—before that believer even arrived. The Almighty then pronounced them disbelievers and ruled that their apology would not be accepted. Later, one of those hypocrites came to the Messenger ﷺ seeking pardon, but the Prophet ﷺ rejected his plea, in obedience to Allah’s command. In his response he added nothing beyond the words of rebuke and scolding that Allah Himself had revealed about them.

Relevance of the report to the chapter: it clarifies and explains the noble verse.

Lessons drawn from the report:

1. It uncovers the enmity that the hypocrites harbor toward Allah, His Messenger, and the believers.
2. Anyone who mocks Allah, His signs, or His Messenger is a disbeliever, even if he claims to be joking.
3. Informing the authorities of the misconduct of the openly sinful, so that they may be restrained, is not backbiting or talebearing; rather, it is sincere counsel for Allah, His Messenger, the leaders of the Muslims, and the general public.
4. Harshness is appropriate toward the enemies of Allah and His Messenger.
5. Some excuses are not to be accepted.
6. One should fear hypocrisy, for Allah had affirmed faith for these people before they uttered what they did.
7. Mocking Allah, the Messenger, or the Qur’an nullifies one’s Islam, even if one does not inwardly believe it.