'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' Allah, the Exalted, says: "O you who have believed, when you strike for the cause of Allah, verify [the truth]. And do not say to one who gives you a greeting of peace, 'You are not a believer,' seeking the goods of worldly life. For with Allah are many gains. Thus were you before, but Allah has conferred favor upon you. So verify. Indeed, Allah is All-Aware of what you do." (p-635) The Arabs say: "I struck in the land" when you went for trade, or for a raid, or something else associated with 'in'. And they say: "I struck the land" without 'in' when you intend to fulfill a human need. From this is the saying of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him: "Two men should not go out to relieve themselves while talking, exposing their private parts, for Allah is displeased with that." The reason for this verse is that a detachment from the Messenger of Allah encountered a man who had a camel and provisions, and it was said: 'a booty.' He greeted the people and said: 'There is no deity but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.' One of them attacked him and killed him. This was distressing to the Messenger of Allah, and the verse was revealed concerning it. The interpreters have differed regarding the identification of the killer and the killed in this incident. The majority, as found in the Sirah of Ibn Ishaq, and in the Musannaf of Abu Dawood, and others, state that the killer was Muhallim ibn Jaththamah, and the killed was Amir ibn al-Adbat. The complete narration is in the 'Musannaf' of Abu Dawood, in the Sirah, and in Al-Isti'ab. A group said that the killer was Usama ibn Zayd, and the killed was Mirdas ibn Nahik al-Ghatafani. Another group said that the killer was Abu Qatadah. Another group said that the killer was Ghalib al-Laythi, and the killed was Mirdas. Another group said that the killer was Abu al-Dardaa. There is no disagreement that the one whose earth spoke when he died was Muhallim ibn Jaththamah. The majority of the seven reciters read "So verify," while Hamzah and Al-Kisai read "So be certain" with a thaa in both places and in [Al-Hujurat]. Some said that "verify" is more eloquent and stronger than "be certain," because the one who is certain may not verify. Abu Ubaid said that they are similar. Al-Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The correct view is what Abu Ubaid said, because the verification of a man does not necessitate that the matter has become clear to him, but it necessitates an attempt at certainty, just as being certain necessitates an attempt at certainty; thus, they are equal. Nafi', Ibn 'Amir, Hamzah, and Ibn Kathir in some of their readings read "the greeting" with a doubled sīn and opened lām, meaning: submission, that is, he extended his hand and submitted to you, and showed your call. The rest of the seven reciters read "the peace," saying: that killed one greeted the detachment, for his greeting with the greeting of Islam indicates his obedience and submission. It is possible that it is meant by it to indicate withdrawal and abandonment. Al-Akhfash said: It is said: 'So-and-so is peace' if he does not mix with anyone. It has been narrated in some readings of 'Asim that it is "the peace" with a kasrah on the sīn and a shaddah and a sukoon on the lām, which means reconciliation. The intended meaning of these three is similar. Al-Jahdari read: "the peace" with an opened sīn and a sukoon on the lām.

And the 'arḍ: it is the spoils and the camel, or the booty that belonged to the slain man. Abu Ja'far ibn al-Qaqa' and Abu Hamzah, and the Yemeni read: "You are not a believer" with the opening of the mīm, meaning: we do not guarantee you for your soul. And His saying, the Most High: ﴿So with Allah are many spoils﴾ is a promise of what Allah will bring forth in His way, and from His lawful without committing a prohibited act, meaning: so do not rush.

The interpreters differed regarding His saying, the Most High: ﴿Thus you were before﴾. Sa'id ibn Jubayr said: Its meaning is: you were concealing yourselves from your people by your Islam, fearing for yourselves from them. Then Allah bestowed upon you the honor of your religion and the manifestation of your Shari'ah. So it is now like that; each one of them fears for himself from his people, waiting for them to reach you. It is not permissible, if he reaches, to kill him until you clarify his matter. Ibn Zayd said: Thus you were disbelievers, then Allah bestowed upon you by your Islam. So do not deny that he may be a disbeliever and then convert at the time he meets you, and it is necessary to verify his matter. It is possible that the meaning refers to the killing before verification, meaning: in this state you were in your ignorance, not verifying, until Allah brought Islam and bestowed upon you. Then He, Blessed and Exalted, emphasized the command to verify, and He informed that He is All-Aware of what the servants do. And this is a warning from Him, the Most High, because the meaning is that Allah is All-Aware of what you do, so safeguard your souls and avoid the fatal slip.