It was also said that this refers to the Romans, since they inhabited al-Sham, and al-Sham (1) was closer to Medina than Iraq. “Let them find firmness in you”: strength and zeal. Al-Hasan said: patience in striving against them. “And know that Allah is with those who fear Him,” through His aid and support.

“Whenever a surah is revealed, some of them say, ‘Which of you has this increased in faith?’ As for those who believe, it increases them in faith, and they rejoice (124). But as for those in whose hearts is a disease, it increases them in wickedness upon their wickedness, and they die as disbelievers (125). Do they not see that they are tested every year once or twice, yet they neither repent nor take heed? (126)”

Allah, exalted is He, says: “Whenever a surah is revealed, some of them say, ‘Which of you has this increased in faith?’” That is, in certainty. The hypocrites would say this mockingly. Allah, exalted is He, then says: “As for those who believe, it increases them in faith,” that is, in certainty and affirmation; “and they rejoice,” meaning, they are joyful at the revelation of the Quran.

“But as for those in whose hearts is a disease,” namely doubt and hypocrisy, “it increases them in wickedness upon their wickedness,” meaning, disbelief upon their disbelief. Whenever a surah is revealed, they reject it, and their disbelief thereby increases.

Mujahid said: This verse indicates that faith increases and decreases.

Umar would take the hand of one or two men among his companions and say, “Come, let us increase in faith.”

Ali ibn Abi Talib said: “Faith first appears as a white speck (2) in the heart. Whenever faith increases, that whiteness increases, until the entire heart becomes white. Hypocrisy first appears as a black speck in the heart. Whenever hypocrisy increases, that blackness increases, until the entire heart becomes black. By Allah, if you were to split open the heart of a believer, you would find it white; and if you were to split open the heart of a hypocrite, you would find it black.” (3)

His saying: “And they die as disbelievers.”

His saying: “Do they not see?” Hamzah and Yaqub recited it as “Do you not see?” with the letter ta, addressing the Prophet and the believers. The others recited it with the letter ya, as a statement concerning the hypocrites mentioned above. “That they are tested,” meaning, tried, “every year once or twice,” through illnesses