It is a Medinan surah according to Mujahid. Al-Dhahak and Said ibn Jubair said: It is Makkan. It is the surah of fighting and it has thirty-nine verses. It was said to be thirty-eight [revealed after Al-Hadid]. 'In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.'

And they obstructed. They turned away and refrained from entering into Islam: or they obstructed others from it. Ibn Abbas may Allah be pleased with him said: They are the ones who provided food on the day of Badr. And according to Muqatil: They were twelve men from the people of polytheism who obstructed people from Islam and commanded them to disbelieve. It was said: They are the people of the Book who disbelieved and obstructed those among them and others who wanted to enter into Islam. It was said: It is general for everyone who disbelieved and obstructed.

He has made their deeds astray, nullified them, and rendered them void. Its reality is: He made them lost and wasted, having no one to accept them and reward for them, like the lost camels. [Mawlid said: "Its meaning is that He made them like the lost camels... etc." Ahmad said: This second meaning is good, firmly established, full of contrast to His saying: 'And those who believed and did righteous deeds.' Then He said: 'He has removed from them their evils and has set right their condition.' The clarification of the contrast between them is that the disbelievers' good deeds are lost among their bad deeds of disbelief and sins, until their good is consumed in the midst of their evil. The opposite for the believers is Allah's covering of their bad deeds under the protection of their good deeds of faith and obedience, until their evil is expiated and obliterated in comparison to their good deeds. This beautiful example of the non-acceptance of the disbelievers' good deeds and the overlooking of the bad deeds of the believers is indicated by His saying: 'Thus Allah sets forth examples for the people.' And Allah knows best.]

Which is in waste, having no lord to preserve it and take care of it. Or He made it lost in their disbelief and sins, and overwhelmed by them, just as water is lost in milk. And their deeds: what they did in their disbelief, which they used to call noble acts: such as maintaining family ties, freeing captives, hosting guests, and protecting neighbors.

It was said: He nullified what they did of plotting against the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, and obstructing the path of Allah: by granting him victory over them and manifesting his religion over all other religions. And those who believed, Muqatil said: They are some people from Quraysh. It was said: From the Ansar. It was said: They are the believers among the people of the Book. It was said: It is general. And His saying: 'And they believed in what was revealed to Muhammad' specifies belief in what was revealed to the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, among what must be believed in, in honor of his status and teaching, for belief is not valid nor complete except through it. This is emphasized by the parenthetical statement which is His saying: 'And it is the truth from their Lord.' And it was said: Its meaning is that the religion of Muhammad is the truth, as it is not subject to abrogation, and it abrogates others.

It was recited: 'Revealed' and 'Sent down,' in the passive form. And 'He sent down' in the active form, and 'Revealed' in the light form. He has removed from them their evils, covering by their faith and their righteous deeds what was from them of disbelief and sins due to their returning from it and repenting. And He has set right their condition, meaning their state and affairs, by guiding them in matters of religion, and by granting them dominance in this world through what He has given them of victory and support.