Verse 13
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ اٰمِنُواْ كَمَاۤ اٰمَنَ النَّاسُ قَالُواْ اَنُؤْمِنُ كَمَا اٰمَنَ السُّفَهَاۤءُ اَلاَ إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ السُّفَهَاۤءُ وَلٰكِنْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ
And when they are told, ‘Believe as other people believe,’ they answer, ‘Shall we believe as the weak-minded believe?’ Oh, verily, it is they, they who are weak-minded, but they know it not!
(Wa idhā qīla la-hum āminū ka-mā āmana al-nās qālū a’ nu’minu ka-mā āmana al-sufahā’ a’ lā innahum hum al-sufahā’ wa lākin lā ya‘lamūn)
The positioning of this verse and its relationship
with the previous one:
Consider this: in so far as these two verses (2:11, 2:13) consist of advice and guidance; the enjoining of what is lawful, adornment (al-taḥlīyya), and encouragement [in the present verse] are linked to the prohibiting of what is unlawful, purification (al-takhlīyya), and intimidation in the previous one. And in so far as they both describe [the dissemblers’] crimes, their decrying the believers and pride [in the present verse] are linked to their mischief-making (ifsād) in the previous one, just as their mischief-making is tied to their depravity (fasād), every sort of which is a branch of the Zaqqum-tree of dissembling.
The relationships between the verse’s phrases:
Consider this: with the sentence “And when they are told, ‘Believe as other people believe’ (Wa idhā qīla la-hum āminū ka-mā āmana al-nās),” [the verse] first suggests with its parts the obligation of calling to sincere belief in emulation of the mass of the people, who are genuine [believers], for indeed the conscience perpetually urges them to do this. It then quotes [the dissemblers’ retort]: “they answer, ‘Shall we believe as the weak-minded believe?’ (qālu\ a’ nu’minu ka-mā āmana al-sufahā’),” indicating their [pique,] obduracy and pride, and their insistence on their rightness. Yes, all liars look on the false as true and think their ignorance is knowl