23.Meaning of Nifaq
Nifaq means to show conformity - or agreement - and to
conceal evil. Nifaq has several types: Nifaq in the creed that causes its
people to reside in Hell for eternity, and Nifaq in deed, which is one of the
major sins, as we will explain soon, Allah willing. Ibn Jurayj said of the
hypocrite that, "His actual deeds are different from what he publicizes,
what he conceals is different from what he utters, his entrance and presence
are not the same as his exit and absence.''
24.The Beginning of Hypocrisy
The revelations about the characteristics of the hypocrites
were revealed in Al-Madinah, this is because there were no hypocrites in
Makkah. Rather the opposite was the situation in Makkah, since some people were
forced to pretend that they were disbelievers, while their hearts concealed
their faith. Afterwards, the Messenger of Allah migrated to Al-Madinah, where
the Ansar from the tribes of Aws and Khazraj resided. They used to worship
idols during the pre-Islamic period of ignorance, just as the rest of the Arab
idolators. Three Jewish tribes resided in Al-Madinah, Banu Qaynuqa`-allies of
Al-Khazraj, Banu An-Nadir and Banu Qurayzah-allies of the Aws. Many members of
the Aws and Khazraj tribes embraced Islam. However, only a few Jews embraced
Islam, such as `Abdullah bin Salam. During the early stage in Al-Madinah, there
weren't any hypocrites because the Muslims were not strong enough to be feared
yet. On the contrary, the Messenger of Allah conducted peace treaties with the
Jews and several other Arab tribes around Al-Madinah. Soon after, the battle of
Badr occurred and Allah gave victory to Islam and its people. `Abdullah bin
Ubayy bin Salul was a leader in Al-Madinah. He was Al-Khazraj's chief, and
during the period of Jahiliyyah he was the master of both tribes - Aws and
Khazraj. They were about to appoint him their king when the Message reached
Al-Madinah, and many in Al-Madinah embraced Islam. Ibn Salul's heart was filled
with hatred against Islam and its people. When the battle of Badr took place,
he said, "Allah's religion has become apparent.'' So he pretended to be
Muslim, along with many of those who were just like him, as well as many among
the People of the Book. It was then that hypocrisy began in Al-Madinah and
among the surrounding nomad tribes. As for the Emigrants, none of them were
hypocrites, since they emigrated willingly (seeking the pleasure of Allah).
Rather, when a Muslim would emigrate from Makkah, he would be forced to abandon
all of his wealth, offspring and land; he would do so seeking Allah's reward in
the Hereafter.
25.The Tafsir of Ayah 2:8
Muhammad bin Ishaq narrated that Ibn `Abbas said that,
﴿وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ ءَامَنَّا بِاللَّهِ
وَبِالْيَوْمِ الأْخِرِ وَمَا هُم بِمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴾
(And of mankind, there are some who say: "We believe in
Allah and the Last Day'' while in fact they do not believe) "This refers
to the hypocrites among the Aws and Khazraj and those who behaved as they
did.''
This is how Abu Al-`Aliyah, Al-Hasan, Qatadah and As-Suddi
explained this Ayah. Allah revealed the characteristics of the hypocrites, so
that the believers would not be deceived by their outer appearance, thus saving
the believers from a great evil. Otherwise, the believers might think that the
hypocrites were believers, when in reality they are disbelievers. To consider
the sinners as righteous people is extremely dangerous, Allah said,
﴿وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ ءَامَنَّا بِاللَّهِ
وَبِالْيَوْمِ الأْخِرِ وَمَا هُم بِمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴾
(And of mankind, there are some who say: "We believe in
Allah and the Last Day'' while in fact they do not believe) meaning, they utter
these false statements only with their tongues, just as Allah said,
﴿إِذَا جَآءَكَ الْمُنَـفِقُونَ قَالُواْ نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ
لَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُ﴾
(When the hypocrites come to you (O Muhammad ), they say:
"We bear witness that you are indeed the Messenger of Allah.'' Allah knows
that you are indeed His Messenger) (63:1).
This Ayah means that the hypocrites utter these statements
only when they meet you, not because they actually believe what they are
saying. The hypocrites emphasize their belief in Allah and the Last Day with
their words, when that is not the case in reality. Therefore, Allah stated that
the hypocrites lie in their testimony of creed, when He said,
﴿وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ لَكَـذِبُونَ﴾
(And Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are indeed
liars.) (63:1), and,
﴿وَمَا هُم بِمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾
(while in fact they believe not)
Allah said,
﴿يُخَـدِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا﴾
(They try to deceive Allah and those who believe). The
hypocrites show belief outwardly while concealing disbelief. They think that by
doing this, they will mislead Allah, or that the statements they utter will
help them with Allah, and this is an indication of their total ignorance. They
think that such behavior will deceive Allah, just as it might deceive some of
the believers. Similarly, Allah said,
﴿يَوْمَ يَبْعَثُهُمُ اللَّهِ جَمِيعاً فَيَحْلِفُونَ لَهُ
كَمَا يَحْلِفُونَ لَكُمْ وَيَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ عَلَى شَىْءٍ أَلاَ إِنَّهُمْ
هُمُ الْكَـذِبُونَ ﴾
(On the Day when Allah will resurrect them all together;
then they will swear to Him as they swear to you. And they think that they have
something (to stand upon). Verily, they are liars!) (58:18). Hence, Allah
refuted their way by saying,
﴿وَمَا يَخْدَعُونَ إلاَّ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ﴾
(While they only deceive themselves, and perceive (it) not!)
