Transliteration:( Fataral lazeena fee quloobihim maraduny yusaari'oona feehim yaqooloona nakhshaaa an tuseebanaa daaa'irah; fa'asallaahu ai yaatiya bilfathi aw amrim min 'indihee fa yusbihoo 'alaa maaa asarroo feee anfusihim naadimeen )
“You will come across such people who have a disease in their hearts, and they run towards the Jews and Christians, saying: ‘We fear lest a misfortune befall us [167].’ So perhaps Allah will bring a victory soon or a Commandment from Himself [168], and they will then be regretful for what they had concealed in their hearts [169].”
This refers to certain people among the Muslims who harbor doubt and fear within their hearts. Their “disease” is spiritual weakness and hypocrisy. They seek support from the Jews and Christians either because:
The ongoing hostilities between the Jews and Christians cause Muslims worldly difficulties, as many interactions depend on them.
Or they fear that if they sever ties with these communities, being a small, poor minority, they will suffer harm or destruction without their aid.
The “victory” mentioned here is generally understood as the divine triumph granted to the Muslims, such as the conquest of Makkah. The “commandment” refers to Allah’s decree to remove the infidels and polytheists from the sacred regions of Hejaz—Makkah and Madinah—or specifically the expulsion of the Jews from Madinatul Munawwarah. Allah made both these prophecies come true in due time.
The hypocrites’ ultimate disgrace is due to their double standards: inward disbelief paired with outward claims of faith. When the infidels are removed and Madinah becomes purely a Muslim abode, these hypocrites will deeply regret their secret disloyalties and alliances. This verse warns that selfish desires to maintain friendship with all sides lead only to eventual remorse and disgrace.
The tafsir of Surah Maidah verse 52 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Maidah ayat 51 which provides the complete commentary from verse 51 through 53.
(5:52) Indeed you see those afflicted with the disease of hypocrisy race towards them, saying: ‘We fear lest some misfortune overtakes us.[84] And it may happen that Allah will either bring you a decisive victory or bring about something else from Himself?[85] and then they will feel remorseful at their hypocrisy which they have kept concealed in their breasts –
84. The outcome of the conflict in Arabia between Islam and unbelief (kufr) had not crystallized. Although Islam had become a formidable force owing to the daring, courage and sacrifices of its followers, the forces opposed to it were also tremendously powerful. To an objective observer it must have seemed that either party had an equal chance of success, and so the hypocrites, apparently an integral part of the Muslim body politic, sought to maintain good relations with the Jews and the. Christians as well. They expected refuge and protection from the Jews in case Islam was defeated. Moreover, the Jews and Christians held the greatest economic power in Arabia insofar as the banking system and the greenest and most fertile regions of Arabia were in their possession. For these reasons the hypocrites were keen to maintain good relations with them: they thought that to regard the conflict between Islam and unbelief as crucially important, and to sever their relations with all those currently in conflict with Islam, would be too great a risk both politically and economically.
85. They were looking for a conclusive victory, or at least something not far short of it, to inspire confidence that the conflict would end in favour of Islam.
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