Navigation Menu For The Summary
Shia objection about hypocrites among the Sahabah
Qur’an praise of the Muhajirun and Ansar and the impossibility of hypocrisy
Surah Tawbah and the separation between the Sahabah and the hypocrites
Tafsir of Surah Tawbah verse 101 and the double punishment
Definition of true companionship and the exclusion of hypocrites and apostates
Reports of Hudhayfah and the small number and humiliation of the hypocrites
Hadith of twelve hypocrites and the meaning of “among my companions”
Surah al Munafiqun verse 8 and the honour of the believers
Conclusion
Navigation Menu For The Full Article
Shia Objection About Hypocrites Among The Companions
Praise Of The Muhajirun (Emigrants) And Ansaar (Helpers)
The Sahabah Are Free From Nifaaq (Hypocrisy)
The Qur’an’s distinction between the Sahabah and the Munafiqun and the definition of true companionship
Definition Of A Companion
Reports Of Hudhayfah On The Small Number Of Hypocrites
Statement Of Al Muallimi Al Yamani
Hadith Of Twelve Hypocrites And The Meaning Of Companionship
Tafaseer of Surah Tawbah verse 101
Summary
Shia objection about hypocrites among the Sahabah
The Shia claim that there were hidden hypocrites among the sahabah who narrated hadith, and that most of the sahabah apostatised except three or four.
This is based on their own narrations, an example is the report from Abu Jaʿfar (the fifth imam) عليه السلام that “the people (sahabaha) became apostates after the Prophet except three: al Miqdad ibn al Aswad, Abu Dharr al Ghifari, and Salman al Farisi,” and the reports that later add others to this small group. These narrations appear in Rawdat al Kafi and in works like al Ikhtisas, with isnads traced back to Abu Jaʿfar and Abu Abdillah عليهم السلام. (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl 16/213)
This would mean that “hypocrites” were entrusted with transmitting the Qur’an and the Sunnah. This belief contradicts Allah’s promise to preserve revelation.
Qur’an praise of the Muhajirun and Ansar and the impossibility of hypocrisy
The Qur’an contains many verses that clearly praise the sahabah, especially the muhajirun and the ansar, describing their iman, sincerity and that Allah is pleased with them and has prepared Paradise for them. Among these are:
- “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and those who are with him are firm against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves…” (Al Fath 29). Allah ends the verse by promising forgiveness and a great reward to those among them who believe and do righteous deeds.
- “The foremost, the first among the emigrants and the helpers, and those who followed them with excellence, Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding in them forever. That is the great success.” (At Tawbah 100)
- “Allah has certainly accepted the repentance of the Prophet, and the emigrants and the helpers who followed him in the time of hardship…” (At Tawbah 117)
- “For the poor emigrants who were expelled from their homes and their wealth, seeking bounty from Allah and His pleasure, and supporting Allah and His Messenger, those are the truthful…” (Al Hashr 8–10)
These verses show that Allah knew their inner reality and testified to their iman, truthfulness and istiqamah. Had major sahabah been hypocrites or apostates, Allah would not have informed us of His pleasure with them and the everlasting gardens prepared for them.
Regarding those who pledged under the tree at Hudaybiyah, Allah said:
“Allah was pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you under the tree. He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down tranquillity upon them and rewarded them with a near victory.” (Al Fath 18)
Jabir ibn Abdullah رضي الله عنهما narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: “No one who pledged under the tree will enter the Fire.” (Muslim 2496, al Tirmidhi 3860, Abu Dawud 4653). A person whom Allah Himself calls a believer, whose heart He has testified to, and whom He has promised Paradise, cannot at the same time be a hidden hypocrite.
Surah Tawbah and the separation between the Sahabah and the hypocrites
Allah mentions the praised sahabah and, immediately afterwards, mentions another separate group who are hypocrites:
“And the foremost, the first among the emigrants and the helpers, and those who followed them with excellence, Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, remaining in them forever.
That is the great success. And among those around you of the Bedouins are hypocrites, and among the people of Madinah are those who have become persistent in hypocrisy. You do not know them, We know them. We will punish them twice, then they will be returned to a great punishment.” (At Tawbah 100–101)
Here Allah praises the first muhajirun and ansar and those who follow them with ihsan, then separately speaks about hypocrites from the surrounding Bedouins and from some people of Madinah who remained entrenched in hypocrisy.
The structure of the verses shows that the hypocrites mentioned are not included among the praised muhajirun and ansar, and that those whom Allah has praised and promised Jannah are free of hypocrisy.
Allah also said about those who stayed behind from Tabuk:
“If Allah brings you back to a group of them and they ask your permission to go out, then say: You will never go out with me, and you will never fight an enemy with me. You were pleased to sit back the first time, so sit with those who stay behind.” (At Tawbah 83)
From this it is understood that everyone who accompanied the Prophet ﷺ after Tabuk, including in the Farewell Pilgrimage in the tenth year, is free from hypocrisy. Allah decreed that the hypocrites who stayed behind from Tabuk would never again accompany him in any journey or jihad, so the tens of thousands who went with him later are believers.
Al Muʿallimi al Yamani explained that the “hour of hardship” was the expedition of Tabuk. The term “the emigrants” in the verse about Tawbah 117 includes the early and later muhajirun and those who were with them from other than the ansar.
No one from these remained behind in Madinah except someone incapable or someone ordered to remain despite his eagerness to go out. The hypocrites were a small, known group, already recognised in general before Tabuk, then their hypocrisy became clear by their staying behind without excuse and by their failure to repent, and then Surah Bara’ah came down and fully exposed them. Thus they were already pointed out by their persons before the death of the Prophet ﷺ. (al Anwar al Kashifah p. 266–268)
Kaʿb ibn Malik رضي الله عنه, one of the three who were left behind, said that when he went out amongst the people after the Prophet ﷺ departed for Tabuk, it saddened him that he could not see anyone except a man accused of hypocrisy or a man whom Allah excused among the weak. This shows that, in general, the hypocrites were recognised among the people, and that their remaining behind further confirmed their status.
Hudhayfah ibn al Yaman رضي الله عنه, the keeper of the secret of the Prophet ﷺ, that only three remained from the people of the verse and only four from the hypocrites.
When a Bedouin objected that there were people who break into houses and steal property, he distinguished between them, saying that such people are fusaq, while the hypocrites were only four, one of whom was an old man who did not feel the coldness of water. (Bukhari 4658; Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 8/637)
These reports show that the hypocrites in Madinah were very few and that Hudhayfah knew them as individuals. Their matter did not remain hidden to the sahabah.
Al Mardawi relates from al Hafidh al Mizzi that “it has never been found that anyone accused of hypocrisy among the sahabah narrated a report.” (Al Tahbir Sharh al Tahrir 4/1995)
So the hypocrites mentioned in Surah Tawbah 101 are not the sahabah whom Allah praised and whose company Muslims revere.
They are a small group from the desert Arabs and some city dwellers who persisted in nifaq, were exposed by Qur’an verses, humiliated by being named and expelled, and they did not transmit hadith.
