At-Tawbah 81: Those who stayed back to oppose Allah and Allah’s Messenger are content with their sitting (and not going to campaign). They detested fighting on the path of Allah with their possessions and their lives. They said, “do not go to campaign in this heat”. Say, “the heat of hellfire is hotter”. If they only understood!

We have come to verse 81 of Surah At-Tawbah. Praise be to Allah. Those who stayed behind to oppose Allah's Messenger rejoiced at not going out on the campaign and sitting at home. They found striving with their wealth and their lives in the way of Allah hateful. They said, don't go out on campaign in this heat. Say: the fire of Hell is hotter. If only they understood. Yes. The fire of Hell is hotter. If only they understood.

Who are these? The hypocrites. Non-Muslims, those who want to sow discord within Islam, in the Age of Bliss of him who came as a mercy to the worlds living,

among the excellent Companions — since these hypocrites acted in this way, then in our time, the Muslims living (?) within the religion of Islam they deceive very nicely. They very nicely sow discord among them. I say, as a Muslim — I am calling out to Muslims. O Muslim! If you know your Lord, wake up! A non-Muslim for thousands of years, thousands of years — from the year 1430 we are in the year 1912. If these, over so much time, and even in the time of the Age of Bliss, among those excellent Companions, show their zeal, if, believing in falsehood, in their rebellion against Allah, with their lives they come to this state and stir up every kind of discord to harm Islam,

why do you, as a servant of Allah, as a Muslim, not stand up for your religion? Why don't you compete on the path of being a servant to your Lord? Why don't you stand up against this non-Muslim? Are you afraid for your life? Are you afraid for your property? Allah's punishment is more severe than that. Look how beautifully He says it. Say: the fire of Hell is hotter. If only they understood. Yes.

Learning that the Byzantines were marching toward Tabuk with an army of forty thousand men, prepared to abolish Islam, the Prophet (peace be upon him) prepared an army of thirty thousand men against them. When setting out on the Tabuk campaign, the hypocrites, the hypocrites, inventing excuses and getting permission from the Prophet (peace be upon him), besides not joining the campaign, also said, does one go on campaign in this heat? Those who love their lives and property dearly are people who, appearing to believe in Allah and His Messenger, actually want the Islamic armies destroyed. Well, those today who do not stand up for their religion, who envy the conduct of the non-Muslim, who follow after them — what difference do they have from these? Although the non-Muslim, the non-Muslim, to abolish Islam, strives for thousands of years and sacrifices his money, property, possessions and life on this path, if you say I am a Muslim and sleep, shame on you.

Shame on you.

Your forefather, your father handed this religion over to us. They passed the inheritance, the true inheritance, onto our shoulders. Onto the shoulders of which of your future generations will you pass this inheritance? Will you not be responsible for this? Will you not be responsible for this? Allah Almighty does not call to account any (?) to whom He has not made it heard. Look how beautifully He makes it heard.

These are the ones who argued with the Prophet (peace be upon him) and opposed his views. The hypocrites, rather than fighting alongside those who set out, are people who preferred to sit with those staying behind. Who are those staying behind? The women. The helpless. The blind, the lame. Allah Almighty permits them. They may stay at home. Yes. The people who stay behind from war are women and children, the elderly, the blind and disabled — people in need of protection. Allah Almighty, out of His mercy, has exempted them from war. Yes.

These hypocrites too preferred to sit with those who stayed behind, like them. Moreover, saying does one go to war in this heat, they tried to sow discord in the army. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave them leave not to go out on campaign, they rejoiced. They found striving with their wealth and their lives for Allah's sake hateful. Satan these people, had they believed in Allah, His Messenger and the Hereafter, would surely have gone out to jihad with their property and lives like the believers. Yes, not "Satan" but "if" these people, we say, in Allah, His Messenger and the Hereafter had believed.

Sitting at home like women and children, revelling in pleasure as if they would never die, not parting from worldly goods — this they preferred. And they rejoiced at not joining the war. They also mocked those who went to war.

But the Byzantine army, on seeing, on realising that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was coming to meet them, turned back. They turned back without fighting. Yes.

These are the miracles of Allah. In return, they even tried to give advice.

Is one to go out to war in this heat, they asked. Say: the fire of Hell is hotter. If only they understood. If these hypocrites had believed in Allah and His Messenger, in the existence of the Hereafter, in resurrection after death being true, surely out of fear of Allah they would have endured hardships in the life of this world. Whoever, out of fear of Allah, takes on Allah's commands, to them Allah promises Paradise.

From the verse "If only they understood" we understand this: since Allah is very tender and compassionate toward His creatures, He does not wish any servant He created to suffer punishment. In this respect, since Allah is just, between the one who strives and the one who doesn't, between the one who worships His Essence and the one who doesn't, between the one who believes in the Hereafter and the one who doesn't, He will distinguish, and with the attribute of justice place them where they deserve. Yet for those subject to punishment, since they are still His creatures, He grieves, and says: if only these too had understood.

That is, if only they were not subject to the punishment in Hell. Since every person gets the recompense of what his two hands earned, and since Allah is the judge of judges, since He will deal with His servants justly, since the deniers will make themselves subject to punishment, He still grieves. He says: if only they knew. If only they knew. Yes.

People may call me mad; let them. Maybe they'll say this one has gone astray. Let them. I will tell you of a vision I saw. Our Lord, grieving, grieving, like this looking at me — the exact word He said is still in my ears. I feed these people, I give them drink, I meet all their needs. Because of their shameless behaviour, He says, I feel shame at their denying Me, He says. Shame.

Yes. Do you know what feeling that shame means? Being ashamed. Of those people's behaviour. Because He loves people so much, He says, I feel ashamed of their behaviour. I feed them, I feed them. I grant them a life, He says. I grant them life. But at their denying Me, He says, I feel ashamed.

Yes.

What I've written here is all the meaning of verses anyway. What our Lord has made known to us.