Ruh al-Ma'ani on Al-Qalam 68:9

Surah Al-Qalam 68:9

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ﲦ ﲧ ﲨ ﲩ

They wish that you would soften [in your position], so they would soften [toward you].

{ ودوا لو تدهن } This is a justification for the prohibition or for the cessation [of obedience]. It is expressed as "obedience" to emphasize the repulsion [of their action]. That is, they wished that you would be lenient with them and compromise on certain matters.

{ فيدهنون } Meaning: They would then be lenient, for they are lenient now in anticipation of your leniency. The fa (ف) is one of causality, prefixed to a sentence resulting from what preceded it. The subject (pronoun) is implied because the verb is in the nominative case.

The difference between the two interpretations is:

According to the first, the meaning is that they wished for you to be lenient so that their leniency would follow your leniency; thus, it involves the sequence of one instance of leniency upon another in reality. In this case, "lo" (لو) is not functioning as a source-forming particle (masdariyyah).
According to the second, it is a source-forming particle, and the sequence is conceptual, based on their desire and wish.

It has also been suggested that the fa is for linking yudhinun (they are lenient) to tudhin (you are lenient), such that it enters with it under the scope of the wish (law), similar to it. The meaning would be: "They wished that they would be lenient, following your leniency." However, what preceded this is more remote, based on scholarly debate.

Regardless, what is considered on their part is the reality of idhan (leniency/flattery), which is the outward display of softness while concealing the opposite. As for the Prophet, peace be upon him, what is considered in relation to their wish is only the outward display of softness; concealing the opposite is not within the scope of consideration. Indeed, they are in the utmost state of detesting that, and it is only considered in relation to him, peace be upon him.

In some copies of the Mushaf, as Harun stated, it appears as fa-yadhinu without the nun of the nominative case. It has been said that it is in the subjunctive mood as an answer to the wish understood from waddū (they wished). It has also been said that it is a conjunction to tudhin based on the assumption that law is in the position of an (the particle that makes the following verb subjunctive), in which case it has no answer, and a source (infinitive) is formed from it and what follows to serve as the object of waddū. It is as if it were said: "They wished for your leniency, so they would be lenient." Perhaps this is what is meant by those who said it is a conjunction based on the assumption of an. The majority of grammarians maintain that law retains its true nature, its answer is omitted, and the object of waddū is likewise omitted—meaning: "They wished for your leniency; if you were to be lenient, they would be lenient, and they would be pleased with that."

Tafsir of Al-Qalam 68:9

Ruh al-Ma'ani

{ ودوا لو تدهن } This is a justification for the prohibition or for the cessation [of obedience]. It is expressed as "obedience" to emphasize the repulsion [of their action]. That is, they wished that you would be lenient with them and compromise on certain matters.

{ فيدهنون } Meaning: They would then be lenient, for they are lenient now in anticipation of your leniency. The *fa* (ف) is one of causality, prefixed to a sentence resulting from what preceded it. The subject (pronoun) is implied because the verb is in the nominative case.

{ فيدهنون } Meaning: They would then be lenient, for they are lenient now in anticipation of your leniency. The fa (ف) is one of causality, prefixed to a sentence resulting from what preceded it. The subject (pronoun) is implied because the verb is in the nominative case.