the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) were of two groups regarding them: one group said, 'We will kill them,' and another group said, 'No.' Then this verse was revealed: 'Then what is the matter with you [becoming] two groups regarding the hypocrites? And Allah has made them fall back [into disbelief] for what they earned'—the entire verse.
The Second Perspective:
5740 - 'Ali ibn al-Husayn narrated to us, Abu Harun al-Kharrat narrated to us, Yahya ibn Abi al-Khasib narrated to us, 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Muhammad narrated to us, from Zayd ibn Aslam, from the son of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh al-Ansari, that this verse was revealed concerning us: 'Then what is the matter with you [becoming] two groups regarding the hypocrites? And Allah has made them fall back [into disbelief] for what they earned.' The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) gave a sermon and said: 'Who will help me against those who harm me and gather in their house those who harm me?' So, Sa'd ibn Mu'adh stood up and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, if they are from among us, we will kill them, and if they are from our brothers, the Khazraj, then command us and we will obey you.' Then Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah stood up and said: 'You do not have the right to obey the Messenger of Allah, O son of Mu'adh, rather you have recognized what is from you [in this matter].' Then Usayd ibn Hudayr stood up and said: 'O son of 'Ubadah, you are a hypocrite; you love the hypocrites.' Then Muhammad ibn Maslamah stood up and said: 'Be silent, O people! For the Messenger of Allah is among us, and he shall command, and his command will be carried out.' Then Allah, the Exalted, revealed: 'Then what is the matter with you [becoming] two groups regarding the hypocrites?'
The Third Perspective:
5741 - Muhammad ibn Sa'd al-'Awfi reported to us in what he wrote to me, my father narrated to me, my uncle al-Husayn narrated to me, my father narrated to me from his father, from Ibn 'Abbas regarding His saying: 'Then what is the matter with you [becoming] two groups regarding the hypocrites?' And that is because some people were in Makkah who had spoken of Islam and were supporting the polytheists. They went out of Makkah seeking a need of theirs, and they said: 'If we meet the companions of Muhammad, there is no harm upon us from them.' When the believers were informed that they had gone out of Makkah, one group of the believers said: 'Ride out to the evil ones and kill them, for they are supporting against you the same number of people as them.' Another group of believers said: 'Glory be to Allah,' or as they said: 'Do you kill a people who have said the same as you have said, just because they did not emigrate and leave their homes, such that their wealth and blood would be made lawful?' So they remained as two groups, and the Messenger was among them, not forbidding either of the two parties from anything. Then was revealed: 'Then what is the matter with you [becoming] two groups regarding the hypocrites?'
(1). Al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Tafsir, 6/59; Muslim, no. 2776.
أَصْحَابُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِيهِمْ فِرْقَتَانِ، فِرْقَةٌ تَقُولُ: نَقْتُلُهُمْ، وَفِرْقَةٌ تَقُولُ:
لَا، فَنَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ: فَمَا لَكُمْ فِي الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِئَتَيْنِ وَاللَّهُ أَرْكَسَهُمْ بِمَا كَسَبُوا «١» الآيَةَ كُلَّهَا
وَالْوَجْهُ الثَّانِي:
٥٧٤٠ - حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ، ثنا أَبُو هارون الخراز، ثنا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي الْخَصِيبِ، ثنا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنِ ابْنِ سَعْدِ بْنِ مُعَاذٍ الأَنْصَارِيِّ، أَنَّ هَذِهِ الآيَةَ أُنْزِلَتْ فِينَا فَمَا لَكُمْ فِي الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِئَتَيْنِ وَاللَّهُ أَرْكَسَهُمْ بِمَا كَسَبُوا فَخَطَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَقَالَ: مَنْ لِي بِمَنْ يُؤْذِينِي وَيَجْمَعُ فِي بَيْتِهِ مَنْ يُؤْذِينِي فَقَامَ سَعْدُ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ فَقَالَ: إِنْ كَانَ مِنَّا قَتَلْنَاهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ مِنْ إِخْوَانِنَا مِنَ الْخَزْرَجِ أَمَرْتَنَا فَأَطَعْنَاكَ، فَقَامَ سَعْدُ بْنُ عُبَادَةَ فَقَالَ: مَا بِكَ طَاعَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ يَا ابْنَ مُعَاذٍ، وَلَكِنْ عَرَفْتُ مَا هُوَ مِنْكَ، فَقَامَ أُسَيْدُ بْنُ حُضَيْرٍ فَقَالَ: يَا ابْنَ عُبَادَةَ إِنَّكَ مُنَافِقٌ تُحِبُّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ، فَقَامَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ فَقَالَ: اسْكُتُوا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ فَإِنَّ فِينَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ يَأْمُرُ فَيَنْفُذُ لأَمْرِهِ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فَمَا لَكُمْ فِي الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِئَتَيْنِ
وَالْوَجْهُ الثَّالِثُ:
٥٧٤١ - أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ الْعَوْفِيُّ فِيمَا كَتَبَ إِلَيَّ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، حَدَّثَنِي عَمِّيَ الْحُسَيْنُ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَوْلُهُ: فَمَا لَكُمْ فِي الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِئَتَيْنِ وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ قَوْماً كَانُوا بِمَكَّةَ قَدْ تَكَلَّمُوا بِالإِسْلامِ وَكَانُوا يُظَاهِرُونَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ، فَخَرَجُوا مِنْ مَكَّةَ يَطْلُبُونَ حَاجَةً لَهُمْ، فَقَالُوا: إِنْ لَقِينَا أَصْحَابَ مُحَمَّدٍ فَلَيْسَ عَلَيْنَا فِيهِمْ بَأْسٌ، فَإِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لَمَّا أُخْبِرُوا أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ خَرَجُوا مِنْ مَكَّةَ، قَالَتْ فِئَةٌ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ: ارْكَبُوا إِلَى الْخَبْثَاءِ فَاقْتُلُوهُمْ، فَإِنَّهُمْ يُظَاهِرُونَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَدَدَهُمْ، وَقَالَتْ فِئَةٌ أُخْرَى مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ: سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ، أَوْ كَمَا قَالُوا: تَقْتُلُونَ قَوْماً قَدْ تَكَلَّمُوا مِثْلَ مَا تَكَلَّمْتُمْ بِهِ مِنْ أَجْلِ أَنَّهُمْ لَمْ يُهَاجِرُوا وَيَتْرُكُوا دِيَارَهُمْ تُسْتَحَلُّ أَمْوَالُهُمْ وَدِمَائُهُمْ، فَكَانُوا كَذَلِكَ فِئَتَيْنِ وَالرَّسُولُ عِنْدَهُمْ لَا يَنْهَى وَاحِداً مِنَ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ عَنْ شَيْءٍ، فَنَزَلَتْ فَمَا لَكُمْ فِي الْمُنَافِقِينَ فئتين
(١) . البخاري كتاب التفسير ٦/ ٥٩، مسلم رقم ٢٧٧٦.
