their hearts is a disease}, he said: Disease is the doubt that entered into them regarding Islam (1).

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The discourse regarding the interpretation of the statement of He whose praise is Exalted: ﴿So God increased them in disease﴾

We have already demonstrated previously that the interpretation of the disease which God, Exalted be His praise, described as being in the hearts of the hypocrites, is doubt regarding the beliefs of their hearts and their religions, and that upon which they remain—concerning the matter of Muḥammad, the Messenger of God, Peace and blessings of God be upon him, the matter of his prophethood, and what he brought.

So the disease which God, Exalted be His praise, informed concerning them that He increased them upon their disease, is like what was in their hearts of doubt and perplexity before the increase; so God increased them, through what He instituted anew of His bounds and obligatory duties—which He had not obligated before the increase He granted the hypocrites—in doubt and perplexity, since they doubted and wavered regarding what He instituted anew for them of that (2), unto the disease and doubt that was in their hearts in the past, concerning His bounds and obligatory duties that He had obligated prior to that. Just as He increased those who believed in Him, unto their faith which they held prior to that—through what He instituted anew for them of obligatory duties and bounds when they believed in it, unto their faith in the past bounds and obligatory duties—in faith. As He, Exalted be His praise, said in His Revelation: {And whenever a surah is revealed, among them are those who say, "Which of you has this increased in faith?" As for those who have believed, it has increased them in faith, and they rejoice. But as for those in whose}