OCCASION OF THE ABOVE REVELATION
Almost all the commentators have written the following event about which the above verse revealed:-
A few weeks before the conquest of Mecca, the Messenger of God who seriously avoided blood-shed in all cases, decided to conquer Mecca by a surprise and at once, and as far as it could be possible without fighting. Such was the prophet's strategy in the conquest. In spite of all the precautionary actions,the prophet was informed by inspiration that a woman was on her way taking a letter to Ghoraish informing them of the prophet's intention to attack the Sacred town of Mecca.
The letter was written by a believer named HATIB who was an Emigrant too. The pager was a woman, named SARIH who recently had come to Medina and was soon arrested and taken to the prophet. In answer, she said to the prophet:-``I am neither a convert nor an Emigrant. Poverty has driven me out. I was a well occupied dancing singer, but after the battle of Badr, my market fell and became dull, and rarely any young man came to me. I therefore came here to find some way of living.''
The prophet gave her a good amount of money, food, clothes and also a camel to ride on.
Sarih returned to Mecca, and the prophet was informed by the angel that, she was taking a warning letter with her to inform the Meccans of the prophet's secret expedition.
Soon, the prophet sent Hazrat Imam Ali (AS) to chase her and get the letter back. He reached her and asked for the letter. She wept and swore by Allah that there was not any letter with her. Hazrat Imam Ali did not believe her and said to SARIH:-``If I accept that you are telling me the truth, it means to deny our truthful prophet.'' Then Hazrat Imam Ali took his sword out of its sheath and threatened Sarih to search her whole body; and if the letter was found, she had to be killed for betrayal. She knew how serious the Imam was and took out the letter from under her skirt and gave to Hazrat Imam Ali(AS). Then she was allowed to go on her way to Mecca.
When the letter was handed over to the prophet, he called HATIB and asked him:-``Why did you do that?'' He who was shivering with fear, said to the prophet:-``O, Messenger of God! I really do believe in God and His Messenger, and I have had no doubt in that ever since I have been converted. But I thought that this expedition of yours cannot end without much blood-shed. And I saw that all my families are in Mecca and I have no one in Medina. By that letter, I thought I would keep GHORAISH under my obligation so that they may spare the life of my household by that.''
The prophet was sure that HATIB said the truth. He only reproached him and asked him to repent and pray for God's forgiveness.
The above verses then revealed to advise and admonish Moslims not to repeat that fault.
THE END OF FRIENDSHIP WITH ALLAH'S ENEMIES
VERSE NO. 1-3
What the beleiver HATIB did; was not spying, but it was expressing affection to the enemies of Islam.
So the above verse includes a warning to Moslims not to repeat such deeds:-
``O, believers! Do not take my enemy and your enemy as friends...''
In other word, they are opposing you believers in faith as well as in conduct. They hate the believers for what they admire of God and good deeds. Then why should some one befriend his enemies who are seeking an opportunity to pull his legs down?
And what difference it makes to have a secret or disclosed tie with someone as long as God our Lord is well aware of what we conceal or what we reveal?:-
``Whoever of you behave like that he has indeed lost the direct way towards Allah.''