لَوْ كَانَ عَرَضًۭا قَرِيبًۭا وَسَفَرًۭا قَاصِدًۭا لَّٱتَّبَعُوكَ وَلَٰكِنۢ بَعُدَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ ٱلشُّقَّةُ ۚ وَسَيَحْلِفُونَ بِٱللَّهِ لَوِ ٱسْتَطَعْنَا لَخَرَجْنَا مَعَكُمْ يُهْلِكُونَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَٰذِبُونَ
How to read it
Law' kāna ʻaraḍan qarīban wassafaran qāṣidan lla-ttabaʻūka walākin[m] baʻudat' ʻalay'himu shshuqqatu . wassayaḥ'lifūna bi-llahi lawi (i)s'taṭaʻ'nā lakharaj'nā maʻakum' yuh'likūna 'anfussahum' wa-llahu yaʻ'lamu 'innahum' lakādhibūna
If there had been immediate gain (in sight), and the journey easy, they would (all) without doubt have followed thee, but the distance was long, (and weighed) on them. They would indeed swear by Allah, "If we only could, we should certainly have come out with you": They would destroy their own souls; for Allah doth know that they are certainly lying.
Translation: Abdullah Yusuf Ali
