"And of the people are some who say, 'We believe in Allah.'" The narrative returns to the initial discourse: "Alif-Lam-Mim. Do the people think..." up to His saying: "and He will surely make evident the liars." Thus, He describes the hypocrite in this latter verse, saying: "And of the people are some who say, 'We believe in Allah,' but when one is harmed for the sake of Allah, he treats the trial of the people as the punishment of Allah." That is: when he is commanded to strive (jihad) in the way of Allah and harm comes to him therein, he abandons what he was commanded to do and holds back from jihad. He treats the affliction that befalls him during combat—if it is indeed an affliction—as if it were the punishment of Allah in the Hereafter, because Allah has warned him of the punishment of the Hereafter, yet he does not acknowledge it. "But if victory comes from your Lord," meaning: victory over the polytheists, "they would surely say," meaning their group, "'Indeed, we were with you,'" seeking the spoils of war. Allah says: "Is not Allah most knowing of what is within the breasts of the worlds?" That is: He knows that these hypocrites harbor the denial of Allah and His Messenger within their breasts, while they manifest faith.
﴿وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَقُولُ آمَنَّا بِاللَّه﴾ رَجَعَتِ الْقِصَّةُ إِلَى الْكَلَامِ الْأَوَّلِ ﴿الم أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ﴾ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ: ﴿وليعلمن الْكَاذِبين﴾ فَوَصَفَ الْمُنَافِقَ فِي هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ الْآخِرَةِ، فَقَالَ: ﴿وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَقُولُ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ فَإِذَا أُوذِيَ فِي اللَّهِ جَعَلَ فِتْنَةَ النَّاسِ كعذاب الله﴾ أَيْ: إِذَا أُمِرَ بِالْجِهَادِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ فِيهِ أَذًى، رَفَضَ مَا أُمِرَ بِهِ. وَأَقَامَ عَنِ الْجِهَادِ، وَجَعَلَ مَا يَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْبَلِيَّةِ فِي الْقِتَالِ إِذَا كَانَتْ بَلِيَّةً كَعَذَابِ اللَّهِ فِي الْآخِرَةِ؛ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ خَوَّفَهُ عَذَابَ الْآخِرَةِ وَهُوَ لَا يُقِرُّ بِهِ ﴿وَلَئِنْ جَاءَ نصر من رَبك﴾ يَعْنِي: نصرا على الْمُشْركين ﴿ليقولون﴾ يَعْنِي: جَمَاعَتَهُمْ ﴿إِنَّا كُنَّا مَعَكُمْ﴾ يطْلبُونَ الْغَنِيمَة، قَالَ الله: ﴿أَو لَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِأَعْلَمَ بِمَا فِي صُدُورِ الْعَالمين﴾ أَيْ: أَنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّ هَؤُلَاءِ الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِي صُدُورِهِمُ التَّكْذِيبُ بِاللَّهِ وبرسوله وهم يظهرون الْإِيمَان
