“Wait here until I come out to you both.” ‘Umar entered the house, took up his sword and concealed it beneath his garment. Then he came out and struck the hypocrite dead, saying, “This is how I judge between one who is not satisfied with the judgment of Allah and the judgment of His Messenger.” Then this verse was revealed. Gabriel said, “Indeed, ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, distinguished between truth and falsehood,” and so he was named al-Faruq (the Distinguisher). (1)

Al-Suddi said: Some Jews embraced Islam, though some of them became hypocrites. In the pre-Islamic period, if a man from Banu Qurayzah killed a man from Banu al-Nadir, he was executed in retaliation, or blood money of one hundred wasqs of dates was taken for him. But if a man from Banu al-Nadir killed a man from Banu Qurayzah, he was not executed; rather, he paid blood money of sixty wasqs. Banu al-Nadir, who were allies of al-Aws, were more eminent and more numerous than Banu Qurayzah, who were allies of al-Khazraj.

When Allah brought Islam and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, emigrated to Madinah, a man from Banu al-Nadir killed a man from Banu Qurayzah, and they disputed over the matter. Banu al-Nadir said, “We and you had agreed that we would kill one of you, while you would not kill one of us; that your blood money was sixty wasqs, whereas ours was one hundred wasqs. So we will give you that.”

Al-Khazraj said, “This was something you did in the pre-Islamic period because of your greater numbers and our fewness, and thus you subdued us. But today, you and we are brethren, and our religion and yours are one; therefore, you have no advantage over us.”

The hypocrites among them said, “Go to Abu Burdah, the soothsayer of Aslam.” But the Muslims of both parties said, “No; rather, let us go to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.” The hypocrites refused and went to Abu Burdah so that he could judge between them. He said, “Make the payment substantial,” meaning the share he was to receive. They said, “You may have ten wasqs.” He said, “No, rather my payment is one hundred wasqs.” They refused to give him more than ten wasqs, and he refused to arbitrate between them. So Allah, exalted is He, revealed the verse concerning retaliation, as well as this verse:

“Have you not seen those who claim to believe in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down before you? They seek judgment from false authorities, although they were commanded to reject them; yet Satan desires to lead them far astray.” (2)

That is, the soothsayer or Ka‘b ibn al-Ashraf: “Yet they were commanded to reject them; and Satan desires to lead them far astray.”

“And when it is said to them, ‘Come to what Allah has revealed and to the Messenger,’ you see the hypocrites turning away from you in aversion. (61) So how will it be when disaster strikes them because of what their hands have put forth, and then they come to you, swearing by Allah, ‘We intended nothing but good and reconciliation’? (62)”

“And when it is said to them, ‘Come to what Allah has revealed and to the Messenger,’ you see the hypocrites turning away from you in aversion”: that is, they turn away from you completely.

“So how will it be when disaster strikes them?” This is a threat; that is, what will they do when a calamity strikes them “because of what their hands have put forth,” meaning, as punishment for their turning away? It is also said that it refers to every calamity that befalls all the hypocrites in this world