Surah At-Tawbah — Ayah 47 (9:47)
لَوۡ خَرَجُواْ فِيكُم مَّا زَادُوكُمۡ إِلَّا خَبَالٗا وَلَأَوۡضَعُواْ خِلَٰلَكُمۡ يَبۡغُونَكُمُ ٱلۡفِتۡنَةَ وَفِيكُمۡ سَمَّٰعُونَ لَهُمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمُۢ بِٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ٤٧
English translation (Saheeh International)
Had they gone forth with you, they would not have increased you except in confusion, and they would have been active among you, seeking [to cause] you fitnah [i.e., chaos and dissension]. And among you are avid listeners to them. And Allāh is Knowing of the wrongdoers.
Brief commentary
It was a blessing that these hypocrites did not go with them, because if they had gone they would only have increased them in problems: demoralising people and making them doubt, hurrying between their lines, spreading rumours to divide them. Some of the believers would listen to such lies, believing and repeating them, causing arguments amongst them. Allah knows the wrongdoers among the hypocrites, who try to spread conspiracies and doubts among the believers.