Overall meaning : Allah Almighty states that the hypocrites whom Allah had forsaken and had deprived of the special privilege of fighting for His cause were happy to disobey the orders of the Prophet to go into battle and had chosen to stay behind after he had set out for Tabuk. They were averse to fighting the unbelievers with their possessions and persons to make Allah’s religion prevail and reign supreme and they said to one another, ‘Do not go forth along with the Muslims to Tabuk to fight the Romans in such intense heat.’ Allah then instructs His Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to say to them, ‘The fire of Hell is even more intense.’ Had they truly understood Allah’s statements, they would have gone forth to war with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the heat to protect themselves against the heat of Hellfire, which is far hotter.
Therefore, let the hypocrites laugh a little in this transient world, as they will surely weep much in the everlasting life in Hellfire—as a punishment from Allah for their unbelief and hypocrisy and the acts of disobedience they have done in this worldly life.