The Hypocrites fear Public Exposure of Their Secrets
Mujahid said, "The hypocrites would say something to each other then declare, `We wish that Allah does not expose this secret of ours,'' There is a similar Ayah to this one, that is, Allah's statement,
﴿æóÅöÐóÇ ÌóÂÁõæßó Íóíøóæúßó ÈöãóÇ áóãú íõÍóíøößó Èöåö Çááøóåõ æóíóÞõæáõæäó Ýöì ÃóäÝõÓöåöãú áóæúáÇó íõÚóÐøöÈõäóÇ Çááøóåõ ÈöãóÇ äóÞõæáõ ÍóÓúÈõåõãú Ìóåóäøóãõ íóÕúáóæúäóåóÇ ÝóÈöÆúÓó ÇáúãóÕöíÑõ﴾
(And when they come to you, they greet you with a greeting wherewith Allah greets you not, and say within themselves: "Why should Allah punish us not for what we say'' Hell will be sufficient for them; they will burn therein. And worst indeed is that destination!) ﴿58:8﴾. Allah said in this Ayah,
﴿Þõáö ÇÓúÊóåúÒöÁõæÇú Åöäøó Çááøóåó ãõÎúÑöÌñ ãøóÇ ÊóÍúÐóÑõæäó﴾
(Say: "(Go ahead and) mock! But certainly Allah will bring to light all that you fear.''), He will expose and explain your reality to His Messenger through revelation. Allah said in other Ayat,
﴿Ãóãú ÍóÓöÈó ÇáøóÐöíäó Ýöì ÞõáõæÈöåöãú ãøóÑóÖñ Ãóä áøóä íõÎúÑöÌó Çááøóåõ ÃóÖúÛóÜäóåõãú ﴾
(Or do those in whose hearts is a disease (of hypocrisy), think that Allah will not bring to light all their hidden ill-wills) ﴿47:29﴾, until,
﴿æóáóÊóÚúÑöÝóäøóåõãú Ýöì áóÍúäö ÇáúÞóæúáö﴾
(but surely, you will know them by the tone of their speech!)﴿47:30﴾. This is why, according to Qatadah, this Surah is called `Al-Fadihah' (the Exposing), because it exposed the hypocrites.
﴿æóáóÆöä ÓóÃóáúÊóåõãú áóíóÞõæáõäøó ÅöäøóãóÇ ßõäøóÇ äóÎõæÖõ æóäóáúÚóÈõ Þõáú ÃóÈöÇááøóåö æóÁóÇíóÜÊöåö æóÑóÓõæáöåö ßõäÊõãú ÊóÓúÊóåúÒöÁõæäó - áÇó ÊóÚúÊóÐöÑõæÇú ÞóÏú ßóÝóÑúÊõãú ÈóÚúÏó ÅöíãóÜäößõãú Åöä äøóÚúÝõ Úóä ØóÂÆöÝóÉò ãøöäúßõãú äõÚóÐøöÈú ØóÂÆöÝóÉð ÈöÃóäøóåõãú ßóÇäõæÇú ãõÌúÑöãöíäó ﴾
(65. If you ask them (about this), they declare: "We were only talking idly and joking.'' Say: "Was it at Allah, and His Ayat and His Messenger that you were mocking'') (66. Make no excuse; you disbelieved after you had believed. If We pardon some of you, We will punish others among you because they were criminals.)