Ат-Тавба 9:92–121

Now, who are those fortunate people whose inaction is regarded as action and who are therefore rewarded for it? They are those who, while not physically participating because of some incapacity, give proof of three things—heartfelt solidarity with the participants (nush); doing at least by word of mouth whatever is possible for them to do (ihsan); and, sorrowfulness about their shortcomings that is so intense that it gushes out in the form of tears (huzn). If an individual relegates something to an unimportant category in his life and does so again and again, it can happen that the very consciousness of its importance vanishes from his heart. The demands of that task keep coming before him, but there being no urge left in his heart to accomplish it, he fails to come to grips with it. This growing insensitivity is termed in the Quran ‘the sealing of hearts’. ‘God has already informed us about you.’ This statement makes it clear that the hypocrites referred to here are those present at the time of revelation of the Quran, that is, the Prophet’s contemporaries. According to Tabaqat ibn Sa‘d, there were eighty individuals about whose hypocritical character God had informed the Prophet through His revelation. However, in spite of this knowledge, the behaviour which the companions of the Prophet were allowed to adopt towards them was to overlook and ignore them. The issue of meting out punishment to them was kept by God in His own Hands. However, the only severity shown to the hypocrites of Madinah was that the excuses they offered were not accepted. So much so that when Tha‘laba ibn Hatib Ansari, a hyprocite, offered zakat, it was not accepted from him. ‘Abdullah ibn Ubayy’s son wanted to take drastic action against his father for his hypocritical actions, but the Prophet restrained him, saying, ‘Leave him. By God, as long as he is amongst us, we will treat him properly.’ (Tabaqat ibn Sa‘d).

The orders regarding the hypocrites of later periods were the same. However, there was one difference. The treatment given to the hypocrites of the early period was based on the state of their hearts. But the treatment given to the later hypocrites will be based on external proof. The approach of overlooking and ignoring them will be proper only if external proof of their hypocrisy is available. No action will be taken against them on the basis of their intention or the condition of their hearts. If the later hypocrites present any excuses, their excuses and their charities, etc., will also be accepted. Leaving their fate to be decided by God, such action will be taken against them as is warranted in the normal course of law. Paradise is attainable on the basis of personal deeds and not on the basis of having joined any class or group of Muslims. All the hypocrites were a part of the Mulsim ummah; they used to offer prayers and observe the ritual of fasting along with the Muslims, but in spite of that, God decalred them to be bound for Hell.

A tradition of the Prophet says, ‘One who settles in a village will become hard in nature.’ There is an intellectual atmosphere in a city; educational institutes are established there, discussion of learning and the arts is a regular feature of city life, whereas the people in villages do not have these opportunities for self-improvement. Moreover, their manner of living and the means of their livelihood are also inferiror in comparison. Consequently, a deep and mature consciousness does not develop in these people of the countryside. There is harshness in their temperament and superficiality in their thinking. They find it difficult to understand the dialectics of religion and cannot absorb its truth. God is aware of everything; at the same time He is Wise and Merciful also. He is fully aware of this weakness on the part of country people (villagers), or in other words, the general public, and in His wisdom and Mercy allows them full latitude on this account. Therefore, God does not demand from them deep realisation (ma‘rifah) or a high level of religiosity. If they are well-intentioned, God will accept their simple faith.

Religion for the general public is acceptance of God from the bottom of their hearts; keeping the realisation fresh in their minds that they have to face the Hereafter one day; spending a part of their earnings for the sake of God. They think that in this way they will be able to attain closeness to God and His blessings, and may seek the blessings of the Prophet who is a representative of God. This is the ordinary, superficial level of their religiousness, but if a man’s heart is pure and he is well-intentioned, God will accept this simple kind of devotion from him. But, if the common people, becoming completely neglectful of God and His commands, lose all connection with religion, so much so that spending for the cause of religion appears to them a sort of fine and they are terrified of the progress of Islam, then they are undoubtedly unpardonable. Because of the low level of understanding of the common people, they may be excused if they are not capable of deep and noble religiousness. But if their lack of understanding assumes the shape of arrogance or disloyalty towards Islam, then under no circumstances, can they be pardoned.

