They conceal [their evil intentions and deeds] from the people, but they cannot conceal [them] from Allah, and He is with them [in His knowledge] when they spend the night in such as He does not accept of speech. And ever is Allah, of what they do, encompassing.
{يَخْتَانُونَ أَنفُسَهُمْ}
They betray them through disobedience, as in His saying: {Allah knows that you used to betray yourselves} (Al-Baqarah: 187). He made the disobedience of the sinners a betrayal of their own selves, just as He made it an injustice to them, because the harm returns to them.
If you ask: Why was it said {for the treacherous} and {betraying themselves}, while Tu‘mah was the only thief?
I say: For two reasons. First, the Banu Zafar testified to his innocence and supported him, so they were his partners in the sin. Second, it was put in the plural to encompass Tu‘mah and everyone who commits his kind of betrayal; so do not dispute for any traitor ever, nor argue on his behalf.
If you ask: Why was it said {treacherous, sinful} as an intensive form?
I say: Allah knew of Tu‘mah’s excess in treachery and his committing of sins. Whoever has such an end to his affair, there is no doubt about his state. It is said: If you stumble upon a bad deed from a man, know that it has siblings. It is narrated from ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that he ordered the hand of a thief to be cut, and his mother came weeping, saying, "This is the first theft he has committed, so pardon him." He said, "You lie; Allah does not punish His servant for the first time."
{يَسْتَخْفُونَ مِنَ النَّاسِ}
They hide.
{وَلَا يَسْتَخْفُونَ مِنَ اللَّهِ}
They are not ashamed before Him.
{وَهُوَ مَعَهُمْ}
He is aware of them, watching over them; nothing of their secrets is hidden from Him. This verse is sufficient to rebuke people for their lack of shame and fear of their Lord, despite their knowledge—if they are believers—that they are in His presence, where there is no covering, no heedlessness, and no absence; there is only clear exposure and disgrace.
{يُبَيِّتُونَ مَا لَا يَرْضَى مِنَ الْقَوْلِ}
They plot and fabricate; the root of the word implies doing so at night. This refers to Tu‘mah’s plot to throw the shield into Zayd’s house to steal it, and then swear to his innocence.
If you ask: How is a plot called "speech" when it is merely a concept in the mind?
I say: Because he spoke of it to himself, it is called speech metaphorically. It is also permissible that "speech" refers to the false oath he swore after plotting, and his shifting of the blame onto the Jew.
{هَا أَنتُمْ هَؤُلَاءِ جَادَلْتُمْ عَنْهُمْ}
"Ha" is for alerting in "antum" and "ha'ula'i," which are the subject and predicate. {Jadaltum} is a sentence clarifying the occurrence of "ha'ula'i" as a predicate, just as you might say to a generous person, "You are Hatim, you are generous with your wealth and prioritize others over yourself." It is also permissible that "ha'ula'i" is a relative pronoun meaning "those who," and "jadaltum" is its relative clause. The meaning is: Suppose you disputed on behalf of Tu‘mah and his people in this world, then who will dispute on their behalf in the Hereafter when Allah seizes them with His punishment? ‘Abdullah (Ibn Mas‘ud) recited it as "‘anhu" (on his behalf), meaning on behalf of Tu‘mah.
{وَكِيلًا}
A protector and defender against the might and vengeance of Allah.
{وَمَن يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا}
An ugly, transgressive act by which he harms another, as Tu‘mah did to Qatadah and the Jew.
{أَوْ يَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهُ}
By what is specific to him, such as a false oath. It is also said: "Whoever does evil" refers to a sin less than polytheism, or "wrongs himself" refers to polytheism. This is an incitement for Tu‘mah to seek forgiveness and repent so that the proof is established against him with the knowledge of what he has done, or for his people, due to their excessive support of him and their defense of his sin.
