Tafsir of Al-Fath 48:15

“The laggards” refers to the aforementioned among the Bedouin; thus, the definite article (al-) denotes familiarity. His saying: “When you set out to the spoils of war to take them” is an adverbial phrase for what precedes it, not a conditional clause for what follows it. The intent behind “the spoils” is the spoils of Khaybar, as is the consensus of the exegetes; we have found no disagreement regarding this. This is supported by the fact that the letter seen (in sa-yaqūlu) indicates proximity, and Khaybar was the nearest of the spoils to which they set out from al-Hudaybiyyah, as you have learned. Thus, intending it is as if it were certain. It has come in authentic narrations that Allah Almighty promised the people of al-Hudaybiyyah that He would compensate them for the spoils of Makkah with [the spoils of] Khaybar when they returned in peace, having gained nothing. The Exalted One specified this for them.

Meaning: They will say, at the time of your setting out toward the spoils of Khaybar to take them—as Allah promised you and specified for you—out of greed for the goods of this world, because they see the weakness of the enemy and are certain of victory: “Let us follow you” to Khaybar and witness the fighting of its people with you. “They wish to change the words of Allah” by participating in the spoils which the Exalted One reserved exclusively for the people of al-Hudaybiyyah. The essence of this is that they desire the partnership which they cannot obtain without aiding the religion and exalting the word of Allah Almighty. This sentence is an initiation to clarify their intent behind that statement.

It is said: It is permissible for it to be a circumstantial clause (hal) for the laggards, but this is contrary to the apparent meaning. The report of the exclusive designation does not conflict with the fact that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave some of the emigrants from Abyssinia who arrived with Ja’far, and some of the Daws and Ash’ari tribes, a portion of them; these were the people of the ship, as mentioned in al-Bukhari. This was either a form of the Muslims yielding some of their rights to them, or because some of it was conquered via peace treaty, and what the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave them was part of what he had negotiated. All of this is mentioned in the biographical records (al-Siyar), but what the hadith scholars have verified is that there was no peace treaty regarding it.

Al-Kirmani said: The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, only gave it to them with the consent of the people of the expedition, and he gave them from the fifth (al-khums) which was his right. Al-Bukhari leans toward the latter. Attributing the promise of those spoils to Allah Almighty for them exclusively is what Mujahid, Qatadah, and the majority of exegetes hold. Ibn Zayd said: “The words of Allah” refers to His saying: “Say: You shall never go out with me.” Al-Juba’i agreed with him on this, but many have denounced both of them, arguing that this was revealed regarding the laggards of the expedition of Tabuk among the hypocrites. The expedition took place on Thursday in Rajab of the ninth year, without dispute, as al-Qastallani stated, whereas al-Hudaybiyyah was in the sixth year, as Ibn al-Jawzi and others stated. This verse was revealed shortly after the return from al-Hudaybiyyah, as you have learned. Furthermore, it is stated in al-Bahr: Tribes of Muzaynah and Juhaynah from among those laggards later fought with him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he later favored them over Tamim, Ghatafan, and other Arabs. In al-Kashf, it is suggested that perhaps the one who said this meant that since these laggards were hypocrites like the laggards of Tabuk, the ruling of Allah Almighty regarding them was the same. Do you not see that the underlying reason is shared, which is their contentment with staying behind the first time? Thus, by “the words of Allah,” his previous ruling is intended, which is: “The hypocrite shall not be taken along in the expedition.” It is not meant that this ruling is analogous to that origin, or that the verse was revealed regarding them as well. This is what is possible to validate it.

End of quote. Regarding what is in al-Bahr: Those who fought later did not do so until they had become sincere and were no longer hypocrites, and Allah knows best. Hamzah and al-Kisa'i read kalim Allah (words of Allah), where kalim is a collective noun whose singular is kalimah.

“Say” — to disappoint them — “You shall never follow us.” This is a negation in the sense of a prohibition for the sake of emphasis. The intent is to forbid them from following in the matter they sought to follow in, namely, their statement: “Let us follow you,” which refers to setting out to Khaybar, as narrated from Muhyi al-Sunnah, may peace be upon him. It is said: The meaning is, do not follow us so long as your hearts are diseased. According to Mujahid, the “appointed time” was that which was changed by the “words of Allah,” which was His promise to the people of al-Hudaybiyyah that they would not follow the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, except as volunteers with no share in the spoils. It is as if it were said: You shall never follow us except as volunteers. It is also said: The intent is confirmation (ta'yid). The apparent context supports the first.

“Rather, Allah said before,” meaning: before you prepared to go out with us, specifically at the time of the return from al-Hudaybiyyah. “They will say” to the believers upon hearing this prohibition: “Rather, you are jealous of us” that we should share the spoils with you. This is an interruption (idrab) of the idea that it is by the decree of Allah; meaning: rather, that is only from yourselves, out of jealousy. Abu Haywah read tahsudunana with a kasrah on the sin.

“Rather, they understood not” — they did not comprehend — “except a little.”

Meaning: except for a little understanding, which is their understanding of worldly affairs. This is a refutation of their false claim against the believers and a description of them as possessing something greater and more profound than jealousy: namely, pure ignorance and poor understanding of religious matters. In this is an indication that their rejection of the ruling of Allah Almighty and their assertion of jealousy against those masters resulted from ignorance and lack of contemplation.