Tafsir of Surah Tawbah verse 101 and the double punishment
Abu Jaʿfar al Tabari explained that Allah is informing His Prophet ﷺ that among the desert Arabs around Madinah and among the people of Madinah themselves are hypocrites who have become entrenched in hypocrisy, meaning they have become firm upon it and trained in it.
Statements such as “a rebellious devil” and “so and so rebelled against his Lord” come from this same root and carry the meaning of persistence in wickedness and arrogance. Ibn Zayd said they remained upon hypocrisy and did not repent, unlike others who repented, and Ibn Ishaq said they persisted in it and refused anything else. (Tafsir al Tabari 11/643–644)
As for “You do not know them, We know them”, Ibn Kathir says that the meaning is that the Prophet ﷺ did not know each one of them by certain knowledge, even though their type was known and they were accused in general.
This does not conflict with other verses such as “And if We willed, We could show them to you, and you would recognise them by their marks, and you would surely recognise them by the tone of their speech” because that refers to knowing them by signs and traits, not necessarily by full identity in the beginning. Over time, by their behaviour, revelation and specific incidents, many of them were recognised.
Regarding “We shall punish them twice, then they will be returned to a tremendous punishment”, al Tabari and Ibn Kathir report several explanations.
Among the strongest is that the first punishment in this life was their exposure and disgrace: the Prophet ﷺ mentioned them in his sermon, expelled them from the masjid and made their hypocrisy known to the people. Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما narrated that the Prophet ﷺ once stood on a Friday, saying: “Leave, O so and so, for you are a hypocrite.
Leave, O so and so, for you are a hypocrite.” He expelled several of them from the masjid. Umar رضي الله عنه came while they were being expelled and hid himself, thinking he had missed the prayer. They hid from him, thinking he had come to know their state.
Then he entered and discovered that the people had not yet prayed, and a man from the Muslims told him to rejoice, because Allah had exposed the hypocrites that day. Ibn Abbas said that this was the first punishment, and the second is the punishment of the grave. (Tafsir al Tabari 11/643–644; Tafsir Ibn Kathir 4/204–205)
These tafasir show that the hypocrites in Tawbah verse 101 were publicly disgraced, not honoured sahabah whose narrations form the basis of the religion. Their disgrace was itself a worldly punishment.
Al Muʿallimi also explains that Allah exposed the matter of the hypocritical desert Arabs by the death of His Messenger ﷺ, as they apostatised, and that brief contact with the Prophet ﷺ had not given them the firm status of sahabi in the technical sense. Whoever from them sincerely accepted Islam after that is counted among the tabiʿin, not among the sahabah. (al Anwār al Kashifah p. 266–268)
Definition of true companionship and the exclusion of hypocrites and apostates
Ibn Hajar defined the sahabi as the one who met the Prophet ﷺ while believing in him and who died upon Islam, even if apostasy occurred in between, according to the soundest view. The term “meeting” is broad and includes sitting together, walking together or seeing him, even without conversation, whether directly or indirectly. (Nuzhat an Nadhar p. 189)
Those who met the Prophet ﷺ while concealing kufr and persisted in hypocrisy until death do not fulfil this definition, and those who met him and then openly apostatised and did not return have no rank of sahabi. People who are only included under the general wording “companions” because they outwardly mixed with the Prophet ﷺ, as in his saying to Umar رضي الله عنه about Abdullah ibn Ubayy “Leave him, so that people do not say that Muhammad kills his companions” (Bukhari 4905), are not equal to the praised muhajirun and ansar.
By this definition, hypocrites and apostates are excluded from the true companionship that carries virtue, and their presence around the Prophet ﷺ does not make them from the sahabah whose belief, justice and trustworthiness are affirmed by Qur’an verses and Sunnah.
Reports of Hudhayfah and the small number and humiliation of the hypocrites
The reports of Hudhayfah ibn al Yaman رضي الله عنه are key in showing how few the hypocrites were and how distinct they were from the main body of believers. In Sahih al Bukhari, Hudhayfah said: “There remain from the people of this verse only three, and from the hypocrites only four.” When a Bedouin objected that there were criminals who broke into houses and stole property, he replied that these were fusaq, not hypocrites, and repeated that only four hypocrites remained, describing one of them as an old man who no longer felt the coldness of water. (Bukhari 4658)
In Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Hudhayfah is reported saying: “There remain from the hypocrites only four” and then distinguishing again between these and ordinary sinners. (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 8–637)
These reports distinguish clearly between kufr, nifaq and simple fisk, and show that the hypocrites were few, individually known and despised. They were not leaders, narrators or teachers whose word was taken in religion.
Al Muʿallimi notes that at the death of the Prophet ﷺ, no movement or attempt was felt from the hypocrites to take advantage of the situation. Their small number, humiliation, suppression and the aversion of people from them meant they had no opportunity to narrate from the Prophet ﷺ. Any hypocrite who tried to narrate would only increase suspicion against himself and bring upon himself what he hated. The historians have recorded names of several hypocrites, yet no one knows of any hadith narrated by them. Those who narrated from the Prophet ﷺ were known among the sahabah to be from their best. (al Anwār al Kashifah p. 266–268)
Hadith of twelve hypocrites and the meaning of “among my companions”
In Sahih Muslim there is a hadith from Hudhayfah رضي الله عنه that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Among my companions are twelve hypocrites. Among them are eight who will not enter Paradise until a camel enters the eye of a needle. Eight of them will be sufficed by the dubaylah, and four…” and the narrator then doubted the exact wording. (Muslim 2779a)
Another wording of the same report has: “Indeed, in my ummah there are twelve hypocrites who will not enter Paradise…” This clarifies that what is meant by “my companions” here is not the technical meaning of sahabi whose virtue is established, but those who are linked to his companionship in the apparent sense, just as they are part of his ummah in a general sense.
Imam al Nawawi said about the phrase “among my companions”: “Its meaning is those who are linked to my companionship, as he said in the second report ‘in my ummah’.” (Sharh Sahih Muslim 17/268)
Thus the hadith does not prove that those whom Qur’an verses praise as muhajirun and ansar are hypocrites; rather it proves that there were some hypocrites mingling among the wider group outwardly known as companions, but they were a limited, counted number. The Prophet ﷺ knew their number, and Hudhayfah later knew some of them by name, which strongly suggests that none of them could be hidden narrators whose lies went undetected.
