Overview (Verses 18 - 20)
 
Inner Feelings Laid Bare
 
The sūrah then clearly states that God knows the inner thoughts of those who not only stay behind at times of Jihād, 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’ān 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 They think that the Confederates have not withdrawn.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. (Verses 18-20)
 
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.” (Verse 19) 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 endeavours 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.” (Verse 19) Nothing is difficult for God, and His will is certain to be done.
 
The sūrah 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.” (Verse 20) 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.” (Verse 20) 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 enquire of travellers about what happened to them, but this would only be a casual enquiry, 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.” (Verse 20) Such was the condition of the hypocrites, the sick at heart, and those who spread lies to weaken the Muslim community.