Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Lessons from Qur'an

This book is reviewed and corrected by us.

Author: Muhsin Qara'ati
Quranic Sciences

Lessons From Qur'an

Majmu`a-i-Dars ha'i-az-Qur'an

Author(s): Muhsin Qara'ati

Translator(s): S.M.S. Hyder

Publisher(s): Islamic Seminary Publications

www.alhassanain.org/english

Table of Contents

Foreword8

Monotheism11

Advantage of Discussion about the Outlook on Universe11

Selection of Outlook on Universe12

Monotheism the First Principle of Divine Outlook on Universe12

What is Natural Disposition?13

Prophets' Mission14

Is Obedience a Negation of Man's Freedom?14

Crux of the Problem14

Doubtful and Temporary Tendency15

Which Faith is true?15

Signs of Faith in Allah16

Signs of Dishonesty16

Baseless Reasoning against Religion17

Defeat of Communistic Dogmas17

Another Groundless Reasoning19

Answer to Such a Reasoning20

Another example21

Another Baseless Argument21

Why Some People Ignore Allah and Religion?22

The Function of Religion24

The Reality of Monotheism and its Various Aspects26

Factors Which Distract Man from the Belief in Allah28

Proofs of Monotheism29

Is There any Deity Besides Allah?31

Polytheism31

Examples of Polytheism32

Anxiety, the Sign of Polytheism32

Signs of Polytheism33

3. Collective Effect of Polytheism35

The Effect of Polytheism in the Next Life36

Grandeur of Monotheism36

Progenitor of Monotheism36

Merits of Prophet Ibrahim37

Deceit is Polytheism38

Signs of Sincere Believer38

How One Can Avoid Polytheism and False Hopes?38

4. Prayers, Invocation and Remembrance of Allah40

Signs of Idolatrous Nations40

When Obedience to Parents is Forbidden?41

Polytheism - an Unpardonable Sin42

Counter-measures against Polytheists42

Justice44

The Causes of Injustice44

The Attributes of Allah45

Justice-One of the Principles of Religion45

Advantages of Believing in the Justice of Allah45

The Meaning of Justice45

The Dangers of Hasty Decision48

Methods of Solving the Misfortunes53

Differences Develop the Society57

Difficulties Build up Personalities57

Hardships Lead to Inventions58

What is the Fault of a New-born Child?64

Categorization-The Means of Recognizing Allah66

Social Justice68

Justice in All Islamic Laws68

Social Justice and Divine Outlook on the Universe68

Seeking Justice is a Natural Thing69

Just Laws Originate From Holy Prophet's Conduct70

Justice is the Basic Condition70

The Importance of Justice in Traditions70

Importance of Justice71

Establishment of Justice is the Object of the Prophets71

Imam Ali's Argument on Equity72

Confiscation of Property72

No Distinction Between an Arab and a Non-Arab73

Counting the Dead73

Advice to Buy the People for Gaining Their Favor74

Example of the Feeling of Fraternity74

Brotherhood in Islam74

There is a Difference Between Adopting a Principle and Trading75

Even a Single Loaf is Equally Distributed76

Do Not Compromise on Principle76

An Unjust Hope76

Do Not Underestimate the Judicial Decision76

When the Guest is Removed77

The Holy Qur'an Condemns Partiality77

Another Example of Imam Ali's Justice77

Nobody Does That Sort of Thing78

Another Example of Taking Precaution78

Undue Criticism Against Imam Ali78

Settling Dispute with Justice79

Using the Paper Economically79

Asking for a Larger Share80

Misuse of One's Position is Forbidden80

An Example of Equality in Islam80

No Nepotism80

Corporal Punishment81

Suggestion Made to Imam Ali81

Equity in Distribution of Public Treasury82

Strong Criticism by Imam Ali82

Imam Ali's Admonition to Umar82

Imam Ali Walks out of the Court83

Obstinacy in Discussions and Actions83

Justice Towards Polytheists and Infidels84

Blood-money and Retaliation Ensure Justice85

The Law of Qisas (Retaliation) in the Holy Qur'an86

Moderation in Worship87

Moderation in Appreciation and Criticism87

Moderation in Expenditure and Charities87

Justice in Personal Life88

Moderation in Frugality88

Output of Work88

Justice in Distribution of Property89

Justice in Sharing and Spending89

To Establish Justice Prophet's Instructions Should be Followed89

Jurist is Responsible For the Supervision of Social Justice90

Guardianship of Jurist Ensures Social Justice90

A Story Regarding Rights91

Reasons for Turning Away From Justice92

The Verse Which Made the Holy Prophet Feel Old92

Social Justice is For Public Welfare93

Prophethood94

Sign of Inability to Recognize Allah95

The Role of Knowledge and Intellect95

Necessity of Prophets' Guidance96

Difference Between Man's Knowledge And Prophets' Teachings99

The Necessity of Following the Guidance of the Prophets101

Prophets' Path-Mankind's Long-standing Desire101

The Prophets in the Mirror of the Holy Qur'an102

A Review of Other Forms of Thinking103

Why People Obey the Laws?103

Who is Responsible for the Enforcement of Laws?105

Signs of the Prophets107

The Philosophy of Miracles109

Salient Features of the Holy Qur'an109

The Unbeaten Challenge for 14 Centuries110

Towards Understanding the Holy Qur'an112

The ignorant (Surah al-Jashiya, 45:18) and114

Rules for Recitation of the Holy Qur'an116

Attributes of the Prophets and the Life of the Last Prophet118

Social Life of the Prophets119

Cautioning the Prophets120

Conduct of the Prophets120

Infallibility122

Signs of Conviction123

Proof of Infallibility for a Divine Leader124

Points to Ponder124

Some Special Merits of the Prophets125

Submission to Allah126

A Glance at the Life of the Holy Prophet127

His Morals128

His Family Life128

His Feelings For the New-born128

He Was Not an Opportunist129

He Was Always on the Lead129

His Hospitality130

His Extreme Dedication130

His Insight and Sagacity130

The Holy Prophet in the Battlefield131

His Decisiveness131

His Piety and Devotion131

His Loyalty132

His Method of Teaching132

His Sheltering the Enemy132

His Behavior with the Enemies133

Affectionate Treatment of His Friends133

Some Special Traits of the Holy Prophet133

His Concern of the Common Man134

His Consulting the People135

His Behavior with His Opponents135

An Apology To the Holy Prophet136

False Accusations139

Prophets' Achievements147

The Duties of the Prophets147

Prophets-the Warners and Bearers of Glad Tidings154

Friends and Foes of Prophets160

The Opponents of the Prophets160

Why People Opposed the Prophets?162

Sufferings of the Followers of the Prophets168

Destructive Activities of the Hypocrites168

They Raised Objections169

Why the Followers of the Prophets Were Sincere?169

Unsteady Followers170

The Loyal Followers of the Prophets172

Imamate175

Is Imamate Included in the Fundamentals of Faith?175

Imamate is One of the Fundamentals of Faith175

Direct Link of Imamate with Monotheism177

The Need of an Imam178

Is the Holy Qur'an Not Sufficient?178

The Conduct of the Imam180

