Tafsir of Muhammad 47:8

Surah Muhammad (47): Verse 8

And those who disbelieve, then woe to them...

This statement serves to strengthen the hearts [of the believers]. This is because when Allah Almighty said: {And He will make your feet firm} (Muhammad: 7), it was possible to imagine that the disbeliever would also become firm for fighting, leading to prolonged combat, spears, thrusting, and striking, which involves great hardship.

Therefore, Allah Almighty said: "For you is firmness, but for them is removal, change, and destruction." Thus, they will not have firmness. The reason for this is clear: their idols are inanimate objects possessing no power or stability against one who possesses power. They are incapable of warding off the destruction that Allah Almighty has decreed upon them. Consequently, stumbling and falling are inevitable for them.

He said regarding the believers: {And He will make firm} using the form of a promise, because nothing is obligatory upon Allah. He said regarding the disbelievers: {Woe to them} using the form of a supplication (or a statement of consequence), which is more emphatic than a statement of fact from Allah. This is because their stumbling is necessary (wajib) since the lack of support from their idols is an inevitable occurrence due to their powerlessness. However, the confirmation (Tathbīt) from Allah is not obligatory, as He is Capable and Free to act as He wills.

And His saying: {And He has made their deeds astray} is a reference to clarifying the difference between their slain and the slain Muslims. For the slain Muslims, He said: {then He will never let their deeds go to waste} (Muhammad: 4), but for the deceased disbelievers, He said: {And He has made their deeds astray}.

Then Allah Almighty clarified the reason for what they differed about:

! 7 < { That is because they hated what Allah sent down, so He rendered their deeds worthless. } > 7 !