The sūrah can be divided into the following six sections.
Section I (1-4)
A reference is made to an incident in which a pious woman had to face a severe difficulty regarding a religious issue; instead of becoming frustrated and showing distrust in the Almighty, she presented her case before Him and His Prophet (sws) with all the confidence and purity of intention she could muster. The Almighty resolved her difficulty and set her forth as an example in the Qur’ān: the example of a person who adopted the correct attitude when troubles came her way. This was in sharp contrast with the attitude of the Munāfiqīn (The Hypocrytes) who would show hostility and raise a propaganda against the Almighty and His Prophet (sws) when a particular directive of the Sharī’ah proved adverse to their desires and wishes.
Section II (5-8)
Disgust is expressed at the attitude of the people who instead of showing trust in the Almighty and His Prophet (sws) were busy whispering evil suggestions to others and maligning the cause of Islam. They were showing disrespect to the Prophet (sws) and were presenting the leniance, the Almighty was showing them by not punishing them, as a proof of their correct attitude. They are warned that they shall not only be humiliated in this world as history testifies, but will also face a grievous torment in the Hereafter.
Section III (9-10)
Muslims have been forbidden from whispering evil suggestions and directed that their secret conversations should not be against the Prophet (sws); their intimate discourses should be clean and pious. They should ignore the assault of ‘evil-whispering’ which the Munāfiqīn have launched against them, for such whispering cannot harm anyone unless the Almighty wants. It is befitting for them to trust their Lord and rest assured instead of worrying and being aggrieved by such insinuations. The Almighty shall protect them from the evil of the evil-doers.
Sectiot IV (11-12)
The believers have been directed to follow certain manners when they are in the company of the Prophet (sws), and forbidden to carry out clandestine conversation when they are gathered around him. Certain emergency directives are given to impede the campaign of evil-whispering undertaken by the Munāfiqīn.
Section V (13)
After the achievement of the desired results, the emergency directives have been repealed and the believers have been directed to establish those forms of worship which shall put an end to this malady of evil-whispering; these forms have been spelled out for them.
Section VI (14-22)
An indication is made of the fact that the Munāfiqīn are actually the agents of the Jews who have incurred the wrath of the Almighty; their real allegiance rests with them. Their glibness and their trait of swearing during conversation effectively conceals their reality and they are able to outwardly show themselves as Muslims. Their allegiance is actually with the enemies of Islam; they have been overwhelmed by the love of wealth. Satan has made them unmindful of Allah and they have joined his party to impair and obstruct the Prophet’s mission; ultimately their efforts shall fizzle out, for it is the absolute judgement of the Almighty that only He and His Prophets shall always prevail. True believers are those who sever their ties of relationship from the enemies of Allah and the Prophet (sws) even if they are their fathers, sons, brothers and tribesmen. The Almighty shall only be happy with such people; they are the people of His party and only they shall attain salvation.
(Translated from Islahi’s “Tadābur-i-Qur’ān) ---Shehzad Saleem