The Stress on the Meaning of Imam182

The Role of Imam in Hadith183

The Purpose of Imamate and Leadership183

The Signs and the Attributes of the Imam185

The Holy Prophet's Endeavours187

What would be a greater sin than to ignore the bequest of the Holy Prophet?190

Expression of Truth and Endeavors for it190

Some Attributes of the Imam190

Some Other Attributes of the Imam193

Some More Attributes of Imam195

The Method of Appointing the Imam196

Unpleasant Experiences197

Was Bal'am Ba'ur not a wise man who for the love of worldly things lost all his merits?198

People's Decision is Not Always Correct199

Various Methods of Appointing the Leader200

The Imam is Appointed by Allah200

Natural Flaws of Election System204

The Right Method For Selecting the Imam204

Election is Forbidden205

Nomination is the Only Correct Method205

The Nomination of the Best Person206

Some of the Attributes of Imam Ali and ahlul bayt206

Even the Angel Could Not Do208

Imam's House is the Place of Angels' Visits208

Some Other Attributes of Imam Ali208

Mutual Rights of the Imam and His Followers209

Obligations of the Ummah210

The Last Purpose of the hajj210

The Zealous Shi'ah211

False Shi'ah211

How the Imamate of the Infallible Imams Got Weakened?211

Sufferings of the True Believers211

Novel Forms of Tyrannies and Oppression213

Oppression by Pen214

Allegations Against the Shi'ah214

Is It Possible For People to Give up Truth?215

Why People are Distracted From Truth Despite Their Good Deeds?215

Conformity Between the Shi'ah and Ahlus Sunnah215

Lawful and Unlawful Guardianship215

Who is the Qualified Leader and Guardian?216

The Role of the Jurist218

The Day of Resurrection222

Natural Arguments222

Guidance to Right Arguments223

Allah's Message Through Prophets223

Coming of the Dead to Life is Not Impossible224

A Memorable Incident of the Holy Qur'an224

Other Examples in Proof of Resurrection225

The First Proof of Resurrection is Allah's Justice227

Standard of Values in Islam229

Self-sacrifice of Ahlul Bayt229

Tooth for Tooth, Nail for Nail230

Examples of Worldly Punishments231

The First Proof-Justice of Allah233

There is No Obstacle in the Resurrection234

(i) Immense knowledge and234

Real Difficulty That Faces Us235

The Second Proof-Allah's Wisdom235

The Earth Underneath a Glorious Canopy236

The Holy Prophet as a Sympathetic Physician236

The Impact of the Belief in Resurrection241

Impact of Resurrection on Economic Matters241

Impact of Resurrection on Military Affairs241

Impact of Resurrection Against Politicians and Transgressors242

Impact of Resurrection of the Deprived Persons243

Belief in Resurrection Ensures Perfection244

Belief in Resurrection and Its Remembrance244

The Effects of Remembering Death and the Resurrection Day246

Remembering of Death in Supplications247

Imam Ali's Supplication in Masjid Kufa247

Why Do We not Remember Death?248

Consequences of Denying the Resurrection Day248

Death Is a Divine Law250

Foreword

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

The Book in hand is the compilation of the series of lectures that were delivered to a select group of young men over a long period of time by Professor Mohsin Qara'ati. It is the substance of his speeches that he made from time to time. The novel style together with his insight and vast knowledge of the teachings of Islam has brought fame to Prof. Qara'ati.

It was about fifteen years ago that when Prof. Qara'ati rose as a scholar from the religious centre of learning and teaching in Qum, he selected for himself a different mode of imparting religious knowledge to the younger people of his hometown.

One day while Prof. Qara'ati was on a visit to his hometown, Kashan, a novel idea suddenly struck him. He saw some young men at the corner of the street; approaching them he said: "O my dear young men! Can I have the favor of winning your friendship so that we could give to one another a good company in a masjid and have small discussions on religious matters and arrive at a solution of problems confronting us".

Thus he started a program of giving lectures in a small masjid in Kashan during the Holy month of Ramazan. At the end of the month, Prof. Qara'ati suggested to his students to continue this program on weekly basis. He used to come to Kashan every Friday and deliver lectures. This routine continued for four years and the number of his people gradually increased as they were greatly attracted by Prof. Qara'ati's talks.

When his fellow-students in Qum learnt about his activity in Kashan, they became curious about it and wanted to have a close view of the small gathering there. They liked the idea of imparting education on religion in an exceptionally unique style of delivering brief talks with audio-visual aids. Prof.

Qara'ati used a black-board for the purpose of demonstrations. Gradually, they expanded the area of their activity on a countrywide basis and an annual gathering was held in Qum. This program continued for six years. This was the time when the last of the monarchs of the Pahlavi dynasty ruled over the people of Iran in the most abominably despotic manner.

He got very much scared of the activities of these devoted followers of Islam and ultimately by the order of the Shah such meetings and seminars on religious teachings were banned. Despite this Prof.

Mohsin Qara'ati stood as a sentinel, and his guidance and training of his dedicated students which swelled in large numbers proved very successful, as after the Islamic Revolution in Iran these classes were given official recognition, so much so that his lectures are broadcast by radio and telecast on television.

Now a few words about the book in itself. One thing is certain that whatever you happen to read in this book it is the same which was taught to his pupils by Prof. Qara'ati in his talks in the classroom through audio-visual system.

But it is not necessary to explain here as to how these talks were reproduced in the form of written lessons. It is just like an art of chiseling statues out of stones. Just as chiseling itself cannot be produced in writing so also the delivery of speech cannot be reproduced in black and white.

Therefore, lecturing is like an art where words are chiseled out in order to give a correct form and shape in the mind like mental pictures. Here, the lecturing or delivering sermons is an art which the pupils learn by watching and listening to an experienced teacher, who is the master of his craft and who applies his own experience and vision. That kind of acquiring knowledge is not as simple as studying books.

The series of lectures contained in this book have been based on Qur'anic verses and the sayings of the Holy Prophet and his Chosen descendants (peace be on them) with logical conclusions and connotations of the subject-matter being dealt with therein.