Surah al Munafiqun verse 8 and the honour of the believers
In Surah al Munafiqun, Allah relates the arrogant words of the hypocrites:
“They say, ‘If we return to Madinah, the more honourable will surely expel the more humble.’ Yet honour belongs to Allah, to His Messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites do not know.” (Al Munafiqun 8)
Ibn Taymiyyah explains that this verse shows that honour and strength belong to the believers, not to the hypocrites. Honour is tied to iman, not to nifaq. Therefore those who were most honoured among the Muslims are necessarily those with the greatest iman. It is well known that the foremost of the muhajirun and the ansar, including the rightly guided caliphs, were the most honoured people in the Ummah. It is impossible that such honoured individuals be from the hypocrites whom Allah describes as humiliated and ignorant. (Minhaj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah 2–45–46)
He further notes that hypocrisy and heresy are more widespread among the Rafidah than among other groups, because the root of nifaq is lying and saying with the tongue what is not in the heart. Allah informed that the hypocrites say with their tongues what is not in their hearts. The Rafidah make this a central belief of their religion and call it taqiyyah, attributing it falsely to the People of the Household, whereas the true believers from the Ahl al Bayt and others were among the most truthful and most complete in iman, and their religion was taqwa, not taqiyyah. (Minhaj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah 2/45–46)
This makes clear that the label of nifaq in Surah al Munafiqun 8 fits those who lie while claiming Islam, not the honoured sahabah who carried the religion.
Conclusion
Putting all of these evidences together:
Allah has given detailed praise of the sahabah in many Qur’an verses, stating that He is pleased with them, that He knows what is in their hearts, that He has prepared Jannah for them, that they are truthful, rightly guided and successful. Verses such as Al Fath 29 and 18, At Tawbah 100 and 117, Al Hashr 8–10 and Al Hadid 10, alongside the hadith that none of those who pledged under the tree will enter the Fire, show that the foremost muhajirun and ansar are far from nifaq and kufr.
Surah Tawbah 100–101 clearly separates between these praised companions and another group from the desert Arabs and some inhabitants of Madinah who persisted in hypocrisy, whom Allah threatens with double punishment and humiliation. Tafsir of this verse by al Tabari and Ibn Kathir shows that their first punishment was being exposed and expelled, and that they were a small, known group, not hidden leading narrators. (Tafsir al Tabari 11/643–644; Tafsir Ibn Kathir 4/204–205)
Reports from Hudhayfah, Kaʿb ibn Malik and other sahabah show that by the time of Tabuk and afterwards, hypocrites were few, identified and despised, and that their matter became known to the sahabah either with certainty or strong suspicion.
Had any of them attempted to narrate hadith widely, this would only have increased suspicion and harmed them. Historians name a number of hypocrites, yet there is no known hadith narrated from any of them. Al Mizzi’s statement that no one accused of hypocrisy among the sahabah narrated a report summarises this reality. (Al Tahbir Sharh al Tahrir 4/1995; al Anwār al Kashifah p. 266–268)
Ibn Hajar’s definition of sahabi as one who met the Prophet ﷺ in iman and died upon Islam excludes those who persisted in hypocrisy or apostasy, while the Prophet’s loose use of “companions” in linguistic contexts does not give hypocrites the same rank as the praised muhajirun and ansar. (Nuzhat an Nadhar p. 189)
The hadith of twelve hypocrites “among my companions” is clarified by the wording “in my ummah”, and by al Nawawi’s explanation that it refers to those linked to his companionship in a general sense, not to those whose true companionship is affirmed. (Sharh Sahih Muslim 17–268)
Surah al Munafiqun 8 confirms that honour belongs to Allah, His Messenger and the believers and not to the hypocrites. Since the sahabah, especially the rightly guided caliphs and the major narrators such as Ibn Umar, Ibn Abbas, Anas, Abu Saʿid and Jabir, were the most honoured and most evident in iman, they cannot fall into the category of hypocrites described in this surah. (Minhaj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah 8/474)
On this basis, the claim that hypocrites from among the sahabah transmitted the Qur’an and Sunnah collapses. It contradicts clear Qur’an verses, authentic Sunnah, the agreed definition of sahabi, the historical reality of how few and humiliated the hypocrites were, the tafasir of Surah Tawbah 101, and the meaning of Surah al Munafiqun 8.
The sahabah who carried the religion were believers whose iman, justice and trustworthiness are affirmed, and there is no evidence that any of the known hypocrites narrated hadith or played a role in transmitting revelation.
Shia Objection About Hypocrites Among The Companions
One of the objections that has been raised by the Shia is that from the sahabah there are munafiqeen. Anyone who brings their mind to a fair, careful look at the narrators among the sahabah and the tabi‘in (Followers) will realise the weakness and collapse of this objection.
Those who bring this should have distinguished for us some of these alleged hypocrite narrators, named them, and explained how they were identified, when the Prophet ﷺ did not know them except through revelation.
Then he did not disclose them to his Companions except what was with Hudhayfah ibn al Yaman, meaning that if it is claimed that among the narrators of al Sahihayn (Bukhari and Muslim) or others there are sahabah described as “hidden hypocrites planted among them”, then their names must be produced, their hypocrisy must be proven, and their narrations must be identified. This is one point.
From another point, the claim that there were hypocrites from the sahabah who narrated hadith, or from those after them, is in reality a criticism of wahy (revelation) itself and a contradiction of it.
Allah has guaranteed its preservation, however we find sahih narrations in the shia books traced back to their “imams” affirming its corruption, so according to them it is not preserved which also ties into their belief that all of the companions were disbelievers except three or four. Therefore the Qur’an we have today cannot be trusted since it was transmitted through the companions who they claim were munafiqeen (hypocrites).
has said: Allah clarified that He will punish those hypocrites, from those around Madinah among the Bedouins and those in Madinah, twice in the dunya, then they will be returned to a great punishment in the akhirah (afterlife). Allah تعالى said:
وَمِمَّنۡ حَوۡلَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأَعۡرَابِ مُنَٰفِقُونَۖ وَمِنۡ أَهۡلِ ٱلۡمَدِينَةِ مَرَدُواْ عَلَى ٱلنِّفَاقِ لَا تَعۡلَمُهُمۡۖ نَحۡنُ نَعۡلَمُهُمۡۚ سَنُعَذِّبُهُم مَّرَّتَيۡنِ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَذَابٍ عَظِيم
“And among those around you of the Bedouins are hypocrites, and among the people of Madinah are those who have become persistent in hypocrisy. You do not know them, We know them. We will punish them twice, then they will be returned to a great punishment.” (At Tawbah 101)
If this is their state with Allah, would He permit them, or some of them, to narrate from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, inserting falsehood against him, without exposing it? When it is known that Allah, exalted is He, exposed their deeds, secrets, and attributes in many verses, would He remain silent over their lying and their insertion against the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?
Praise Of The Muhajirun (Emigrants) And Ansaar (Helpers)
Everyone who reflects upon the Qur’an knows with certainty the virtue of the noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them. There is no doubt about their honour and rank. The verses that clarify their virtue and honour are very many. Among them are the following.
Allah said:
محمد رسول الله والذين معه أشداء على الكفار رحماء بينهم تراهم ركعًا سجدًا يبتغون فضلًا من الله ورضوانًا سيماهم في وجوههم من أثر السجود ذلك مثلهم في التوراة ومثلهم في الإنجيل كزرع أخرج شطأه فآزره فاستغلظ فاستوى على سوقه يعجب الزراع ليغيظ بهم الكفار وعد الله الذين آمنوا وعملوا الصالحات منهم مغفرة وأجرًا عظيمًا
“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and those who are with him are firm against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating, seeking bounty from Allah and His pleasure.
