In this text, Taberî conveys that the term 'the foolish ones' (سفهاء) refers to the hypocrites, and that they characterized the companions of the Prophet as 'foolish ones'. He notes that the word 'fool' means someone ignorant in religion, weak in intellect and judgment, and one who does not know where benefit and harm lie. He explains that while the hypocrites thought they were doing right in their own estimation, they were actually causing harm to their own souls, and this is foolishness in its truest sense.

والسفهاء جمع سفيه، كالعلماء جمع عليم، والحكماء جمع حكيم والسفيه: الجاهل الضعيف الرأي، القليل المعرفة بمواضع المنافع والمضار

According to Zemahşerî, this verse concerns the polytheists allocating a share from their livestock and crops to idols in an ignorant and unconscious manner, considering this a means of drawing near to the idols. The threatening expression in the verse (the promise that they will be questioned by oath) points to the fact that they will be held accountable for these deeds. Furthermore, it is emphasized that there is no difference between ignorance (the absence of knowledge) and the existence of a limited knowledge that does not transcend worldly matters, because they do not deliberate and reflect since they follow heedlessness and their desires.

أجعلوا لها نصيبا في أنعامهم وزروعهم أم لا ؟ وكانوا يجعلون لهم ذلك تقربا إليهم { لتسئلن } وعيد وفي هذا الإبدال من النكتة أنه أبدله منه ، وجعله بحيث يقوم مقامه ويسد مسده

Râzî explains that the term 'the foolish ones' (سفهاء) in the verse means lightness and irrationality from a linguistic perspective; he notes that a person's deviation from the right path in matters of religion should be considered a greater foolishness than deviation in worldly matters. Proceeding from this general principle, he conveys that every disbeliever can be considered a fool, and therefore this expression can be attributed to the Jews, the polytheists, or the hypocrites, and he reports that the exegetes have gone with each of these three views separately.

وبالجملة فإن من لا يميز بين ما له وعليه ، ويعدل عن طريق منافعه إلى ما يضره ، يوصف بالخفة والسفه ، ولا شك أن الخطأ في باب الدين أعظم مضرة منه في باب الدنيا فإذا كان العادل عن الرأي الواضح في أمر دنياه يعد سفيها ، فمن يكون كذلك في أمر دينه كان أولى بهذا الاسم فلا كافر إلا وهو سفيه

Kurtubî conveys that the term 'the foolish ones' (سفهاء) in verse 13 of Sura al-Baqara was said by the hypocrites or a group from the People of the Book to belittle the believers (especially those like Abdullah ibn Salâm and his companions). He notes that this statement was made in a concealed and mocking manner, while Allah informed that true foolishness, weakness of intellect, and corruption of understanding belonged to them. He also reports that they could not understand this because of the veil (rayn) upon their hearts.

وهذا القول من المنافقين إنما كانوا يقولونه في خفاء وأستهزاء فأطلع الله نبيه والمؤمنين على ذلك وقرر أن السفه ورقة الحلوم وفساد البصائر إنما هي في حيزهم وصفة لهم وأخبر أنهم هم السفهاء ولكن لا يعلمون للرين الذي على قلوبهم

According to Ibn Kesîr, when the hypocrites said 'shall we believe as the people believe', they characterized the companions of the Prophet (whom they meant) as 'foolish ones'. The word 'fool' means an ignorant person, one with weak judgment, one who cannot distinguish between benefits and harms, and in the Qur'an it has also been used for women and children. The fact that the hypocrites did not know how deplorable their own condition was shows that their ignorance and deviation were of an even more advanced degree.

يعنون لعنهم الله أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم رضي الله عنهم قاله أبو العالية والسدي في تفسيره بسنده عن ابن عباس وابن مسعود وغير واحد من الصحابة

According to Beydâvî, the perfection of faith requires both avoiding the prohibited evils (do not cause corruption) and fulfilling the commanded faith (believe); the name 'the people' (الناس) in the verse refers either to those possessing intellect who represent humanity's perfection, or to the Prophet and his companions, or to those from the People of the Book who believed such as Abdullah ibn Selâm. The characterization of the hypocrites as 'foolish ones' is based either on the corruption of their beliefs, on their being despised because of their poverty, or on their attempt to show indifference toward those who believe. Furthermore, the ignorant person's not knowing their own ignorance is a greater deviation than being in doubt.

من تمام النصح والإرشاد فإن كمال الإيمان بمجموع الأمرين: الإعراض عما لا ينبغي وهو المقصود بقوله: لا تفسدوا، والإتيان بما ينبغي وهو المطلوب بقوله: آمنوا.