Unfamiliar terms and unnecessary details have been avoided. Another noteworthy point worth-mentioning is that these lessons were primarily addressed to and meant for the pupils who were about 18 years of age.

Besides, the problems that have been discussed in these lessons were solved by citing examples and quoting proverbs. Hence, the problems appear to be interesting and the solution obtained by logic and reasoning are easily understood.

It was a novel method that Prof. Qara'ati used on the pattern of Qur'anic teachings. If one cares to scrutinize these lessons carefully it will soon become evident that the Holy Qur'an too has used parables and cited metaphors and similes.

In a nutshell one should take into consideration the following points;

(i) After completing the preliminary education one should decide to teach the ideology and the principles of faith to the people or one should hand over this responsibility to the one who is expert in this field.

(ii) One should try to find out the dire necessity of the society and one's inclinations to discover the Right Path so as to lead oneself to that path.

(iii) Religious scholars, teachers and speakers should specialize in more than one branch of knowledge e.g. Islamic history, Islamic ideology, fundamentals of faith, exegeses and the art of teaching children and young people.

(iv) The lecture classes in masjid should include the imparting of religious knowledge to young girls, housewives, workers and laborers and even educated male persons.

(v) The system of imparting knowledge should be adapted to the present day conditions and demands, and the masjids should be treated as the citadel of Islam as well as the seat of learning.

(vi) According to Imam Ja'far Sadiq, (peace is on him) a teacher besides imparting lessons of fundamental knowledge, should also enlighten his pupils on the subject in whom they are interested.

(vii) Special care should be taken in teaching children and younger people and this should be done by one who is expert in child psychology.

The large number of books which have been written for children and young people in simple and easy-to-understand style are not sufficient enough and, therefore, it is necessary that this work should be expanded on the country-wide basis.

In conclusion, this book deals with all the vital problems that confront our younger generation. We hope that this comprehensive book will also help those who are engaged in teaching and learning the principles of Islam. We pray to Almighty Allah to grant us enough strength to acquaint the people in large numbers with the teachings of Islam.

The Publishers

Signs of Hypocrisy

وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمْ تُعْجِبُكَ أَجْسَامُهُمْ وَإِن يَقُولُوا تَسْمَعْ لِقَوْلِهِمْ كَأَنَّهُمْ خُشُبٌ مُّسَنَّدَةٌ يَحْسَبُونَ كُلَّ صَيْحَةٍ عَلَيْهِمْ هُمُ الْعَدُوُّ فَاحْذَرْهُمْ قَاتَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ أَنَّى يُؤْفَكُونَ

“When you look at them, their exteriors please you. When they speak, you listen to their words. They are as (worthless as hollow) pieces of timber propped up, (unable to stand on their own). They think that every cry is against them. They are the enemies; so beware of them. The curse of Allahbe on them! How deluded they are (from the truth)!” 1

The goal of this verse is to make clear the signs of hypocrisy. One can differentiate a hypocrite from a believer by looking for these signs. These signs are, to a certain degree, general and are present in hypocrites of this day and age. We will now explain these characteristics.

They HaveThe Ability To Hide Their True Face

Commentators of the Qur’an say:“The hypocrites were handsome men during the time of revelation. ‛Abd Allah binUbay was at the head of the hypocrites and his followers were all tall and handsome. They used their good looks for profit.” 2 Because of the historical circumstances surrounding this verse, we cannot take the appealing appearance of the hypocrites as a general principle.

Perhaps the meaning of the sentence:“When you look at them, their exteriors please you,” is that the hypocrites hide their true face in front of the believers. The way that they conduct themselves, with peace andtranquility, would please anyone. Believers think them to be righteous individuals.

This possibility might be closer to the actual meaning of the verse than what other commentators have mentioned. According to this interpretation a general or at least prevailing principle is formed. Hypocrites hide their faces to cover up their hypocrisy and find a place amongst the believers while, in reality, they are predators and hold a deep-rooted animosity. Of course, this peace and tranquility does not prevent them from speaking their minds at necessary times.

They AreBoth Outspoken And Eloquent Speakers

This point is clear. The hypocrite does not believe what he is pretending to be. Sometimes he thinks that others can understand that he is a hypocrite, so he tries to cover this feeling of theirs by being generous in speech.

The hypocrite tries to gain trust by paying attention to the believer. In the early Islamic period, they were so eloquent in their speech that sometimes it seemed as if they attracted the Prophet's (S) attention as the verse says:“When they speak, you listen to their words.”

We must not be tricked by a group's generous speech. At the very least we should consider the possibility that one is speaking this way to trick us, not because they care for us.

They Are As Worthless As Hollow PiecesOf Timber Propped Up

Hypocrites, at the time of revelation, would enter the mosque at sit leaning against the walls at the end of the hall. They did not gain the least out of divine revelation or the Prophet's (S) words. They did not understand reality. They were like spiritless bodies or dry sticks that did not show the smallest reaction towards the Prophet's (S) wise and logical speeches. Let the reader think: was there a soul in their bodies?

Occasionally it is understood from depicting them as pieces of timber leaning against a wall that they have a useless existence. Wood is useful when used for work or holding up a building. If it is not being used, it is not profitable. This explanation is a little too far from the apparent and common (‛urfi ) meaning of the verse.

There is also a third possibility which might be more correct than the first two. It is possible to say that the reason they are depicted as timber leaning on walls is that they are like dry wood in front of natural disasters. They do not show the smallest amount of compassion. The Arabic word 'khashab ' means dry wood devoid of softness or, metaphorically, compassion.

Showing the correct amount of sympathy in the face of events is a sign of belief. Examples of not showing correct sympathy are using flattery, opportunism or going back and forth in a decision.

Opportunistic people do not have a clear aim in life. They do not keep to any principle in life. They throw all of their principles aside when various circumstances appear in their life. Compassionate people will make peace with the public and even with their enemies if their principles or goals are not in danger. They would rather hold to their principles then make a little extra profit.

Nature teaches us that a tornado does not discriminate between young and old trees, flowers, plants or farmlands. Fields of grain and gardens full of plants and flowers do not show resistance against the tornado. They bend down while the tornado passes by. Then, after one minute, these plants return to their normal state. In contrast to this, dry trees lack such flexibility and try to resist the tornado, but are destroyed after only a few minutes.

