and that is because when a person draws near to death, its causes overwhelm him: his mind departs and his gaze becomes fixed, so that he does not blink. “Then, when fear has passed, they lash you”: that is, they harm and assail you in times of safety, “with sharp tongues”: that is, keen and fluent tongues; it is the plural of hadid (sharp). An eloquent, sharp-tongued orator is called mislaq, mislaq, sallaq, or sallaq.

Ibn Abbas said: “They slandered you and assailed you with disparagement and backbiting.” Qatadah said: “At the time the spoils were being divided, they let loose their tongues against you, saying, ‘Give us our share, for we witnessed the fighting with you, and you have no greater right to the spoils than we do.’” (1) Thus, when it came to the spoils, they were the greediest of people, and when battle came, they were the most cowardly of people. “Greedy for gain”: that is, when it comes to the spoils, they contend greedily with the believers. “Such people have not believed, so Allah has rendered their deeds worthless.” Muqatil said: “Allah has nullified their striving in jihad.” “And that is easy for Allah.”

“They think the confederates have not withdrawn; and if the confederates should come again, they would wish that they were out among the desert Arabs, asking for news of you. And even if they were among you, they would fight only a little.” (20) “There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example—for whoever hopes in Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah often.” (21)

“They think”: that is, these hypocrites; “the confederates”: namely, Quraysh, Ghatafan, and the Jews; “have not withdrawn”: that is, they think that the confederates have not departed from fighting them, out of cowardice and terror, although they had in fact departed. “And if the confederates should come again”: that is, if they return to fight them after having withdrawn, “they would wish that they were out among the desert Arabs”: that is, out of fear and cowardice, they would wish to be in the wilderness among the desert Arabs. One says bada yabdu badawah when someone goes out into the desert. “Asking for news of you”: that is, asking about your news and how your affair has turned out.

Yaqub recited it as yassa’aluna (asking one another), with the consonant doubled and the vowel lengthened; that is, they ask one another. “And even if they were among you”: that is, these hypocrites, “they would fight only a little,” merely to make an excuse; that is, they would fight a little in order to establish their excuse, saying, “We did fight.” Al-Kalbi said: “Only a little”: that is, merely throwing stones. Muqatil said: “Only for show and reputation, without seeking Allah’s reward.” (2)

His saying, exalted is He, “There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example”: Asim recited uswah wherever it occurs with the initial vowel dammah, while the remaining reciters read it with kasrah; both are dialectal forms. That is, a sound model to follow. [It is a noun-form derived from taking someone as an example, just as qudwah (a model) is derived from emulation; it is a noun used in place of a verbal noun.] (3) That is, he is an excellent example to be followed if you support Allah’s religion and stand by