Concise Quran Commentary
If Allah returns you, O Prophet, to a group of these hypocrites who are firm in their hypocrisy and they ask you for permission to go out with you in another battle, then say to them: You, hypocrites, will never go out with me in Allah’s path, as a punishment for you and a means of avoiding the harms that may arise due to your presence with me. You were quite pleased to remain behind in the battle of Tabūk, so stay with those sick persons, women and children who remain behind.