And when they prohibited their Messenger from informing about them, they justified that by saying: "Indeed, they," meaning the people of the city, "if they overpower you," meaning if they gain knowledge of you, "they will stone you," meaning they will kill you in the worst manner if you adhere to your religion, "or they will force you back," by compulsion, "into their religion." If you are lenient towards them, "and you will not succeed then," meaning if you return to it, feeling secure in it, because even if you are coerced, perhaps the devil will lead you to actually respond. "Never," meaning - so they sent one of them to look for the most clever and to be gentle in the matter. They were suspicious of him because they rejected his letter as it was from a king they did not know. So they exerted themselves with it, and no one from the opponents was informed about them. Rather, the king was informed about them when he saw him agreeing with them in religion because the prohibition had not been placed upon it.