Then he clarified that their form in their striking the split with two faces is the form of the deceiver. And how misguided they are when they deceive one who cannot be deceived, due to His knowledge of the hidden matters. He said - explaining their prevention from the path -: "Indeed, the hypocrites"; for their showing to everyone who overcomes that they are of him. "They deceive Allah"; meaning: they act by showing what pleases, while concealing what harms, the act of the deceiver with one who has complete knowledge of everything. Because He - glorified and exalted is He - leads them on from where they do not perceive. And they deceive the believers by showing faith while concealing disbelief. "And He"; is the one who commanded the believers with what He commanded them. So it is as if they are doing that with Him; and He is "deceiving them"; by leading them on from where they do not know. Because He is capable of taking them from their place of safety; while they are not capable of deceiving Him in any way. "And when"; meaning: they deceive Him while they have exposed themselves by showing their cunning to those who can see clearly. And that is when they "stand for prayer"; meaning: the obligatory prayer. "They stand lazily"; being reluctant and heavy. They do not cease from it; such that anyone who observes them knows that. Because they see it as a burden without any gain. So the call to abandon it - which is comfort - is stronger than the call to perform it; which is the fear of people. Then he resumed in answering one who seemed to ask: What is wrong with them that they do that? He said: "They show off to the people"; meaning: they do that so that the people may see them; nothing else; so that they may think they are believers. And the people show them for that which pleases them from counting them among the believers; for what they see them doing as believers when they pray. "And they do not remember Allah"; meaning: the one who has all the attributes of perfection; in prayer and otherwise. "Except a little"; meaning: where that becomes a means for their deception; they do that while they are.