Quran Universe
9:42

لَوۡ كَانَ عَرَضٗا قَرِيبٗا وَسَفَرٗا قَاصِدٗا لَّٱتَّبَعُوكَ وَلَٰكِنۢ بَعُدَتۡ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلشُّقَّةُۚ وَسَيَحۡلِفُونَ بِٱللَّهِ لَوِ ٱسۡتَطَعۡنَا لَخَرَجۡنَا مَعَكُمۡ يُهۡلِكُونَ أَنفُسَهُمۡ وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ إِنَّهُمۡ لَكَٰذِبُونَ

Law kana AAaradan qareeban wasafaran qasidan laittabaAAooka walakin baAAudat AAalayhimu alshshuqqatu wasayahlifoona biAllahi lawi istataAAna lakharajna maAAakum yuhlikoona anfusahum waAllahu yaAAlamu innahum lakathiboona

Had it been an easy gain and a moderate trip, the hypocrites would have followed you, but distant to them was the journey. And they will swear by Allah, "If we were able, we would have gone forth with you," destroying themselves [through false oaths], and Allah knows that indeed they are liars.

Word by word
  1. لَوۡIf
  2. كَانَit had been
  3. عَرَضٗاa gain
  4. قَرِيبٗاnear
  5. وَسَفَرٗاand a journey
  6. قَاصِدٗاeasy
  7. لَّٱتَّبَعُوكَsurely they (would) have followed you
  8. وَلَٰكِنۢbut
  9. بَعُدَتۡwas long
  10. عَلَيۡهِمُfor them
  11. ٱلشُّقَّةُۚthe distance
  12. وَسَيَحۡلِفُونَAnd they will swear
  13. بِٱللَّهِby Allah
  14. لَوِIf
  15. ٱسۡتَطَعۡنَاwe were able
  16. لَخَرَجۡنَاcertainly we (would) have come forth
  17. مَعَكُمۡwith you
  18. يُهۡلِكُونَThey destroy
  19. أَنفُسَهُمۡtheir own selves
  20. وَٱللَّهُand Allah
  21. يَعۡلَمُknows
  22. إِنَّهُمۡ(that) indeed,they
  23. لَكَٰذِبُونَ(are) surely liars
At-Tawbah · 9:42Madinah

If it were quick and easy, they would have come.

Excuses sworn by Allah

What decided it
easy gain, short tripthey would follow
but
long road to Shamtoo far
so
we could notsworn by Allah
What the oath hid
we were unable
we were unwillingAllah knows they lied

Ibn Kathir says this addressed the hypocrites who stayed behind from Tabuk. Had it been nearby gain and a short journey, they would have come. But the road to Syria was long. On his return they would swear: if we could, we would have gone. Allah knew they were lying.

The charity event is two hours away, so you suddenly have a headache. The study circle is on a rainy night, so you are "swamped." Be honest with yourself about the difference between cannot and will not.

I would have helped, I just could not this time.

Many of my can'ts are won'ts. Allah knows which is which.

Try this

The next time you give an excuse, ask yourself honestly if it would stand if the task were easy.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Had it been a near gain and an easy journey, they would have followed you, but the distance was long for them; and they would swear by Allah: "If we only could, we would certainly have come forth with you." They destroy themselves, and Allah knows that they are liars (42)

Why Hypocrites would not join in Jihad

Allah admonishes those who lagged behind and did not join the Prophet ﷺ for the battle of Tabuk, those who asked the Prophet for permission to remain behind, falsely pretending to have legitimate reasons to do so,

لَوْ كَانَ عَرَضًا قَرِيبًا

(Had it been a near gain), booty right in front of them, according to Ibn 'Abbas,

وَسَفَرًا قَاصِدًا

(and an easy journey), travel for only a short distance,

لَّاتَّبَعُوكَ 

(they would have followed you.) But,

وَلَٰكِن بَعُدَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الشُّقَّةُ

(the distance was long for them), to Ash-Sham,

وَسَيَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ

(and they would swear by Allah), when you return to them,

لَوِ اسْتَطَعْنَا لَخَرَجْنَا مَعَكُمْ

(If we only could, we would certainly have come forth with you), had not there been a valid excuse, we would have gone out with you,

يُهْلِكُونَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ

(They destroy themselves, and Allah knows that they are liars.)