It was also said: There are no three people who confer secretly with one another except that He is their fourth through His knowledge; He knows their private conversation: “Nor five but He is their sixth, nor fewer than that or more but He is with them wherever they may be.” Ya‘qub recited “more” in the nominative case, in accordance with the syntactic position of the phrase before the addition of “than.” “Then, on the Day of Resurrection, He will inform them of what they did. Indeed, Allah has full knowledge of all things.”

“Have you not considered those who were forbidden from private conversation?” This was revealed concerning the Jews and the hypocrites. They would hold private conversations among themselves, apart from the believers, while looking at the believers and winking at one another, making the believers think that they were secretly discussing matters that would grieve them. The believers would then become distressed and say, “We can only assume that news has reached them concerning our brothers who went out on military expeditions—of killing, death, or defeat.” This would trouble and grieve them. When this became prolonged and frequent, they complained to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. He instructed them not to hold private conversations apart from the Muslims, but they did not desist; rather, they returned to their secret discussions. Thereupon Allah revealed (1): “Have you not considered those who were forbidden from private conversation?”—that is, confidential discussion.

“Yet they return to what they were forbidden,” meaning that they return to the private conversation from which they had been forbidden. “And they converse secretly.” Al-A‘mash and Hamza recited it as wa-yantajuna, in the verbal pattern yafta‘iluna, while the others recited it as yatānajawna, in light of His saying: “When you confer privately, do not confer in sin, transgression, and disobedience to the Messenger.” This was because the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had forbidden them from private conversation, but they disobeyed him.

“And when they come to you, they greet you with a greeting by which Allah has not greeted you.” This was because the Jews would come to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and say, “Death be upon you,” making him think that they were saying, “Peace be upon you.” The Prophet would reply, “And upon you.” When they left, they would say to themselves, “Why does Allah not punish us for what we say?” That is, they meant: If he were truly a prophet, Allah would punish us for what we say. Allah said: “Hell is enough for them: they will enter it and burn therein. What an evil destination!”