Tafsir

The Hypocrites fear Public Exposure of Their Secrets

Mujahid said, "The hypocrites would say something to each other then declare, `We wish that Allah does not expose this secret of ours," There is a similar Ayah to this one, that is, Allah's statement, وَإِذَا جَآءُوكَ حَيَّوْكَ بِمَا لَمْ يُحَيِّكَ بِهِ اللَّهُ وَيَقُولُونَ فِى أَنفُسِهِمْ لَوْلاَ يُعَذِّبُنَا اللَّهُ بِمَا نَقُولُ حَسْبُهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ يَصْلَوْنَهَا فَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ(And when they come to you, they greet you with a greeting wherewith Allah greets you not, and say within themselves: "Why should Allah punish us not for what we say" Hell will be sufficient for them; they will burn therein. And worst indeed is that destination!) 58:8. Allah said in this Ayah, قُلِ اسْتَهْزِءُواْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مُخْرِجٌ مَّا تَحْذَرُونَ(Say: "(Go ahead and) mock! But certainly Allah will bring to light all that you fear."), He will expose and explain your reality to His Messenger through revelation.

Allah said in other Ayat, أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ مَّرَضٌ أَن لَّن يُخْرِجَ اللَّهُ أَضْغَـنَهُمْ (Or do those in whose hearts is a disease (of hypocrisy), think that Allah will not bring to light all their hidden ill-wills) 47:29, until, وَلَتَعْرِفَنَّهُمْ فِى لَحْنِ الْقَوْلِ(but surely, you will know them by the tone of their speech!)47:30. This is why, according to Qatadah, this Surah is called `Al-Fadihah' (the Exposing), because it exposed the hypocrites.

Announced in verse 64: إِنَّ اللَّـهَ مُخْرِ‌جٌ مَّا تَحْذَرُ‌ونَ (Allah is surely to bring out what you are afraid of) is the news that Allah will expose their conspiracy and mischief. One such event came to pass while returning from the battle of Tabuk when some hypocrites had conspired to kill the Messenger of Allah. Allah Almighty informed him about the plan through angel Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) helping him to bypass the spot where the hypocrites were sitting in ambush. (Mazhari with reference to al-Baghawi)And Sayyidna ` Ibn ` Abbas ؓ says that Allah Ta` ala had in-formed the Holy Prophet al about the names of seventy hypocrites complete with their parentage and addresses. But, being the universal mercy, he did not disclose these before his people. (Mazhari)

يخاف المنافقون أن تنزل في شأنهم سورة تخبرهم بما يضمرونه في قلوبهم من الكفر، قل لهم -أيها النبي-: استمروا على ما أنتم عليه من الاستهزاء والسخرية، إن الله مخرج حقيقة ما تحذرون.

قال مجاهد : يقولون القول بينهم ، ثم يقولون : عسى الله ألا يفشي علينا سرنا هذا .وهذه الآية شبيهة بقوله تعالى : ( وإذا جاءوك حيوك بما لم يحيك به الله ويقولون في أنفسهم لولا يعذبنا الله بما نقول حسبهم جهنم يصلونها فبئس المصير ) [ المجادلة : 8 ] وقال في هذه الآية : ( قل استهزءوا إن الله مخرج ما تحذرون ) أي : إن الله سينزل على رسوله ما يفضحكم به ، ويبين له أمركم كما قال : ( أم حسب الذين في قلوبهم مرض أن لن يخرج الله أضغانهم ) إلى قوله : ( ولتعرفنهم في لحن القول والله يعلم أعمالكم ) [ محمد : 29 ، 30 ] ؛ ولهذا قال قتادة : كانت تسمى هذه السورة " الفاضحة " ، فاضحة المنافقين .