Quran Universe
9:57

لَوۡ يَجِدُونَ مَلۡجَـًٔا أَوۡ مَغَٰرَٰتٍ أَوۡ مُدَّخَلٗا لَّوَلَّوۡاْ إِلَيۡهِ وَهُمۡ يَجۡمَحُونَ

Law yajidoona maljaan aw magharatin aw muddakhalan lawallaw ilayhi wahum yajmahoona

If they could find a refuge or some caves or any place to enter [and hide], they would turn to it while they run heedlessly.

Word by word
  1. لَوۡIf
  2. يَجِدُونَthey could find
  3. مَلۡجَـًٔاa refuge
  4. أَوۡor
  5. مَغَٰرَٰتٍcaves
  6. أَوۡor
  7. مُدَّخَلٗاa place to enter
  8. لَّوَلَّوۡاْsurely,they would turn
  9. إِلَيۡهِto it
  10. وَهُمۡand they
  11. يَجۡمَحُونَrun wild
At-Tawbah · 9:57Madinah

Any cave or hole, and they would bolt to it.

Looking for the nearest exit

What they wished for
a forta refuge
cavesin the mountains
a tunnelany hiding place
they would
rush awayat full speed
What the heart is doing
staying put
scanning for exitsalways

Ibn Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah explained it: if they found a fort, a mountain cave, or a tunnel in the ground, they would rush into it to get away from the believers. They were among them in body, always looking for the exit.

During the khutbah you check the time. In the Quran class you plan your excuse to leave early. When your heart keeps hunting for the exit from good things, that is worth noticing and gently treating.

Leaving early from good things is harmless.

A heart always looking for exits from good is a heart that needs care.

Try this

Stay until the very end of the next khutbah or class without checking your phone.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 9:56)

They swear by Allah that they are truly of you while they are not of you, but they are a people (hypocrites) who are afraid (that you may kill them)(56)Should they find a refuge, or caves, or a place of concealment, they would turn straightway thereto with a swift rush (57)

Exposing Hypocrites' Fright and Fear

Allah describes to His Prophet ﷺ the fright, fear, anxiety and nervousness of the hypocrites,

يَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُمْ لَمِنكُمْ

(They swear by Allah that they are truly of you), swearing a sure oath,

وَمَا هُم مِّنكُمْ 

(while they are not of you), in reality,

وَلَٰكِنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ يَفْرَقُونَ

(but they are a people who are afraid), and this is what made them swear.

لَوْ يَجِدُونَ مَلْجَأً

(Should they find a refuge), such as a fort in which they hide and fortify themselves,

أَوْ مَغَارَاتٍ

(or caves), in some mountains,

أَوْ مُدَّخَلًا

(or a place of concealment), a tunnel or a hole in the ground, according to the explanation given by Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah,

لَّوَلَّوْا إِلَيْهِ وَهُمْ يَجْمَحُونَ

(they would turn straightway thereto with a swift rush) away from you because they associate with you unwillingly, not because they are fond of you. They prefer that they do not have to mix with you, but necessity has its rules! It is because of this that they feel grief, sadness and sorrow, seeing Islam and its people enjoying ever more might, triumph and glory. Therefore, whatever pleases Muslims brings them grief, and this is why they prefer to disassociate themselves from the believers. Hence Allah's statement,

لَوْ يَجِدُونَ مَلْجَأً أَوْ مَغَارَاتٍ أَوْ مُدَّخَلًا لَّوَلَّوْا إِلَيْهِ وَهُمْ يَجْمَحُونَ

(Should they find a refuge, or caves, or a place of concealment, they would turn straightway thereto with a swift rush.)