When the call goes out for God’s religion, the atmosphere can be either inimical or propitious. If inimical, those who issue the call become aliens, or muhajirs, in their own hometown; if propitious, they risk neither life nor property and can lend their support to the muhajirs. These helpers are called ansar. The conditions in the early period at Makkah were such that those of the townspeople who were Muslims were forced into the position of muhajirs while the conditions in Madinah were such that those of the townspeople who were Muslims were able to become ansars. God’s approval is attainable by anyone willing to pay the price of being a muhajir or an ansar; either he should concentrate so much on treading God’s path that he loses hold of all worldly strings; or if he is a person of some means, he should utilize his wealth to alleviate the deprivation of the first category of people. The Muslims of Makkah (companions of the Prophet) were the perfect examples of individuals willing to suffer this deprivation, going to the extent of emigration, while the Muslims of Madinah were the perfect examples of extending full support to the deprived people for the sake of receiving God’s blessings. Those among the later Muslims who follow their predecessors in this matter will join this divine group. God causes some people to be deprived in order to see that they turn to Him. Similarly, God saves others from deprivation in order that they may help the deprived ones and thus join those who spend for the sake of God. This is the plan of God. Those who do not come up to this standard are, in actual fact, not ‘pleased’ with God’s plan. So God will not be ‘pleased’ with them in the Hereafter. ‘They are well pleased with Him.’ That is, it was by God’s will that they were placed in such circumstances that they had to adopt religion at the cost of sacrificing everything they had. And still they remained steadfastly on the path of religion. Similarly, others were placed in circumstances which required them to share their belongings with their brothers in religion—with whom they had only the relationship of a common cause and not of blood-relationship—and still they willingly did this. Such are those who attain the pleasure of God and it is they who will be settled in the eternal gardens of paradise. A hypocrite is one who claims to be a Muslim, but when the question arises of paying the price of hijrah (supporting the callers to the faith) for the sake of religion, he does not find it in his heart to do so.

The proof of sincere repentance is a greater urge to serve the cause of religion. To absolve themselves of sin, they offered a part of their cherished property for the cause of God. On seeing such a positive response from them, the Prophet was asked not to reproach them but rather to give them psychological support, pray for them so that the burden (of guilt) in their hearts was lightened and their confidence in their faith restored. Doing wrong is not the real evil in the eyes of God; persistence in that wrong is the real evil. One who begins to justify his wrongs ruins himself, while one who admits his mistakes and tries his best to atone for them with good deeds is worthy of being pardoned by God.

After committing a wrong, the individual has two options: either to admit his mistake or shamelessly persist. One who admits his mistakes becomes increasingly modest and once again he becomes entitled to God’s grace and blessings. On the contrary, one who is emboldened by his persistence in his sinful ways invites the wrath of God. In order to prove that the path he has opted for is the right path, he invents false arguments in self-defence. In this way his attempt to falsely justify one mistake will lead him on to making more and more mistakes. This is why God’s grace awaits the former type of individual, while His wrath awaits the latter.

There are two foundations for the building of life. One is piety (taqwa) and the other is self-centredness. In the first case the whole structure of life is built on a firm foundation of being God-fearing. In this case all the activities of the individual are influenced by one central thought. That is, he has to be accountable for all his words and deeds to a Being Who is aware of all things, whether open or hidden, and Who is to award punishments or rewards accordingly. One who considers himself accountable to God has erected his building on a solid foundation that will never be shaken. In contrast to him is the man who builds on the crumbling edge of an abyss. Free from all fears and apprehensions, he leads a self-oriented life in the world. He does not accept any restrictions, and speaks and acts at will. The example of the life of such a person can be compared to a building which has been constructed on the brink of a gorge which is about to cave in; all of a sudden it will collapse, carrying all the building’s residents down into its depths.

The most heinous crime of the people who build their lives on the basis of self-oriented behaviour came to light in the form of the Dhirar Mosque in Madinah. At that time there were already two mosques in Madinah, the Mosque of the Prophet or al-Masjid an-Nabawi, which was inside the town, and the Quba’ Mosque, which was in the suburbs. The hypocrites constructed a third mosque to divert people’s attention. Although acts of this kind are apparently performed in the name of religion, in reality, their aim is to maintain the hypocrites’ leadership by supporting their opposition to the call of Truth. Those who are unable to accede to the call of truth on account of their self-centredness, try to create a front against it, so that they may indulge in destructive activities. This divides Muslims in two groups. These negative acts, carried out in the name of religion, go to the extent of bringing recognized personalities on to their stage in order to gain credibility among the people. In their blind enmity, these people forget that opposition to the Truth amounts, in fact, to opposition to God. This can never succeed in God’s world. The only fate ordained for them is their meeting with death in despair and frustration and being deprived of God’s Grace forever. Becoming a true believer in God entails the ‘selling’ of oneself to God. One gives one’s life and property to God so that He may grant one eternal paradise in return. This is what is meant by surrendering oneself totally to God. A real attachment to anything is always at the level of complete surrender. It is this degree of commitment that is required with regard to God. None can receive the eternal bounties of paradise without complete surrender. When an individual adopts God’s religion in this spirit, it does not remain separate from his life. Rather it becomes a matter of his personal concern. It forms the centre of his interests, concern and apprehensions. If the cause of religion demands his property, he is willing to offer it. If he is required to devote his time and his talents to it, he is willing to do so.