The Prophet of Islam (S) explained this social reality in one of his speeches:“A believer is like a spike of wheat. When strong wind hits him sometimes he stands up and sometimes he sits down. Disbelievers, who do not bend down with compassion and who do not make peace with people, are like sturdy trees that are destroyed by a strong wind.” 3

Because of their lack of a good mind and intellect, hypocrites did not listen to these words of the Prophet, even though it would have brought them profit, They were never willing to analyze Islamic principles and laws because their hearts were blind. They were never willing to act on principles that were only to their advantage.

Hypocrites' actions and words are illogical because of the disease of hypocrisy which is inside of them. An example of such illogical thinking occurred when the Messenger of Allah (S) and the believers in his religion made peace with Islam's obstinate enemies in the land ofHudaybiyah and a group of near-sighted people because angry.

We will now relate an example of humanity's greatest sympathizer, the Prophet of Islam (S) and his actions at the war ofHudaybiyah . It will become clear that the exalted leader of Islam (S) displayed the highest level of compassion since his principles were not in danger:

The Muslims were confronted with strong resistance from the polytheistic army of Mecca in the days ofHudaybiyah . The days ofHudaybiyah were when the Muslims stopped in a place calledHudaybiyah in order to make the lesser pilgrimage (‛ummrah ).

An intense war was about to begin between the two parties. Various representatives of theQuraysh came to the Prophet (S) to discuss the situation. None of them was able to solve the situation diplomatically. FinallySuhayl bin ‛Umar was sent to end this situation by making a peace treaty.

The Prophet sawSuhayl and said:“Suhayl has come to make a peace treaty between us and theQuraysh .” Suhayl came and sat down. He spoke as a diplomat and sparked the generosity of the Prophet to perform a few actions.

Suhayl said:“Oh Abu al-Qasim ! Mecca is our holy ground and a place of honor for us. The Arab world knows that you have fought against us. If you enter Mecca with force and with your great strength, you would make our weakness and helplessness known to the whole Arab world. Tomorrow all of the Arabs will be mocking our land. I swear by the pleasant thoughts that you have towards us, by the respect for Mecca and by your birthplace…”

The Prophet of Islam (S) then interruptedSuhayl and asked:“What are you getting at?”

Suhayl said:“The leaders of theQuraysh want all of you to go back to Medina this year and leave your obligatory pilgrimage for next year. Next year, the Muslims will be able to participate in all of the pilgrimage ceremonies like every other Arab tribe, with the two conditions that they do not stay in Mecca for more than three days and that they cannot have a weapon other than the traveler's sword.”

Suhayl's conversation with the Prophet (S) resulted in a comprehensive peace treaty between the Muslims and theQuraysh .Suhayl was extremely demanding in the specifics and the conditions of the peace treaty. Sometimes the peace treaty was close to being ripped up before it was signed, but because both sides wanted peace they would start over.

The peace treaty, despiteSuhayl's inflexibility, was written. It was decided that the peace treaty should be written on two pieces of paper and both documents signed by both parties.

According to most historians, the Prophet (S) ordered ‛Ali (a) to write the peace treaty in the following manner:

The Prophet (S) ordered the Commander of the Faithful to write: 'In the name of God, the Compassionate,the Merciful.' ‛Ali (a) wrote it, andSuhayl said:“I am not familiar with this sentence,Do not write the Compassionate, the Merciful. Instead, you should write: 'In your name, Oh God.”

The Prophet of Islam (S) accepted and ‛Ali (a) wrote it the waySuhayl wanted. The Prophet (S) then ordered him to write, 'This peace treaty was written by Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah.'Suhayl objected and said:“Yourprophethood is not part of our customs. If we accepted yourprophethood we would have never come to fight against you. You must write it in your and your father's name alone. The phrase 'the Messenger of Allah' must be erased.”

Some of the Muslims did not agree with the Prophet (S) in surrendering this much toSuhayl's wishes. But the Prophet (S) was thinking about the enormous consequences of this peace treaty and acceptedSuhayl's objection. He ordered ‛Ali (a) to erase the phrase 'the Messenger of Allah.'

Here, ‛Ali (a) said with the utmost respect:“I do not have the ability to eraseprophethood from your holy name.”

Then the Prophet (S) told ‛Ali (a) to place his finger over the words 'the Messenger of Allah' and he would erase them himself. ‛Ali (a) did this and the prophet erased the phrase.4

The flexibility that the honorable leader of Islam (S) showed, while writing the peace treaty, was unprecedented in the world. This is because he was not engrossed by materialism or his own personal feelings. He knew that the truth would not be changed by writing or erasing a word. He agreed with everything that his opponent proposed in order to protect the peace treaty.

History Repeats Itself

The first student of the Prophet of Islam (a) faced this very hardship. The Prophet's second breath, ‛Ali (a) was like a photocopy of the Prophet. In many instances, he was faced with situations similar to those the Prophet faced and he acted as the Prophet would have. When ‛Ali (a) refused to erase the words 'the Messenger of Allah' the Prophet (S) turned towards him. The Prophet (S) knew that ‛Ali (a) would face a situation similar to his own, so he said:“The children of these people will invite you to do this and you, being totally oppressed, will do it.” 5

These words were in ‛Ali's (a) mind until the war ofSiffin presented itself. The Commander of theFaithful's gullible army was tricked by Syria's army. Syria's army was led byMu‛awiyah and ‛Amr ‛As. ‛Ali's (a) own army forced him to agree on a peace treaty. A group was formed to compose the peace treaty.

‛Ubayd Allah binAbi Rafi ‛, the Commander of theFaithful's secretary, was ordered by ‛Ali (a) to write:“This is what the Commander of the Faithful, ‛Ali, decrees…”

At that moment, ‛Amr ‛As, representingMu‛awiyah and the Syrian army, turned towards ‛Ali's (a) secretary and said:“Write ‛Ali's name and his father's. If we officially accepted him as the Commander of the Faithful we would have never entered into war against him.” The speech was long, and the Commander of the Faithful did not want to give his gullible soldiers an excuse. The peace treaty was debated for over a day when ‛Ali (a) gave the permission to erase the phrase 'the Commander of the Faithful' because of his own officer's insistence.

‛Ali (a) then said:“God is the greatest, custom to custom (sunnah bi-sunnah ).” He then related the story ofHudaybiyah and what the Prophet (S) had said to the people.6

The Text ofThe Peace Treaty ofHudaybiyah

TheQuraysh and the Muslims both agree not to fight each other for ten years, so that there will be general peace and safety in the Arab Peninsula.

Muhammad must send back any person of theQuraysh if he leaves Mecca, becomes Muslim, and joins up with the Muslims without the permission of his elders. But it is not necessary for theQuraysh to send back a Muslim who comes to them.

