And when their mockery was established, he produced his saying: "Do not excuse yourselves." That is: do not exaggerate in asserting the excuse, which negates blame. For that will not benefit you, even if you strive, because the verdict is established that you "have certainly disbelieved." That is: by your saying this. And it indicates that their disbelief has nullified any good deeds they had, by removing the mitigating factor, intensifying the warning for those among them who have turned back, and affirming the state of those who persisted, as he said: "After your faith." That is: which you claimed with your tongues, some of you sincerely and others hypocritically.

And when the situation necessitated clarifying what they had become after their disbelief, whether from their repentance or their persistence, it was clarified that they are of two types: one of them is sealed upon his heart and his repentance is decreed, and his love. This noble one is intended by his saying: establishing the action, informing that the greatest aim is the action, not looking at a specific doer: "If We forgive." For the words of the King, even if they occur in the context of condition, they guide to its realization (p-518) to establish the distinction between the words of the higher and the lower: "About a group of you." That is: due to their suitability for repentance. "We will punish a group." That is: a people among whom there is the capacity for turning back. And 'Asim read with the construction of the two verbs for the doer in the grand manner: "Because they." That is: due to the fact that they "were criminals." That is: their earning of sins that sever them from good is a characteristic of theirs that is firmly established and does not cease. They are not qualified for pardon. And the explanation of this story is that there were three men from the hypocrites walking in front of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) during the Battle of Tabuk: two were mocking the Qur'an and the Messenger, and the other was laughing. It was said: they would say: "Indeed, Muhammad claims that he will defeat the Romans and conquer their cities; how far he is from that!" And it was said: they would say: "Indeed, Muhammad claims that a Qur'an has been revealed about our companions who remain in Medina, but it is merely his words and speech." So Allah informed His Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) of that, and he said: "Hold the caravan for me." So he called them and said to them: "Did you say such and such?" They said: "We were only conversing and playing." [At-Tawbah: 65] That is: we were talking and engaging in speech as the caravan does to pass the time with talk and play. Ibn Ishaq said: And the one who was forgiven was a single man, and he was Makshuh ibn Himyar al-Ashja'i. It is said that he was the one who laughed and did not engage, and he would walk aside from them and deny some of what he heard. So when this verse was revealed, he repented.

He said: O Allah! I continue to hear a verse being recited, from which the skins shiver, and the hearts tremble. O Allah, make my death a martyrdom in Your cause! Let no one say: I washed him, I shrouded him, I buried him, for he was struck on the day of Yamama. No one among the Muslims except that he recognized his place of death except for him, may Allah be pleased with him. And perhaps the release of the group upon him is an honor for him and a concealment for him and a glad tidings for the repentance of others. And perhaps the one who was feared was a believer, but his faith was shaky, and that is why he expressed here by saying: "Did you disbelieve after your faith?" [Aal 'Imran: 106] And the expression of that is more severe in blame, especially among the Arabs, because they boast of steadfastness in any matter they choose and they blame each other for recklessness. And perhaps the sitting ones mentioned in the upcoming story alone or with others were not as secure as others who were addressed by it, and they did not believe except when they repented. That is why he expressed there by saying: "And they disbelieved after their Islam." [At-Tawbah: 74] Abu Hayyan said: Ibn Umar said: "I saw Wadi'a ibn Thabit clinging to the hindquarters of the Messenger of Allah's camel, following it while the stones were hitting him, and he was saying: 'We were only engaging in idle talk and play.'" [At-Tawbah: 65] And the Prophet said: "By Allah and His signs." The verse.