Tafsir of Muhammad 47:26

"That" is a reference to what was mentioned regarding their apostasy, not to the "prompting" (al-imla') as reported by al-Wahidi, nor to the "delusion" (al-taswil) as others have claimed, because neither of these is caused by the statement that follows. It is a subject whose predicate is the saying of the Almighty: "because they said"—that is, by reason of the fact that they said—"to those who hate what Allah has revealed"—these are the Banu Qurayza and the Banu Nadir among the Jews, who hate the revelation of the Quran to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, despite their knowledge that it is from Allah Almighty, out of envy and desire that it had been revealed to one of them—"We will obey you in some matters," that is, in some of your affairs and circumstances. This is what was narrated regarding them in the saying of the Almighty: "Have you not observed those who practice hypocrisy, saying to their brothers who disbelieved among the People of the Scripture, 'If you are expelled, we will surely leave with you, and we will not obey anyone in regard to you ever; and if you are fought, we will surely aid you.'"

It is said: [It refers to] some of what you command, such as supporting one another against the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. It is also said: The speakers are the Jews who disbelieved in him, peace and blessings be upon him, after finding his noble description in their Scripture, and those spoken to are the hypocrites; the Jews used to promise them support if they declared their enmity toward the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. It is further said: The speakers are those Jews, and those spoken to are the polytheists; they also used to promise them support if they waged war. Both of these latter interpretations are countered by the fact that the Jews' disbelief in him, peace and blessings be upon him, is not caused by this statement—even if it were assumed to have been issued by them, as the proponent suggests—but rather stems from their denial of his mission, despite recognizing him as they recognize their own sons and fathers. From this, one understands the flaw in the claim of some that the speakers are the hypocrites and the Jews, and those spoken to are the polytheists. What we have interpreted the noble verse to mean is narrated on the authority of the learned one (al-habr), may Allah be pleased with him.

"And Allah knows their secrets"—that is, their concealing of what they say to the Jews, or every vile thing, and that is included primarily. The majority read it as asrarahum (their secrets) with a fathah on the hamzah, meaning He knows the things they keep hidden, among which is this statement of theirs, which the Almighty revealed to expose them. The Imam said: The most apparent [interpretation] is to say that the intent is that the Almighty knows what is in their hearts regarding the knowledge of the truthfulness of His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, and therein lies what is not hidden. The sentence is a parenthetical clause, affirming what preceded it and containing a threat.