The Muslims and theQuraysh can make agreements and pacts with any other tribe.

This year, Muhammad and his followers must return back to Medina from this place. In the years to come they can come freely to Mecca and visit the house of God, with the conditions that they do not stay for more than three days in Mecca and that they do not carry any weapon with them except for the traveler's sword.7

Muslims who live in Mecca can perform their religious ceremonies freely. TheQuraysh do not have the right to bother them or make them return to their previous religion. TheQuraysh also do not have the right to ridicule their religion.8

The two signature parties agree that each other's property must be respected. All deceptions should be stopped. The hatred that they have for each other must be erased from their hearts. When a Muslim enters Mecca, his money and possessions should be respected.9

This is the text of the peace treaty ofHudaybiyah . It has been collected from different sources, and some of these sources have been mentioned in the footnotes. This peace treaty was written on two pieces of paper and approved by a group of both the leaders of theQuraysh and the Islamic community. One of the documents was given toSuhayl and the other to the Honorable Prophet (S).10

This peace treaty and others like it that were written in the lifetime of the Prophet and other leaders of Islam reveal the flexibility that they displayed before their enemies. This also allows us to show flexibility when our principles and goals are not in danger. In doing this, our opponent will be attracted to our sympathy and trustworthiness.

Islam shows us, with these historical treaties, that wars or any other trials in life are goals in and of themselves; they should not be seen as means to a separate goal.

They Are Frightened by Any Calamity

Hypocrites commit all kinds of atrocities behind the mask of their good appearance. They hide their actions behind an urbane façade. But they always fear that the curtain will be lifted and that their crimes will manifest themselves. A huge cloud of fear has engrossed their hearts.

Because of this, they are scared of anything that might remove the smoke screen they have put up. Sometimes they become frightened by a simple letter or by someone asking them to explain a small point. Whenever they are confronted with the smallest change in society, even if it is due to an unforeseen event, or whenever they examine the society, they think that everyone has found out their secret. They imaging that they are going to be arrested and punished.

The reason for this is that optimism, dignity, bravery and firmness come from those people of society who have pure hearts and stay away from sin and hypocrisy. Fear, anxiety and agitation are the direct results of sin and hypocrisy. The Arab proverb:“A treacherous person is always scared,” expresses this point.

The Qur’an mentions that fear and agitation dominate the hearts of hypocrites. They are scared of any commotion, change or sound which they think is to their detriment. This is seen in the verse under explanation,“They think that every cry is against them.”

They Are Enemies inA League of Their Own

The holy religion of Islam claims to be the last heavenly religion brought down by the Seal of the Prophets (S). It states clearly that the reign of other religions has come to an end. Only one religion, Islam, will rule over the people.

It goes unsaid that this statement that 'the reign of other religions ahs come to an end,' created many different kinds of enemies. The followers of the Church, for example considered themselves enemies of Islam. With all of these great enemies, the Qur’an still only alludes to one enemy, and proclaims that this enemy is the real enemy of the Muslim people. Other enemies are not given importance. It is believed that the Muslims have only one enemy: the hypocrites. This has been clearly mentioned by the verse:“They are the enemies; so beware of them.”

The question might be asked:“How do you say that the hypocrites are the only enemies of Islam when the enmity of the Christians and Jews was and still is manifest?” The answer to this question becomes clear with the explanation of the previous verses.

The hostility that other groups had for Islam was obvious; it was written on their foreheads. But the damage caused by the hypocrites, who pretended to befriends and showed not the smallest sign of ill will, was greater than any other group. For this reason it is not an exaggeration to say that the hypocrites are enemies in a league of their own. Turn the pages of history with precision, examine the damage caused by those who pretended to be Muslim, and be the judge of this claimyourself .

During the age of the khulufa11 ,

Jewish Rabbis likeK‛ab al-Ahbar ,Wahab binMinbah and ‛Abd Allah bin Salam, who pretended to be Muslim, caused irreconcilable damage to Islam. They were either companions (sahabah ) or companions of the companions (tabi‛in ). They invented superstitious traditions and spread them between the Muslims. They wrote commentaries on the Qur’an and related traditions from the viewpoint of Judaism.12

For centuries, the results of the evil actions of these imposters were accepted as truth by the Muslims.

Samarah binJundab , who is considered a companion of the Prophet, wasMu‛awiyah's publicist. He falsified the occasion and reason of revelation for two verses of the Qur’an for the price of 1,400dirhams . He said that the verse which was revealed about ‛Ali (a) when he slept in the Prophet's bed on the night of the migration13 was actually about ‛Abd al-Rahman binMuljam , who murdered ‛Ali (a). He also said that a verse concerning the hypocrites14 was about ‛Ali (a).

He said these incredible lies in front of thousands of Syrian Muslims who did not know ‛Ali's (a) position vis-à-vis the Prophet or Allah. He enticed them to spill ‛Ali's blood (a) and his follower and the blood of his followers.

The war between the Syrians and ‛Ali (a) took place as a result of the actions of these hypocrites. The war ended deceitfully after Syria lost 125,000 soldiers. Moreover, 65,000 members of ‛Ali's (a) army were martyred.

It is here that one must recall one of theCommander of theFaithful's important sayings about hypocrites. He said the following about the group of hypocrites who pretended to be companions of the Prophet and attributed many lies to him for their own benefit:“People would never believe them if they knew that they were hypocrites and liars. But people have been deceived about their companionship with the Prophet. They tell themselves that these people saw the Prophet, heard and accepted truths from him and that they never say anything in opposition to the truth, while in fact they, the Muslims, do not know the condition of these people.” 15

AbuHurayrah was present for three years during the time of the Prophet. He made up many strange traditions and attributed them to the Prophet. This angered ‛Umar immensely. ‛Umar whipped him and said:“You do not have the right to relate traditions from the Prophet. If you do, I shall exile you to the land of your ancestors.”

One day, in the presence of ‛Ali (a), AbuHurayrah's name came up. ‛Ali (a) said:“He attributed the most lies to the Prophet.” 16 )

There are just some examples of the irreconcilable damage that was caused by the hypocrites at the beginning of Islam. If we look at the damage that the rest of the hypocrites caused to our noble religion, we would see the truth behind Allah's words:“They are the enemies.” We would always supplicate to Allah to rid our society of their evil.

