Tafseer of The Table · Al-Maaida · 5:52
So you see those in whose hearts is disease hastening into [association with] them, saying, "We are afraid a misfortune may strike us." But perhaps Allah will bring conquest or a decision from Him, and they will become, over what they have been concealing within themselves, regretful.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the words of Allah: فَتَرَى الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ يُسَارِعُونَ فِيهِمْ يَقُولُونَ نَخْشَى أَنْ تُصِيبَنَا دَائِرَةٌ ("Then you see those in whose hearts is a disease hastening towards them, saying: We fear that a turn of fortune may strike us").
The exegetes differed concerning who was intended by this verse.
Some said: By this was meant ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ubayy ibn Salūl.
Mention of who said that:
12166 - Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Ibn Idrīs related to us, saying: I heard my father, on the authority of ʿAṭiyya ibn Saʿd: "Then you see those in whose hearts is a disease" — that is ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ubayy — "hastening towards them," that is, in their loyalty (walāya) — "saying: We fear that a turn of fortune may strike us," to the end of the verse: فَيُصْبِحُوا عَلَى مَا أَسَرُّوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ نَادِمِينَ ("so that they become regretful over what they concealed within themselves").
12167 - Hannād related to us, saying: Yūnus ibn Bukayr related to us, saying: Ibn Isḥāq related to us, saying: my father Isḥāq ibn Yasār related to me, on the authority of ʿUbāda ibn al-Walīd ibn ʿUbāda ibn al-Ṣāmit: "Then you see those in whose hearts is a disease" — that means ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ubayy — "hastening towards them, saying: We fear that a turn of fortune may strike us," in accordance with his words: "I truly fear a turn of fortune that may strike me!"
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Others said: Rather, what was meant by this was a group of the hypocrites who gave the Jews well-meaning counsel and deceived the believers, and said: "We fear that the turn of fortune may fall to the Jews against the believers!"
Mention of who said that:
12168 - Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid concerning the word of Allah, exalted is His mention: "Then you see those in whose hearts is a disease hastening towards them," he said: they are the hypocrites, in their flattery of the Jews, their secret intimacy with them, and their having the Jews suckle their children — and the word of Allah, exalted is His mention: "We fear that a turn of fortune may strike us," he said: he means: we fear that the turn of fortune may fall to the Jews.
12169 - Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, saying: Shibl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid, the same.
12170 - Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd ibn Zurayʿ related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, his words: "Then you see those in whose hearts is a disease," up to his words: نَادِمِينَ ("regretful"): they are people of the hypocrites who were inclined towards the Jews and gave them well-meaning counsel to the exclusion of the believers.
12171 - Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to me, saying: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: "Then you see those in whose hearts is a disease," he said: doubt — "hastening towards them, saying: We fear that a turn of fortune may strike us," and "the turn of fortune" is the victory of the polytheists (mushrikīn) over them.
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Abū Jaʿfar said: The correct view concerning this, according to us, is that one says: this is from Allah a report about people of the hypocrites who took the Jews and the Christians as allies and deceived the believers, and said: we fear that turns of fortune may occur — whether for the Jews and the Christians, or for the idolatrous polytheists, or others — against the adherents of Islam, or that a calamity may descend upon these hypocrites, so that we shall have need of them.
It is possible that this was a statement of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ubayy, and it is possible that it was the statement of another; there is, however, no doubt that it is the statement of the hypocrites.
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The explanation of the words, then, is: Then you see, O Muḥammad, those in whose hearts is doubt, and a disease in faith (īmān) in your prophethood and in the confirmation of what you have brought them from your Lord — "hastening towards them," that is, towards the Jews and the Christians; and by their hastening towards them is meant: their hastening to take them as allies and to flatter them — "saying: We fear that a turn of fortune may strike us," these hypocrites say: we hasten only into alliance with these Jews and Christians out of fear of a turn of fortune that may turn against us on account of our enemy.
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By "the turn of fortune" (al-dāʾira) is meant the turning of fortune (al-dawla), as the rajaz-poet said:
"He turns away from you the decreed decree, and the turns of time, that they may revolve."
He means: that fortune may turn against the time, so that we shall have need of their help to us, and that is why we are their allies. Then Allah, exalted is His mention, said to them: فَعَسَى اللَّهُ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ بِالْفَتْحِ أَوْ أَمْرٍ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ فَيُصْبِحُوا عَلَى مَا أَسَرُّوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ نَادِمِينَ ("But perhaps Allah will bring the victory or a decision from Him, so that they become regretful over what they concealed within themselves").
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The explanation of the words of Allah: فَعَسَى اللَّهُ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ بِالْفَتْحِ أَوْ أَمْرٍ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ فَيُصْبِحُوا عَلَى مَا أَسَرُّوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ نَادِمِينَ (5:52) ("But perhaps Allah will bring the victory or a decision from Him, so that they become regretful over what they concealed within themselves").
Abū Jaʿfar said: Allah, exalted is His mention, means by His word: "But perhaps Allah will bring the victory or a decision from Him": it may be that Allah will bring the victory.
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Then they differed concerning the explanation of "the victory" (al-fatḥ) in this place.
Some said: here by it is meant the decree (al-qaḍāʾ).
Mention of who said that:
12172 - Bishr ibn Muʿādh related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: "But perhaps Allah will bring the victory," he said: with the decree.
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Others said: by it is meant the conquest of Mecca.
Mention of who said that:
12173 - Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to me, saying: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: "But perhaps Allah will bring the victory," he said: the conquest of Mecca.
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"The victory" is, in the speech of the Arabs, the decree, as Qatāda said, and to that belongs the word of Allah, exalted is His mention: رَبَّنَا افْتَحْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَ قَوْمِنَا بِالْحَقِّ (Surah Al-Aʿrāf: 89) ("Our Lord, decide between us and our people in truth").
It is possible that this decree, which Allah promised His prophet Muḥammad, the blessing and peace of Allah be upon him, with His word: "But perhaps Allah will bring the victory," was the conquest of Mecca, for that belonged to the mighty decree of Allah and to His decisive judgment between the people of faith and unbelief, and it confirmed among the people of unbelief and hypocrisy that Allah exalts His word and weakens the cunning of the unbelievers.
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As for His word: "or a decision from Him," al-Suddī used to say concerning it what:
12174 - Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥusayn related to me, saying: Aḥmad ibn al-Mufaḍḍal related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: "or a decision from Him," he said: "the decision" is the poll-tax for non-Muslims (jizyah).
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It is possible that "the decision" which Allah promised His prophet Muḥammad, the blessing and peace of Allah be upon him, to bring, is the jizyah, and it is possible that it is something else. But whatever it was, it belongs to that in which lies the triumph of the believers over the people who are unbelievers in Allah and His messenger, and to that which causes the hypocrites grief and does not gladden them. That is because Allah, exalted is His mention, has reported about them that they, when that decision comes, will be regretful over what they concealed within themselves.
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As for His word: "so that they become regretful over what they concealed within themselves," by it are meant these hypocrites who took the Jews and the Christians as allies. Allah, exalted is His mention, says: it may be that Allah brings a decision from Him by which He grants the believers the upper hand over the unbelievers among the Jews, the Christians, and others of the people of unbelief, so that these hypocrites will be regretful over what they concealed within themselves of friendship with the Jews and the Christians and affection for them, and of hatred towards the believers and enmity against them — "regretful," as:
12175 - Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: "so that they become regretful over what they concealed within themselves," over their affection for the Jews, and over their deceit towards Islam and its adherents.