They are people from the weak among the Muslims. [Mahamud said: "They are people from the weak among the Muslims who had no experience in affairs..." Ahmad said: "In the conjunction of the hamzah and the bā' regarding transitivity, there is consideration, because they are consecutive, and this is what led al-Zamakhshari to say in the second aspect: They acted with the broadcasting to remove it from the bā' that follows the hamzah. Then, in this verse, there is a lesson for those who speak of everything they hear, and it is enough as a lie, especially about matters such as the expeditions and those opposing the enemies and those remaining in the face of the enemy. How great is the corruption in the common people's speech about everything they hear from their news, whether good or otherwise. Indeed, we have experienced this in our time since the defeated enemy invaded the lands - may Allah purify it from his filth, protect it from his abomination and impurity, and hasten victory for the Muslims and send down upon them tranquility and victory.] They had no experience in affairs nor insight into matters.

When news reached them about the expeditions of the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, regarding safety and security or fear and disruption, they would broadcast it. Their broadcasting was a corruption. If they had referred that news to the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, and to those in authority among them - who are the senior companions knowledgeable about affairs or those who were commanded among them - they would have known it through the knowledge of the management of what they were informed of, those who derive it, who extract its management with their insight, experiences, and knowledge of the matters of war and its stratagems. It is said that they would stand from the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, and those in authority on safety and confidence in overcoming some of the enemies, or on fear and apprehension, and they would broadcast it, so it would spread and reach the enemies, thus their broadcasting would return as a corruption. If they had referred it to the Messenger and to those in authority and entrusted it to them as if they had not heard, those who derive its management would know how to manage it and what they should do or avoid in it. It is said that they would hear from the mouths of the hypocrites something of news about the expeditions, presumed to be uncertain in authenticity, and they would broadcast it, which would return as a calamity upon the believers. If they had referred it to the Messenger and to those in authority and said, 'We will remain silent until we hear it from them and know whether it is something to be broadcast or not,' those who derive it from them would know its authenticity and whether it is something to be broadcast or not. These broadcasters are those who derive it from the Messenger and those in authority, meaning they receive it from them and extract its knowledge from them. It is said: He broadcast the secret, and he broadcast it with it. He said:

He broadcast it among the people until it was as if... a fire was kindled on a high place through holes. [I entrusted the secret to a person who is not cautious... but he is sincere in advice without suspicion.

He broadcast it among the people until it was as if... a fire was kindled on a high place through holes.

By Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali. And the cautious one is the one with sound judgment. It is said: He broadcast it if he revealed it and made it known, and it also implies the meaning of speaking, so it is said: He broadcast it, meaning he spoke of it and made it known. The high place refers to the elevated land. The holes are the tools used to pierce through which the fire ignites. He says:

I placed the secret with one who does not protect it, and I was deceived by the sincerity of his advice, so he revealed it among the people. Until it was as if a fire on a high hill was ignited through holes, making it more apparent.]

And it is permissible that the meaning is they acted with the broadcasting, which is more eloquent than saying they broadcast it. And it was read (لَعَلِمَهُ) with the lam being silent, like his saying:

If I insult him, he becomes annoyed like the annoyance of a camel... from the weight of the load on its back. [The camel becomes annoyed: its groaning increases from the heaviness of the load. The bāzil is the camel whose tooth has split, and that was in the eighth or ninth year. The a'dam: the very white ones; plural of Adam, meaning very white, and perhaps it has a yellowish tint, resembling red and reddish, designated for the thinness of their skins. The dabr: the injury and puncturing from the saddle. The gharb: the protruding bone in the back. And 'dajar' and 'dabr' are past participles from the root 'ta'ab', with the middle being silent for ease. He says: If I insult him, he becomes annoyed like that camel's annoyance from its load.]