Allah stated that the hypocrites only deceive themselves by this behavior,
although they are unaware of this fact. Allah also said,
﴿إِنَّ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ يُخَـدِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَهُوَ
خَادِعُهُمْ﴾
(Verily, the hypocrites try to deceive Allah, but it is He
Who deceives them) (4:142).
Also, Ibn Abi Hatim narrated that Ibn Jurayj commented on
Allah's statement,
﴿إِنَّ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ يُخَـدِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَهُوَ
خَادِعُهُمْ﴾
(Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He
Who deceives them), "The hypocrites pronounce, `There is no deity worthy
of worship except Allah' seeking to ensure the sanctity of their blood and
money, all the while concealing disbelief.''Sa`id said that Qatadah said,
﴿وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ ءَامَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَبِالْيَوْمِ
الأْخِرِ وَمَا هُم بِمُؤْمِنِينَ - يُخَـدِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا
وَمَا يَخْدَعُونَ إلاَّ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ ﴾
(And of mankind, there are some who say: "We believe in
Allah and the Last Day'' while in fact they believe not. They try to deceive
Allah and those who believe, while they only deceive themselves, and perceive
(it) not!) "This is the description of a hypocrite. He is devious, he says
the truth with his tongue and defies it with his heart and deeds. He wakes up
in a condition other than the one he goes to sleep in, and goes to sleep in a
different condition than the one he wakes up in. He changes his mind just like
a ship that moves about whenever a wind blows.''
﴿فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ فَزَادَهُمُ اللَّهُ مَرَضًا
وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكْذِبُونَ ﴾
(10. In their hearts is a disease and Allah has increased
their disease. A painful torment is theirs because they used to tell lies.)
26.The Meaning of `Disease' in this Ayah
As-Suddi narrated from Abu Malik and (also) from Abu Salih,
from Ibn `Abbas, and (also) Murrah Al-Hamdani from Ibn Mas`ud and other
Companions that this Ayah,
﴿فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ مَّرَضٌ﴾
(In their hearts is a disease) means, `doubt', and,
﴿فَزَادَهُمُ اللَّهُ مَرَضًا﴾
(And Allah has increased their disease) also means `doubt'.
Mujahid, `Ikrimah, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Abu Al-`Aliyah, Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and
Qatadah also said similarly. `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam commented on,
﴿فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ مَّرَضٌ﴾
(In their hearts is a disease), "A disease in the
religion, not a physical disease. They are the hypocrites and the disease is
the doubt that they brought to Islam.
﴿فَزَادَهُمُ اللَّهُ مَرَضًا﴾
(And Allah has increased their disease) meaning, increased
them in shameful behavior.'' He also recited,
﴿فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ فَزَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَـناً
وَهُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَوَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ فَزَادَتْهُمْ
رِجْسًا إِلَى رِجْسِهِمْ﴾
(As for those who believe, it has increased their faith, and
they rejoice. But as for those in whose hearts is a disease, it will add
disgrace to their disgrace.) (9:124-125) and commented, "Evil to their
evil and deviation to their deviation.'' This statement by `Abdur-Rahman is
true, and it constitutes a punishment that is compatible to the sin, just as
the earlier scholars stated. Similarly, Allah said,
﴿وَالَّذِينَ اهْتَدَوْاْ زَادَهُمْ هُدًى وَءَاتَـهُمْ
تَقُوَاهُمْ ﴾
(While as for those who accept guidance, He increases their
guidance and grants them their piety) (47:17).
Allah said next,
﴿بِمَا كَانُواْ يَكْذِبُونَ﴾
(Because they used to tell lies). The hypocrites have two
characteristics, they lie and they deny the Unseen.
The scholars who stated that the Prophet knew the hypocrites
of his time have only the Hadith of Hudhayfah bin Al-Yaman as evidence. In it
the Prophet gave him the names of fourteen hypocrites during the battle of
Tabuk. These hypocrites plotted to assassinate the Prophet during the night on
a hill in that area. They planned to excite the Prophet's camel, so that she
would throw him down the hill. Allah informed the Prophet about their plot, and
the Prophet told Hudhayfah their names.
