Tafsir of Al-Ma'idah 5:52

Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread): Verse 52

Then the Almighty said:

{So you see those in whose hearts is a disease hastening among them, saying, "We fear that a misfortune may befall us."}

Know that what is meant by {those in whose hearts is a disease} are the hypocrites, such as 'Abdullāh ibn Ubayy and his companions.

The phrase {hastening among them} means they hasten in their affection and alliance with the Jews and the Christians of Najrān, because they were wealthy and used to assist the hypocrites in their important matters and lend them money.

The hypocrites would say: "We only associate with them because we fear that a misfortune may befall us."

Al-Wāḥidī, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "Ad-Dā'irah (the misfortune/circle) is from the circles of time (dawa'ir ad-dahr), like ad-dawlah (the turn of fortune). It is what rotates from one people to another. The dā'irah is what is feared, like defeat or frightening incidents. Thus, the circles (ad-dawā'ir) rotate, and the fortunes (ad-dawā'il) change."

Al-Zajjāj said: "It means we fear that the matter of Muḥammad (peace and blessings be upon him) will not be established, and the affair will revert to what it was before that."

Then the Almighty said:

{Perhaps Allāh will bring the conquest or a command from Him, and then they will become regretful over what they concealed within themselves.}

The commentators say that 'Asā (Perhaps/It may be) from Allāh implies certainty (wājib), because when the Generous One promises good, He fulfills it. It is like a promise because the soul becomes attached to it and hopes for it.

The meaning is: Perhaps Allāh will bring the conquest for the Messenger of Allāh against his enemies and the victory of the Muslims over their adversaries, or a command from Him that cuts off the root of the Jews or expels them from their lands.

Then the hypocrites will become regretful over what they concealed within themselves. This is because they doubted the Messenger's cause and used to say: "We do not think his affair will be established; the more likely outcome is that fortune and victory will go to his enemies."

It is also said: or a command from Him means that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) will be commanded to reveal the secrets of the hypocrites and kill them, whereupon they will regret their actions.

If one asks: "For a division (taqsīm) to be sound, the two parts must be mutually exclusive. The statement {Perhaps Allāh will bring the conquest or a command from Him} is not like that, because bringing the conquest is included within {or a command from Him}."

We reply: The phrase {or a command from Him} means a command from Him in which people have absolutely no agency (fa'l). This is like the case of Banū Naḍīr, whom Allāh cast terror into their hearts, so they surrendered by their own hands without fighting or an army.

Then the Almighty said:

{And those who believed will say, "Are these the ones who swore by Allāh their most solemn oaths that they were with you?" Their deeds have become worthless, and they have become losers.}