His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "They think that the confederates have not gone away. And if the confederates were to come, they would wish that they were in the desert asking about your news. And if they were among you, they would not have fought except for a little." "Certainly, there has been for you in the Messenger of Allah a good example for he who hopes for Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much."

The pronoun in "They think" refers to the hypocrites. The meaning is that they, due to fear and panic, think that the confederates have not gone away after Allah, the Exalted, defeated them. These people believe that they have not left, but rather they want to return to the city. Then Allah, the Exalted, informed about the belief of these hypocrites that their wish, when the confederates come and besiege the city, is that they had gone out to the desert and with the Bedouins, who are the people of tents and travel from one region to another. Those among them who reside in a settled land are not called Bedouins. Their aim in being in the desert is to be safe from fighting. Ibn Abbas and Talhah ibn Masrif read: "If they were in the desert," with a strong 'd' and with tanween, which is the plural of 'badin' like 'ghaz' and 'ghuzza'. It has been narrated from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that "buddan" is a past verb.

The people of Mecca, Nafi', Ibn Kathir, and Al-Hasan read: "They ask," meaning about your news. Abu Amr, Asim, Al-A'mash, and Al-Hasan read: "They ask" without hamzah, similar to His saying, exalted is He: "Ask the Children of Israel" [Al-Baqarah: 211]. Al-Jahdari, Qatadah, and Al-Hasan - with a difference from him - read: "They ask each other," meaning that some of them ask one another. Al-Jahdari said regarding the Imam: "They are asking each other."

Then Allah, the Exalted, informed His Prophet about them and belittled their status by informing that if they had been present, they would not have benefited and would not have fought except for a little fighting that has no benefit. Al-Talabi said: It is little in that it is mere show without sincerity, and if it were for Allah, it would have been much.

Then He, blessed and exalted is He, informed in a manner of admonition that every Muslim and claimant in Islam must follow Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, when he fought, was patient, and gave his soul. The majority of the people read: "A good example" with a kasrah on the hamzah, while only Asim read: "An example" with a dammah on the hamzah. Both are two dialects, meaning: a model. A man takes example when he follows. "Hope in Allah, the Exalted" is related to the knowledge of Him, and "hope in the Last Day" is the fruit of good deeds, and "remembering Allah much" is among the best of deeds, so He alerted to it.

And in the Mushaf of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him: "They think that the confederates have gone away. But if they find them, they would wish that they were in the desert."