Notes

1. 63:4

2.Tabarasi ,Majmu ‛Al-Bayan , volume 10, under the commentary ofSurah Munafiqun

3.Ruh al-Bayan , under the explanation of the same verse

4.Shaykh Mufid ,Irshad , page 61; ‛Allamah Majlisi , Bihar al-Anwar, volume 20, page 368

5.Ibn Kathir , al-Kamil , volume 2, page 138; ‛Allamah Majlisi , Bihar al-Anwar, volume 20, page 353

6.Ibn Kathir , al-Kamil , volume 3, page 162

7.Halabi ,Sirah , volume 3, page 24

8. ‛Allamah Majlisi , Bihar al-Anwar, volume 20, page 353

9.Shaykh Tabarasi ,Majmu ‛ al-Bayan , volume 9, page 117

10.Halabi ,Sirah , volume 3, pages 25-26

11. This is the age of the first three caliphs, namely AbuBakr , ‛Umar and ‛Uthman . During this time, Islam spread tofar away lands and, because of the dominance of the Islamic society and culture, all opposition parties were forced to swallow their hatred.

12.Ibn Khaldun ,Muqadamah , page 416

13. 2:207

14. 2:204

15. Imam ‛Ali (a),Nahj al-Balaghah , sermon 205

16.Sharef al-Din ‛Amuli , AbuHurayrah , page 27 (Arabic version

Signs of Hypocrisy

وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمْ تُعْجِبُكَ أَجْسَامُهُمْ وَإِن يَقُولُوا تَسْمَعْ لِقَوْلِهِمْ كَأَنَّهُمْ خُشُبٌ مُّسَنَّدَةٌ يَحْسَبُونَ كُلَّ صَيْحَةٍ عَلَيْهِمْ هُمُ الْعَدُوُّ فَاحْذَرْهُمْ قَاتَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ أَنَّى يُؤْفَكُونَ

“When you look at them, their exteriors please you. When they speak, you listen to their words. They are as (worthless as hollow) pieces of timber propped up, (unable to stand on their own). They think that every cry is against them. They are the enemies; so beware of them. The curse of Allahbe on them! How deluded they are (from the truth)!” 1

The goal of this verse is to make clear the signs of hypocrisy. One can differentiate a hypocrite from a believer by looking for these signs. These signs are, to a certain degree, general and are present in hypocrites of this day and age. We will now explain these characteristics.

They HaveThe Ability To Hide Their True Face

Commentators of the Qur’an say:“The hypocrites were handsome men during the time of revelation. ‛Abd Allah binUbay was at the head of the hypocrites and his followers were all tall and handsome. They used their good looks for profit.” 2 Because of the historical circumstances surrounding this verse, we cannot take the appealing appearance of the hypocrites as a general principle.

Perhaps the meaning of the sentence:“When you look at them, their exteriors please you,” is that the hypocrites hide their true face in front of the believers. The way that they conduct themselves, with peace andtranquility, would please anyone. Believers think them to be righteous individuals.

This possibility might be closer to the actual meaning of the verse than what other commentators have mentioned. According to this interpretation a general or at least prevailing principle is formed. Hypocrites hide their faces to cover up their hypocrisy and find a place amongst the believers while, in reality, they are predators and hold a deep-rooted animosity. Of course, this peace and tranquility does not prevent them from speaking their minds at necessary times.

They AreBoth Outspoken And Eloquent Speakers

This point is clear. The hypocrite does not believe what he is pretending to be. Sometimes he thinks that others can understand that he is a hypocrite, so he tries to cover this feeling of theirs by being generous in speech.

The hypocrite tries to gain trust by paying attention to the believer. In the early Islamic period, they were so eloquent in their speech that sometimes it seemed as if they attracted the Prophet's (S) attention as the verse says:“When they speak, you listen to their words.”

We must not be tricked by a group's generous speech. At the very least we should consider the possibility that one is speaking this way to trick us, not because they care for us.

They Are As Worthless As Hollow PiecesOf Timber Propped Up

Hypocrites, at the time of revelation, would enter the mosque at sit leaning against the walls at the end of the hall. They did not gain the least out of divine revelation or the Prophet's (S) words. They did not understand reality. They were like spiritless bodies or dry sticks that did not show the smallest reaction towards the Prophet's (S) wise and logical speeches. Let the reader think: was there a soul in their bodies?

Occasionally it is understood from depicting them as pieces of timber leaning against a wall that they have a useless existence. Wood is useful when used for work or holding up a building. If it is not being used, it is not profitable. This explanation is a little too far from the apparent and common (‛urfi ) meaning of the verse.

There is also a third possibility which might be more correct than the first two. It is possible to say that the reason they are depicted as timber leaning on walls is that they are like dry wood in front of natural disasters. They do not show the smallest amount of compassion. The Arabic word 'khashab ' means dry wood devoid of softness or, metaphorically, compassion.

Showing the correct amount of sympathy in the face of events is a sign of belief. Examples of not showing correct sympathy are using flattery, opportunism or going back and forth in a decision.

Opportunistic people do not have a clear aim in life. They do not keep to any principle in life. They throw all of their principles aside when various circumstances appear in their life. Compassionate people will make peace with the public and even with their enemies if their principles or goals are not in danger. They would rather hold to their principles then make a little extra profit.

Nature teaches us that a tornado does not discriminate between young and old trees, flowers, plants or farmlands. Fields of grain and gardens full of plants and flowers do not show resistance against the tornado. They bend down while the tornado passes by. Then, after one minute, these plants return to their normal state. In contrast to this, dry trees lack such flexibility and try to resist the tornado, but are destroyed after only a few minutes.

The Prophet of Islam (S) explained this social reality in one of his speeches:“A believer is like a spike of wheat. When strong wind hits him sometimes he stands up and sometimes he sits down. Disbelievers, who do not bend down with compassion and who do not make peace with people, are like sturdy trees that are destroyed by a strong wind.” 3

Because of their lack of a good mind and intellect, hypocrites did not listen to these words of the Prophet, even though it would have brought them profit, They were never willing to analyze Islamic principles and laws because their hearts were blind. They were never willing to act on principles that were only to their advantage.

Hypocrites' actions and words are illogical because of the disease of hypocrisy which is inside of them. An example of such illogical thinking occurred when the Messenger of Allah (S) and the believers in his religion made peace with Islam's obstinate enemies in the land ofHudaybiyah and a group of near-sighted people because angry.

We will now relate an example of humanity's greatest sympathizer, the Prophet of Islam (S) and his actions at the war ofHudaybiyah . It will become clear that the exalted leader of Islam (S) displayed the highest level of compassion since his principles were not in danger:

The Muslims were confronted with strong resistance from the polytheistic army of Mecca in the days ofHudaybiyah . The days ofHudaybiyah were when the Muslims stopped in a place calledHudaybiyah in order to make the lesser pilgrimage (‛ummrah ).

