The Quran commentators also mention the following:

“When these two verses were revealed, they came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, swearing that they were believers and were speaking truthfully. Then Allah Most High revealed: ‘Say, are you teaching Allah about your religion?’”

This indicates that they had been sincere from the outset in entering the religion, for after the verse was revealed they had undertaken no further striving that would bring them within the description given in the verse. They had merely made a statement. Allah, glorified be He, said:

“Faith has not yet entered your hearts.”

The expression lammā (“not yet”) negates something whose occurrence is near and which usually does occur, as in His words:

“Or do you think you will enter Paradise while Allah has not yet made evident those among you who have striven?”

Al-Suddī said: “This verse was revealed concerning the Bedouins of Muzaynah, Juhaynah, Aslam, Ashjaʿ and Ghifār. They are those whom Allah mentioned in Sūrat al-Fath. They used to say, ‘We believe in Allah,’ to secure their own safety. But when they were summoned to set out for al-Hudaybiyah, they stayed behind, and this verse was revealed concerning them.”

It is reported from Muqātil:

“They lived between Mecca and Medina. Whenever a detachment sent by the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, passed through their territory, they would say, ‘We believe,’ to safeguard their lives and property. When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, set out for al-Hudaybiyah, he summoned them to accompany him, but they did not go with him.”

Mujāhid said: “It was revealed concerning the Bedouins of Banū Asad ibn Khuzaymah.” Someone else described their circumstances, saying:

“They came to Medina in a year of drought and outwardly professed Islam, although they were not believers. They fouled the roads of Medina with excrement and drove up prices there. They would claim credit before the Messenger of Allah