Surah Al-Ankaboot (29) — Ayah 10

(Ayah 10) ➊ { وَ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَّقُوْلُ اٰمَنَّا بِاللّٰهِ … :} These are the people who became Muslim in Makkah, but their condition with the polytheists was such that they could not bear the harm given by them; when they were harmed, they would turn back to shirk in their hearts, but would hide this from the Muslims and stay with them. These people were hypocrites; Allah Almighty revealed this verse about them before the migration. This is the statement of Dahhak and Jabir bin Zayd. (Ibn Ashur) It is said, among the people is he who says, "I have believed," then when he is harmed or punished regarding Allah, he considers the punishment and harm from people to be like the punishment of Allah, even though the harm from people and the punishment of Allah have no similarity between them. The punishment from people is limited and will come to an end, at most it can last until death, whereas the punishment of Allah is forever. The punishment from people is a cause of reward for him, while the punishment of Allah is the result of His wrath. Therefore, he should have been patient over the harm and punishment from people to save himself from Allah's punishment and become deserving of eternal Paradise, but he considered the harm and punishment from people to be like the punishment of Allah and turned away from the religion, yet for worldly interests, he maintained an outward connection with the Muslims as well.

➋ { وَ لَىِٕنْ جَآءَ نَصْرٌ مِّنْ رَّبِّكَ … :} Thus, if ever help comes from the Lord Almighty, and the Muslims are granted victory, they will say, "We were with you." Is Allah not the One who knows best what is in the hearts of all the worlds? Ibn Ashur says: "It appears that in Makkah, the inward disbelief of these people and their outward association with the Muslims was a kind of agreed arrangement with the polytheists, because this surah is Makki." The verse with this meaning is: «{ وَ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَّعْبُدُ اللّٰهَ عَلٰى حَرْفٍ فَاِنْ اَصَابَهٗ خَيْرٌ اطْمَاَنَّ بِهٖ وَ اِنْ اَصَابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ انْقَلَبَ عَلٰى وَجْهِهٖ خَسِرَ الدُّنْيَا وَ الْاٰخِرَةَ ذٰلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرَانُ الْمُبِيْنُ }» [ الحج : ۱۱] "And among the people is he who worships Allah on an edge; if good befalls him, he is content with it, but if a trial befalls him, he turns on his face. He has lost this world and the Hereafter; that is the clear loss."

➌ Allah Almighty has described two types of those who commit disbelief due to the harm and compulsion from people: one, those who, due to compulsion, uttered the word of disbelief but remained content with Islam in their hearts; the other, those who, with open hearts, adopted disbelief in their hearts, as He said: «{ مَنْ كَفَرَ بِاللّٰهِ مِنْۢ بَعْدِ اِيْمَانِهٖۤ اِلَّا مَنْ اُكْرِهَ وَ قَلْبُهٗ مُطْمَىِٕنٌّۢ بِالْاِيْمَانِ وَ لٰكِنْ مَّنْ شَرَحَ بِالْكُفْرِ صَدْرًا }» [ النحل : ۱۰۶ ] "Whoever disbelieves in Allah after his faith—except for one who is compelled while his heart is content with faith, but whoever opens his chest to disbelief..." The people mentioned in the verse under discussion are those whom Allah Almighty referred to with the words {’’ مَنْ شَرَحَ بِالْكُفْرِ صَدْرًا ‘‘} (whoever opens his chest to disbelief).