Tafsir of At-Tawbah 9:64

"The hypocrites fear that..."

They used to mock Islam and its people, and they feared that God would expose them through revelation regarding them. Some of them even said, "By God, I do not see us as anything but the worst of God's creation. I would have preferred to be brought forward and whipped a hundred lashes rather than have something revealed about us that exposes us."

The pronoun in "upon them" (‘alayhim) and "He informs them" (tunabbi’uhum) refers to the believers. In "in their hearts" (fi qulubihim), it refers to the hypocrites. This is correct because the meaning leads to it. It is also permissible for the pronouns to refer to the hypocrites, because if a surah is revealed regarding their situation, it is revealed "upon them."

The meaning of "He informs them of what is in their hearts" is as if it says to them: "In your hearts is such-and-such." It means it broadcasts their secrets to them until they hear them spread and publicized, as if it is informing them of what they contain.

It is said: The meaning of "let them fear" (yahdhar) is a command to be cautious—that is, "let the hypocrites be cautious."

If you ask: The caution is directed toward the revelation of the surah in His saying, "The hypocrites fear that a surah will be revealed upon them." So what is the meaning of His saying, "bringing forth what you fear"?

I say: Its meaning is "bringing about and manifesting the revelation of the surah." Or, "God is manifesting what you used to fear," meaning: you fear the exposure of your hypocrisy.

"And if you ask them, they will surely say, 'We were only conversing and playing.' Say, 'Is it God and His verses and His Messenger that you were mocking?' Do not make excuses; you have disbelieved after your belief. If We pardon a faction of you, We will punish a faction because they were criminals."