'When they came upon you from above you and from below you,' the interpretation of al-Hasan: they came from two directions: from below the city and from above it. 'And when the eyes swerved and the hearts reached the throats,' due to the intensity of fear. 'And you were making various assumptions about Allah,' meaning: the hypocrites thought that Muhammad would be killed and that they themselves would be destroyed.
﴿إِذْ جَاءُوكُمْ مِنْ فَوْقِكُمْ وَمِنْ أَسْفَل مِنْكُم﴾ تَفْسِيرُ الْحَسَنِ: جَاءُوا مِنْ وَجْهَيْنِ: مِنْ أَسْفَلِ الْمَدِينَةِ، وَمِنْ أَعْلَاهَا ﴿وَإِذْ زَاغَتِ الأَبْصَارُ وَبَلَغَتِ الْقُلُوبُ الْحَنَاجِر﴾ مِنْ شِدَّةِ الْخَوْفِ ﴿وَتَظُنُّونَ بِاللَّهِ الظنونا﴾ يَعْنِي: الْمُنَافِقِينَ ظَنُّوا أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا سيقتل وَأَنَّهُمْ سيهلكون.