An intense war was about to begin between the two parties. Various representatives of theQuraysh came to the Prophet (S) to discuss the situation. None of them was able to solve the situation diplomatically. FinallySuhayl bin ‛Umar was sent to end this situation by making a peace treaty.

The Prophet sawSuhayl and said:“Suhayl has come to make a peace treaty between us and theQuraysh .” Suhayl came and sat down. He spoke as a diplomat and sparked the generosity of the Prophet to perform a few actions.

Suhayl said:“Oh Abu al-Qasim ! Mecca is our holy ground and a place of honor for us. The Arab world knows that you have fought against us. If you enter Mecca with force and with your great strength, you would make our weakness and helplessness known to the whole Arab world. Tomorrow all of the Arabs will be mocking our land. I swear by the pleasant thoughts that you have towards us, by the respect for Mecca and by your birthplace…”

The Prophet of Islam (S) then interruptedSuhayl and asked:“What are you getting at?”

Suhayl said:“The leaders of theQuraysh want all of you to go back to Medina this year and leave your obligatory pilgrimage for next year. Next year, the Muslims will be able to participate in all of the pilgrimage ceremonies like every other Arab tribe, with the two conditions that they do not stay in Mecca for more than three days and that they cannot have a weapon other than the traveler's sword.”

Suhayl's conversation with the Prophet (S) resulted in a comprehensive peace treaty between the Muslims and theQuraysh .Suhayl was extremely demanding in the specifics and the conditions of the peace treaty. Sometimes the peace treaty was close to being ripped up before it was signed, but because both sides wanted peace they would start over.

The peace treaty, despiteSuhayl's inflexibility, was written. It was decided that the peace treaty should be written on two pieces of paper and both documents signed by both parties.

According to most historians, the Prophet (S) ordered ‛Ali (a) to write the peace treaty in the following manner:

The Prophet (S) ordered the Commander of the Faithful to write: 'In the name of God, the Compassionate,the Merciful.' ‛Ali (a) wrote it, andSuhayl said:“I am not familiar with this sentence,Do not write the Compassionate, the Merciful. Instead, you should write: 'In your name, Oh God.”

The Prophet of Islam (S) accepted and ‛Ali (a) wrote it the waySuhayl wanted. The Prophet (S) then ordered him to write, 'This peace treaty was written by Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah.'Suhayl objected and said:“Yourprophethood is not part of our customs. If we accepted yourprophethood we would have never come to fight against you. You must write it in your and your father's name alone. The phrase 'the Messenger of Allah' must be erased.”

Some of the Muslims did not agree with the Prophet (S) in surrendering this much toSuhayl's wishes. But the Prophet (S) was thinking about the enormous consequences of this peace treaty and acceptedSuhayl's objection. He ordered ‛Ali (a) to erase the phrase 'the Messenger of Allah.'

Here, ‛Ali (a) said with the utmost respect:“I do not have the ability to eraseprophethood from your holy name.”

Then the Prophet (S) told ‛Ali (a) to place his finger over the words 'the Messenger of Allah' and he would erase them himself. ‛Ali (a) did this and the prophet erased the phrase.4

The flexibility that the honorable leader of Islam (S) showed, while writing the peace treaty, was unprecedented in the world. This is because he was not engrossed by materialism or his own personal feelings. He knew that the truth would not be changed by writing or erasing a word. He agreed with everything that his opponent proposed in order to protect the peace treaty.

History Repeats Itself

The first student of the Prophet of Islam (a) faced this very hardship. The Prophet's second breath, ‛Ali (a) was like a photocopy of the Prophet. In many instances, he was faced with situations similar to those the Prophet faced and he acted as the Prophet would have. When ‛Ali (a) refused to erase the words 'the Messenger of Allah' the Prophet (S) turned towards him. The Prophet (S) knew that ‛Ali (a) would face a situation similar to his own, so he said:“The children of these people will invite you to do this and you, being totally oppressed, will do it.” 5

These words were in ‛Ali's (a) mind until the war ofSiffin presented itself. The Commander of theFaithful's gullible army was tricked by Syria's army. Syria's army was led byMu‛awiyah and ‛Amr ‛As. ‛Ali's (a) own army forced him to agree on a peace treaty. A group was formed to compose the peace treaty.

‛Ubayd Allah binAbi Rafi ‛, the Commander of theFaithful's secretary, was ordered by ‛Ali (a) to write:“This is what the Commander of the Faithful, ‛Ali, decrees…”

At that moment, ‛Amr ‛As, representingMu‛awiyah and the Syrian army, turned towards ‛Ali's (a) secretary and said:“Write ‛Ali's name and his father's. If we officially accepted him as the Commander of the Faithful we would have never entered into war against him.” The speech was long, and the Commander of the Faithful did not want to give his gullible soldiers an excuse. The peace treaty was debated for over a day when ‛Ali (a) gave the permission to erase the phrase 'the Commander of the Faithful' because of his own officer's insistence.

‛Ali (a) then said:“God is the greatest, custom to custom (sunnah bi-sunnah ).” He then related the story ofHudaybiyah and what the Prophet (S) had said to the people.6

The Text ofThe Peace Treaty ofHudaybiyah

TheQuraysh and the Muslims both agree not to fight each other for ten years, so that there will be general peace and safety in the Arab Peninsula.

Muhammad must send back any person of theQuraysh if he leaves Mecca, becomes Muslim, and joins up with the Muslims without the permission of his elders. But it is not necessary for theQuraysh to send back a Muslim who comes to them.

The Muslims and theQuraysh can make agreements and pacts with any other tribe.

This year, Muhammad and his followers must return back to Medina from this place. In the years to come they can come freely to Mecca and visit the house of God, with the conditions that they do not stay for more than three days in Mecca and that they do not carry any weapon with them except for the traveler's sword.7

Muslims who live in Mecca can perform their religious ceremonies freely. TheQuraysh do not have the right to bother them or make them return to their previous religion. TheQuraysh also do not have the right to ridicule their religion.8

The two signature parties agree that each other's property must be respected. All deceptions should be stopped. The hatred that they have for each other must be erased from their hearts. When a Muslim enters Mecca, his money and possessions should be respected.9

This is the text of the peace treaty ofHudaybiyah . It has been collected from different sources, and some of these sources have been mentioned in the footnotes. This peace treaty was written on two pieces of paper and approved by a group of both the leaders of theQuraysh and the Islamic community. One of the documents was given toSuhayl and the other to the Honorable Prophet (S).10

This peace treaty and others like it that were written in the lifetime of the Prophet and other leaders of Islam reveal the flexibility that they displayed before their enemies. This also allows us to show flexibility when our principles and goals are not in danger. In doing this, our opponent will be attracted to our sympathy and trustworthiness.

