Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah At-Taubah -> Hypocrites revert to Lies to please People

Qatadah said about Allah's statement,

﴿يَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ لَكُمْ لِيُرْضُوكُمْ﴾

(They swear by Allah to you (Muslims) in order to please you) "A hypocrite man said, `By Allah! They (hypocrites) are our chiefs and masters. If what Muhammad says is true, they are worse than donkeys.' A Muslim man heard him and declared, `By Allah! What Muhammad says is true and you are worse than a donkey!' The Muslim man conveyed what happened to the Prophet who summoned the hypocrite and asked him,

«مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى الَّذِي قُلْتَ؟»

(What made you say what you said) That man invoked curses on himself and swore by Allah that he never said that. Meanwhile, the Muslim man said, `O Allah! Assert the truth of the truthful and expose the lies of the liar.' Allah revealed this Verse.''' Allah's statement,

﴿أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُواْ أَنَّهُ مَن يُحَادِدِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ﴾

(Know they not that whoever opposes and shows hostility to Allah and His Messenger,) means, have they not come to know and realize that those who defy, oppose, wage war and reject Allah, thus becoming on one side while Allah and His Messenger on another side,

﴿فَأَنَّ لَهُ نَارَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِداً فِيهَا﴾

(certainly for him will be the fire of Hell to abide therein), in a humiliating torment,

﴿ذَلِكَ الْخِزْىُ الْعَظِيمُ﴾

(That is the extreme disgrace)﴿9:63﴾, that is the greatest disgrace and the tremendous misery.

﴿يَحْذَرُ الْمُنَـفِقُونَ أَن تُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُورَةٌ تُنَبِّئُهُمْ بِمَا فِي قُلُوبِهِم قُلِ اسْتَهْزِءُواْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مُخْرِجٌ مَّا تَحْذَرُونَ ﴾

(64. The hypocrites fear lest a Surah should be revealed about them, showing them what is in their hearts. Say: "(Go ahead and) mock! But certainly Allah will bring to light all that you fear.'')