Quran Universe
9:44

لَا يَسۡتَـٔۡذِنُكَ ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأٓخِرِ أَن يُجَٰهِدُواْ بِأَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ وَأَنفُسِهِمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمُۢ بِٱلۡمُتَّقِينَ

La yastathinuka allatheena yuminoona biAllahi waalyawmi alakhiri an yujahidoo biamwalihim waanfusihim waAllahu AAaleemun bialmuttaqeena

Those who believe in Allah and the Last Day would not ask permission of you to be excused from striving with their wealth and their lives. And Allah is Knowing of those who fear Him.

Word by word
  1. لَا(Would) not ask your permission
  2. يَسۡتَـٔۡذِنُكَ(Would) not ask your permission
  3. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  4. يُؤۡمِنُونَbelieve
  5. بِٱللَّهِin Allah
  6. وَٱلۡيَوۡمِand the Day
  7. ٱلۡأٓخِرِthe Last
  8. أَنthat
  9. يُجَٰهِدُواْthey strive
  10. بِأَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡwith their wealth
  11. وَأَنفُسِهِمۡۗand their lives
  12. وَٱللَّهُAnd Allah
  13. عَلِيمُۢ(is) All-Knower
  14. بِٱلۡمُتَّقِينَof the righteous
At-Tawbah · 9:44Madinah

Those who believe do not look for the way out.

Faith runs toward the hard thing

Two responses to the call
may I be excused?looking for exemption
versus
already packingit is worship to them
What the first question shows
how do I get out
how do I take partAllah knows the muttaqin

Ibn Kathir explains that believers in Allah and the Last Day did not ask leave to stay behind from striving with their wealth and lives, because they saw it as worship. When the call came, they hurried to it. Allah knows those who are mindful of Him.

A relative needs a carer this month. The masjid needs someone to clean on Saturday. Your first thought shows a lot: "who else can do it?" or "when do they need me?"

My first move with a hard task is to see if I can get out of it.

Faith makes my first question how I can help, not how I can escape.

Try this

Say yes today to one request you would normally try to dodge.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 9:43)

May Allah forgive you. Why did you grant them leave, until those who told the truth were manifest to you, and you had known the liars (43)Those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, would not ask your leave to be exempted from fighting with their properties and their lives; and Allah is the All-Knower of those who have Taqwa (44)It is only those who believe not in Allah and the Last Day and whose hearts are in doubt that ask your leave. So in their doubts they waver (45)

Moderately criticizing the Prophet (ﷺ) for allowing the Hypocrites to stay behind

Ibn Abi Hatim recorded that 'Awn said, "Have you heard criticism softer than this, starting with forgiveness before criticism,

عَفَا اللَّهُ عَنكَ لِمَ أَذِنتَ لَهُمْ

(May Allah forgive you. Why did you grant them leave...)?" Muwarriq Al-'Ijli and others said similarly. Qatadah said, "Allah criticized him as you read here, then later revealed to him the permission to allow them to lag behind if he wants, in Surat An-Nur,

فَإِذَا اسْتَأْذَنُوكَ لِبَعْضِ شَأْنِهِمْ فَأْذَن لِّمَن شِئْتَ مِنْهُمْ

(So if they ask your permission for some affairs of theirs, give permission to whom you will of them)[24:62]."

Ata' Al-Khurasani said similarly. Mujahid said, "This Ayah was revealed about some people who said, 'Ask permission from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ [to stay behind], and whether he agrees, or disagrees, remain behind!'" Allah said,

حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا 

(...until those who told the truth were manifest to you), in reference to valid excuses,

وَتَعْلَمَ الْكَاذِبِينَ

(and you had known the liars)

Allah says, 'Why did you not refuse to give them permission to remain behind when they asked you, so that you know those who truly obey you and the liars, who were intent on remaining behind even if you do not give them permission to do so.

Allah asserts that none who believe in Allah and His Messenger ﷺ seek his permission to remain behind from fighting,

لَا يَسْتَأْذِنُكَ

(would not ask your leave), to stay behind from Jihad,

الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ أَن يُجَاهِدُوا بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنفُسِهِمْ

(Those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, to be exempted from fighting with their properties and their lives.) because they consider Jihad an act of worship. This is why when Allah called them to perform Jihad, they obeyed and hasten to act in His obedience,

وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالْمُتَّقِينَ - إِنَّمَا يَسْتَأْذِنُكَ

(and Allah is the All-Knower of those who have Taqwa. Those who ask your leave), to remain behind, without a valid excuse,

الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ 

(those who believe not in Allah and the Last Day), they do not hope for Allah's reward in the Hereafter for their good actions,

وَارْتَابَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ

(and whose hearts are in doubt), about the validity of what you brought them,

فَهُمْ فِي رَيْبِهِمْ يَتَرَدَّدُونَ

(so in their doubts they waver.)

They waver in doubt, taking one step forward and one step back. They do not have a firm stance in anything, for they are unsure and destroyed, neither belonging to these nor to those. Verily, those whom Allah misguides, will never find a way for themselves to guidance.