And the nabat: the water that comes out of the well as soon as it is dug. Its nabat and istinbat: bringing it out and extracting it. It was borrowed for what a man extracts by virtue of his intellect from meanings and strategies in what is difficult and concerning. And were it not for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy, which is the sending of the Messenger and the sending down of the Book. [[He returned to his words. He said: "And the meaning of 'were it not for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy': were it not for the sending of the Messenger and the sending down of the Book... etc." Ahmad said: And in the interpretation of al-Zamakhshari, there is a consideration, as he made the exception from the sentence that follows it based on the apparent grammar and overlooked the meaning. This is because it necessitates the possibility that a person may shift from disbelief to faith, and from following the devil to disobeying him and being disgraced, and Allah has no favor upon him in that. And may Allah protect us from believing that. The clarification of its necessity is that 'were it not' is a particle of prohibition due to the existence of something. It has clarified the prohibition of the believers' following the devil. If you made the exception from the last sentence, you have negated the effect of Allah's favor in preventing the following from the excluded part necessarily, and made those excluded independent in faith and disobedience to the devil calling to disbelief, by themselves and not by the favor of Allah. Do you not see if you said to someone you remind of your right upon him: 'Were it not for my help to you, your wealth would have been taken away except for a little,' how you did not make your help have an effect in the remaining little for the addressed person, but rather you bestowed upon him the effect of your help in the remaining majority of his wealth, not in all of it. And it is impossible for a Muslim monotheist to believe that he is protected in anything from following the devil except by the favor of Allah, the Most High, upon him. As for the principles of the people of the Sunnah, it is clear that everything that the servant is promised as disobedience to the devil from faith and good deeds is created by Allah, the Most High, and occurs by His power, and He bestows it upon the servant. As for the Mu'tazilah, although they think that the servant creates his own faith and obedience, they do not disagree that the favor of Allah extends to him in that, because He created for him the ability by which the servant created that according to their claim and guided him to the will of good. It has been clarified to you the impossibility of the exception from the last sentence according to the interpretation of al-Zamakhshari, and I see him as nothing but deluded, continuing on the familiar in grammar, which is returning the exception to what follows it from the sentences, neglecting to consider the meaning. Therefore, the judge Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, took the exception in this verse to what precedes the last sentence, out of his insight and alertness, and because he is a supported leader in his view and a master in his thought. Then the judge, may Allah be pleased with him, took this verse as a burden in refuting those who claimed the certainty of the return of the subsequent exception to the last one, thinking that this is obligatory and that nothing else is permissible. Then he stands in his return to what preceded specifically. And I have clarified at His saying, the Most High: (So whoever drinks from it is not of me, and whoever does not eat it, then he is of me except for one who takes a handful with his hand) that the exception in this verse also necessitates its return to the first, and it is impossible to return it to the last, because the meaning rejects it. And this is support for the judge in refuting those who insisted on the return of the exception to the last, and Allah is the Grantor of success.]] And if you had followed the devil, you would have remained in disbelief except for a little among you. Or except for a little following, due to what was mentioned in the previous verses that discouraged them from fighting, and their showing obedience while concealing opposition. He said: So fight in the way of Allah if they isolate you and leave you alone. You are not obliged except for yourself alone to present it to jihad, for Allah is your supporter, not the soldiers. If He wills, He can support you alone as He supports you while thousands surround you. And it was said: He called the people in the minor Badr to go out, and Abu Sufyan had promised the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, to meet him there. Some people disliked to go out, so this was revealed. He went out and there were with him only seventy who did not turn back to anyone. And if no one had followed him, he would have gone out alone. And it was read (do not burden) in the imperative form. And we are not burdened: with the 'we' and breaking the lam, meaning we are not burdened except for yourself alone. And urge the believers, and you have no obligation concerning them except to urge them only, not to reprimand them. Perhaps Allah will restrain the might of those who disbelieved, and they are the Quraysh. And their might has been restrained. It has become clear to Abu Sufyan, and he said: This is a year of drought, and they had no provisions except for a little barley, and they only encounter in a fruitful year. So they returned with him. And Allah is more severe in might than the Quraysh and more severe in punishment.