Quran Universe
9:83

فَإِن رَّجَعَكَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَىٰ طَآئِفَةٖ مِّنۡهُمۡ فَٱسۡتَـٔۡذَنُوكَ لِلۡخُرُوجِ فَقُل لَّن تَخۡرُجُواْ مَعِيَ أَبَدٗا وَلَن تُقَٰتِلُواْ مَعِيَ عَدُوًّاۖ إِنَّكُمۡ رَضِيتُم بِٱلۡقُعُودِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٖ فَٱقۡعُدُواْ مَعَ ٱلۡخَٰلِفِينَ

Fain rajaAAaka Allahu ila taifatin minhum faistathanooka lilkhurooji faqul lan takhrujoo maAAiya abadan walan tuqatiloo maAAiya AAaduwwan innakum radeetum bialquAAoodi awwala marratin faoqAAudoo maAAa alkhalifeena

If Allah should return you to a faction of them [after the expedition] and then they ask your permission to go out [to battle], say, "You will not go out with me, ever, and you will never fight with me an enemy. Indeed, you were satisfied with sitting [at home] the first time, so sit [now] with those who stay behind."

Word by word
  1. فَإِنThen if
  2. رَّجَعَكَAllah returns you
  3. ٱللَّهُAllah returns you
  4. إِلَىٰto
  5. طَآئِفَةٖa group
  6. مِّنۡهُمۡof them
  7. فَٱسۡتَـٔۡذَنُوكَand they ask you permission
  8. لِلۡخُرُوجِto go out
  9. فَقُلthen say
  10. لَّنNever
  11. تَخۡرُجُواْwill you come out
  12. مَعِيَwith me
  13. أَبَدٗاever
  14. وَلَنand never
  15. تُقَٰتِلُواْwill you fight
  16. مَعِيَwith me
  17. عَدُوًّاۖany enemy
  18. إِنَّكُمۡIndeed,you
  19. رَضِيتُمwere satisfied
  20. بِٱلۡقُعُودِwith sitting
  21. أَوَّلَ(the) first
  22. مَرَّةٖtime
  23. فَٱقۡعُدُواْso sit
  24. مَعَwith
  25. ٱلۡخَٰلِفِينَthose who stay behind
At-Tawbah · 9:83Madinah

You chose to sit once, so sit now.

One choice shaping the next

After Tabuk
the first timepleased to sit at home
later asked
to come alongthe next time
told
stay with themthose who lagged behind
How deeds lead on
an evil deedleads to another
a good deedleads to another

The Prophet ﷺ was told that if those who stayed behind later asked to join, the answer was no: you were pleased to sit the first time. Ibn Kathir draws a lesson: an evil deed is often followed by another, and a good deed by another good deed.

You skip the gym once, then it is easier to skip twice. You pray on time today, and tomorrow it is a little more natural. Choices are not isolated; they lay down tracks. Whatever you choose now makes the next choice easier.

One missed chance does not affect the next one.

Each choice makes the next one like it easier.

Try this

Do one good deed today, then follow it right away with a second small one.

Related6:11048:15
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

If Allah brings you back to a party of them (the hypocrites), and they ask your permission to go out (to fight), say: "Never shall you go out with me nor fight an enemy with me; you were pleased to sit (inactive) on the first occasion, then you sit (now) with those who lag behind. (83)

Hypocrites are barred from participating in Jihad

Allah commands His Messenger, peace be upon him,

فَإِن رَّجَعَكَ اللَّهُ

(If Allah brings you back), from this battle,

إِلَىٰ طَائِفَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ

(to a party of them) in reference to the twelve (hypocrite) men, according to Qatadah,

فَاسْتَأْذَنُوكَ لِلْخُرُوجِ

(and they ask your permission to go out), with you to another battle,

فَقُل لَّن تَخْرُجُوا مَعِيَ أَبَدًا وَلَن تُقَاتِلُوا مَعِيَ عَدُوًّا

(say: "Never shall you go out with me nor fight an enemy with me...") as an admonishment and punishment for them. Allah mentioned the reason for this decision,

إِنَّكُمْ رَضِيتُم بِالْقُعُودِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ

("You were pleased to sit (inactive) on the first occasion...") Allah said in a similar Ayah,

وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفْئِدَتَهُمْ وَأَبْصَارَهُمْ كَمَا لَمْ يُؤْمِنُوا بِهِ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ 

(And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away (from guidance), as they refused to believe therein for the first time.)[6:110]

The recompense of an evil deed includes being directed to follow it with another evil deed, while the reward of a good deed includes being directed to another good deed after it. For instance, Allah said concerning the 'Umrah of Hudaybiyyah,

سَيَقُولُ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ إِذَا انطَلَقْتُمْ إِلَىٰ مَغَانِمَ لِتَأْخُذُوهَا

(Those who lagged behind will say, when you set forth to take the spoils.)[48:15] Allah said next,

فَاقْعُدُوا مَعَ الْخَالِفِينَ

("...then you sit (now) with those who lag behind.") in reference to the men who lagged behind from [Tabuk] battle, according to Ibn 'Abbas.