[4:71-4:73] O you who believe, take your precautions, then move forward in companies, or move forward all together. * Verily, there are some of you who tarry; then, if an affliction befalls you, he says, 'God has been gracious to me, for I was not a witness with them'. * But if a bounty from God befalls you, he will surely cry as if there had never been any affection between you and him: 'Oh, would that I had been with them, so that I might have won a great triumph!'
Fleeing (firār) towards God is among the attributes of those who seek. Fleeing with God is among the attributes of those who arrive. Rest (qarār) with God cannot be found except by those who are sincere in fleeing to God. Fleeing from everything else is the business of every one who declares His unity.
Verily, there are some of you who tarry: i.e., their beliefs are not firmly established in one state. They are tied to worldly concerns, so when they see something unpleasant approaching the Muslims, they are grateful and say, 'Praise be to God who has protected us from following them and afflicting us with what He has afflicted them'. But if you have a blessing or something good, they incline towards you and wish that they had been with you. They have lost in the present world and the Hereafter, not fully unbelieving and not sincerely believing.
As if there had never been any affection between you and him: It means they have cast off the protection of life and did not respect your inviolability [with regards to life and property].