التفسير التبليغي
(وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَوْلا نُزِّلَتْ سُورَةٌ فَإِذَا أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ مُحْكَمَةٌ وَذُكِرَ فِيهَا الْقِتَالُ رَأَيْتَ الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ نَظَرَ الْمَغْشِيِّ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ الْمَوْتِ فَأَوْلَى لَهُمْ) (20)
(وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا) out of their eagerness for Jihad to uphold the religion.
Those who believed in Allah and His Messenger say: "Why has a Surah not been revealed from Allah commanding us to wage Jihad against the enemies of Allah, the disbelievers?"
Qatadah said: Every Surah in which Jihad is mentioned is a definitive (muhkamah) Surah, and it is the most difficult part of the Qur'an for the hypocrites.
(رَأَيْتَ الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ) meaning: doubt in the religion, and weakness in certainty (يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ) O Muhammad, (نَظَرَ الْمَغْشِيِّ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ الْمَوْتِ), out of fear that you might command them to go forth and fight in Jihad. So, out of fear of that and cowardice from meeting the enemy, they look at you with the gaze of one who is fainting, as if struck down.
What is meant by His saying (مِنَ الْمَوْتِ) is from the fear of death, and this was the action of the people of hypocrisy.
(فَأَوْلَى لَهُمْ) is a threat with which Allah warns these hypocrites.
Panic, fear, and cowardice when they were commanded to fight.
(وَذُكِرَ فِيهَا الْقِتَالُ) which is the most difficult thing for souls. The weak in faith did not remain steadfast in obeying these commands. That is why He said: (رَأَيْتَ الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ نَظَرَ الْمَغْشِيِّ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ الْمَوْتِ) due to their dislike for that and its severity upon them.
(يَنظُرُونَ إِلَيْكَ نَظَرَ الْمَغْشِيِّ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْمَوْتِ) meaning: from their terror, dread, and cowardice from meeting the enemies.
Their gaze is likened to the gaze of a dying person whose eyes do not blink.
(فَأَوْلَى) meaning: a greater inclination towards perdition, woe, and relapse is (لَهُمْ) i.e., specific to them.
Source: التفسير التبليغي