Part 53

JUDGMENT CONCERNING THE HYPOCRITE WHO CONCEALS HIS ATHEISM

Indeed, Muslim jurists have debated about whether atheist hypocrites, who hide their unbelief, should inherit and leave an inheritance or not. However, the author argues that they inherit and leave an inheritance even if they are known to be covertly hypocrites, as was the case in the time of the Prophet (pbuh). For inheritance is based on overt support for the Prophet (pbuh) but not on the hidden devotion of the heart. Indeed, the Prophet’s saying: “An unbeliever never inherits from a Muslim and a Muslim never inherits from an unbeliever,” does not include hypocrites, although in the Hereafter they are in the lowest reaches of Hellfire. But they used to bequeath and inherit in the same way Muslims do. Likewise, they had the same rights and were subject to the same limitations as all other Muslims. Moreover, Allah states that even though they establish prayer and give zakah, they are not-accepted by Him. He [Allah] says: “The only reasons why their contributions are not accepted are that they reject Allah and His Messenger; that they come to prayer without earnestness; and that they offer contributions unwillingly” (9:54). He also says: “The hypocrites—they think they are overreaching Allah, but He will overreach them: When they stand up to pray, they stand without earnestness, to be seen of men, but little do they hold Allah in remembrance” (4:142). It was recorded in Sahih Muslim that the Prophet said: “Here is how a hypocrite prays [he said this three times]; he intends to observe the sun until it sets between the two horns of Satan. Then, he stands up to pray and quickly performs four rak‘as, but little does he hold Allah in remembrance.”

Hypocrites also used to accompany the Prophet on his expeditions, as Ibn Ubay once did on the expedition of Bani al-Mustalaq, where the Prophet said this verse from the Qur’an: “. . . [The hypocrites] said: ‘If we return to Madinah, indeed the more honorable will expel from it the meaner ones . . .”” (63:8).

In the two collections of sound hadiths, it is related on the authority of Zayd Ibn Arqam, who said: “We went out with the Prophet (pbuh) on an arduous journey during which people suffered severely.” So ‘Abd Allah Ibn Ubay said to his followers: “Spend none of your wealth on those who are with the Messenger of Allah so that those gathered about him will be scattered.” And he also said: “. . . [The hypocrites] said: ‘If we return to Madinah, indeed the more honorable will expel from it the meaner ones... .”” So ] [Zayd Ibn Arqam] came to the Prophet and informed him of the matter, and he in turn sent a message to ‘Abd Allah Ibn Ubay, asking him about what he had done. He [‘Abd Allah Ibn Ubay] replied that Zayd had lied to the Messenger of Allah. I was quite distraught by what they had said until Allah revealed that I am telling the truth, saying: “When the hypocrites come to you [Oh, Muhammad] . . .” (63:1). Then the Prophet (pbuh) summoned them so that he might pray to Allah to forgive them, and they bowed their heads. On the occasion of the Tabiik expedition the Prophet (pbuh) called them to take up arms, just as he and the rest did. Some of them accompanied the Prophet (pbuh), and some did not. On the way, some of those who joined him tried to kill him by unfastening the cinch of his she-camel so that he would fall into a valley. However, he received a revelation and then confided their names in secret to Hudhayfah. (Therefore, he is called ‘the man of the secret’ as cited in al-Sahih.] In spite of all this, they were overtly treated in the same way as believers.

This section clarifies many doubts. For example, many of the followers classified those who outwardly professed Islam either as just or wicked. But they avoided making a decision about hypocrites, who were, are, and will be living among us until the Judgment Day. Hypocrisy has many branches. And the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh) feared becoming hypocrites.

For example, it was recorded in both Sahih Muslim and Sahih al-Bukhari that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “Three are the signs of a hypocrite; when he speaks he tells a lie, when he makes a promise he breaks it, and when he is trusted, he betrays the trust.” Muslim recorded this hadith with the following addition: “. . . even if he observes the fast and prays and asserts that he is a Muslim.”

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In the two Sahihs it was recorded, on the authority of ‘Abd Allah Ibn ‘Amr, that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “Four attributes can be seen in someone who is considered a manifest hypocrite. And he who possesses one of them, indeed, possesses a characteristic of hypocrisy until he abandons it; when he speaks he tells a lie, when he is trusted he betrays the trust, when he makes a promise he breaks it, and when he quarrels he behaves traitorously.”

