O YOU who have attained to faith! What is amiss with you that, when you are called upon, "Go forth to war in God's cause," you cling heavily to the earth? Would you content yourselves with [the comforts of] this worldly life in preference to [the good of] the life to come? But the enjoyment of life in this world is but a paltry thing when compared with the life to come! 38 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. 39 If you do not help him, (Muhammad), God has already helped him. When the unbelievers expelled him and he was one of the two people in the cave telling his friend, "Do not worry; God is with us," then God gave him confidence and supported him with an army which you did not see and He defeated the cause of the disbelievers and made His own cause stand supreme. God is Majestic and All-wise. 40 Go forth, whether lightly or heavily equipped, and strive and struggle, with your goods and your persons, for the cause of God. That is better for you, if you only knew. 41 Had the gain been immediate or the journey easy, they would have followed you; but the distance seemed far to them. Yet they will swear by Allah: 'Had we been able, we would have gone out with you' They bring destruction upon their souls. Allah knows that they are lying. 42