Part 60

This is the case of most of the converts to Islam as well as of those who do not know the facts of Iman. An example of the latter is a man who has converted to Islam as a result of fighting or being captured by Muslims. Such a man becomes Muslim and overtly obeys Allah and His Messenger. However, covertly, knowledge about the facts of Iman has not entered his heart. Such knowledge can be achieved through understanding of the Qur?an, through accompanying the

people of Iman and imitating their sayings and works, or through special guidance from Allah. Sometimes, one may see a part of the merits of Islam and of the disadvantages of unbelief that may discourage him to become Muslim. And if he was born into a Muslim community and grew up among Muslims, then he will love Islam, seeing some of its benefits as well as the vices of unbelievers. Many such Muslims may become skeptical when they hear ideas that cast doubt on Islam. Also, they may not strive for the sake of Allah. Hence, they are not included in the following verse. Allah says: “Only those are believers who have believed in Allah and His Messenger, and have never since doubted, but have striven with their belongings and their lives in the Cause of Allah. . .” (49:15). Moreover, they are not hypocrites who conceal their unbelief inwardly. Rather, they have imperfect Iman so they are not true believers, nor are they hypocrites. Also, they are not of those who committed major sins but rather performed obedience outwardly. Yet they do not perform the essence of Iman that leads to true belief. Thus, they have some Iman with them but they are not true believers. Accordingly, they will be rewarded for what they have performed of obedience and for this reason Allah says: “... But you [only] say: ‘We have submitted our wills to Allah

. 2” (49:14). Allah also says: “They impress on you as a favor that they have embraced Islam. Say: ‘Count not your Islam as favor upon Me; no, Allah has conferred a favor upon you that He has guided you to the belief, if you indeed are true’” (49:17). That is, if you are true and sincere in your saying “we believe,” Allah has conferred a favor upon you that He has guided you to Iman. This requires that they may be true and sincere in their saying “we believe.” And their sincerity either means characterizing them by being, as Allah describes, that they believed in Allah and His Messenger, and have never since doubted, but have striven with their wealth and their lives in the Cause of Allah, those are the sincere ones; or it means that they are not like hypocrites because they have Iman [although it is not absolute]. The latter interpretation seems closer to the meaning of the verse than the former. Allah knows best how to interpret its meaning, for He says concerning the tested women: “. . . Then if you know them for true believers, send them not back to the disbelievers . . .” (60:10). But one cannot deny that they might doubt in the future. Allah disbelieves only the hypocrites and no one else. As for these, He does not consider them to be lying, but rather says: “You have not believed.” Also the Prophet (pbuh) said: “None of you is a believer until he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself.” Likewise he says: “The fornicator who foricates is not a believer as long as he commits it;” and “No one is a

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believer whose neighbor is not secure from his harmful conduct.” But in none of these statements are hypocrites being described or referred to.

The context of the verse cited above indicates that Allah finds fault with them. The reason is that in their ignorance and hardheartedness, they looked upon themselves as having done Allah a favor by becoming Muslims, thereby showing outwardly what was in their hearts, of which Allah was already aware. As Allah says to the Prophet concerning them: “Say: ‘Will you instruct Allah about your religion while Allah knows all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth? . . .”” (49:16). If there had been no religion whatsoever in their hearts, then they would have had nothing to tell Allah about their religion; for anyone can recognize that kind of Islam which is manifested outwardly. The preposition bi, about, is used along with the verb in this verse, since the statement implies the sense of the verbs “inform” or “speak to,” as if Allah had been asking them: “Do you intend to inform Allah or speak to Him of your religion, when He is the One who knows everything in heaven and on earth?” The context of the verse indicates that those things of which they informed Allah were the same things that had been mentioned by Allah concerning them, namely, their saying: “we have believed.” Hence, what they were “informing” Allah about was what was in their hearts.

