, is trivial.39

Notes

38. From here begins the discourse (Ayats 38-72) which was sent down at the time when the Prophet (peace be upon him) was engaged in making preparations for the campaign to Tabuk.

39. “The enjoyment of the life of this world” may imply two meanings. First: “When you will find that the life in the Hereafter is eternal and see that the good things and the provisions of enjoyment are countless, you will realize that the potential and the actual enjoyments of the temporary life of this world were nothing as compared with the blessings of that great kingdom. At that time you will regret why you deprived yourselves of this everlasting happiness and bliss for the sake of a very little and short lived enjoyments of the mortal life of this world.” Second: “The goods of this worldly life are of no value in the Hereafter, howsoever abundant they might be. You shall have to give up each and everything as soon as you breathe your last. For nothing of this world can go with you to the next world. Of course, you will get credit for what you sacrificed for the pleasure and love of Allah, and love of Islam.”