Their mark is on their faces from the trace of prostration. That is their description in the Torah, and their description in the Gospel is like a crop that sends forth its shoots, then strengthens them, so they grow firm and stand upright on their stalks, delighting the farmers, so that Allah may enrage the disbelievers by them. Allah has promised those among them who believe and do righteous deeds forgiveness and a great reward.” (Al Fath 29)
Allah also said:
والسابقون الأولون من المهاجرين والأنصار والذين اتبعوهم بإحسان رضي الله عنهم ورضوا عنه وأعد لهم جنات تجري تحتها الأنهار خالدين فيها أبدًا ذلك الفوز العظيم
“The foremost, the first among the emigrants and the helpers, and those who followed them with excellence, Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding in them forever. That is the great success.” (At Tawbah 100)
Allah also said:
لقد تاب الله على النبي والمهاجرين والأنصار الذين اتبعوه في ساعة العسرة من بعد ما كاد يزيغ قلوب فريق منهم ثم تاب عليهم إنه بهم رؤوف رحيم
“Allah has certainly accepted the repentance of the Prophet, and the emigrants and the helpers who followed him in the time of hardship, after the hearts of a group among them had almost swerved, then He accepted their repentance. Indeed, He is gentle and merciful toward them.” (At Tawbah 117)
Allah also said:
واعلموا أن فيكم رسول الله لو يطيعكم في كثير من الأمر لعنتم ولكن الله حبب إليكم الإيمان وزينه في قلوبكم وكره إليكم الكفر والفسوق والعصيان أولئك هم الراشدون فضلًا من الله ونعمة والله عليم حكيم وإن طائفتان من المؤمنين اقتتلوا فأصلحوا بينهما فإن بغت إحداهما على الأخرى فقاتلوا التي تبغي حتى تفيء إلى أمر الله فإن فاءت فأصلحوا بينهما بالعدل وأقسطوا إن الله يحب المقسطين إنما المؤمنون إخوة فأصلحوا بين أخويكم واتقوا الله لعلكم ترحمون
“And know that among you is the Messenger of Allah. If he were to obey you in much of the matter, you would fall into hardship. But Allah has made faith beloved to you and beautified it in your hearts, and He has made disbelief, sin, and disobedience hateful to you. Those are the rightly guided. This is a bounty from Allah and a favour.
Allah is Knowing and Wise. If two groups of believers fight, then reconcile between them. If one of them transgresses against the other, then fight the one that transgresses until it returns to the command of Allah. If it returns, then reconcile between them with justice and be fair. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly. The believers are but brothers, so reconcile between your brothers and fear Allah so that you may receive mercy.” (Al Hujurat 7–10)
Allah also said:
للفقراء المهاجرين الذين أخرجوا من ديارهم وأموالهم يبتغون فضلًا من الله ورضوانًا وينصرون الله ورسوله أولئك هم الصادقون والذين تبوؤوا الدار والإيمان من قبلهم يحبون من هاجر إليهم ولا يجدون في صدورهم حاجة مما أوتوا ويؤثرون على أنفسهم ولو كان بهم خصاصة ومن يوق شح نفسه فأولئك هم المفلحون والذين جاءوا من بعدهم يقولون ربنا اغفر لنا ولإخواننا الذين سبقونا بالإيمان ولا تجعل في قلوبنا غلًا للذين آمنوا ربنا إنك رؤوف رحيم
“For the poor emigrants who were expelled from their homes and their wealth, seeking bounty from Allah and His pleasure, and supporting Allah and His Messenger, those are the truthful. And those who settled in the home and faith before them love those who emigrated to them, and they find no desire in their hearts for what was given to them, and they give preference over themselves even if they are in need.
Whoever is protected from the greed of his own being, those are the successful. And those who came after them say: Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith, and do not place in our hearts any resentment toward those who believe. Our Lord, indeed You are gentle and merciful.” (Al Hashr 8–10)
In these noble verses is a decisive response to everyone who accuses the Companions of apostasy or hypocrisy. Had Allah known apostasy or hypocrisy from them, He would not have praised them with these verses. How could Allah inform us of His pleasure with them and that He has prepared Paradise for them, and then they be among the people of the Fire?
Allah also said about those who pledged allegiance to the Prophet ﷺ under the tree on the day of al Hudaybiyah, and they were one thousand four hundred:
لقد رضي الله عن المؤمنين إذ يبايعونك تحت الشجرة فعلم ما في قلوبهم فأنزل السكينة عليهم وأثابهم فتحًا قريبًا
“Allah was pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you under the tree. He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down tranquillity upon them and rewarded them with a near victory.” (Al Fath 18)
How could they be apostates or hypocrites when Allah informed that everyone among them who believed and strove before the conquest of Makkah or after it is among the people of Paradise? Allah said:
لا يستوي منكم من أنفق من قبل الفتح وقاتل أولئك أعظم درجة من الذين أنفقوا من بعد وقاتلوا وكلًا وعد الله الحسنى
“Those among you who spent before the conquest and fought are not equal to those who spent afterward and fought. They are greater in rank, yet Allah has promised all of them the best.” (Al Hadid 10)
It is well known that they strove against the disbelievers with the Messenger ﷺ, then strove against the disbelievers after his death. What Allah promised them after the treaty of al Hudaybiyah, of victory over the disbelievers, was fulfilled. Allah said, addressing the Companions of His Prophet with whom He was pleased:
ولو قاتلكم الذين كفروا لولوا الأدبار ثم لا يجدون وليًا ولا نصيرًا
“If those who disbelieve were to fight you, they would surely turn their backs, then they would find no protector and no helper.” (Al Fath 22)
No disbeliever stood firm before them after this verse was revealed. Rather, Allah granted them victory over all the polytheists, the Jews, the Christians, and the Magians. He also granted them victory over the apostates.
The Arabian Peninsula came under their rule, and they opened Persia, the Levant, Egypt, and North Africa. This is among the clear signs of the Qur’an, for Allah informed of their victory and establishment in the land, and it occurred exactly as He informed.
Allah also informed about the Bedouins who stayed behind from accompanying the Messenger ﷺ to Makkah in the year of al Hudaybiyah, that they would be called to fight a people of great might. This took place when the rightly guided Caliphs called them to fight in the wars of apostasy and to fight Persia and Rome. Allah said:
قل للمخلفين من الأعراب ستدعون إلى قوم أولي بأس شديد تقاتلونهم أو يسلمون فإن تطيعوا يؤتكم الله أجرًا حسنًا وإن تتولوا كما توليتم من قبل يعذبكم عذابًا أليمًا
“Say to those Bedouins who stayed behind: You will be called to a people of great might. You will fight them or they will submit. If you obey, Allah will give you a good reward. But if you turn away as you turned away before, He will punish you with a painful punishment.” (Al Fath 16)
Ibn Jarir narrated in his Tafsir:
Who was it that called the Muslims to jihad after the death of the Messenger ﷺ other than the rightly guided Caliphs?
