Tafsir

Hypocrites annoy the Prophet

Allah says, some hypocrites bother the Messenger of Allah ﷺ by questioning his character, saying,هُوَ أُذُنٌ(he is (lending his) ear), to those who say anything about us; he believes whoever talks to him. Therefore, if we went to him and swore, he would believe us. Similar was reported from Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah. Allah said,قُلْ أُذُنُ خَيْرٍ لَّكُمْ(Say: "He listens to what is best for you"), he knows who's saying the truth and who is lying,يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَيُؤْمِنُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ(he believes in Allah; has faith in the believers), he believes the believers,وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مِنكُمْ(and is a mercy to those of you who believe"), and a proof against the disbelievers,وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ(But those who annoy Allah's Messenger, will have a painful torment.)

Commentary

The present verses, like the previous ones, chastise hypocrites for their absurd objections, hostility to the Holy Prophet ﷺ and their feigned professions of Faith on false oaths.

The first verse (61) mentions the painful comment made by the hypocrites against the Holy Prophet ﷺ . They thought, since he hears and believes everything, they had nothing to worry about. In the event, their conspiracy was exposed, they would simply tell him on oath that they had nothing to do with it. Allah Almighty corrected them by saying that His Messenger preferred silence against baseless hostilities because of his high morals. He did not believe in what they said. He himself knew reality as it was. He simply avoided refuting them on their faces because of his inherent gentleness of nature.

ومن المنافقين قوم يؤذون رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بالكلام، ويقولون: إنه يستمع لكل ما يقال له فيصدقه، قل لهم -أيها النبي-: إن محمدًا هو أذن تستمع لكل خير، يؤمن بالله ويصدق المؤمنين فيما يخبرونه، وهو رحمة لمن اتبعه واهتدى بهداه. والذين يؤذون رسول الله محمدًا صلى الله عليه وسلم بأي نوع من أنواع الإيذاء، لهم عذاب مؤلم موجع.

يقول تعالى : ومن المنافقين قوم يؤذون رسول - الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - بالكلام فيه ويقولون : ( هو أذن ) أي : من قال له شيئا صدقه ، ومن حدثه فينا صدقه ، فإذا جئنا وحلفنا له صدقنا . روي معناه عن ابن عباس ، ومجاهد ، وقتادة . قال الله تعالى : ( قل أذن خير لكم ) أي : هو أذن خير ، يعرف الصادق من الكاذب ، ( يؤمن بالله ويؤمن للمؤمنين ) أي : ويصدق المؤمنين ، ( ورحمة للذين آمنوا منكم ) أي : وهو حجة على الكافرين ؛ ولهذا قال : ( والذين يؤذون رسول الله لهم عذاب أليم ) .