The Prophet (pbuh) used to pray for them and ask Allah to forgive them until Allah forbade him to do this. Allah says: “Nor do you ever pray for any of them that dies, nor stand at his grave . . .” (9:84). And He says: “Whether you ask for their forgiveness, or not [their sin is unforgivable]: If you ask seventy times for their forgiveness, Allah will not forgive them . . .” (9:80). From that time on, the Prophet (pbuh) stopped praying for them and asking for their forgiveness. But, unlike the unbelievers, their blood and property are protected [for they overtly behave as Muslims]. The Prophet (pbuh) said: “I have been commanded to fight against people until they admit that there is no god but Allah and that | am the Messenger of Allah. And when they do it, their blood and property are guaranteed protection on my behalf except for the right, and their affairs rest with Allah.” And then he said to Usamah Ibn Zayd: “Have you killed him after he said that there is no god but Allah?” Upon this, Usamah replied: “He said so to seek protection.” The Prophet (pbuh) added: “But, have you opened his heart [to justify what you did]?” He further said: “I have been commanded neither to go in search of people’s hearts nor to split open their stomachs.” When the Prophet (pbuh) was asked for his permission to kill a man, he used to ask: “Does he [the man] pray? Does he not testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger?” If it was said that he was a hypocrite, he [the Prophet] used to say: “Do not kill him.” Hence, he used to protect people’s blood and property unless they overtly rejected Iman [whether he knew that some of them were hypocrites or not]. Allah says: “Certain of the desert Arabs around you are hypocrites, as well as the People of Madinah, They are obstinate in hypocrisy. Although you do not know them; We know them; twice shall We punish them, and in addition shall they be sent to a grievous Penalty” (9:101). Whenever one of them died, Muslims used to pray for them, provided that they did not know that they were hypocrites, but if they knew, they would refrain. ‘Umar [al-Khattab] used to not pray for a dead man until Hudhayfah prayed for him for Hudhayfah had better knowledge than others about hypocrites because the Prophet (pbuh) had mentioned their

Moreover, when Allah commands Muslims to emancipate a believing slave as an atonement for sin, He does not stipulate that he had to be a true believer. Neither were they commanded to go in search of people’s hearts nor to open their stomachs. But, if they found a man who manifested Iman, they were allowed to emancipate him. This applies to the owner of the slave girl [mentioned previously]. When the Prophet (pbuh) asked the owner: “Is she a believer?” the Prophet (pbuh) meant, “Is she a believer outwardly?” The same is true of someone who has to emancipate a believing slave in fulfillment of a vow. He is to emancipate an overtly believing slave. For no creature can judge someone else’s inner Iman. Indeed, no human being can ever know such a thing [i.e., whether someone else has belief in his heart] for certain. Even the Messenger of Allah, the most knowledgeable of all human beings, was told by Allah: "Certain of the desert Arabs around you are hypocrites, as well as the People of Madinah. They are obstinate in hypocrisy. Although you [Oh Muhammad] do not know them; We know them; twice shall We punish them . . .” (9:101). The people mentioned in this verse were being judged by the Prophet to be believers, and if any of them had died, he would have prayed over that person’s funeral procession. For he was only forbidden to pray for someone whom he knew to be a hypocrite; otherwise, he would have had to have the capacity to plumb the depths of peoples’ souls and know their innermost secrets, which is something no mere human being is capable of.

" The chapter titled Siirat Bara’ah is also commonly known as Siirat al-Tawbah. The reference above, wa minhum, from among them, occurs at the beginning of verses 49, 58, and 75.

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Bara? ah was revealed, they hid their hypocrisy and no longer could reveal it. Allah says: “If the hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease, and those who spread news among the people in Madinah, do not cease, We shall certainly let you overpower them, then they will not be able to stay in it as your neighbors but for a little while. They shall have a curse on them: wherever they are found, they shall be seized and slain [without mercy]. That was the way of Allah in the case of those who disappeared a long time ago, and you will not find any change in the way of Allah” (33:60-62). Whenever they were warned that they would be killed if they revealed this hypocrisy, they hid it.