“Those who believe say, out of eagerness for jihad, ‘Why has a surah not been revealed?’ But when a definitive surah is revealed and fighting is mentioned in it, you see those in whose hearts is a sickness—the hypocrites—looking at you with the gaze of one overcome by the throes of death. So woe to them! Obedience and fitting words would have been better for them. Then, when the matter is decisively settled, if they had been true to Allah, it would have been better for them.”

“Those who believe say,” out of their eagerness for jihad, “Why has a surah not been revealed?”—that is, a surah commanding us to undertake jihad. “But when a definitive surah is revealed and fighting is mentioned in it”—Qatadah said: “Every surah in which jihad is mentioned is definitive, and it is the most severe part of the Quran upon the hypocrites”—“you see those in whose hearts is a sickness,” meaning the hypocrites, “looking at you” with sidelong glances and intense staring, out of their dislike of jihad and cowardice in facing the enemy; “with the gaze of one overcome by death,” just as the eyes of a dying person become fixed. “So woe to them!” This is a warning and a threat. Their expression of threat, “More fitting for you,” means: May that which you hate draw near and befall you.

Then He says: “Obedience and fitting words.” This is the beginning of a clause whose predicate has been omitted; its implied meaning is: Obedience and fitting words would be more proper. That is, had they obeyed and spoken fitting words, it would have been more proper and better for them.

It was also said that the intended meaning is that these hypocrites, before the revelation of the definitive surah, would say, “Obedience!” The word is in the nominative as a quotation; that is, “Our affair is obedience,” or, “There is obedience from us.” And “fitting words” means good words.

It was also said that this is connected to what precedes it, and that the letter in “for them” carries the sense of “by.” Thus, the meaning is: Obedience to Allah and His Messenger, and a fitting response of acceptance, would be more fitting for them. That is, had they obeyed, obedience and a favorable response would have been more fitting for them. This is the meaning of Ibn Abbas’s statement in the narration of Ata.

“Then, when the matter is decisively settled,” that is, when the matter becomes serious, the obligation of fighting becomes binding, and the matter is determined, “if they had been true to Allah” in their outward profession of faith and obedience, “it would have been better for them.” It was also said that the response to “when” has been omitted; its implied meaning is: When the matter is decisively settled, they recoil and belie what they had promised. Yet if they had been true to Allah, it would have been better for them.