so fear them"} [Surat Al ʿImrān: 173], because by its introduction, reference was made to people known to those addressed by that.

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The statement regarding the interpretation of His statement, may His praise be exalted: {They say, "Should we believe as the foolish have believed?"}

Abū Jaʿfar said: The foolish (al-sufahāʾ) is the plural of foolish (safīh), just as the learned (al-ʿulamāʾ) is the plural of learned (ʿalīm) (1), and the wise (al-ḥukamāʾ) is the plural of wise (ḥakīm). The foolish (safīh) is the ignorant one, weak in opinion, with little knowledge of the places of benefit and harm. For this reason, God Almighty called women and children foolish, saying, may He be exalted: {And do not give the foolish your property which God has made for you a means of support} [Surat al-Nisāʾ: 5]. The generality of the people of interpretation said: They are women and children, due to the weakness of their opinions and their lack of knowledge regarding the places of benefit and harm to which wealth is directed.

The hypocrites only meant by their statement: "Should we believe as the foolish have believed?"—when they were called to believe in Muḥammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, and in what he brought from God, and to acknowledge the resurrection, and it was said to them: "Believe as [the people] have believed" (2)—the Companions of Muḥammad and his followers among the believers who believed in him, from the people of faith and certainty, and belief in God, and in what He obligated upon them upon the tongue of His Messenger Muḥammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, and in His Book, and in the Last Day. So they said in response to the one who said that to them: "Should we believe as the people of ignorance have believed, and believe in Muḥammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, just as these who have no intellects or understanding have believed?" Just as:

344- Mūsā b. Hārūn narrated to me, he said: ʿAmr b. Ḥammād narrated to us, he said: Asbāṭ narrated to us, from al-Suddī in a report he mentioned, from Abū Mālik, and from Abū Ṣāliḥ, from Ibn