(8–16) “So do not obey the deniers. * They wish that you would compromise, so they too would compromise. * And do not obey any contemptible habitual oath-taker, * slanderer, going about spreading malicious gossip, * withholder of good, transgressor, steeped in sin, * coarse and, beyond all that, baseborn, * because he possesses wealth and sons. * Whenever Our verses are recited to him, he says, ‘Legends of the ancients.’”
Allah Most High says to His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): “So do not obey the deniers”—those who deny you and stubbornly oppose the truth. They are unworthy of obedience, for they enjoin only what accords with their desires and seek nothing but falsehood. Whoever obeys them is embarking upon something harmful to himself. This applies generally to every denier and to every act of obedience arising from denial, even though the immediate context concerns a particular matter: the polytheists asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to refrain from criticizing their gods and religion, in exchange for their leaving him alone. Hence He said, “They wish”—that is, the polytheists—“that you would compromise,” meaning that you would agree with them in some of their ways, whether in word or deed, or by remaining silent when speaking out is required; “so they too would compromise.” Rather, proclaim Allah’s command openly and make the religion of Islam manifest, for its complete manifestation requires refuting whatever opposes it and exposing the faults of whatever contradicts it.
“And do not obey any habitual oath-taker,” meaning one who swears profusely. Such a person behaves this way only because he is a liar, and a liar can only be “contemptible”—that is, base in spirit and lacking noble aspiration. He has no aspiration (1) toward goodness; rather, his desires are directed toward the cravings of his base self.
“A slanderer,” meaning one who frequently finds fault with [people] and assails them (2) through backbiting, mockery, and other such conduct.
“Going about spreading malicious gossip,” meaning that he circulates among people conveying the words of some to others with the intent of sowing discord and provoking enmity and hatred between them.
“A withholder of good,” which he is obligated to provide, including obligatory maintenance, expiations, zakat, and other duties; “a transgressor” against others by wronging them with respect to their lives, property, and honor (3); “steeped in sin,” meaning one who commits many sins and offenses concerning the rights of Allah Most High.
“Coarse and, beyond all that,” meaning harsh, ill-tempered, hard-hearted, and unwilling to submit to the truth; “baseborn,” meaning one falsely attributed to a lineage, with neither roots nor [any] stock ⦗880⦘ from which goodness might spring. His character is instead the ugliest of all character, and no success can be expected of him. He bears a distinguishing mark—that is, a mark of evil—by which he is known.
In sum, Allah Most High forbade obedience to every habitual oath-taker who is a liar, base in spirit, and wicked in character—especially the traits that entail self-admiration, arrogance toward the truth and toward people, and contempt for others, such as backbiting, malicious gossip, assailing people, and committing numerous sins.
Although these verses were revealed concerning one of the polytheists—such as al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīra or someone else—as indicated by His words, “Because he possesses wealth and sons. Whenever Our verses are recited to him, he says, ‘Legends of the ancients,’” meaning that his abundant wealth and children caused him to become tyrannical and too arrogant to accept the truth; when it came to him, he rejected it and classed it among the legends of the ancients, which might be true or false—these verses nevertheless apply generally to everyone who possesses these characteristics. The Quran was revealed to guide all people, including the earliest and latest members of this nation. Some verses may be revealed because of a particular incident or individual so that the general principle may thereby be made clear and analogous particular cases falling under general propositions may be recognized.