Surah At-Tawbah (التوبة) • The Repentance

Quran 9:42

9:42

لَوْ كَانَ عَرَضًا قَرِيبًا وَسَفَرًا قَاصِدًا لَّٱتَّبَعُوكَ وَلَـٰكِنۢ بَعُدَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلشُّقَّةُ ۚ وَسَيَحْلِفُونَ بِٱللَّهِ لَوِ ٱسْتَطَعْنَا لَخَرَجْنَا مَعَكُمْ يُهْلِكُونَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَـٰذِبُونَ

law kāna ʿaraḍan qarīban wasafaran qāṣidan la-ittabaʿūka walākin baʿudat ʿalayhimu l-shuqatu wasayaḥlifūna bil-lahi lawi is'taṭaʿnā lakharajnā maʿakum yuh'likūna anfusahum wal-lahu yaʿlamu innahum lakādhibūna

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

— Saheeh International

They would certainly have followed you [Prophet] if the benefit was within sight and the journey short, but the distance seemed too great for them. They will swear by God, ‘If we could, we certainly would go out [to battle] with you,’ but they ruin themselves, for God knows that they are lying.

— M. A. S. Abdel Haleem

Had it been a near gain (booty in front of them) and an easy journey, they would have followed you, but the distance (Tabuk expedition) was long for them; and they would swear by Allâh, "If we only could, we would certainly have come forth with you." They destroy their ownselves, and Allâh knows that they are liars.

— Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

Juz 10Page 194medinan

Word by Word

لَوْlawIf
كَانَkānait had been
عَرَضًۭاʿaraḍana gain
قَرِيبًۭاqarībannear
وَسَفَرًۭاwasafaranand a journey
قَاصِدًۭاqāṣidaneasy
لَّٱتَّبَعُوكَla-ittabaʿūkasurely they (would) have followed you
وَلَـٰكِنۢwalākinbut
بَعُدَتْbaʿudatwas long
عَلَيْهِمُʿalayhimufor them
ٱلشُّقَّةُۚl-shuqatuthe distance
وَسَيَحْلِفُونَwasayaḥlifūnaAnd they will swear
بِٱللَّهِbil-lahiby Allah
لَوِlawiIf
ٱسْتَطَعْنَاis'taṭaʿnāwe were able
لَخَرَجْنَاlakharajnācertainly we (would) have come forth
مَعَكُمْmaʿakumwith you
يُهْلِكُونَyuh'likūnaThey destroy
أَنفُسَهُمْanfusahumtheir own selves
وَٱللَّهُwal-lahuand Allah
يَعْلَمُyaʿlamuknows
إِنَّهُمْinnahum(that) indeed, they
لَكَـٰذِبُونَlakādhibūna(are) surely liars