Islam shows us, with these historical treaties, that wars or any other trials in life are goals in and of themselves; they should not be seen as means to a separate goal.

They Are Frightened by Any Calamity

Hypocrites commit all kinds of atrocities behind the mask of their good appearance. They hide their actions behind an urbane façade. But they always fear that the curtain will be lifted and that their crimes will manifest themselves. A huge cloud of fear has engrossed their hearts.

Because of this, they are scared of anything that might remove the smoke screen they have put up. Sometimes they become frightened by a simple letter or by someone asking them to explain a small point. Whenever they are confronted with the smallest change in society, even if it is due to an unforeseen event, or whenever they examine the society, they think that everyone has found out their secret. They imaging that they are going to be arrested and punished.

The reason for this is that optimism, dignity, bravery and firmness come from those people of society who have pure hearts and stay away from sin and hypocrisy. Fear, anxiety and agitation are the direct results of sin and hypocrisy. The Arab proverb:“A treacherous person is always scared,” expresses this point.

The Qur’an mentions that fear and agitation dominate the hearts of hypocrites. They are scared of any commotion, change or sound which they think is to their detriment. This is seen in the verse under explanation,“They think that every cry is against them.”

They Are Enemies inA League of Their Own

The holy religion of Islam claims to be the last heavenly religion brought down by the Seal of the Prophets (S). It states clearly that the reign of other religions has come to an end. Only one religion, Islam, will rule over the people.

It goes unsaid that this statement that 'the reign of other religions ahs come to an end,' created many different kinds of enemies. The followers of the Church, for example considered themselves enemies of Islam. With all of these great enemies, the Qur’an still only alludes to one enemy, and proclaims that this enemy is the real enemy of the Muslim people. Other enemies are not given importance. It is believed that the Muslims have only one enemy: the hypocrites. This has been clearly mentioned by the verse:“They are the enemies; so beware of them.”

The question might be asked:“How do you say that the hypocrites are the only enemies of Islam when the enmity of the Christians and Jews was and still is manifest?” The answer to this question becomes clear with the explanation of the previous verses.

The hostility that other groups had for Islam was obvious; it was written on their foreheads. But the damage caused by the hypocrites, who pretended to befriends and showed not the smallest sign of ill will, was greater than any other group. For this reason it is not an exaggeration to say that the hypocrites are enemies in a league of their own. Turn the pages of history with precision, examine the damage caused by those who pretended to be Muslim, and be the judge of this claimyourself .

During the age of the khulufa11 ,

Jewish Rabbis likeK‛ab al-Ahbar ,Wahab binMinbah and ‛Abd Allah bin Salam, who pretended to be Muslim, caused irreconcilable damage to Islam. They were either companions (sahabah ) or companions of the companions (tabi‛in ). They invented superstitious traditions and spread them between the Muslims. They wrote commentaries on the Qur’an and related traditions from the viewpoint of Judaism.12

For centuries, the results of the evil actions of these imposters were accepted as truth by the Muslims.

Samarah binJundab , who is considered a companion of the Prophet, wasMu‛awiyah's publicist. He falsified the occasion and reason of revelation for two verses of the Qur’an for the price of 1,400dirhams . He said that the verse which was revealed about ‛Ali (a) when he slept in the Prophet's bed on the night of the migration13 was actually about ‛Abd al-Rahman binMuljam , who murdered ‛Ali (a). He also said that a verse concerning the hypocrites14 was about ‛Ali (a).

He said these incredible lies in front of thousands of Syrian Muslims who did not know ‛Ali's (a) position vis-à-vis the Prophet or Allah. He enticed them to spill ‛Ali's blood (a) and his follower and the blood of his followers.

The war between the Syrians and ‛Ali (a) took place as a result of the actions of these hypocrites. The war ended deceitfully after Syria lost 125,000 soldiers. Moreover, 65,000 members of ‛Ali's (a) army were martyred.

It is here that one must recall one of theCommander of theFaithful's important sayings about hypocrites. He said the following about the group of hypocrites who pretended to be companions of the Prophet and attributed many lies to him for their own benefit:“People would never believe them if they knew that they were hypocrites and liars. But people have been deceived about their companionship with the Prophet. They tell themselves that these people saw the Prophet, heard and accepted truths from him and that they never say anything in opposition to the truth, while in fact they, the Muslims, do not know the condition of these people.” 15

AbuHurayrah was present for three years during the time of the Prophet. He made up many strange traditions and attributed them to the Prophet. This angered ‛Umar immensely. ‛Umar whipped him and said:“You do not have the right to relate traditions from the Prophet. If you do, I shall exile you to the land of your ancestors.”

One day, in the presence of ‛Ali (a), AbuHurayrah's name came up. ‛Ali (a) said:“He attributed the most lies to the Prophet.” 16 )

There are just some examples of the irreconcilable damage that was caused by the hypocrites at the beginning of Islam. If we look at the damage that the rest of the hypocrites caused to our noble religion, we would see the truth behind Allah's words:“They are the enemies.” We would always supplicate to Allah to rid our society of their evil.

Notes

1. 63:4

2.Tabarasi ,Majmu ‛Al-Bayan , volume 10, under the commentary ofSurah Munafiqun

3.Ruh al-Bayan , under the explanation of the same verse

4.Shaykh Mufid ,Irshad , page 61; ‛Allamah Majlisi , Bihar al-Anwar, volume 20, page 368

5.Ibn Kathir , al-Kamil , volume 2, page 138; ‛Allamah Majlisi , Bihar al-Anwar, volume 20, page 353

6.Ibn Kathir , al-Kamil , volume 3, page 162

7.Halabi ,Sirah , volume 3, page 24

8. ‛Allamah Majlisi , Bihar al-Anwar, volume 20, page 353

9.Shaykh Tabarasi ,Majmu ‛ al-Bayan , volume 9, page 117

10.Halabi ,Sirah , volume 3, pages 25-26

11. This is the age of the first three caliphs, namely AbuBakr , ‛Umar and ‛Uthman . During this time, Islam spread tofar away lands and, because of the dominance of the Islamic society and culture, all opposition parties were forced to swallow their hatred.

12.Ibn Khaldun ,Muqadamah , page 416

13. 2:207

14. 2:204

15. Imam ‛Ali (a),Nahj al-Balaghah , sermon 205

16.Sharef al-Din ‛Amuli , AbuHurayrah , page 27 (Arabic version