In this verse Allah warned the Bedouins of painful punishment if they did not respond to the call of the Caliphs to jihad. This clearly shows the correctness of the caliphate of the rightly guided Caliphs, because Allah made obedience to them obligatory.
Al Jassas, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
فأخبر سبحانه أنهم سيدعوهم غير النبي ﷺ إلى قوم يقاتلونهم أو يسلمون، ووعدهم على طاعة من دعاهم إلى ذلك بجزيل الأجر العظيم، وتوعدهم على عصيان الداعي لهم إلى ذلك العذاب الأليم، وما دعا أولئك الأعراب أحد بعد رسول الله ﷺ إلى قوم يقاتلونهم أو يسلمون إلا أبو بكر وعمر وعثمان رضي الله عنهم، فإن أبا بكر رضي الله عنه دعاهم إلى قتال مرتدي العرب بني حنيفة وأصحاب الأسود وسجاح وطليحة والروم والفرس وغيرهم، ودعاهم عمر إلى قتال الروم والفرس، وعثمان دعاهم إلى قتال الروم والفرس والترك، فوجب طاعة أبي بكر وعمر وعثمان رضي الله عنهم بنص القرآن الذي لا يحتمل تأويلاً، وإذ قد وجبت طاعتهم فقد صحت إمامتهم وخلافتهم رضي الله عنهم
“Allah, exalted is He, informed that they would be called, after the Prophet ﷺ, to fight a people until they either fight them or submit. He promised a great and excellent reward for obeying the one who calls them to this, and He warned of a painful punishment for disobeying the one who calls them to it. No one called those Bedouins after the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to fight a people until they either fought them or submitted except Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, and ‘Uthman رضي الله عنهم.
Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه called them to fight the apostates of the Arabs, Banu Hanifah, the followers of al Aswad, Sajah, and Tulayhah, as well as the Romans and the Persians and others. ‘Umar called them to fight the Romans and the Persians, and ‘Uthman called them to fight the Romans, the Persians, and the Turks.
Therefore, obedience to Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, and ‘Uthman رضي الله عنهم became obligatory by the explicit text of the Qur’an, which does not admit interpretation. Since obedience to them became obligatory, their leadership and caliphate are thereby proven to be valid, may Allah be pleased with them..” (Ahkam al Qur’an 4/109–110)
The Qur’an also shows the innocence from hypocrisy of everyone who accompanied the Prophet ﷺ in the Farewell Pilgrimage. Allah said:
فإن رجعك الله إلى طائفة منهم فاستأذنوك للخروج فقل لن تخرجوا معي أبدًا ولن تقاتلوا معي عدوًا إنكم رضيتم بالقعود أول مرة فاقعدوا مع الخالفين
“If Allah brings you back to a group of them and they ask your permission to go out, then say: You will never go out with me, and you will never fight an enemy with me. You were pleased to sit back the first time, so sit with those who stay behind.” (At Tawbah 83)
The mufasireen said: This means that if Allah returns you, O Prophet of Allah, after the expedition of Tabuk to a group of hypocrites who ask permission to go out with you for jihad, then say to them as a punishment: you will never accompany me in any journey for jihad or worship, and you will never fight an enemy with me. (See Tafsir Ibn Jarir volume 11 page 608, al Basit by al Wahidi volume 10 page 579, Tafsir al Baghawi volume 2 page 375, Tafsir al Qurtubi volume 8 page 217, Tafsir Ibn Kathir volume 4 page 192, Tafsir Abi al Suud volume 4 page 89, Fath al Qadir by al Shawkani volume 2 page 442, Tafsir al Manar by Muhammad Rashid Rida volume 10 page 493, Tafsir al Sa‘di page 346, al Tahrir wa al Tanwir by Ibn Ashur volume 10 pages 282 and 283.)
The Sahabah Are Free From Nifaaq (Hypocrisy)
From this verse it is understood that everyone who accompanied the Prophet ﷺ in the Farewell Pilgrimage is free from hypocrisy. The verse was revealed after the expedition of Tabuk in the ninth year. The Prophet ﷺ performed the pilgrimage in the tenth year, and tens of thousands of Companions went out with him. Allah decreed that the hypocrites would never accompany him in any journey after Tabuk. Therefore, everyone who accompanied him afterward is free from hypocrisy, and whoever accuses them of hypocrisy is denying the Qur’an.
Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “We have already mentioned earlier that there were no hypocrites among the Muhajirun. It should also be known that the hypocrites were few compared to the believers, and most of them were exposed when Qur’an verses were revealed about them and through other means. Even though the Prophet ﷺ did not know each one of them individually, those who had close and prolonged contact with them did recognise them.
Knowing whether a person is a true believer inwardly, or a Jew, or a Christian, or a polytheist, is not hidden when there is long and direct interaction. No one keeps an inner state concealed except that Allah brings it to light on the face and through slips of the tongue.” (Minhaj al Sunnah al Nabawiyyah 8/474)
Ibn Taymiyyah said that the sahabah whom the Muslims revere in religion were all believers, and the Muslims did not revere a hypocrite in religion.
Faith is known from a person just as other states of the heart are known through loyalty, enmity, joy, anger, hunger, and thirst. These have clear signs that indicate inner realities. This is known to people through experience and testing.
We know with certainty that Ibn Umar, Ibn Abbas, Anas ibn Malik, Abu Sa‘id al Khudri, and Jabir, and others like them, were believers, loving the Messenger ﷺ and honouring him, not hypocrites. How then could this not be known regarding the rightly guided Caliphs, whose faith, love, and support of the Messenger ﷺ filled the lands east and west?
He further said that there is no dispute among the scholars that there were no hypocrites among the emigrants at all, because they migrated by choice while being harmed for faith in Makkah. No one needed to show faith while hiding disbelief, especially after migrating to a land under the authority of the Messenger ﷺ.
How astonishing is the claim of hypocrisy against the Companions, when they transmitted the Qur’an and the Sunnah, conveyed the life of the Prophet ﷺ, spread Islam, opened lands, and judged by the Sharia of Allah. The followers transmitted their statements, legal verdicts, and lives. They were exactly as Allah described:
الذين إن مكناهم في الأرض أقاموا الصلاة وآتوا الزكاة وأمروا بالمعروف ونهوا عن المنكر
“Those who, if We establish them in the land, establish prayer, give zakah, command what is right, and forbid what is wrong.” (Al Hajj 41)
They were as Allah described:
تراهم ركعًا سجدًا يبتغون فضلًا من الله ورضوانًا
“You see them bowing and prostrating, seeking bounty from Allah and His pleasure.” (Al Fath 29)
No attribute of hypocrisy was known from the Companions, such as neglecting prayer, lying, betrayal, or breaking promises. They were the most complete of people in faith, character, knowledge, and action. How could there be doubt when Allah praised them in many verses and informed that He tested their hearts for piety?
Al Mardawi said:
قال الحافظ المزي: من الفوائد أنه لم يوجد قط رواية عمن لمز بالنفاق من الصحابة رضي الله عنهم
“Al Hafidh al Mizzi said: It has never been found that anyone accused of hypocrisy among the Companions narrated a report.” (Al Tahbir Sharh al Tahrir 4/1995.)
