Tafsir
Tafsir of At-Tawbah 65
وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّمَا كُنَّا نَخُوضُ وَنَلْعَبُ ۚ قُلْ أَبِٱللَّهِ وَءَايَـٰتِهِۦ وَرَسُولِهِۦ كُنتُمْ تَسْتَهْزِءُونَ
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?"
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)
Hafiz Ibn Kathir · English· Passage 65–66
The Hypocrites rely on False, Misguided Excuses
`Abdullah bin `Umar said, "During the battle of Tabuk, a man was sitting in a gathering and said, `I have never seen like these reciters of ours! They have the hungriest stomachs, the most lying tongues and are the most cowardice in battle.' A man in the Masjid said, `You lie. You are a hypocrite, and I will surely inform the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. ' This statement was conveyed to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and also a part of the Qur'an was revealed about it."' `Abdullah bin `Umar said, "I have seen that man afterwards holding onto the shoulders of the Messenger's camel while stones were falling on him, declaring, `O Allah's Messenger! We were only engaged in idle talk and jesting,' while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was reciting,
أَبِاللَّهِ وَءَايَـتِهِ وَرَسُولِهِ كُنتُمْ تَسْتَهْزِءُونَ
("Was it at Allah, and His Ayat and His Messenger that you were mocking") 9:65."' Allah said,
لاَ تَعْتَذِرُواْ قَدْ كَفَرْتُمْ بَعْدَ إِيمَـنِكُمْ
(Make no excuse; you disbelieved after you had believed.) on account of your statement and mocking,
إِن نَّعْفُ عَن طَآئِفَةٍ مِّنْكُمْ نُعَذِّبْ طَآئِفَةً
(If We pardon some of you, We will punish others among you) for not all of you will be forgiven, some will have to taste the torment,
بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ مُجْرِمِينَ
(because they were criminals), they were criminals because of this terrible, sinful statement.
Tafsir text: quran.com and the House of Islam API. · At-Tawbah 9:65–66