لَوْ خَرَجُوا فِيكُم مَّا زَادُوكُمْ إِلَّا خَبَالًا وَلَأَوْضَعُوا خِلَالَكُمْ يَبْغُونَكُمُ الْفِتْنَةَ وَفِيكُمْ سَمَّاعُونَ لَهُمْ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ
Had they gone forth with you, they would have only added to your troubles, and they would have surely spread rumours in your midst, seeking to cause sedition among you. They have some spies among you, and Allah knows best the wrongdoers.
Agha Ali Puya Commentary
Commentary on Quran 9:47
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 9:47] A large number of hypocrites were with the Holy Prophet in the expedition of Tabuk, although most of them stayed at Madina, not only to create disorder and dissatisfaction but also to give report of all that was taking place to their comrades in Madina. Even in 9 Hijra a large number of hypocrites were present among the believers and were actively plotting to undermine the divine mission of the Holy Prophet. They successfully persuaded many a companion to run away from the battlefields-not only in Uhad, in the beginning, but also in Hunayn, almost in the end, but history written by their associates and followers do not mention them at all after the departure of the Holy Prophet from this world. Aqa Mahdi Puya says: There were hypocrites who stayed in Madina and refused to go with the Holy Prophet in the expedition of Tabuk. After the battle of Hunayn they were plotting to kill him at the first available opportunity. At the time when he was passing through a low land, while returning from the Tabuk expedition, twelve hypocrites tried to carry out their plot but failed, because in that very moment when they were about to strike, a lightning flashed and they ran away. The Holy Prophet disclosed their names to Hudhayfa and asked him to keep them as a secret.