The noble Companions are the best of the Ummah and the best of the people of Paradise. Allah said:
والسابقون السابقون أولئك المقربون في جنات النعيم ثلة من الأولين وقليل من الآخرين
“The foremost are the foremost. Those are the ones brought near, in gardens of bliss. A great number from the earlier ones, and a few from the later ones.” (Al Waqi‘ah 10–14)
How could the Companions not be the best of the Ummah in knowledge and action, when the Prophet ﷺ himself purified them and taught them the Book and wisdom?
The hypocrites were too low to preserve the Qur’an and the hadith, to spread the religion, or to teach the people. Allah described them as lacking understanding and knowledge, and described the Companions as believers, truthful, and given knowledge.
How astonishing is the one who mixes truth with falsehood and equates the Companions with the hypocrites in order to reject the Sunnah that explains the Qur’an.
There is no salvation in the Hereafter and no guidance in this life except for the one who follows the path of the Companions in faith, action, knowledge, and character. Allah said:
ومن يشاقق الرسول من بعد ما تبين له الهدى ويتبع غير سبيل المؤمنين نوله ما تولى ونصله جهنم وساءت مصيرًا
“Whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him and follows a way other than the way of the believers, We will leave him to what he has chosen and burn him in Hell, and what an evil destination.” (An Nisa’ 115)
And Allah said:
فإن آمنوا بمثل ما آمنتم به فقد اهتدوا وإن تولوا فإنما هم في شقاق فسيكفيكهم الله وهو السميع العليم
“So if they believe in the same way that you believe, then they are guided. But if they turn away, then they are only in opposition. Allah will suffice you against them, and He is the All Hearing, the All Knowing.” (Al Baqarah 137)
The Qur’an’s distinction between the Sahabah and the Munafiqun
As for the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ from the muhajirun (emigrants) and the ansar (helpers), Allah declared them free of this hypocrisy in His saying:
وَٱلسَّٰبِقُونَ ٱلۡأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُهَٰجِرِينَ وَٱلۡأَنصَارِ وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحۡسَٰن رَّضِيَ ٱللَّهُ عَنۡهُمۡ وَرَضُواْ عَنۡهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمۡ جَنَّٰت تَجۡرِي تَحۡتَهَا ٱلۡأَنۡهَٰرُ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَآ أَبَداۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ
وَمِمَّنۡ حَوۡلَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡأَعۡرَابِ مُنَٰفِقُونَۖ وَمِنۡ أَهۡلِ ٱلۡمَدِينَةِ مَرَدُواْ عَلَى ٱلنِّفَاقِ لَا تَعۡلَمُهُمۡۖ نَحۡنُ نَعۡلَمُهُمۡۚ سَنُعَذِّبُهُم مَّرَّتَيۡنِ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَذَابٍ عَظِيم
“And the foremost, the first among the emigrants and the helpers, and those who followed them with excellence, Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, remaining in them forever. That is the great success. And among those around you of the Bedouins are hypocrites, and among the people of Madinah are those who have become persistent in hypocrisy. You do not know them, We know them. We will punish them twice, then they will be returned to a great punishment.” (At Tawbah 100 and 101)
Allah made mention of the hypocrites from the Bedouins and from some of the people of Madinah to the mention of the emigrants and the helpers and those who followed them with excellence, after praising them with fine praise and promising them Paradise and acceptance. This indicates that those companions did not include hypocrites.
Yes, we do not deny that there were hypocrites among the Muslims at that time.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to know them as individuals through wahy (revelation), and the Qur’an explained their reports and their attributes. We also do not deny that there were people who were muslims that were close to the prophet or met him then apostatised from Islam, and the people of hadith explained their names and their reports and did not conceal them.
However these people cannot be classed as being companions because to be a sahabi is to have met the prophet, have true iman (faith) in your heart and to die upon that. This is the best view as Ibn Hajar mentions.
Ibn Taymiyyah said: In summary, there is no doubt that the hypocrites were submerged, humiliated, and subdued, especially in the later days of the Prophet ﷺ, and during the expedition of Tabuk. This is because Allah the Exalted said:
“They say, ‘If we return to Madinah, the more honourable will surely expel the more humble.’ Yet honour belongs to Allah, to His Messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites do not know.” (Surah al Munafiqun 8)
He informed that honour belongs to the believers, not to the hypocrites. It is therefore known that honour and strength were with the believers, and that the hypocrites were humiliated among them.
It is impossible that the Companions, who were the most honoured of the Muslims, could be among the hypocrites. Rather, this necessarily means that whoever was more honoured was greater in faith. It is well known that the foremost of the Muhajirin and the Ansar, including the Rightly Guided Caliphs and others, were the most honoured of people.
All of this clearly shows that the hypocrites were humiliated among the believers. It is therefore not permissible that those among the Companions who were honoured could be from them. Rather, this description fits those who are characterised by it, from the Rafidah and others.
Hypocrisy and heresy are more widespread among the Rafidah than among other groups. Indeed, each of them must possess a branch of hypocrisy. This is because the foundation of hypocrisy upon which it is built is lying, and that a person says with his tongue what is not in his heart, just as Allah informed about the hypocrites, that they say with their tongues what is not in their hearts.
The Rafidah make this a foundational belief of their religion and call it taqiyyah. They attribute this to the Imams of the People of the Household, whom Allah has declared free of this, to the extent that they narrate from Jaʿfar al Sadiq that he said: taqiyyah is my religion and the religion of my forefathers.
Allah has declared the believers, from the People of the Household and others, free of this. Rather, they were among the most truthful of people and the most complete in faith. Their religion was taqwa, not taqiyyah.
Minhaj As Sunnah Nabawiyyah (2/45–46)
Definition Of A Companion
Ibn Hajar said: As for defining the Companion, what is he?
He is the one who met the Prophet ﷺ while believing in him and who died upon Islam, even if apostasy occurred in between, according to the soundest view.
What is meant by meeting is something broader than sitting together or walking together, or one of them reaching the other, even if he did not speak to him. Included in this is that one of them saw the other, whether that occurred directly by himself or indirectly through another.
Nuzhat an Nadhar fi Tawdiḥ Nukhbat al Fikr by Ibn Hajar page 189
But is there any hypocrite or apostate who narrated hadith from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and wahy remained silent about him, and the Muslims did not come to know his true state? This is what the one who claims it is demanded to prove, and it is far from possible.
Reports Of Hudhayfah On The Small Number Of Hypocrites
In a report with Ibn Abi Shaybah, Hudhayfah رضي الله عنه said:
This report distinguished between the kuffar (disbelievers), the hypocrites, and the fusaq (evildoers). It indicates that the number of hypocrites among the people living among the sahabah was small. Hudhayfah knew them as individuals.
Rather, their matter became exposed to the wider body of the sahabah, especially after the expedition of Tabuk, when their hypocrisy became clear to the public by their staying behind from the expedition.
