And if you ask them, they will surely say, "We were only conversing and playing." Say, "Is it Allāh and His verses and His Messenger that you were mocking?"
Verse 65 of Surah At-Tawbah (9:65), a Medinan surah, is in juz 10, on page 197 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 72 reciters.
Listen to verse 65 of Surah At-Tawbah
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Tafsir of verse 65
Al-Mukhtasar
If you, O Messenger, ask the hypocrites about the insults they used against the believers after Allah informs you of it, they will say, ‘We were just joking when we said that and we were not serious’. Say, O Messenger, ‘Is it Allah, His verses and His Messenger that you were making fun of?’
If you question them, they will surely say, “We were only indulging in idle talk and playing.” Say, “Was it Allah, His verses and His Messenger that you were mocking58?”
Notes
[58] ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (رضي الله عنهما) reported: “During the Tabuk Expedition a man said in a gathering: “I have not seen anyone who is more gluttonous, lying and cowardly than these reciters of ours!” A man in the same gathering replied to him: “Liar! You are indeed a hypocrite! I shall tell the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)!” When the news reached the Messenger (ﷺ), verses from the Qur’an came down regarding the incident.” The narrator continues: “I saw him clinging to the belly strap of the Messenger’s (ﷺ) she-camel, saying: “Messenger of Allah! We were only chit-chatting and passing time!” While the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was reciting: “Were you mocking of Allah, His Signs, and His Messenger”. [cf. Ibn Abī Hātim, al-Tabarī, al-Shinqītī]
If you ask them (about this), they declare: "We were only talking idly and joking." Say: "Was it at Allâh (عز وجل), and His Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations) and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that you were mocking?"
And if thou ask them (O Muhammad) they will say: We did but talk and jest. Say: Was it at Allah and His revelations and His messenger that ye did scoff?
If thou dost question them, they declare (with emphasis): "We were only talking idly and in play." Say: "Was it at Allah, and His Signs, and His Messenger, that ye were mocking?"
And if you should question them, they would certainly say: We were only idly discoursing and sporting. Say: Was it at Allah and His communications and His Messenger that you mocked?
And indeed in case you ask them, then indeed they would definitely say, "Surely we were only wading (Or: plunging into, becoming abcoming absorbed in (a subject) and playing." Say, "Then were you mocking Allah, and His signs, and His Messenger?.
