In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allah, The Most High, said:

وَأَقۡسَمُواْ بِٱللَّهِ جَهۡدَ أَيۡمَـٰنِہِمۡ لَٮِٕنۡ أَمَرۡتَہُمۡ لَيَخۡرُجُنَّ‌ۖ قُل لَّا تُقۡسِمُواْ‌ۖ طَاعَةٌ۬ مَّعۡرُوفَةٌ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرُۢ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ

قُلۡ أَطِيعُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ ٱلرَّسُولَ‌ۖ فَإِن تَوَلَّوۡاْ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيۡهِ مَا حُمِّلَ وَعَلَيۡڪُم مَّا حُمِّلۡتُمۡ‌ۖ وَإِن تُطِيعُوهُ تَهۡتَدُواْ‌ۚ وَمَا عَلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ إِلَّا ٱلۡبَلَـٰغُ ٱلۡمُبِينُ

They swear by Allah their strongest oaths, that if only you would order them, they would leave [their homes for fighting in Allah’s Cause]. Say: ‘’Swear you not; [this] obedience [of yours] is known [to be false]. Verily, Allah knows well what you do.’’ Say: ‘’Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, but if you turn away, he [Messenger Muhammad] is only responsible for the duty placed on him [i.e. to convey Allah’s Message] and you for that placed on you. If you obey him, you shall be on the right guidance. The Messenger’s duty is only to convey [the message] in a clear way [i.e. to preach in a plain way].’’ [An-Nur 53-54]

Allah, The Most High, informs us of the situation of those hypocrites who stayed behind and did not join the Messenger in Jihad [Footnote a] – those in whose hearts there is a disease and their Iman is weak– that they swore by Allah that if they are commanded in the future to go out for Jihad, they will do so; but Allah rebutted them saying:

قُل لَّا تُقۡسِمُواْ‌ۖ

Swear you not…

Meaning: Neither are we in need of your oath nor your excuses, for indeed Allah has informed us about you, and your (claim) of obedience is well known, not hidden from us. Even without giving an excuse, this sluggishness and laziness of yours is known to us. Therefore, your oath and excuse is nothing really; rather the one in need of that is a person whose affair may be (justified) and his situation is ambiguous, thus, maybe such excuse will benefit and absolve them of accountability. As for yourselves, your excuses and oaths do not count; rather what is feared for you is Allah’s punishment and due to this Allah threatened them, saying:

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرُۢ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ

Verily, Allah knows well what you do.

Meaning: Allah will recompense you fully in accordance with this state of yours.

As for the Messenger, his duty is only to give you commands and prohibitions, and due to this Allah said:

 قُلۡ أَطِيعُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ ٱلرَّسُولَ‌ۖ

Say: “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger..

فَإِن تَوَلَّوۡاْ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيۡهِ مَا حُمِّلَ وَعَلَيۡڪُم مَّا حُمِّلۡتُمۡ‌ۖ

But if you turn away, he (Messenger Muhammad) is only responsible for the duty placed on him (i.e. to convey Allah’s Message) and you are (held accountable) for that which is placed on you…

Meaning: If you turn away, then indeed he has already conveyed what has been obligated to him with regards to the message and has fulfilled it, “And you are (held accountable) for that which is placed on you” with regards to obedience, then your situation will become clear and manifest -your misguidance and deviation – and you deserve punishment.

وَإِن تُطِيعُوهُ تَهۡتَدُواْ‌ۚ

And if you obey him, you shall be on the right guidance..

Meaning: You will be guided to the straight path- in speech and deeds- and you have no other path to guidance except through obedience to Allah and His Messenger. And without (obedience to Allah and the Messenger), it is impossible to be guided.

وَمَا عَلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ إِلَّا ٱلۡبَلَـٰغُ ٱلۡمُبِينُ

The Messenger’s duty is only to convey (the message) in a clear way (i.e. to preach in a plain way).

Meaning: Clearly conveyed the message to you in a manner that leaves neither doubt nor ambiguity for anyone. The Messenger has clearly conveyed the message and Allah is the only one who will call you to account and recompense you. The Messenger has no authority over reward or punishment after fulfilling his responsibility. [1]

Footnote a:  Jihad:

Salafi Shaikh Fawzaan on Jihad in our times and the guidelines of Jihad according to Islam

[1] An Excerpt from Tafseer As-Sadi Tayseer. Slightly paraphrased

يخبر تعالى عن حالة المتخلفين عن الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم في الجهاد من المنافقين، ومن في قلوبهم مرض وضعف إيمان أنهم يقسمون بالله، { لَئِنْ أَمَرْتَهُمْ ْ} فيما يستقبل، أو لئن نصصت عليهم حين خرجت { لَيَخْرُجُنَّ ْ} والمعنى الأول أولى. قال الله -رادا عليهم-: { قُلْ لَا تُقْسِمُوا ْ} أي: لا نحتاج إلى إقسامكم ولا إلى أعذاركم، فإن الله قد نبأنا من أخباركم، وطاعتكم معروفة، لا تخفى علينا، قد كنا نعرف منكم التثاقل والكسل من غير عذر، فلا وجه لعذركم وقسمكم، إنما يحتاج إلى ذلك، من كان أمره محتملا، وحاله مشتبهة، فهذا ربما يفيده العذر براءة، وأما أنتم فكلا ولما، وإنما ينتظر بكم ويخاف عليكم حلول بأس الله ونقمته، ولهذا توعدهم بقوله: { إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ ْ} فيجازيكم عليها أتم الجزاء

هذه حالهم في نفس الأمر، وأما الرسول عليه الصلاة والسلام، فوظيفته أن يأمركم وينهاكم، ولهذا قال: { قُلْ أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ فَإِنْ ْ} امتثلوا، كان حظكم وسعادتكم وإن { تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْهِ مَا حُمِّلَ ْ} من الرسالة، وقد أداها.
{ وَعَلَيْكُمْ مَا حُمِّلْتُمْ ْ} من الطاعة، وقد بانت حالكم وظهرت، فبان ضلالكم وغيكم واستحقاقكم العذاب. { وَإِنْ تُطِيعُوهُ تَهْتَدُوا ْ} إلى الصراط المستقيم، قولا وعملا، فلا سبيل لكم إلى الهداية إلا بطاعته، وبدون ذلك، لا يمكن، بل هو محال.
{ وَمَا عَلَى الرَّسُولِ إِلَّا الْبَلَاغُ الْمُبِينُ ْ} أي: تبليغكم البين الذي لا يبقي لأحد شكا ولا شبهة، وقد فعل صلى الله عليه وسلم، بلغ البلاغ المبين، وإنما الذي يحاسبكم ويجازيكم هو الله تعالى، فالرسول ليس له من الأمر شيء، وقد قام بوظيفته.