At-Tawba (The Repentance)

48. “They certainly sought to stir up sedition already before, and turned matters upside down for you, until the truth came and Allah’s command appeared though they were averse.”

These hypocrites had given their examination before. They had cast sedition among the Muslims.

Therefore, the Qur’ān refers to the course of the Battle of ’Uhud where the hypocrites, under the leadership of ‘Abdullah-ibn-’Ubay, struck the Muslims very violently and hindered a large group of them from participating in the Holy Struggle.

They not only did not go to war themselves, but also caused some Muslim tribes to become doubtful about it. These tribes were such as Banū-Muslimah, and Banū-Harithah. They, as a result of the hypocrites’ preachings, hesitated to go to fight in the Holy Struggle, but soon they overcame to their doubt and participated in the Holy Struggle.

The following holy verse from Surah’Āl-i-‘Imrān is a hint to that very circumstance. It says:

“When two parties of you had decided to flinch but Allah was the protector of them both (and helped them to change their thought); so in Allah (alone) should the believers trust.”1

It is for this reason that, in the verse under discussion, the Qur’ān states that the hypocrites had decided from before to stir up sedition and they tried to turn the matters upside down for the Prophet (S) in order that he might make mistake in making his decisions.

But the truth came and Allah’s command was manifested while they were not pleased. That is, in that very Battle of’Uhud that they applied their seditions, the Muslims, after incurring a failure, finally overcame the enemy, and Islam obtained a better situation and it was fixed. The hypocrites, of course, did not like that circumstance. The verse says:

“They certainly sought to stir up sedition already before, and turned matters upside down for you, until the truth came and Allah’s command appeared though they were averse.” Yes, hypocrites’ hearts never submit to the Islamic system, “…they were averse.”, but as it was actually proved, the helps of Allah destroy the plans of the hypocrites: “…the truth came and Allah’s command appeared…”.