"And among the people is he who worships Allah on an edge [harf]"—the exegesis of Mujahid and Qatadah is: on the basis of doubt. "If good befalls him, he is reassured by it," meaning: he is content. "But if a trial befalls him, he turns on his face," meaning: he abandons what he was upon. He is the hypocrite; if he sees ease and tranquility in Islam, his soul is satisfied with the prosperity he receives from that ease, and he says: "I am with you and I am one of you." But if he sees hardship or affliction in Islam, he does not endure the calamity, and he turns back on his face as a disbeliever, abandoning what he was upon.
﴿وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ على حرف﴾ تَفْسِيرُ مُجَاهِدٍ وَقَتَادَةَ: عَلَى شَكٍّ. ﴿فَإِنْ أَصَابَهُ خَيْرٌ اطْمَأَنَّ بِهِ﴾ أَيْ: رَضِيَ ﴿وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ انْقَلب على وَجهه﴾ أَيْ: تَرَكَ مَا كَانَ عَلَيْهِ، هُوَ الْمُنَافِقُ؛ إِنْ رَأَى فِي الْإِسْلَامِ رَخَاءً وَطُمَأْنِينَةً طَابَتْ نَفْسُهُ بِمَا يُصِيبُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الرَّخَاءِ، وَقَالَ: أَنَا مِنْكُمْ وَأَنَا مَعَكُمُ، وَإِذَا رَأَى فِي الْإِسْلَامِ شِدَّةً أَوْ بَلِيَّةً لَمْ يَصْبِرْ عَلَى مُصِيبَتِهَا، وَانْقَلَبَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ كَافِرًا، وَترك مَا كَانَ عَلَيْهِ.