They buy, meaning they purchase and sell. Ibn Mufarrah said: "And I bought a breeze, would that I... after a breeze I was enamored with. O breeze that calls out a sound... between the east and the dove." This is from Ibn Mufarrah. He sold his servant a breeze when he was returning from Sijistan to Basra, and he regretted that and called for his own death. It is said: "He bought it when he took it and paid its price. And he sold it when he paid it and took its price." The Arabs believed that the bones of the head of the slain would become a Hama, meaning an owl that hoots and cries: "Help me, help me," until his vengeance is taken. The sound refers to the mention of the owl. The east, like most, and the dove are two specific places between which is a desert. Thus, his saying "I was enamored with it" is a metaphor for being killed. And O is for alerting or calling out. The vocative is omitted, and Hama is an explanation or substitution for the first Hama, and it is differentiated by the addition of the description to it, which is his saying "that calls out a sound," meaning it cries out at its mention. This is an exaggeration in reference and a delicacy in expression, where he has turned away from the intended meaning, as if he is speaking of a real Hama that hoots at its mention, rather it is a Hama that flies and cries out with the Hamamat in the deserts. After this, the speech is a metaphor for the intensity of his regret, sorrow, and remorse for what he did. Those who buy the worldly life at the expense of the Hereafter are the hypocrites. They were admonished to change what was in them of hypocrisy and to purify their faith in Allah and His Messenger, and to strive in the way of Allah with the right striving. Those who sell are the believers who prefer the Hereafter over the worldly life and exchange it for it. The meaning is: If the ones whose hearts are sick and whose intentions are weak are deterred from fighting, then let the steadfast and sincere fight. The promise for the one who fights in the way of Allah is either victorious or will be granted a great reward for his efforts in supporting the religion of Allah. And the oppressed in it has two interpretations: that it is genitive, in conjunction with the way of Allah, meaning in the way of Allah and in the salvation of the oppressed, and accusative. It was said: "It is permissible for the oppressed to be genitive..." It was said: "And in this there is an exaggeration in urging their salvation from two aspects: one is the specification after the generalization, for it necessitates the implicit subject which is specified. Were it not for the accusative, the specification would be known from its being mentioned alone, but this known is emphasized by the necessity of expressing it." The meaning is: And the salvation of the oppressed is specifically from the way of Allah because the way of Allah is general in every good, and the salvation of the oppressed Muslims from the hands of the disbelievers is one of the greatest and most specific goods. The oppressed are those who converted to Islam in Mecca and were prevented by the polytheists from migrating, so they remained among them, humiliated and oppressed, facing severe harm from them. They would call upon Allah for salvation and seek His help, so Allah facilitated for some of them to leave for Medina, while some remained until the conquest, until Allah granted them from Himself a good protector and supporter, which is Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him. He took care of them with the best care and supported them with the strongest support. When he left, he appointed Attab ibn Asid over the people of Mecca, and they saw from him the governance and support as they desired. Ibn Abbas said: "He would support the weak against the strong until they were more honored by it than the oppressors." If you say: Why did he mention the children? I say: To record the excessive oppression they faced, as their harm reached the children who are not yet accountable, as a humiliation to their fathers and mothers because of their situation, and because the oppressed would include their children in their supplications, seeking Allah's mercy through the prayers of their young ones who have not sinned, as the people of Yunus did, and as it has been reported in the Sunnah regarding bringing them out during supplications for rain.

I and my mother were among the oppressed of the women and children. It is permissible that by men and women, free men and free women are meant, and by children, slaves and maidservants, because a slave and a maidservant are referred to as the young male and young female. It is said that the term 'children' is used to emphasize the males over the females, just as it is said 'fathers' and 'brothers.' If you say: Why is the oppressor mentioned and its description is feminine? [Mamdouh said: 'If you say why is the oppressor mentioned and its description is feminine... etc.? Ahmad said: I have come across a good point in this verse, which is that every town mentioned in the Noble Book has oppression attributed to it metaphorically, like His saying: (And Allah set forth the example of a town that was secure and at peace) until His saying: (So it disbelieved in the bounties of Allah) and His saying: (And how many a town have We destroyed that was ungrateful for its livelihood). As for this town in Surah An-Nisa, oppression is attributed to its people in reality, because it refers to Mecca, and the attribution of oppression to it is honored by Allah, the Exalted.'? I say: It is a description of the town, but it is ascribed to its people, so it gives the grammatical case of the town because it is its description, and it is mentioned for its attribution to the people, just as you say: from this town whose people were oppressive. If it were feminine and said: the oppressive are its people, it would be permissible, not because of the femininity of the description, but because the people can be masculine or feminine. If you say: Is it permissible to say: from this town are its oppressive people? I say: Yes, just as you say: those who oppressed their people, in the language of those who say: 'They ate me up the fleas,' and from it (And they kept their secret counsel, those who oppressed). Allah encouraged the believers with encouragement and motivated them by informing them that they are only fighting in the way of Allah. He is their protector and supporter, while their enemies fight in the way of Satan, so they have no protector except Satan. The plotting of Satan against the believers, alongside the plotting of Allah against the disbelievers, is the weakest and most feeble of all.