“You said such-and-such.” They replied, “We were only engaging in idle talk and play,” meaning: we were merely conversing and indulging in talk, as travellers do to pass the journey with conversation and amusement.

‘Umar said (1): I saw ‘Abd Allah ibn Ubayy hurrying ahead of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while stones struck against him, saying, “We were only engaging in idle talk and play.” The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was saying, “Was it Allah, His verses, and His Messenger that you were mocking?” He did not turn toward him or say anything further. ⦗161a⦘ (2)

His saying, exalted is He: “Say”—that is, say, O Muhammad—“Was it Allah, His verses,” meaning His Book, “and His Messenger that you were mocking?”

“Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after your belief. If We pardon a group among you, We will punish another group because they were criminals.” (66)

“Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after your belief.” If it is asked: How could He say, “You have disbelieved after your belief,” when they had not been believers?

It is answered: Its meaning is that you manifested disbelief after having manifested faith.

“If We pardon a group among you,” that is, if We accept the repentance of a group among you. By “group,” He meant one person. “We will punish another group because they were criminals,” through their mockery. ‘Asim recited “If We pardon” with the first-person plural prefix and a final dammah, and “We will punish” with the first-person plural prefix and the letter dhal pronounced with kasrah; “a group” is in the accusative. The other reciters read, “If a group among you is pardoned,” with the third-person prefix and a final fathah, and “another group will be punished,” with the feminine prefix and the letter dhal pronounced with fathah; “a group” is in the nominative, in the passive construction.

Muhammad ibn Ishaq said: The one who was pardoned was a single man: Makhshi ibn Humayr al-Ashja‘i. It is said that he was the one who laughed but did not engage in their talk. He would walk apart from them and object to some of what he heard. When this verse was revealed, he repented of his hypocrisy and said, “O Allah, I continue to hear a verse recited that is directed at me, causing skins to shudder and hearts to quake. O Allah, decree that my death be martyrdom in Your cause, such that no one may say, ‘I washed him; I shrouded him; I buried him.’” He was killed on the Day of al-Yamamah, and every Muslim’s place of death was recognized except his. (3) (4)