Those who unconditionally surrender to God develop the qualities mentioned in the above verse. Their sensitivity is awakened to such an extent that they are able to pinpoint their mistakes in no time and admit them immediately. They are obeisance personified in the eyes of God. They are so engrossed in thoughts of God’s Majesty that this begins to find expression spontaneously, springing from the innermost recesses of their hearts. They become spiritual travellers, that is, they go from the human world to the divine world of nature which is a source of peace and tranquillity. What true believers love most is bowing down to God. They try to lead anyone they come in contact with towards the path of righteousness. When they find anyone taking to evil ways, they do their utmost to stop him from doing so. They become extremely vigilant in observing the limits set by God. They are like the gardener who is extra careful about his garden or his orchard. These are the people to whom God sends His glad tidings of eternal divine reward in the form of paradise. God’s paradise is far more precious than any other precious thing. But God’s paradise is like a pledge: it is not like an immediate cash reward. It is due to the delayed fulfillment of this pledge, (that is, it comes after death and not in this world) that people set paradise aside and rush towards petty, ephemeral benefits.

Abraham, being a very compassionate person, was greatly concerned about the salvation of humanity. Swayed by these sentiments, he had made a pledge to pray to God for his pagan father. But, when he was made aware of God’s will, he desisted. God has instilled in every human being a natural instinct for discerning evil. When an individual receives a message which is intended to stop him from committing an evil deed, his whole inner being testifies to its truth. A silent check is produced in his heart. For ‘God would never lead a people astray after He has guided them.’ But if the man ignores this impulse arising from within, and does not save himself, in spite of the hint given him by nature, his natural sensitivity gradually goes on weakening, till a time comes when it dies altogether. This danger threatens Muslims as well as non-Muslims.

On the occasion of the battle of Tabuk, there was a group which surrendered its best asset to Islam: their crops. It was harvest time, but they left everything behind and set out on a journey which involved a march of three hundred miles in intense heat in order to face the most powerful empire of the time. The shortage of mounts, equipment and goods was so acute that several men had to take turns on each camel, and for food they had often to rest content with one date per person. However, they were only being tested for their resolve and dedication to the cause of God. After God had seen their mettle, He caused the enemy to fall a prey to terror. They retreated from the battlefield without any confrontation and the Muslims returned victorious without having shed any blood. There was another group which consisted of the confessors ( 9:102 ). These people could not set out on this journey due to their engagement in worldly activities. However, they very soon realised that they had made a serious mistake, to which they unreservedly confessed. They were truly ashamed of their misdeed and sincerely repented of it. The flood of tears flowing from their eyes compensated for their shortcomings. God enveloped them in His mercy, because they had admitted their mistake in all sincerity.

A third group consisted of those who were left behind. These were three youths, Ka‘b ibn Malik, Mararah ibn Rubay and Hilal ibn Umayyah. Though they regarded their inability to proceed on this journey as a shortcoming, their feelings of repentance and turning towards God had not been as intense as was required in this first stage. That is why they were punished by a social boycott. Now even with this boycott these three had a number of options. They could have remained happy and contented; they could have remained engrossed in their homes and gardens; they could have become rebellious; they could have formed their own separate group in collaboration with disgruntled elements, thus forming an island, a happy world cut off from the general body of Muslims. But they refrained from doing so. The thought of having earned the displeasure of God and His Prophet disturbed their minds so greatly that they failed to find a moment’s peace. For them this was an option, not a compulsion. For they could have escaped by rebelling against this boycott and joining any other group. But their response being positive, they naturally turned to God for forgiveness. They repented and prayed to God. Their hearts were truly softened. After a period of 50 days of prayer God showed them His mercy and they were pardoned.

Our life is social in nature. That is why everyone, according to his tastes and aptitudes, forms a circle of his own in which to spend his days and nights. It is necessary for those who fear God and want to tread the path of faith to befriend those who are sincere, truthful, and God-fearing, and who are consistent in their words and deeds. By keeping company with such people, one is transformed into a truthful person too. On the contrary, if one seeks the company of insincere, hypocritical persons, one will necessarily come under their influence. There are times when Islam has to be served by risking one’s life; there are times when Islam has to be served at the cost of suffering the pangs of hunger and thirst; there are times when one is exhausted struggling for the cause of God; there are times when one has to serve God and His prophet by sacrificing one’s peace of mind. On such occasions one feels like opting for the safer course and hesitates to go ahead and answer the call of one’s faith. One is oblivious of the fact that those were the very opportunities to give practical proof of one’s attachment to God, when by doing so, one could have expected to be found worthy of paradise.