Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs
(But when they) this refers to Dihyah Ibn Khalifah al-Kalbi (spy) hear the sound of the drum or (some merchandise or pastime they break away to it) they disperse and leave the mosque (and leave you standing) only eight men remained in the mosque; and it is also said: only 12 men and two women remained in the mosque. (Say) to them, O Muhammad: (That which Allah hath) of reward (is better) for you (than pastime) the sound of the drum (and than merchandise) of Dihyah al-Kalbi; He says: if you had stayed with your Prophet and prayed behind him and then made supplications before leaving the mosque, that would have been better for you in terms of reward and bestowal of honour from Allah, and much better than leaving the mosque without doing this, (and Allah is the Best of providers) Allah is the best of those who give; i.e. say this when the hypocrites come to you'.
Tafsir Ibn 'Abbas, trans. Mokrane Guezzou
© 2021 Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, Amman, Jordan (http://www.aalalbayt.org) ® All Rights Reserved
Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, this work may not be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the Great Tafsirs Project, Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought (aalalbayt@aalalbayt.org)