An Attempt to Understand the Secret Role Played by Muhammad's Companions Who Were Adamant in Hypocrisy

Published in February 26, 2018

Translated by: Ahmed Fathy

Introduction:

1- Within recording the brainstorming process among Quranists of our website, we quote here the comments that some of our fellow Quranists have written under our article titled "Othman Ibn Affan Was the Spy Who Betrayed Muhammad and the Believers before the Battle of Badr" (found in English on this link: http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=18051), and we quote our own comments that reply to theirs.

 Ms. Bint Al-Forat writes: (... Thank you, Dr. Mansour for this great illuminating article ... Indeed, the schemes of Qorayish could have eliminate mountains; the spy Othman Ibn Affan managed to spy on Muhammad and to deceive him and to deceive the rest of believers in Yathreb ... The Qorayish tribesmen feared to lose their dominance, stature, wealth, and trade; this is the reason for such scheming as Islam undermines all their ambitions and posed a threat to them; of course, the wealthy merchant Othman Ibn Affan would not have agreed to act as a spy who married Muhammad's daughters unless his wealth and stature were threatened and he felt endangered by Islam ... Yet, the Sunnite  Muhammadans deify Othman Ibn Affan and believe in false hadiths about him that narrate that he followed the footsteps of his father-in-law, Muhammad, on the moralistic level! How silly and misleading hadiths are and how gullible the Sunnites are! ...).

 Mr. Saeed Ali writes: (... The phenomenon of hypocrisy never ended until now ... God has warned against this phenomenon in the entire Quranic Chapter 63 and tells us about the features of hypocrites who pretended to be Muslims: telling lies, swearing by God's name in vain, overtly showing signs of religiosity before the eyes of people, hiding their disbelief, committing sins and immoral behavior, being very affluent with good health, progeny, assets, etc., being good orators who influenced others with their words, never caring to perform good deeds nor to donate money for God's sake; i.e., for self-defense endeavors and for charity, tribalism, allying themselves to the aggressive polytheistic enemies, slyness and cunning, keeping busy with money and possessions and children instead of worshiping God, and finally, their bragging of ancestry and wealth and stature ... The Yathreb city-state led by Muhammad was based on freedom, equality, and justice like all secular countries of today; religious and political freedom was enjoyed by all of the Yathreb city-state citizens even by those who disbelieved in the Quranic message ... The explicit hypocrites posed no danger as their deeds, stances, and words exposed them; the real danger was by those who were adamant in hypocrisy and concealed their disbelief while pretending to be Muslims to get nearer to Prophet Muhammad; he never knew them, as per the Quran, and they were too cunning and sly to let themselves be exposed; the Quranic verses about hypocrites in Yathreb are too many to be overlooked; they seem to be the majority of the Yathrebian affluent class and they wished they could drive Muhammad and the immigrants out of Yathreb, but they could not ... Those adamant in hypocrisy included some of those desert-Arabs who were situated outside the borders of Yathreb and contacted the Meccan polytheistic enemies ... They died without repentance and were tormented in this world before they will be tormented in Hell, as per 9:101  ...).

 Mr. M. Ali Al-Faqeeh writes: (... To deify the companions of Muhammad is to show contempt to God as well as to Muhammad and to the real monotheists ... Some historians assume that Abou Bakr , Othman, etc. spent all their wealth to serve 'Islam'; yet, this provides no motivation at all for Sunnites who revere those deified 'companions' to imitate such alleged spending for God's cause; the reason: such history is fictional and never part of Islam; it is rather part of deifying mortals and saints and singing their praises and that's all. It is silly to ascribe hadiths to Muhammad as praising those companions and mention their rewards in Paradise; Muhammad never knew about the metaphysical realm and never talked about it ... The Muhammadans must stop believing in man-made books and must focus instead on God's Word, the Quran, to get to know the real history of Muhammad and his era ... The Quran is preserved by God to guide us in this respect and within all issued related to faith and belief; it is the only source of guidance 1400 ago and until the end of days for those who choose to be guided; in contrast, Sunnites books contain nothing but mere empty words and vain wishes of devils that mislead and misguide readers, as per this verse about Satan: "He promises them, and he raises their expectations, but Satan promises them nothing but delusions." (4:120) ...).

