Fama lakum fee almunafiqeena fiatayni waAllahu arkasahum bima kasaboo atureedoona an tahdoo man adalla Allahu waman yudlili Allahu falan tajida lahu sabeelan
English
Ahmed Ali
How is it that you are divided in two factions about the hypocrites? God has routed them for what they were doing. Do you wish to guide him to the path whom God has allowed to go astray? As for him whom God allows to go astray you will not find a way.
88
Tafseer
'Abdullāh Ibn 'Abbās / Muḥammad al-Fīrūzabādī
تفسير : the following was revealed about ten hypocrites who left islam and medina for mecca: (what aileth you) o group of believers (that you are become two parties) one party of the view that the hypocrites' wealth and blood are lawful and a party holding the opposite view (regarding the hypocrites) who abandoned islam, (when allah cast them back (to disbelief) because of what they earned) because of their hypocrisy and evil intentions? (seek you to guide) to the religion of allah (him whom allah hath sent astray) from his religion? (he whom allah sendeth astray) from his religion, (for him thou (o muhammad) canst not find a road) you cannot find a religion or argument in their favour.
Jalāl al-Dīn al-Maḥallī
تفسير : when a group retreated from uhud, people were at variance over their status. some said, ‘let us slay them’, while others said, ‘no!’ so the following was revealed: what is wrong with you, what is the matter with you, that you have become two parties, two groups, regarding the hypocrites, when god has overthrown them, he has turned them back [to disbelief], for what they earned?, in the way of disbelief and acts of disobedience. what, do you desire to guide him whom god has sent astray?, that is, to count them among the guided (the interrogative in both places is for disapproval). and he whom god sends astray, you will never find for him a way, a path to guidance.
Ali ibn Ahmad al-Wahidi
تفسير : (what aileth you that ye are become two parties regarding the hypocrites…) [4:88].
muhammad ibn ibrahim ibn muhammad ibn yahya informed us> abu 'amr isma'il ibn najid> yusuf ibn ya'qub al-qadi> 'amr ibn marzuq> shu'bah> 'adiyy ibn thabit> 'abd allah ibn yazid ibn thabit who reported that a group of people initially accompanied the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, to uhud but then turned back and returned to medina. the muslims were divided in their opinions about them. some of them were of the opinion that they should be killed while others thought they should be spared, and so this verse was revealed. this was revealed by bukhari> bundar> ghundar and also by muslim> 'abd allah ibn mu'adh> his father; and both transmitters (ghundar and ibn mu'adh's father) related it from shu'bah.
'abd al-rahman ibn hamdan al-'adl informed us> abu bakr ahmad ibn ja'far ibn malik> 'ubayd allah ibn ahmad ibn hanbal> his father> al-aswad ibn 'amir> hammad ibn salamah> muhammad ibn ishaq> yazid ibn 'abd allah ibn qusayt> abu salamah ibn 'abd al-rahman> his father who related that a group of arabs came to the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace, and embraced islam. then they contracted the illness and fever that was going round in medina and, as a result, renounced islam and left medina. they were met by a group among the companions of the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace who asked them: “why did you leave medina?” they replied: “we contracted the illness of medina and for this reason we disliked remaining there”. the companions said: “do you not have a good example in the person of the messenger of allah, allah bless him and give him peace?” some of the companions were of the opinion that these arabs were hypocrites while others thought they were still muslims. and because of this difference of opinion, allah, exalted is he, revealed (what aileth you that ye are become two parties regarding the hypocrites…).
mujahid said apropos this verse: “this was revealed about some people who left mecca to medina, claiming to be emigrants. they then renounced islam and asked permission from the prophet, allah bless him and give him peace, to go to mecca to bring some merchandise with which to trade. the believers were divided in their opinions about this matter. some thought that these people were hypocrites while others were of the opinion they were believers. allah, exalted is he, then revealed their hypocrisy by means of this verse and commanded that they be executed in his saying (if they turn back (to enmity) then take them and kill them wherever ye find them…) [4:89]. they took their merchandise intending to go to hilal ibn 'uwaymir al-aslami, who had a treaty of alliance with the prophet, allah bless him and give him peace, and it is he who was vexed to fight the believers, and so fighting was suspended by the saying of allah, exalted is he, (except those who seek refuge with a people between whom and you there is a covenant…) [4:90]”.
Sahl al-Tustari
تفسير : …when god himself has cast them back because of what they earned?...that is, he returned them to the state of ignorance of him which was the natural constitution of their souls. and the prophet <img border="0" src="images/salatonmassenger.jpg" width="24" height="22"> also said: ‘do not clean yourselves [after defecation] with bones or animal droppings, for these [undergo] a reversal’, meaning that these return from their former state to becoming the food of jinn. what, do you wish to guide him whom god has left to stray? misguidance (iḍlāl) from god is his withdrawing his protection (ʿiṣma) [of a person] from that which is forbidden, and his withdrawing his assistance (maʿūna) [from a person] in what he has commanded. his words, exalted is he:
