Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Hypocrites: A Commentary onSurah al-Munafiqun

AUTHOR(S):Ayatullah Jafar Subhani

TRANSLATOR(S):Hamid HusseinWaqar

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Table of Contents

Introduction: Contention In Society is The Basis For Mankind’s Perfection 4

Two Surahs That Stand Out From The Rest 5

Note 6

Special Qualities of Surah al-Munafiqun 7

Hypocrisy 8

What is A Hypocrite? 8

Commentary 11

Notes 11

Detrimental Effects of Hypocrisy 12

Islam’s Most Dangerous Enemy 12

Sealed Hearts 13

Notes 14

Signs of Hypocrisy 15

They Have The Ability To Hide Their True Face 15

They Are Both Outspoken And Eloquent Speakers 15

They Are As Worthless As Hollow Pieces Of Timber Propped Up 15

History Repeats Itself 18

The Text of The Peace Treaty of Hudaybiyah 19

They Are Frightened by Any Calamity 19

They Are Enemies in A League of Their Own 20

Notes 21

Hypocrites And Repentance 23

The Prophet’s Repentance Results In The Pardon Of Sins 23

The Qur’an's Order To The Muslims 24

A Misunderstanding 24

A Condition For Making The Repentance Of Others Effective 25

The Literal And Figurative Meaning Of Intercession 25

The Qur’an And Intercession 27

What Are The Meanings Of The Verses That Negate Intercession? 27

Notes 28

Hypocrites’ Dangerous Plans 30

The War Of Bani Mustalaq 31

The Qur’anic Condemnation of Hypocritical Beliefs 32

Notes 32

The Islamic Viewpoint of The World 34

What Is Considered Lawful Property And What Is Considered The Base World? 34

Death Cannot Be Delayed 35

Notes 35

Introduction: ContentionIn Society is The Basis For Mankind’s Perfection

Contention in society and contrasting ideologies are the basis for mankind's development. Contrasting ideologies are not only the sources of mankind's development, rather opposing forces, the foundations of the universe's order, are considered sources for the advancement of the world. If these opposing forces in nature were absent, the order of the universe would fall apart.

Opposites in the solar system and the stars that rotate around each other are the guardians of the system's order. The gravitational force of the sun and the centrifugal force are the reasons for the harmony that exists in the world. Were these opposites to become defunct no trace of life would be left nor would progress be possible.

Such is also the case with microbes, which are spread out in the environment. They provide the most valuable service for man at the same time as being at war with man. This is because they strengthen our white blood cells' defense vis-à-vis internal and external dangers. If such an enemy was not in our environment, if man lived for some time free from all microbial infections, he would be incredibly fragile when faced with physical hardships. He would lose his ability to resist different ailments. These enemies are similar to vaccines in that they strengthen our cells to fight against disease.

The basis for human development is polarity and competition. A rival lays all of his enemy's faults on the table before him, and, since the smallest mistake will be used to the enemy's advantage, man is forced to improve himself.

Sociologists believe that opposing parties and criticisms are what cause progress in human civilization. A critique warns man and displays his faults. It gives him the ambition to change his life, to make his life better.

Societies without oppositional parties or rivalries are similar to glasses of water equally filled. Instead of allowing the water to flow, such a society forces it to remain stagnate, water becomes unsanitary by doing this.

Factories and cultural organizations that do not have a competitor stay in their place, they are unable to improve and attain levels of excellence. On the contrary, organizations that have competitors concentrate on expanding their goals, ideas and personnel to be able to surpass their antagonist and take a step, or even steps, forward.

Abilities will not blossom in a society where appropriate competition and fundamental differences are removed. They will not thrive in societies where all of the wealth is in the hands of the government, where individuals work only to the ability of their bodies and intellects and where their salaries are just enough to cover their basic needs. An innovative or mentally active spirit will not blossom in these conditions.

Carnal desires (nafs ammarah ) are the basis for the intellect's and the spirit's improvement. They are the basis for man's sense of self-preservation and for his spiritual progress. If there were no carnal desires in man, he would not be able to reach high spiritual ranks, obtain Allah's satisfaction or achieve eternal bliss.

The devil (shaytan ), using his evil powers, is waiting to ambush mankind. This is how he misguides humanity. Man knows about this adept enemy and prepares his spirit to fight against him. Man tries to strengthen his spirit with piety, the power of resistance and restraint, because of his comprehensive knowledge of this foe. Sometimes he is able to reach so lofty a spiritual peak that he becomes immune from committing sins.

As was mentioned, known enemies and targeted opponents are the basis for man's advancement along the path of spiritual and physical perfection. Man should not be afraid of the presence of such an enemy nor should he consider this enemy dangerous. The human intellect and man's love of self prepare him to combat this rival. In this battle, one must not satisfy oneself with physical and spiritual weapons, equal to those of his enemy's; instead he must try to equip himself with weapons more powerful than those of his opponent.

In addition to these enemies there are unfamiliar enemies as well. They are imposters, those who pretend to by one's friend, but beneath this façade they are more dangerous than wolves or any other predator.

They take advantage of the intimacy and comfort one assumes with a friend. Apparently, they are caring friends, but in actuality, they are enemies. They insist on their being trustworthy and their ability to keep secrets, but in reality, they are spies and traitors. They are conscious of human strengths and weaknesses. Staying away from these unknown enemies is extremely difficult, if not impossible.

These enemies are the hypocrites, whom the Qur’an discusses in various chapters. An independent chapter was even sent down regarding hypocrites. The Commander of the Faithful (a) related the following from the Prophet (S) about those adversaries:“I have never been frightened of any country taking of Islam. I only worry about one group of people, the unbelievers who pretend to be Muslim,the two-faced hypocrites. They have eloquent speech, but in actuality, they are the Muslims' enemies. They are with you in their words, but, in reality, they would never take a step with you.” 1

TwoSurahs That Stand Out FromThe Rest

The author has decided to choose twosurahs from the Qur’an to sincerely, in straightforward language, comment upon. They were chosen because of special importance that the hypocrites played in Islamic history. These twosurahs explain the relevance and reality behind hypocrites more than any other chapters do. The goal of this effort is for the children of Islam t become more aware of their heavenly scripture.

These twosurahs are:

Surah at-Tawbah (Repentance, n 9). A commentary on thissurah has been published as a series of articles in the magazine“Lessons from the School of Islam” (Darshaye az Maktab Islam). Now, with the will of Allah, it is being published as a book.

Surah al-Munafiqun (Hypocrites, n. 63). Thissurah has revealed the intentions of this group. It has also gone on to mention every other kind of enemy that Islam has.

The different topics that are covered in this commentary of the Qur’an have also been published in the aforementioned magazine. Now, this commentary is being presented to the reader, with additions, in the form of a book.

Note

1.Nahj al-Balaghah , ‛Abduh , volume 3, page 33

Special Qualities ofSurah al-Munafiqun

Surah al-Munafiqun is the sixty-thirdsurah of the Qur’an and is comprised of eleven verses. All of the commentators of the Qur’an are certain that it was revealed in Medina. The subject matter of thesurah proves that it was revealed in Medina, since it describes the state of the hypocrites.

This treacherous gang was formed when the Prophet migrated to Medina. The reasons for this will be explained later. Before the migration there was no mention of hypocrites at all. These hypocrites were an unhappy, disbelieving minority who pretended to be Muslim out of tear of the majority. Their hearts remained firm in disbelief. Their outward appearances were different from their inward beliefs. This phenomenon occurred only when the Muslims were in Medina.

A number of important verses in the Qur’an refer to the hypocrites. These verses discuss their history, the forms of sabotage they undertook andtheserious harm that they forced the Muslims to endure. These verses can be found in the followingsurahs : Al ‛Imran ,Nisa ',Ma'dah ,Infal ,Tawbah , ‛Ankabut ,Ahzab , Muhammad,Fath ,Mujadilah ,Hadid ,Hashr and thesurah under discussion. It would be a great help to Islam if all of the verses regarding hypocrites were gathered, and the time and reasons for their revelation were investigated. This study would be helpful and beneficial if it were well-organized and written as a single report.

It is up to those who love the Qur’an and the history of Islam to write about the social topics discussed in the Qur’an, such as the topic of hypocrisy. It is up to them, also, to write in a way that is interesting for the people of the present age. It is up to them to relate the hypocrites of yesterday to the hypocrites of today and their plans in order to shed light on the hypocrites' plans in both ages.

This study would be similar to a subject-based exegesis (tafsir mudhu'i ) of the glorious Qur’an, but it is only a small part of theQur’anic subjects that should be discussed. Most topics have not been discussed properly. Whenever a scholar writes about hypocrisy or any otherQur’anic theme he has paid his debt to the Qur’an.

The author is hopeful, with the grace of Allah, that as long as a studious atmosphere is available in places such as Qom, a small part of this duty will be achieved.

Hypocrisy

إِذَا جَاءكَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ قَالُوا نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُ وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَكَاذِبُونَ

When the hypocrites come to you, they say: “We bear witness that thou are indeed the Messenger of Allah.” Yea, Allah knows that you are indeed His Messenger, and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are indeed liars.” 1

What is A Hypocrite?

The word hypocrite (munafiq ) is derived from the Arabicword ” nifaq ” or hypocrisy. The term hypocrite refers to a person whose inward reality differs from his outward appearance, one who is two-faced or a double-dealer. Hypocrites do not use logic or rational reasoning to achieve their personal goals or profits; instead, they unjustly oppose the majority. As long as conditions permit, they will obstruct the majority, but because of their fear of the majority or their love of profit, they pretend to be friends with the majority, united to them.

Hypocrites are not exclusive to Islam or to any other religion and con even be found in political parties. Sometimes one political party jeopardizes the goals of another party, while the second party lacks the ability to challenge the first. When this happens, the political party in danger might gather groups that share their beliefs and create a counterfeit political party.

Sometimes people join a group from the outside to cause division within that group from the inside. They hold the group back from accomplishing its goals by causing mayhem.

Some people, also, might join a faction without believing inthat factions ideals. They affiliate themselves with such a group only in hopes of being financially successful or protecting their lives or property.

Such a situation is found in hypocritical parties around the world that rely on the common man's mindset.

Islam was no exception to this. A minority, consisting of hypocrites, formed alongside the majority of the Islamic society, one that was based on theology, social justice and moral excellences. They outwardly respected Islamic principles and laws, but in secret they were grave enemies of Islam.

They would corroborate with Islam's enemies during the most sensitive times. They would share military secrets with the enemy. They would bring fear into the hearts of Muslims by spreading rumors and lies. They would try to subvert the Islamic government by interacting with governments who were against Islam.

The harmful effects of the hypocrites are not limited to thepast, rather they continue to cause difficulties for the Muslim community. This will be completely understood by referring to the circumstances and causes of the revelations regarding hypocrites and by referring to Islamic history.

The hypocrites formed as a party in Medina. A small minority of the people in Medina disliked the way that the majority warmly welcomed the Prophet after his migration. They, in their hearts, fought with fervor against Islam in their hearts and held on firmly to their polytheistic beliefs. There were different reasons as to why this group was formed. These reasons will be explained below:

1. Some hypocrites were opposed to Islam because of their personal desires and profit. They thought that Islam would cause them harm. Hence, an opposing minority was founded who started to attack the Islamic government in various ways.

Before the Prophet of Islam migrated to Medina, the two tribes,Aws andKhazraj were tired from their hundred-year war. They decided to form a government in Medina consisting of members from both tribes.

They agreed to have ‛Abd Allah binUbay as their leader. This was just about to happen when the light of Islam entered the hearts of a group of youth and tribal leaders who asked the Prophet to migrate to Medina. Most of the people of Medina openhandedly welcomed the Prophet when he entered the city of Medina.

‛Abd Allah binUbay , who thought that becoming a Muslim would be against his interests, was not able to hide his jealousy and ill will. He turned to the Prophet on the day of his arrival and said:“Oh Muhammad, go to those who tricked you and brought you here. Go to them and don't deceive us in our land.”

At this moment the coalition of hypocrites was formed and he became their leader. Even though the general public thought he became Muslim, and even thought he would participate in religious gatherings, he did not become Muslim in his heart. He kept his hypocritical strivings secret with the help of those sympathetic to his cause.

2. Some of the members of the coalition of hypocrites sincerely became Muslim at the start of the migration. They even propagated the religion. But, after the advent of Islam as they began to lose their social rankings, their convictions were altered and they became hypocrites. An example of this isIbn ‛Amir.

Before Islam he was the leader of one of the revealed religions in Medina. When the Messenger of Allah (S) was chosen as a leader for all of Medina,Ibn ‛Amir's position collapsed. He fled Medina for Mecca in fear of retaliation for the sabotages he committed. Then, after Mecca was overtaken by the Muslims, he fled to Rome. He was the leader ofMasjid al-Dharar which is mentioned inSurah Tawbah : 70.

3. A group of people joined the coalition of hypocrites after the conquest of Mecca. These are the enemies of Islam who pretended to become Muslim when Islam spread throughout Arabia. They never relinquished the grudge they had for Islam. One of the leaders of this group was AbuSufyan , a member of theUmmayah tribe.

In a strategic time, he confessed his disbelief in Islam and professed his belief in polytheism. AbuSufyan said in anUmmayah tribal meeting held at ‛Uthman's house during the first few days of the third caliph's reign:“The position of leadership has reached you after Tim and ‛Uday (The tribes of the first two caliphs). Play with it like a ball under your feet and only pass it along to members of theUmmayah tribe. This caliphate is what is meant by governing mankind. I have never believed in Heaven or Hell.” 2

During ‛Uthman's reign, AbuSufyan kickedHamza's grave as he passed by it and said:“Oh Abu ‛Amarah (Hamza's nickname)! The government that we were fighting against yesterday, the government that we tried to destroy by thesword, is now in the hands of our youth. They play with it like they play with a ball.” 3

AbuSufyan tried to cause disagreement amongst the Muslims when AbuBakr became the caliph by trying to incite ‛Ali (a) to stand up against the caliph. The Commander of the Faithful was aware of AbuSufyan's evil intentions and told him:“You have been an enemy of Islam and the Muslims from day one.” ‛Ali (a) not only did not shake AbuSufyan's hand when he stretched it out as a phony swear of allegiance, but he also turned his back towards him.

Ibn Abi al-Hadid writes:“AbuSufyan said, when the emigrants (muhajirin ) gathered around AbuBakr : 'Islam has been encompassed by a great tornado which will not be calmed except by the spilling of blood.' He then approached ‛Ali (a) and ‛Abbas and said: 'AbuBakr has won, even though he is in the minority.”

Subsequently, he stretched his hand out to ‛Ali (a) to swear allegiance and said: 'I shall fill Medina's Mosque full of soldiers against AbuBakr .' ‛Ali (a) did not accept his allegiance and when AbuSufyan became hopeless he recited the following two lines of poetry:

No man will tolerate inequity aimed at him,

Except the twomost base ones, who lack both life and spine,

This one is bound completely to a hoof,

While that one's head is cracked open, such that no one will mourn him.4

“AbuSufyan recited the following poem to the Commander of theFaithfulon the day that AbuBakr became caliph:

OhBani Hashim , do not let the people covet what is yours,

Especially notTaym ibn Murra or ‛Uday ,

For theaffait (of the caliphate) is yours alone and will return to you,

And none is (fit) for it, except Abu Hassan, ‛Ali.

“The Commander of the Faithful responded: “You are after something that we will not do.'

When he lost hope in ‛Ali (a) he turned to ‛Abbas and said: “You, being your cousin's inheritor, are better than anyone else is. If I swear allegiance to you, nobody will oppose your leadership.'

“‛Abbas laughed and said: “Would ‛Abbas go after something that belongs to ‛Ali (a)?'

“At this moment, AbuSufyan , whose sole purpose of this allegiance was to cause contention between the Muslims which would lead to a civil war,left. ”5

4. Some of the members of the hypocritical faction were people who did not have any resolve. They did not know which side to join. They had weak spirits and hearts. They were confused because of their weak intellects. The Qur’an describes them in the following manner:

مُّذَبْذَبِينَ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ لاَ إِلَى هَـؤُلاء وَلاَ إِلَى هَـؤُلاء

“Swaying between this (and that), (belonging) neither to these nor to those.” 6

These were the different groups of hypocrites. The danger that they imposed as internal enemies of Islam was beyond measure. They were more dangerous than eternal enemies could be.

Commentary

One of the clear characteristics of a hypocrite is mendicancy. This can even be considered the foundation of hypocrisy. A hypocrite says something with his tongue that he does not believe in his heart. In this verse, the hypocrites bear witness to themessengerhood of the final Prophet in their speech, but they do not believe it in their hearts.

Allah emphatically dismisses their testimony (shahadah ) by saying:“Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are indeed liars.” Allah emphasizes this sentence:“Yea, Allah knows that you are indeed His Messenger,” to match the hypocrites, who also falsely emphasized their words:“We bear witness that you are indeed the Messenger of Allah.”

Notes

1. 63:1

2.Ibn Hajr , Al-Asabah , volume 4, page 88

3.Shaykh MuhammadTaqi Shushtari ,Qamus al-Rijal , volume 10, page 89

4.Ibn Abi al-Hadid ,Nahj al-Balaghah , volume 1, page 221-222

5.Sayyid ‛Ali binMa‛sum , Al-Darajat al-Rafi’ah , pages 86-87

6. 4:143

Detrimental Effects of Hypocrisy

اتَّخَذُوا أَيْمَانَهُمْ جُنَّةً فَصَدُّوا عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُمْ سَاء مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

“They have made their oaths a screen (for their misdeeds): thus they obstruct (men) from the path of Allah. Truly evil are their deeds.” 1

ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا ثُمَّ كَفَرُوا فَطُبِعَ عَلَى قُلُوبِهِمْ فَهُمْ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ

“That is because they believed, then they rejected faith; so a seal was set on their hearts; therefore they understand not.” 2

Generally speaking, the most dangerous enemy is an unknown one. A known enemy, no matter how powerful he is, causes less damage than an unknown enemy does. In addition, the damage caused by a known enemy can be made up for. The reason is that the enemy is identified, his bad intentions are clear, his strength is recognized and his goals are well-known.

His enmity is written on his forehead and all are prepared for him to commit some kind of atrocity. For this reason man is always ready to defend himself against this enemy. Man never tells him his secrets. He is completely prepared to carefully protect himself against the danger that this enemy poses.

One the other hand, the unknown enemy, however small and powerless he may be, can cause serious damage because he pretends to be a friend or at least pretends to be indifferent. He can cause irreconcilable damage and at the same time not lose anything.

Such an enemy will remain a friend even if his bad intentions are made clear. The reason for this is that the victim considers the enemy to be one of his own. His false vows will be accepted and the victim will be tricked by his excuses. The enemy will then persist with his evil deeds.

The hypocrites gained the love and respect of the early Islamic leaders and common Muslims by pretending to be Muslim. Because they were considered Muslim, people did not look at them suspiciously and the atrocities that they committed were kept in the dark. If they were ever exposed they would swear that they were innocent and thus their evil actions would be covered up. The hypocrites would use their oaths to hide their disbelief and would therefore protect themselves from punishment.

Islam’s Most Dangerous Enemy

The Prophet of Islam (S), in one of his treasured speeches, introduced the hypocrites as Islam's most dangerous enemy. He even said that they were Islam's only enemy. The following is the text of his speech:“I have never been frightened of any nation conquering Islam. I only worry about one group of people: the unbelievers who pretend to be Muslim, the two-faced hypocrites. They are with you in their words, but they would never take a step with you.” 3 )

The Prophet of Islam's best student, the Commander of the Faithful (a) said the following regarding the hypocrites:“I warn you about the hypocrites. They are misguided and they misguide as well. They have appeared in society in different colors and with different faces. Their speech is eloquent, profitable and is even a cure for pain. But their actions are like incurable diseases.” 4

The Islamic world must heed this warning given to us by our master, ‛Ali (a) during the early days of Islam. The Muslims must take this advice and, with the utmost scrutiny, become aware of the hypocrites. Hypocrites must be banished from the community. Their appearances should not fool the Muslims and their vows should not be accepted. The Muslims should know that they cover up their evil actions by taking part in religious ceremonies.

Sealed Hearts

Specialists in the field of ethics claim that there are three stages for any spiritual trait: action, habit and second-nature.

I shall explain this by giving an example:

A twenty-year-old youth has obtained the base trait of being a liar. He lies without thinking about it. His whole life is founded upon his lies. He even lies when there is no advantage in lying. The origin of this trait that is found deep down in this young adult's spirit should be found.

When he was four, or even six, years old it was impossible for him to lie. He would only be able to express what he saw or heard. There was no thought of adding or subtracting from it.

The thought that it is possible to say an untruth entered his head through his father, mother, or an older playmate. From here, a couple of opportunities presented themselves for him to use this new course of action and lie. This is the first step towards obtaining unethical traits which was labeled“action.”

If one continues to use these opportunities and persist in lying, one would advance to the second level, that of“habit.”

In this step, the unethical trait becomes part of his psyche. Treatment at this level is still somewhat easy. Caring spiritual coaches can cleanse his soul of this immoral trait by giving him advice and warning him of the dreadful outcome destined for liars. But if this action is repeated again and again, the trait will move from being a habit into becoming second-nature, the third stage. Treatment is difficult at this level. This level, itself, has stages. The more the action is repeated the more embedded the trait becomes. Likewise, the less the action is repeated the weaker the trait becomes.

Spiritual attributes are composed of both immoral and ethical traits. Examples of immoral traits are lying, treachery, murder and oppression. Examples of ethical traits are justice, trustworthiness, equality and keeping one's word. Each one of these can be obtained by consistent and repeated action and by progressing through the three stages mentioned above.

From the viewpoint of Islamic philosophy, spiritual traits, whether good or bad, are the results of man's daily actions. The repetition of an action causes a habit to form. It is because of this that it is said that every man creates his own spiritual and ethical traits.

If one finds in oneself a spiritual trait or habit, be it moral or immoral, it is because of repeated action. An example is one who lies so often that it becomes second nature so that he or she is unable to tell the truth. One even lies when lying has no benefit.

I see one who is drowning in sin but has not once been frightened or regretful of his actions. This is the same person who has been saturated by unethical traits because of his repetition in committing sin. His heart is closing and will soon be unable to accept the light of guidance. The highest spiritual mentors and psychologists have given up on him.

The glorious Qur’an, in the verse under explanation, says:“So a seal was set on their hearts.” This means that their hearts have been sealed because of their immoral actions. Their hearts are filled with satanic traits to such an extent that there is no room left for ethical traits.

In contrast to this group I see and know a group of people who shakes as if they are having a seizure when they commit a sin. The shed tears out of fear from the punishment of that sin.

If one ponders upon the meaning of this verse it will become clear that determinism cannot exist. In fact, this is one of the strongest proofs for free-will.

Notes

1. 63:2

2. 63:3

3. Imam ‛Ali (a),Nahj al-Balaghah , volume 3, page 29 (‛Abduh

4. Imam ‛Ali (a),Nahj al-Balaghah , speech 192