"And they say, 'Obedience'"—meaning by this, the hypocrites; they say that to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.

Muhammad said: "Obedience" is in the nominative case, meaning: our command is obedience. "Then when they leave your presence," meaning they go out, "a faction of them plans by night"—Qatadah said: meaning a faction of them alters—"other than what you say. And Allah records what they plan by night," meaning: what they alter.

Muhammad said: It is said the meaning is: they spoke and determined by night other than [what they brought to you] by day. The Arabs use the term "to plan by night" (bayyata) for everything that is contemplated or discussed by night. From this is the saying of the poet:

They came to me, but I was not pleased with what they planned by night, And they had come to me for a reprehensible matter.