And when He made them aware of these otherworldly rewards and worldly honors; and concluded with what raises the coward; and strengthens the heart; and encouraged them with what He made appealing of the delights of Paradise; He was astonished by the state of those who hesitated after that and submitted; so He said (the Exalted) - addressing His most obedient creation; and the most compliant to His command -: ﴿Did you not see﴾; and indicated that they were in a state of distance from His presence; raising them with His words: ﴿to those to whom it was said﴾; meaning: in response to their saying: We want to extend our hands to the disbelievers with fighting; because our trial with them has been prolonged; ﴿Hold back your hands﴾; meaning: do not extend them to them; for we did not command this; ﴿And establish the prayer﴾; meaning: a connection with the Creator; and seeking help against the dissenters; ﴿And give the zakah﴾; increasing the wealth; and purifying the morals; and connecting with the creation; ﴿So when fighting was prescribed for them﴾; meaning: that which they requested; while they were commanded to pardon; a prescription that does not cease until the end of time; ﴿Then a group of them﴾; meaning: people whose actions necessitate separation; so they loved this prescription because they ﴿fear the people﴾; meaning: those who are like them; that they may harm them; while it is inappropriate for them to be bolder than them; and they are people like them; ﴿Like the fear of Allah﴾; meaning: like how they fear Allah; who is the All-Powerful; not anyone else. And when their restraint from fighting was severe; it would lead those who see them to think of them as cowards, which causes hesitation in balancing between their fear of the people; and their fear of Allah; He expressed this with a tool of doubt; so He said: ﴿Or are they in greater fear﴾; meaning: or is their fear of them in the eyes of the observer greater than their fear of Allah; this indicates that their fear of the people is not less than their fear of Allah, certainly; rather, it is either equal to it or greater than it; and the ambiguity may be due to a difference in relation to two times; so their fear of Him at one time is equal; and at another time greater; so He is hesitant between these two states; and it may be that this is a metaphor for their dislike of fighting at that time; and their wish to postpone it to a later time.

And what has preceded of the suspicion is supported by His saying which is like an explanation for the dislike: ﴿And they said﴾; out of fear of death; or the hardships - if they are believers -; or objection - if they are hypocrites -; regarding the validity of what the Messenger ﷺ says ﴿Our Lord﴾; meaning: O You who is gracious to us; close to us; ﴿Why have You prescribed fighting for us﴾; meaning: while we are weak; ﴿If only﴾; meaning: why not; ﴿You had delayed us﴾; meaning: from the command of fighting; ﴿to a near term﴾; meaning: so that we may take a rest from what we were in of hardship from the disbelievers in Mecca.

The reason for its revelation is that 'Abdur-Rahman ibn 'Awf; and Al-Miqdad ibn Al-Aswad Al-Kindi; and Qudamah ibn Maz'oon; and Sa'd ibn Abu Waqqas; and a group - may Allah be pleased with them - were facing much harm from the polytheists in Makkah before they migrated. They would say: O Messenger of Allah, grant us permission to fight them, for they have harmed us. The Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, would say to them: 'Hold back your hands, for I have not been commanded to fight them; and establish the prayer; and give the zakat.' When they migrated to Al-Madinah, Allah - glorified and exalted is He - commanded them to fight the polytheists. This was difficult for some of them.