This verse from Surah at Tawbah is among the later parts of what was revealed of the Qur’an, after Tabuk. It also indicates that Hudhayfah knew them as individuals, otherwise he would not have counted them as four, and described one of them with a specific description.
He mentioned those who stayed behind as hypocrites because their matter was well known, and he also mentioned with them those who stayed behind due to weakness, and he distinguished between them.
Statement Of Al Muallimi Al Yamani
Al Mu‘allimi al Yamani (d. 1386 AH) said:
وأما مسلمةُ الفتح فإن الناس يغلطون فيهم، فيقولون: كيف يُعقل أن ينقلبوا؟ ولم يكونوا كلُّهم مؤمنين بين عشيةٍ وضحاها، مع أنهم إذا أسلموا حين قُهِروا وغُلِبوا ورأوا أن بقاءهم على الشرك يضرُّ بدنياهم. والصوابُ أن الإسلام لم يزل يعمل في النفوس منذ نشأته، وما يدلُّ على قوة تأثيره أمورٌ.
“The hour of hardship was the expedition of Tabuk. The word “the Emigrants” here includes both the early and the later ones, and those who were with them from other than the Helpers. We do not know of anyone from these who remained behind in Madinah except one who was incapable or one who was commanded to stay behind, despite his strong desire to go out. In the authentic narration, the Prophet ﷺ said when he returned from Tabuk, “In Madinah there are people who did not travel any distance nor cross any valley except that they were with you. They were held back by a valid excuse.”
In al Fath, Ibn Hajar cited as evidence for this hadith the saying of Allah, “Not equal are those believers who sit back, other than those with a valid excuse, and those who strive” (Surah Nisa 95). This is a strong use of evidence, and the one who was commanded to stay behind is even more deserving of merit.
In this, and in other verses, there is praise that includes the Emigrants who joined them, and we do not know of anything that restricts this meaning. As for the Helpers, the verse includes all those who went out with him to Tabuk, along with the three who were left behind, and the Emigrants. There then remained only a small number.
They were hypocrites. In the authentic narration in the hadith of Ka‘b ibn Malik رضي الله عنه, who was one of the three who were left behind, he said: When I went out among the people after the departure of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and moved among them, it saddened me that I could not see anyone except a man accused of hypocrisy, or a man whom Allah excused among the weak.
In this there is a clear explanation that the hypocrites had already been known in general before Tabuk. This then became more confirmed by their staying behind without a valid excuse and their lack of repentance. Then Surah Bara’ah came down and exposed them completely.
From this it becomes clear that they had already been pointed to as individuals before the death of the Prophet ﷺ. As for the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, “You do not know them, We know them,” what is meant, and Allah knows best, by knowledge here is certain knowledge. This does not negate that they were accused and suspected. The most that can be said is that among those who were accused there may have been someone who was not a hypocrite in reality.
Allah the Exalted also said, “You will surely recognise them by the tone of their speech,” and He named in Surah Bara’ah and elsewhere groups of them by their descriptions. The Prophet ﷺ also identified a group of them. It is therefore possible that after Allah said, “You do not know them,” He then informed him of all of them. In any case, the Prophet ﷺ did not pass away except that his Companions knew the hypocrites with certainty, or by strong assumption, or by accusation. No hypocrite remained who was not accused of hypocrisy.
What further proves this, as well as their small number, their humiliation, their suppression, and the people’s aversion to them, is that no movement was felt from them at the death of the Prophet ﷺ.
When they were in this state, none of them had any opportunity to narrate from the Prophet ﷺ, because he knew that doing so would only increase suspicion against him and bring upon him what he disliked. The scholars of biography and history have named a number of hypocrites, and it is not known from any one of them that he narrated from the Prophet ﷺ. All those who did narrate were known among the Companions to be from their best.
As for the Bedouins, Allah, Blessed and Exalted, exposed their affair by the death of His Messenger ﷺ. The hypocrites among them apostatised, and it became clear that merely meeting the Prophet ﷺ had not given them something by which the legal name of companionship could be firmly established. Whoever from them accepted Islam after that, his ruling is the ruling of the Tabi’een.
As for those who accepted Islam at the Conquest, people make mistakes regarding them and say: how could it be conceivable that they later turned back, but they did not all become believers overnight, even though many of them accepted Islam only after they had been overpowered and defeated, and after they realised that remaining upon shirk would harm their worldly interests. The correct understanding is that Islam had been working upon hearts from the very beginning of its emergence. What shows the strength of its influence are several matters.” (al-Anwār al-Kāshifah page 266–268)
Hadith Of Twelve Hypocrites And The Meaning Of Companionship
The response is that there is nothing in the hadith that proves the presence of people who followed the Prophet ﷺ and are described as hypocrites and then called sahabah in the technical sense, because the two do not combine. The proof in this hadith is that he ﷺ did not say “from my companions are twelve hypocrites”, rather he said “among my companions”. There is a difference between the two expressions. This is one point.
A second point is that another report came explaining this meaning, which is his ﷺ saying: “Indeed, in my ummah (community) there are twelve hypocrites who will not enter Paradise…”
So it becomes clear that what is meant by “companions” in that report is what is in the apparent sense, not the reality of companionship in the technical sense.
The Prophet ﷺ used to know the hypocrites, so how could he honour them with the label of companionship, affirm for them its merit, and accept them among those who followed him, who Allah honoured by mentioning their good descriptions? Can a man be a hypocrite, a disbeliever, and also a companion in the technical sense? How could this be imagined?
أما قوله ﷺ: «في أصحابي» فمعناه الذين ينسبون إلى صحبتي، كما قال في الرواية الثانية: «في أمتي
So the critics should not take joy in this hadith, because it does not support them.
Then the Prophet ﷺ specifying their number as twelve is proof of knowledge of them and of their persons. What strengthens that is the earlier report of Hudhayfah, in which he said: “There remain from the hypocrites only four. One of them is an old man who does not feel the coldness of water due to old age.” So is it established that any one of these narrated a hadith from the Prophet ﷺ, or transmitted anything of the religion, and it was hidden from the sahabah?
By this it becomes clear that the claim that there were hypocrites among the sahabah who were narrators has no academic or historical foundation.
Tafaseer of Surah Tawbah verse 101
وَمِمَّنْ حَوْلَكُمْ مِنَ الأَعْرَابِ مُنَافِقُونَ وَمِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ مَرَدُوا عَلَى النِّفَاقِ لَا تَعْلَمُهُمْ نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُمْ سَنُعَذِّبُهُمْ مَرَّتَيْنِ ثُمَّ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَذَابٍ عَظِيمٍ
“And among those around you from the desert Arabs are hypocrites, and among the people of Madinah are those who have become entrenched in hypocrisy. You do not know them. We know them. We shall punish them twice, then they will be returned to a tremendous punishment.” (Surah al Tawbah 101)
Abu Jaʿfar (At Tabari) said: Allah, exalted is His mention, is saying that among the people who live around your city from the desert Arabs there are hypocrites, and among the people of your own city there are also hypocrites like them.
As for His saying, “They have become entrenched in hypocrisy,” it means they have become firm upon it and trained in it.
