Obedience and modest speech (would have been more becoming). And when the matter has been determined it is best for them to be true to God.
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Tafseer
'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī
تفسير : (obedience) he says: for the believers, this is an act of obedience towards allah and his messenger, (and a civil word) and kind word; it is also said that this means: the hypocrites' obedience of allah and his messenger and kind speech to the prophet (pbuh) is better for them than transgression, disobedience and hatred; and it is also said this means: show obedience to allah and say kind words to muhammad (pbuh). (then, when the matter is determined) when the matter is resolved, islam becomes manifest and the muslims are numerous, (if they) i.e. the hypocrites (are loyal to allah) through their faith and jihad (it will be well for them) it will be better for them than transgression.
Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī
تفسير : would be [to offer] obedience and honourable words, that is, [words] that are kind to you. then, when the matter has been resolved upon, that is to say, [when] fighting has been prescribed, if they are loyal to god, in faith and obedience, it will be better for them (the sentence beginning with law, ‘if’, constitutes the response to idhā, ‘when’).
