The statement regarding the interpretation of His statement, may His praise be exalted: {Indeed, we were only mocking (14)}

The people of interpretation have all agreed—without disagreement among them—that the meaning of His statement: {Indeed, we were only mocking} is: Indeed, we were only scoffing. So the meaning of the speech then is: And when the hypocrites turn away, being alone to their rebellious ones from the hypocrites and polytheists, they say: We are with you upon what you are upon of denying Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, and what he brought, and showing enmity to him and showing enmity to his followers; we are only scoffing at the Companions of Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, by our saying to them when we meet them: We believe in God and the Last Day (1), just as-:

359- Muhammad b. al-'Ala' narrated to us, he said: 'Uthman b. Sa'id narrated to us, he said: Bishr b. 'Umara narrated to us, from Abu Rawq, from al-Dahhak, from Ibn 'Abbas: They said: {Indeed, we were only mocking}, scoffing at the Companions of Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him.

360- Ibn Humayd narrated to us, he said: Salama narrated to us, from Muhammad b. Ishaq, from Muhammad b. Abi Muhammad the freed slave of Zayd b. Thabit, from 'Ikrima, or from Sa'id b. Jubayr, from Ibn 'Abbas: {Indeed, we were only mocking}, meaning: we are only mocking the people and playing with them.

361- Bishr b. Mu'adh al-'Aqadi narrated to us, he said: Yazid b. Zuray' narrated to us, from Sa'id, from Qatada: {Indeed, we were only mocking}, we are only mocking these people and scoffing at them.

362- al-Muthanna narrated to me, he said: Ishaq b. al-Hajjaj narrated to us, from 'Abd Allah b. Abi Ja'far, from his father, from al-Rabi': {Indeed, we were only mocking}, meaning we mock the Companions of Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him (2).

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