Tafsir of Muhammad 47:1-2

{And they hindered} They turned away and refrained from entering Islam, or they hindered others from it. Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: They are those who provided food on the day of Badr. Muqatil said: They were twelve men from the polytheists who hindered people from Islam and commanded them to disbelieve. It is also said: They are the People of the Scripture who disbelieved and hindered those among them—and others—who wanted to enter Islam. It is also said: It is general for everyone who disbelieved and hindered.

{He has rendered their deeds vain} He nullified and frustrated them. Its reality is that He made them lost and wasted, having no one to accept them or reward them, like a stray camel that is in a place of ruin, having no owner to protect it or care for its affairs. Or, He made their acts of disobedience lost within their disbelief and overwhelmed by it, just as water is lost in milk. Their "deeds" are what they performed during their disbelief, which they called "noble deeds," such as maintaining kinship ties, freeing captives, hosting guests, and protecting neighbors. It is also said: He nullified what they did in terms of plotting against the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and hindering from the path of Allah, by granting him victory over them and manifesting His religion over all other religions.

{And those who believed} Muqatil said: They are people from the Quraysh. It is also said: From the Ansar. It is also said: They are the believers from the People of the Scripture. It is also said: It is general.

His saying: {And those who believed and did righteous deeds and believed} This is a specification of faith in what was sent down to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) from among all that must be believed in, to exalt its status and to teach, for faith is not valid or complete except through it. He emphasized this with the parenthetical clause: {And it is the truth from their Lord}. It is said: Its meaning is that the religion of Muhammad is the truth, as it is not subject to abrogation, and it is the abrogator of others. It has been recited as nuzzila and unzila (passive), nazzala (active), and nazala (lightened).

{He will remove from them their misdeeds} He will cover, through their faith and righteous deeds, the disbelief and sins that were theirs, due to their turning away from them and their repentance.

{And improve their state} Meaning their condition and their affairs, through success in matters of religion, and by granting them mastery over the world through the victory and support He gave them.

{That is because those who disbelieve follow falsehood, and those who believe follow the truth from their Lord. Thus does Allah present to the people their comparisons.}