In order that an obdurate person may not think that the verses
on the hypocrites do not pertain to the companions, as the ahl
al-sunna claim, we have decided to present some of the verses
that refer specifically to the believers.
In the wise book, Allah's says: "O You who believe! What
is it with you that when it is said to you to go forth in the
cause of Allah you cling heavily to where you are? Do you prefer
the life of this world to that of the hereafter? Little is the
comfort of this life when compared to that of the hereafter. If
you do not go forth, He will inflict a grievous punishment upon
you and substitute another people in your place. You cannot harm
Him in the least. And Allah has power over all things" (9:34).
"O you who believe! whoever of you reverts after having believed,
Allah will bring a people whom He loves and who love him, humble
with the believers, powerful over the disbelievers, struggling
in the way of Allah, not afraid of the sternest critics. That
is the grace of Allah. He bestows it upon whom He wills. Allah's
knowledge encompasses [everything]" (5:54).
"O you who believe! Do not be treacherous to Allah and His
Prophet. Do not knowingly betray your trust. And know that your
property and your children are a test and that with Allah lies
great reward" (8:28).
"O You who believe! Respond to Allah and His Prophet when
they call you to what enlivens you. And know that Allah comes
between a man and his heart and that to Him you shall be gathered.
Beware of discord that it should not affect especially those of
you who do wrong; know that Allah is severe in punishment"
(8:25).
"O You who believe! Remember the bounties of Allah when armies
came against you but we sent against them winds and forces that
you could not see. Allah saw clearly all that you did. They came
to you from above and from below. And behold! The eyes became
dim and the hearts gaped up to the throats and you imagined various
things about Allah. Then the believers were tested and they were
shaken tremendously. The hypocrites and those in whose hearts
there is sickness say: "Allah and His Messenger have promised
us nothing but delusions" (33:12).
"Has the time not now arrived for those who believe that
their hearts should humbly be engaged in the remembrance of Allah
and the truth which has been revealed" ( 57:16)?
"They seek to impress upon you that they accepted Islam as
a favour to you: Say: 'Do not count your Islam as a favour to
me. Allah has done you a favour by guiding you to the faith, if
you are truthful'" (49:17).
"Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your mates
and your kins or the wealth that you have gained, or the business
in which you fear a decline, or the dwellings in which you delight
are dearer to you than Allah and His Prophet or struggling in
His path then wait until Allah brings about His decision and Allah
does not guide those who are corrupt" (9:14).
"The desert Arabs say: 'We believe'. Say: 'You have not believed.
Rather, say: 'We have submitted ourselves to Allah' for faith
has not yet entered your hearts" (49:14).
"Those who do not believe in Allah and the last day seek
to be excused. Their hearts are in doubt and in their doubt they
hesitate" (9:45).
"Had they come out with you they would have only added disorder,
hurrying to and fro in your midst and sowing sedition among you.
And there are some amongst you who would have listened to them.
Allah is well aware of the wrongdoers" (9:47).
"Those who stayed behind rejoiced in their inactivity, [doing
so] behind the Messenger of Allah. They hated to struggle with
their property and their lives in the path of Allah. They said:
'Do not go forth in the heat'. Say: 'The fire of Hell is more
hot', if only they understood" (9:81).
"That was because they followed what brought forth the wrath
of Allah. And they hated Allah's pleasure. So He made their deeds
of no value. Or do those in whose hearts there is sickness reckon
that Allah will not bring their wickedness to light? Had We so
wished, We would have shown them to you, you would have recognized
them by their marks. Surely, you will know them by the tone of
their speech. And Allah knows your deeds" (47:30).
"And a group from the believers disliked it. They dispute
with you about the truth after it was made clear, as if they were
being driven to death whilst they were watching it" (8:6).
"Here you are invited to spend in the way of Allah! Amongst
you are some who are misers. And whoever is miserly is only miserly
to his own soul. Allah is free from all wants and you are needy.
If you turn back He will substitute another people and they will
not be like you" (47:38).
