Surah al-Mujadilah (The Contention) 58 : 8

Explanatory Note 

The verse suggests that the Prophet's initial policy in dealing with the hypocrites was to advise them to be clear and sincere in their attitude, and to stop conspiring with the Jews against Islam. Yet still they persisted in their deviant ways, scheming against the Muslim community, trying in every way possible to disobey the Prophet and cause disruption.

The verse also suggests that some of them used to offer their greeting to the Prophet in a twisted way, giving it a bad meaning: "When these people come to you they greet you with words God does not use to greet you." They might have used the same means as the Jews did when they pronounced the greeting assalam walaikum, which means 'peace be to you', as, assam alaikum, which means 'death to you'. They might have used some other way that appeared innocent but which nonetheless concealed an ill wish. They even thought that had Muhammad been truly a prophet, then God would have punished them for what they said by way of greeting or in their whispers and secret conversations. It is clear from the way the sitrah opens then   unfolds that God had told the Prophet of what they said and schemed. The surah began with the announcement that God heard the woman pleading with the Prophet, and then it stated that God is witness with any group, large or small. All this suggests that He informed the Prophet of the hypocrites' schemes and the thoughts they harboured.

An answer is given to their ill-conceived thoughts: "Hell will be punishment enough for them. They will burn there. How vile a journey's end!"