and the Hereafter. The discussion ends here. Then the discourse returns to what preceded, describing their conduct: “Then they come to you”—that is, after seeking judgment from false authorities, they then come to you, greet you, and swear. (1)
It is also said that the calamity refers to ‘Umar’s killing of the hypocrite, may Allah be pleased with him. Then they came seeking his blood money, “swearing by Allah, ‘We intended nothing’”—that is, by turning away from him in seeking judgment or by appealing to ‘Umar—“‘but good and reconciliation.’”
Al-Kalbi said: “Good” means goodness in speech, and “reconciliation” means correctness. Ibn Kaysan said: it means truth and justice. Its parallel is: “They will surely swear, ‘We intended nothing but good.’” It is also said that it means some of them showing kindness to others. Another view is that it means bringing the matter closer to what is right, rather than issuing a binding judgment in accordance with the arbiter’s ruling. “Reconciliation” means conformity with the truth. It is also said to mean bringing the two disputants together and reconciling them.
“Those are the ones of whom Allah knows what is in their hearts, so turn away from them, admonish them, and speak to them a far-reaching word concerning themselves. (63) And We did not send any messenger except to be obeyed by Allah’s permission. Had they, when they wronged themselves, come to you and sought Allah’s forgiveness, and had the Messenger sought forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah Ever-Accepting of repentance, Most Merciful. (64) But no, by your Lord, they will not believe until they make you judge in all their disputes, then find no discomfort within themselves concerning what you have decided, and submit fully. (65)”
“Those are the ones of whom Allah knows what is in their hearts”: that is, their hypocrisy. In other words, He knows that what is in their hearts is contrary to what is upon their tongues. “So turn away from them”: that is, refrain from punishing them. It is also said: turn away from accepting their excuse; admonish them verbally, and speak to them a far-reaching word. It is said that this means warning them about Allah. It is also said that it means threatening them with execution if they do not repent.
Al-Hasan said: The far-reaching word is to say to them, “If you disclose the hypocrisy concealed in your hearts, you will be executed,” for this reaches the depths of their souls. Al-Dahhak said: “So turn away from them and admonish them”—in public—“and speak to them a far-reaching word concerning themselves”—privately and in seclusion. He said that this was abrogated by the verse commanding fighting.
And His saying, exalted is He: “And We did not send any messenger except to be obeyed by Allah’s permission”—that is, by Allah’s command, for obedience to the Messenger became obligatory by Allah’s command. Al-Zajjaj said: He is obeyed by Allah’s permission because Allah has permitted and commanded it. It is also said that “except to be obeyed” is a complete and sufficient statement, while “by Allah’s permission” means by Allah’s knowledge and decree; that is, obedience to him occurs by Allah’s permission. “Had they, when they wronged themselves” by seeking judgment from false authorities, “come to you and sought Allah’s forgiveness, and had the Messenger sought forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah Ever-Accepting of repentance, Most Merciful.”
His saying, exalted is He: “But no, by your Lord, they will not believe until they make you judge…”—to the end of the verse.