Quranic interpreters reported that when these verses were revealed, the desert Arabs came to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) swearing that they were true and sincere believers, so Allah revealed His saying: “Say: What! Will you instruct Allah about your religion? . . .” (49:16). This indicates that they were true and sincere in their conversion to Islam because after the revelation of this verse, they were not ordered to strive. But it was only something they said; and He Himself says: “. .. For not yet has faith entered your hearts . . .” (49:14). The word lama, yet, is a negation of an event that is about to happen and that is likely to occur. As Allah says: “Do you think that you will enter Paradise before Allah tests those of you who fought [in His Cause]? . . .” (3:142). Al-Suddi stated that this verse was revealed in connection with the desert Arabs of [the tribes of] Muzaynah, Juhaynah, Aslam, Ashja‘, and Ghufar. These are the ones whom Allah mentions in Surat al-Fath, and who used to say “we believe in Allah” in order to protect themselves; however, when they were called out to fight at the battle of Hudaybiyyah, they stayed behind. This verse was then revealed to address the situation.

It has been related on the authority of Mugatil that their houses were between Makkah and Madinah, and that whenever any of the Prophet’s (pbuh) troops passed by, they would say “we believe” in order to ensure the safety of their lives and property. Then when the Prophet (pbuh) marched to Hudaybiyyah and called upon them to come out and fight, they did not do so.

According to Mujahid, this verse [about the desert Arabs] was revealed concerning the Bedouin tribe of Banii Asad Ibn Khuzaymah. Someone else described their condition, saying that they came to Madinah in a year of drought. When they arrived, they showed themselves to be Muslims outwardly although they were not believers. They polluted the city streets with human excrement, then raised their prices and began to act as though they had done the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) a favor by becoming Muslims, saying: “We have brought you heavy loads [of goods] and slaves.” Subsequently this verse was revealed concerning them. Commenting on the words of this verse of which Allah says: “They regard as favor upon you [Oh, Muhammad] that they have embraced Islam. Say: ‘Count not your Islam as a favor upon me. Nay, but Allah has conferred favor upon you, that He has guided you to the belief, if you indeed are true” (49:17). Qatadah said that this verse refers to when they came to the Prophet (pbuh) and said to him: “We became Muslims without putting up armed resistance. We did not fight against you as did this tribe or that tribe.” In response to this Allah says to His Prophet: “They regard as favor upon you [Oh, Muhammad] that they have embraced Islam. Say: ‘Count not your Islam as a favor upon me. Nay, but Allah has conferred favor upon you, that He has guided you to the belief. . .”” (49:17) .

Mugatil Ibn Hayyan agrees that they were members of the Bedouin tribe of Bani Asad Ibn Khuzaymah, who said: “Oh Messenger of Allah, we have come to you without putting up any armed resistance, leaving behind both our families and our wealth whereas all the other Arab tribes fought against you until at last, against their wills, they entered Islam. All of this ought to give us special prerogatives over others.” In response to this Allah reveals the verse which reads: “They regard as favor upon you [Oh, Muhammad] that they have embraced Islam. Say: ‘Count not your Islam as favor upon me. Nay, but Allah has conferred favor upon you, that He has guided you to the belief, if you indeed are true” (49:17); and“... And render not in vain your deeds” (47:33). And it is said that a major sin that leads one ultimately to Hell is any serious offense that a person commits, then dies without repenting of it.

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All the foregoing makes clear that they were not unbelievers inwardly, nor had they entered the complete belief required of believers. They are referred to in Sarat al-Hujurat, where these different types of people were mentioned. Allah says: “Indeed! Those who call you from behind the dwellings, most of them have no sense” (49:4). They are not described here as being either unbelievers or hypocrites, although they have reason to fear that they might become so. For this reason, some of them tured away from Islam because the joy in their hearts was not tempered by belief. After this Allah says: “Oh you who believe! If a fasiq, sinner, comes to you with news, verify it . . (49:6). This verse was revealed concerning al-Walid Ibn “Ugqbah, who had given a false report.