His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "Or did you think that you would be left alone while Allah has not yet made evident those who strive among you and has not taken as allies any besides Allah and His Messenger and the believers? And Allah is All-Aware of what you do." "It is not for the polytheists to maintain the mosques of Allah while witnessing against themselves with disbelief. Those, their deeds have failed, and in the Fire they are eternally abiding."

"Or" in this verse is not equivalent, but rather it is a mediator in speech. According to Sibawayh, it implies a disjunction from the wording, not its meaning, and it is interrogative. It serves the same purpose as "rather" and the interrogative 'alif'. It is similar to their saying: "Indeed, it is a camel or a sheep?" The intended meaning is: "Rather, is it a sheep?" And His saying: "that you would be left alone" serves in Sibawayh's view as the first object of "thought". Al-Mubarrad said: "that" and what follows it is the first object, and the second is omitted.

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: It is as if its intended meaning is: neglected, or in vain, and similar to that.

And His saying, exalted is He: "And when" is "what" that entered upon "did not" and it contains emphasis. The meaning of the verse is: "Did you think that you would be left without testing and trial?" So "when" in this verse is like the saying of the poet:

"By the hands of men who did not draw their swords, and the slain were not many when they were drawn."

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: The intended meaning of His saying: "And when He has not yet made evident" is that He has not made that evident as it was known to Him eternally with the condition of their existence. And your actions and your earning, which will be subject to reward and punishment, have not yet appeared. Thus, in the expression, there is a figurative meaning, otherwise it is certain that Allah has known eternally those whom He described with this attribute conditioned upon their existence, and there does not occur to Him knowledge, glorified and exalted is He above that.

And "and as allies" means: inner circle and confederates. And Ubadah ibn Safwan al-Ghanawi said:

"And their allies in every beginning and presence, to everyone who is hoped for and feared."

And it is derived from entering, so the meaning is: a matter hidden from what the truth denies.

This verse addresses the believers, meaning that they must be tested. It is like His saying, 'Or did you think that you would enter Paradise while you have not yet experienced the example of those who passed away before you?' [Al-Baqarah: 214], and like His saying, 'Alif Lam Meem' [Al-Ankabut: 1] 'Do the people think that they will be left alone to say, 'We have believed,' and they will not be tried?' [Al-Ankabut: 2]. In this verse, there is a criticism of the hypocrites who took alliances, especially when fighting was made obligatory. The majority of people read, 'And Allah is All-Aware of what you do' with the 'ta' for addressing. Al-Hasan and Ya'qub - in the narration of Ru'ays - and Salam read with the 'ya' for narrating about the absent. (p-276) And His saying, 'It is not for the polytheists...' the verse means: it is not for the polytheists, by right of obligation, to inhabit. This is what Allah, the Exalted, negated. Otherwise, they have inhabited His mosques in the past and present, through conquest and oppression. Hamad ibn Abi Salamah narrated from Ibn Kathir and Al-Jahdari: 'The mosque of Allah' in the singular in both instances. Nafi', Asim, Ibn 'Amir, Hamzah, Al-Kisai, Al-A'raj, Shaiba, Abu Ja'far, Mujahid, Qatadah, and others read 'mosques' in the plural in both instances. Ibn Kathir also read, and Abu 'Amr: 'mosque' in the singular in this first instance, and 'mosques' in the plural in the second, as if he first mentioned in it the specific incident at that time, then generalized the mosques in the second for the established ruling as long as the world remains. The plural form implies the generality of all mosques, and it is possible that it refers specifically to the Sacred Mosque in both instances, on the condition that every place of prostration in it is considered a mosque, then it is gathered. The singular form in both instances implies the specificity of the Sacred Mosque alone, and it is possible that it refers to the general type, encompassing all mosques. This does not prevent its addition as those without insight have claimed. Abu Ali said: The second in this reading refers to the first, and the ruling of all other mosques is like that of the Sacred Mosque.

And His saying, 'Witnesses against themselves of disbelief' indicates their condition, as their words and actions necessitate acknowledgment of disbelief and adornment with it. It was said that the reference is to their saying in the Talbiyah: 'Except for a partner he has with You, You own him and what he possesses,' and similar to that. Al-Tabari narrated from Al-Suddi that he said: The reference is to the Christian saying, 'I am a Christian,' and the Jew likewise, and the pagan saying, 'I am a polytheist.'

Qadi Abu Muhammad, may Allah have mercy on him, said: This was not preserved. Then Allah, the Exalted, judged against them that their deeds have been invalidated, meaning: they have become void. I do not recall it being used except in striving and action, and it resembles being from 'habat,' which is a fatal disease that affects the grazing animal when it grazes on bad pasture. This is what is in His saying, blessings and peace be upon him: 'Indeed, among what spring brings forth is that which kills by habat or afflicts.' The hadith.