Overview (Verse 61)

The Exposure of a Horrid Nature
 
The sūrah continues to warn the Muslims against fraternising with them, by exposing their qualities and features, after having referred briefly to their history and punishment. Their schemes are exposed in order that the Muslims be warned against them. The Jews feature prominently here because the sūrah speaks of actual events, most of which were perpetrated by them:
 
When they come to you, they say: “We believe,” whereas, in fact, they come unbelievers and depart unbelievers. God is fully aware of all that they would conceal. You see many of them rushing into sin and transgression and in devouring the fruits of unlawful gain. Evil indeed is that which they do. Why do not their divines and their rabbis forbid them to make sinful assertions and to devour the fruits of unlawful gain? Evil indeed is that which they contrive. The Jews say: “God’s hand is shackled!” It is their own hands that are shackled. Rejected [by God] are they for what they say. Indeed, both His hands are outstretched. He bestows [His bounty] as He wills. But that which has been revealed to you by your Lord is bound to make many of them more stubborn in their overweening arrogance and unbelief. We have cast enmity and hatred among them, [to last] until the Day of Resurrection. Every time they light a fire for war, God puts it out. They labour hard to spread corruption on earth; and God does not love those who spread corruption. (Verses 61-4)
 
With these words, the sūrah draws moving pictures and living scenes in front of our eyes. Despite the passage of centuries, the reader of these verses visualises the Jewish people to whom the Qur’ān most probably refers. Although the context applies to the Jews, it is possible, however, that it also refers to some of the hypocrites in Madinah. Those hypocrites would go to the Muslims claiming to be believers. Nevertheless, they held on to their disbelief in all situations, whether coming or going, yet all the while their tongues stated something altogether different.
 
It was most probably the Jews who were trying to create confusion among the Muslim community, as they said to one another: let us believe in this Qur’ān at the beginning of the day and disbelieve in it at the end of the day, so that those who now believe in it may return to their old unbelief. In other words, they hoped that the confusion and doubt they raised would cause the Muslims to abandon their faith.
 
“God is fully aware of all that they would conceal.” (Verse 61) God makes this statement of truth in order to reassure the believers that their Lord will look after them and will not abandon them to the schemes of their enemies. He is fully aware of their scheming. Hence, He warns its perpetrators, calling on them to abandon their nefarious ways.