"And among them are those who slander you in [the distribution
of] alms. If they are given from it, they are pleased. If they
are not, they become angry" (9:58).
"And among them are those who listen to you until, when they
leave you, they say to those who have been given knowledge: 'What
did he say just now?' They are those upon whose hearts Allah has
placed a seal. They follow their desires" (47:16).
"And among them are those who trouble the Prophet and say:
'He is all ears'. Say: 'He listens to what is best for you. He
believes in Allah and has faith in the believers. And he is a
mercy to those of you who believe'. But those who trouble the
Prophet will have a grievous punishment" (9: 61).
This amount of clear verses are sufficient to satisfy the researchers
that the companions can be divided into two groups:
1. One group believed in Allah and His Prophet (S.A.W.), submitting
its affairs and leadership to them. It obeyed Allah and His Prophet,
dedicating [itself] whole heartedly to them, sacrificing for their
cause. This [group] was the successful one. It represented a minority.
The Qur'an called these [people] the 'grateful ones'.
2. Another group outwardly believed in Allah and His Prophet,
but had sickness in it's heart. It did not submit it's affairs
except for personal interests and worldly benefits. It opposed
the Prophet in his rulings and commands, and preferred itself
over Allah and His Prophet. This group was amongst the losers
and represented the majority. The Qur'an referred to it succinctly
when Allah, the Glorified and Honoured, said: "We have come
to you with the truth, but most of you hate the truth" (43:78).
The researcher discovers that this "majority", during
the life of the Prophet (S.A.W.), lived with him, prayed behind
him and accompanied him when he travelled. They sought, by any
means possible, to get close to him so that their [true] state
may not be revealed to the sincere believers. They tried their
best to put up a show, making the believers envious due to their
excessive worship and piety in the eyes of the people.
If this was their state during the life of the Prophet (S.A.W.),
what were they like after his death? No doubt they were energetic,
they multiplied in numbers, spread and increased, as did their
cover-ups and representatives (in the community). There was no
Prophet who could recognise them and no revelation to disgrace
them. Especially as, with his death, appeared the early signs
of dissension and fragmentation amongst the people of Medina,
who were inclined towards hypocrisy. The Arabs in the peninsula
apostatized for they were severe in their disbelief and hypocrisy.
Among them were those who claimed prophethood such as Musaylima
the liar, Tulayha, Sajjah bint al-Harth and their followers. All
of them were among the companions.
If we leave aside all of them and concentrate solely on the Medinan
companions of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), we can certainly
state that the thorns of hypocrisy appeared in them too. Most
of the believers amongst them turned back upon their heels for
the [sake of the] Caliphate.
In the previous discussion, we learnt that they plotted against
the Prophet (P) and his successor, they disobeyed the commands
that the Prophet of Allah (P) had issued to them when he was on
his deathbed.
This reality is something from which there is no escape for the
researchers, seeking the truth, for they are confronted with it
when reading the historical texts and the biographical accounts
of the Prophet. Allah's most glorified book has recorded it in
the most clear expression and the most wise verses when it said:
"Muhammad is just a Messenger. Other Messengers have gone
before him. If he dies or is killed, will you then turn back upon
your heels? And whosoever turns back upon his heels will not hurt
Allah in any way. Allah will reward those who are grateful"
(3:144).
The grateful ones are a minority amongst the companions, who did
not turn back, they were steadfast to the covenant they gave to
the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) and did not change in any way.
This noble verse, with its clear implications, refutes the claim
of the ahl al-sunna, i.e., that the companions have no
relation to the hypocrites. Even if we, for argument's sake, accept
this, then this noble verse is addressed to the sincere companions
who were not hypocrites during the life of the Prophet (P), but
instead reverted upon their heels immediately after his death.
The reality of them will become clear when we examine their status
during the life of the Prophet (S.A.W.), and after his death,
and what the Prophet of Allah said regarding them. This is abundantly
clear in the hadith, biographical and historical works.
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