And when they meet those who believe, they say, "We have believed"; but when they are alone with one another, they say, "Do you talk to them about what Allāh has revealed to you so they can argue with you about it before your Lord?" Then will you not reason?
لِيُحَآجُّوكُمso that they argue with youliyuḥājjūkum
بِهِۦtherewithbihi
عِندَbeforeʿinda
رَبِّكُمۡۚyour Lordrabbikum
أَفَلَاThen do (you) notafalā
تَعۡقِلُونَunderstandtaʿqilūna
Tafsir
An instance of their inconsistencies and deviousness occurred when some of them met some believers and acknowledged the truth of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and the correctness of his message, as the Torah witnessed to it. But when they were alone with one another they blamed each other because of these acknowledgments, saying that the Muslims might use them as proof that they recognised the truth of Muhammad’s prophethood.