From this comes the expression “a rebellious devil,” meaning one who is wicked and defiant. From it also comes the saying, “So and so rebelled against his Lord,” meaning he acted arrogantly, persisted in disobedience, and became accustomed to it.
Ibn Zayd said regarding this: They remained upon hypocrisy and did not repent, just as the others repented.
Ibn Ishaq said: “They persisted in it and refused anything other than it.”
As for His saying, “You do not know them,” it means that Allah is saying to His Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: You do not know these hypocrites whom I have described to you, from among those around you from the desert Arabs and from the people of Madinah. Rather, We know them.
In explanation of this, it was narrated from Qatadah that he said regarding His saying, “And among those around you from the desert Arabs are hypocrites,” until His saying, “We know them”: What is the matter with people who burden themselves with knowing the fate of others, saying that so and so is in Paradise and so and so is in the Fire, while if one of them is asked about himself he says, “I do not know”?
By Allah, a person is more knowledgeable about his own deeds than about the deeds of others. You have taken upon yourself something that even the prophets before you did not take upon themselves. The Prophet of Allah Nuh عليه السلام said, “I have no knowledge of what they used to do.” (Surah al Shuʿaraʾ 26–112).
And the Prophet of Allah Shuʿayb عليه السلام said, “What remains with Allah is better for you, if you are believers. And I am not a guardian over you.” (Surah Hud 11–86).
And Allah said to His Prophet ﷺ, “You do not know them. We know them.”
As for His saying, “We shall punish them twice,” it means: We shall punish these hypocrites two times, one punishment in this life and another in the grave.
Then the people of interpretation differed regarding the punishment in this life, what it is.
Some of them said: It is their exposure and disgrace. Allah exposed them by revealing their affairs and making their inner states known to the people through the tongue of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It was narrated from Ibn Abbas that he said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood one Friday delivering a sermon and said, “Leave, O so and so, for you are a hypocrite. Leave, O so and so, for you are a hypocrite.” He expelled a number of people from the masjid, thereby exposing them. ʿUmar encountered them as they were leaving the masjid, so he hid himself out of shame, thinking that he had missed the Friday prayer and that the people had already finished.
They too hid from ʿUmar, thinking that he had come to know about their affair.
Then ʿUmar entered the masjid and found that the people had not yet prayed. A man from the Muslims said to him, “Rejoice, O ʿUmar. Allah has exposed the hypocrites today.”
This was the first punishment, when they were expelled from the masjid. The second punishment is the punishment of the grave.
It was also narrated from Abu Malik that he said regarding His saying, “We shall punish them twice”: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to mention the hypocrites in his sermon, punishing them with his words, and the second punishment is the punishment of the grave.
Tafsir At Tabari (11/643–644)
Ibn Kathir said: Allah informs His Messenger ﷺ that among the Arab tribes living around Madinah there are hypocrites, and that among the people of Madinah themselves there are also hypocrites. “They have become entrenched in hypocrisy” means that they have become accustomed to it and persisted in it. From this comes the expression “a rebellious devil”, meaning one who is wicked and defiant. It is also said, “So and so rebelled against Allah”, meaning that he acted arrogantly and tyrannically.
His saying, “You do not know them, We know them”, does not contradict His saying, “And if We willed, We could show them to you, and you would recognise them by their marks, and you would surely recognise them by the tone of their speech” from Surah Muhammad.
This is because that refers to recognising them through signs and traits by which they may be identified, not that he knew every individual hypocrite by name and identity. He ﷺ knew that among some of those with whom he mixed from the people of Madinah there was hypocrisy, even though he saw them morning and evening.
The clear proof of this is what Imam Ahmad narrated in his Musnad. Muhammad ibn Jaʿfar narrated to us, Shuʿbah narrated to us, from al Nuʿman ibn Salim, from a man, from Jubayr ibn Mutʿim رضي الله عنه, who said: I said, O Messenger of Allah, they claim that we will have no reward in Makkah.
He said: Your rewards will surely reach you, even if you were in the hole of a fox. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ leaned his head towards me and said: “Indeed, among my companions there are hypocrites.”
The meaning of this is that some hypocrites and rumour spreaders may utter speech that has no basis in truth, and from people like them came the words that Jubayr ibn Mutʿim heard.
It has already preceded in the explanation of His saying, “And they intended what they did not attain”, that he ﷺ informed Hudhayfah of the names of fourteen or fifteen hypocrites. This was a specific disclosure and does not require that he knew the names and identities of all of them. Allah knows best.
Al Hafiz Ibn ʿAsakir narrated, in the biography of Abu ʿUmar al Bayruti, through Hisham ibn ʿAmmar: Sadaqah ibn Khalid narrated to us, Ibn Jabir narrated to us, a shaykh from Beirut whose kunyah was Abu ʿUmar narrated to me, I think he narrated to me from Abu al Dardaʾ, that a man called Harmalah came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: Faith is here, and he pointed with his hand to his tongue, and hypocrisy is here, and he pointed with his hand to his heart, and he does not remember Allah except a little.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “O Allah, grant him a remembering tongue, a thankful heart, provide him with love for me and love for those who love me, and turn his affair towards goodness.” He then said: O Messenger of Allah, I had companions among the hypocrites and I was a leader among them. Shall I not bring them to you?
He said: “Whoever comes to us, we will seek forgiveness for him, and whoever persists upon his way, then Allah is more entitled to him. Do not tear away a covering from anyone.”
Abu Ahmad al Hakim narrated it in the same way from Abu Bakr al Baghandi, from Hisham ibn ʿAmmar.
ʿAbd al Razzaq said: Maʿmar informed us, from Qatadah, regarding this verse, that he said: What is the matter with people who burden themselves with knowing the fate of others, saying so and so is in Paradise and so and so is in the Fire?
If you ask one of them about himself, he says: I do not know. By my life, you yourself are more knowledgeable about your own state than about the states of others. You have taken upon yourself something that the prophets before you did not take upon themselves.
The Prophet of Allah Nuh عليه السلام said: “And what knowledge do I have of what they used to do.” And the Prophet of Allah Shuʿayb عليه السلام said: “What remains with Allah is better for you if you are believers, and I am not a guardian over you.” And Allah said to His Prophet ﷺ: “You do not know them, We know them.”
Al Suddi narrated from Abu Malik, from Ibn ʿAbbas, regarding this verse, that he said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood as a preacher on Friday and said: “Leave, O so and so, for you are a hypocrite. Leave, O so and so, for you are a hypocrite.” He expelled a number of them from the masjid and exposed them.
ʿUmar came while they were being expelled from the masjid, and he hid from them out of shame, thinking that he had missed the Friday prayer and that the people had already dispersed. They hid from ʿUmar as well, thinking that he had come to know their affair.
Then ʿUmar entered the masjid and found that the people had not yet prayed. A man from the Muslims said to him: Rejoice, O ʿUmar. Allah has exposed the hypocrites today. Ibn ʿAbbas said: This was the first punishment, when they were expelled from the masjid, and the second punishment is the punishment of the grave.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (4/204–205)