As for the other hypocrites, Allah said about them,
﴿وَمِمَّنْ حَوْلَكُم مِّنَ الاٌّعْرَابِ مُنَـفِقُونَ وَمِنْ
أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ مَرَدُواْ عَلَى النَّفَاقِ لاَ تَعْلَمُهُمْ نَحْنُ
نَعْلَمُهُمْ﴾
(And among the bedouins around you, some are hypocrites, and
so are some among the people of Al-Madinah who persist in hypocrisy; you (O
Muhammad ) know them not, We know them) (9:101), and,
﴿لَّئِن لَّمْ يَنتَهِ الْمُنَـفِقُونَ وَالَّذِينَ فِى
قُلُوبِهِمْ مَّرَضٌ وَالْمُرْجِفُونَ فِى الْمَدِينَةِ لَنُغْرِيَنَّكَ بِهِمْ
ثُمَّ لاَ يُجَاوِرُونَكَ فِيهَآ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً - مَّلْعُونِينَ أَيْنَمَا
ثُقِفُواْ أُخِذُواْ وَقُتِّلُواْ تَقْتِيلاً ﴾
(If the hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease,
and those who spread false news among the people in Al-Madinah do not cease, We
shall certainly let you overpower them, then they will not be able to stay in
it as your neighbors but a little while. Accursed, they shall be seized
wherever found, and killed with a (terrible) slaughter) (33:60-61).
These Ayat prove that the Prophet was not informed about
each and everyone among the hypocrites of his time. Rather, the Prophet was
only informed about their characteristics, and he used to assume that some
people possessed these characteristics. Similarly, Allah said,
﴿وَلَوْ نَشَآءُ لأَرَيْنَـكَهُمْ فَلَعَرَفْتَهُم بِسِيمَـهُمْ
وَلَتَعْرِفَنَّهُمْ فِى لَحْنِ الْقَوْلِ﴾
(Had We willed, We could have shown them to you, and you
should have known them by their marks; but surely, you will know them by the
tone of their speech!) (47:30).
The most notorious hypocrite at that time was `Abdullah bin
Ubayy bin Salul; Zayd bin Arqam - the Companion - gave truthful testimony to
that effect. In addition, `Umar bin Al-Khattab once mentioned the matter of Ibn
Salul to the Prophet , who said,
«إِنِّي أَكْرَهُ أَنْ تَتَحَدَّثَ الْعَرَبُ أَنَّ
مُحَمَّدًا يَقْتُلُ أَصْحَابَه»
(I would not like the Arabs to say to each other that
Muhammad is killing his Companions.)
Yet, when Ibn Salul died, the Prophet performed the funeral
prayer for him and attended his funeral just as he used to do with other
Muslims. It was recorded in the Sahih that the Prophet said,
«إِنِّي خُيِّرْتُ فَاخْتَرْت»
(I was given the choice (to pray for him or not), so I
chose.)
In another narration, the Prophet said,
«لَوْ أَعْلَمُ أَنِّي لَوْ زِدْتُ عَلَى السَّبْعِينَ يُغْفَرُ
لَهُ لَزِدْت»
(If I knew that by asking (Allah to forgive Ibn Salul) more
than seventy times that He would forgive him, then I would do that.)
﴿وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لاَ تُفْسِدُواْ فِى الأَرْضِ قَالُواْ
إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ - أَلا إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ الْمُفْسِدُونَ وَلَـكِن لاَّ
يَشْعُرُونَ
﴾
(11. And when it is said to them: "Do not make mischief
on the earth,'' they say: "We are only peacemakers.'') (12. Verily, they
are the ones who make mischief, but they perceive not.)
27.Meaning of Mischief
In his Tafsir, As-Suddi said that Ibn `Abbas and Ibn Mas`ud
commented,
﴿وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لاَ تُفْسِدُواْ فِى الأَرْضِ
قَالُواْ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ ﴾
(And when it is said to them: "Do not make mischief on
the earth,'' they say: "We are only peacemakers.'') "They are the
hypocrites. As for,
﴿لاَ تُفْسِدُواْ فِى الأَرْضِ﴾
("Do not make mischief on the earth''), that is
disbelief and acts of disobedience.'' Abu Ja`far said that Ar-Rabi` bin Anas
said that Abu Al-`Aliyah said that Allah's statement,
﴿وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لاَ تُفْسِدُواْ فِى الأَرْضِ﴾
(And when it is said to them: "Do not make mischief on
the earth,''), means, "Do not commit acts of disobedience on the earth.
Their mischief is disobeying Allah, because whoever disobeys Allah on the
earth, or commands that Allah be disobeyed, he has committed mischief on the
earth. Peace on both the earth and in the heavens is ensured (and earned)
through obedience (to Allah).'' Ar-Rabi` bin Anas and Qatadah said similarly.
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