"You Adhere Heavily to the Earth"

Allah (swt) says, in verse 38 of Sūrat al-Tawbah:

The call was difficult, and therefore people were finding it hard to convince themselves to come out. So Allah (swt) in this ayah — and the Qur'an speaks to the heart; it exposes the heart and tells you the illness that is in the heart, whether you know it or not. And that is something unique about the Qur'an, because it is from Allah (swt): it is the word of Allah (swt); it is from the One who created you and knows what is good for you and what is bad, and knows what is happening within, in your heart of hearts — what is happening inside — and these are things you may not even recognise in yourself. So Allah (swt) is telling the people the reason why they do not want to go out. Because people may give many reasons: they may say, because the fiqh does not state that we have to go out; some may say, because there is a difference of opinion; some may say, because it does not make sense; some may say, because it is not wise. But Allah (swt) tells them why.

O you who have believed, what is the matter with you, that when you are told to go forth in the cause of Allah you adhere heavily to the earth? That is the reason: it is love of the dunyā; it is adherence to the earth. Are you satisfied with the life of this world rather than the Hereafter? But what is the enjoyment of worldly life compared to the Hereafter, except a very little? So this ayah mentions the cause, and it mentions the cure: it mentions the disease and the cure. The disease is attachment to the dunyā: you are clinging to the earth; you love your life, and you do not want to leave it behind. And the cure is that Allah (swt) reminds us of the reality of this world: that it is nothing compared to the Hereafter.

And from day one — this ayah is in al-Tawbah; but in the first āyāt, which were in Sūrat al-Baqarah, where the command to fight was given, Allah (swt) says: kutiba ʿalaykumu al-qitālu wa huwa kurhun lakum — fighting has been prescribed for you, while you dislike it (2:216). Allah (swt) told us: this is something we dislike. Not only do we dislike doing it; we dislike talking about it. And look at it right now: how many people are talking about this, even though it is one of the farāʾiḍ in Islam, even though there are so many āyāt and so many aḥādīth talking about it? But people do not want to speak about it, let alone do it. So Allah (swt) is telling us what the disease is, and giving us the cure. And then Allah (swt) tells us what will happen if we do not fight for His sake. Allah (swt) says:

Allah (swt) says: if you do not go forth, He will punish you with a painful punishment. And our condition today is a testimony to this. Look at how we are being punished because we are staying behind. We are poor, even though we are the wealthiest — our land, and what is beneath our land, is wealthy; nevertheless we are poor. We are disunited, even though we should be the most united ummah. We are weak, when we should be the highest and strongest ummah. All of this is punishment from Allah (swt), because we did not give support to His dīn. If you do not go forth, He will punish you with a painful punishment, and will replace you with another people, and you will not harm Him at all; and Allah is over all things competent. So this is the punishment of Allah, and Allah is warning the Muslims — because, as was said, many of them do not like talking about this, let alone doing it; in fact, not only talking about it: they do not even want to hear about it.

And then Allah (swt) says:

Allah (ʿazza wa jall) says: if you do not aid the Prophet, Allah has already aided him. If we do not defend the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him); if we do not defend the honour of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him); if we do not protect him — the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) does not need us; Allah (ʿazza wa jall) will protect him. It is something we need to do for our own sake, for our own benefit; but Allah (ʿazza wa jall) will support His Messenger. Allah (ʿazza wa jall) says: Allah has already aided him, when those who disbelieved drove him out of Makkah as one of two — he and Abū Bakr, in the hijrah — when they were in the cave, and he said to his companion — the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) speaking to Abū Bakr — do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us. And Allah sent down His tranquillity upon him, and supported him with angels you did not see, and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest, while the word of Allah — that is the highest; and Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.