2- We have written these two comments: (We thank you, our dear fellow Quranists for this enriching, great brainstorming; we need more of it all the time from all of you.) and ( As we have mentioned before by the end of the article, everything we assert is open for discussion and questioning; we are tackling and unveiling aspects of history that remained secret for more than 1000 years; no one before our person ever attempted to tackle such field. We are the first historian to do so and tackle unspoken-of history of the so-called companions. We desire that all of our fellow Quranists participate with their comments within brainstorming and Quranic ponderings sot that we get to know and get nearer to the Quranic Truth. The aim here is to prove the contradictions between the Quran and the Muhammadans and to prove to the Muhammadans that their 'immortal' and 'infallible' deities were indeed human devils of the Arab conquest who distorted and tarnished the image of Islam and twisted the meanings of Quranic verses for centuries. Quranists must show True Islam (Quranism) with its value of peace, justice, and tolerance; they must defend the image of Islam distorted by the polytheistic Muhammadans, past and present, especially by the human devils called companions who are deified and sanctified now by the Sunnites who disbelieve in the Quran. We are happy and content with the comments we have read so far, written by Bint Al-Forat, Mr. Saeed Ali. And Mr. M. Ali Al-Faqeeh, and we are waiting for more comments from them and from other Quranists.).

3- This brainstorming plus pondering deeply on the Quranic verses that mention the companions/contemporaries of Muhammad have resulted now in this article about attempting to understand the secret role played by those adamant in hypocrisy among the so-called Muhammad's companions inside the Yathreb city-state.

Firstly: types of believers:

The Forerunners:

 There were those Forerunners in good deeds and faith among the immigrants to Yathreb and the supporters (the title given to the original Yathreb dwellers who supported and welcomed the immigrants); see 59:8-9, 49:77-78, and 9:100. The stance of the Forerunners never changed and they died as such; they never participated in the crimes/sins called the Arab conquests admired by historians; this is why history books never mention the names of those Forerunners, as historians are only for the tyrants and the unjust ones.  

Weak, oppressed believers:

1- Some of them included those who embraced peaceful behavior (i.e., Islam in terms of peace and not in terms of faith) and they immigrated to Yathreb and continued in their polytheistic ways (see 5:90-92); some of them in Yathreb were reluctant to engage into the self-defense military endeavors, even shortly before Muhammad's death; see 4:77-78; 2:216, 9:13-16, and 9:38-39.   

2- Some of them included those who could not immigrate to Yathreb, though they wished to, and remained in Mecca and suffered persecution, and the Qorayish polytheists unjustly prevented them from entering mosques to perform prayers; see 4:75, 4:97-99, and 2:115.

3- After the initial stage of immigration en masse to Yathreb, the new policy of the Qorayish tribe was to prevent the rest of the weak, oppressed believers from leaving Mecca so as not to notify and warn Muhammad and immigrants in Yathreb about spies/agents planted by Qorayish there; Qorayish chased and brought back those who tried to escape Mecca; within such context, God gives this legislation in 4:97-104 about performing prayers during times of fear (fleeing the enemies, immigration to avoid persecution, or within military battles). Of course, some believers embraced Islam but concealed their faith so as to avoid persecution inside Mecca before the Meccans surrendered to Muhammad shortly before his death; Muhammad and the believers in Yathreb did not know those Meccan believers who concealed their faith, as we infer from this verse: "It is they who disbelieved, and barred you from the Sacred Mosque, and prevented the offering from reaching its destination. Were it not for faithful men and faithful women, whom you did not know, you were about to hurt them, and became guilty of an unintentional crime. Thus God admits into His mercy whomever He wills. Had they dispersed, We would have punished those who disbelieved among them with a painful penalty." (48:25). Some spies sent by Qorayish to the Yathreb city-state were women who were tested in terms of security and NOT in terms of faith, as faith in inside the hearts is known only by god the Omniscient Lord: "O you who believe! When believing women come to you emigrating, test them. God is Aware of their faith. And if you find them to be faithful, do not send them back to the unbelievers. They are not lawful for them, nor are they lawful for them. But give them what they have spent. You are not at fault if you marry them, provided you give them their compensation. And do not hold on to ties with unbelieving women, but demand what you have spent, and let them demand what they have spent. This is the rule of God; He rules among you. God is Knowing and Wise." (60:10).

4- This is the context within which we understand the network of espionage and informants planted like a fifth column by the Meccan Qorayish disbeliever inside the Yathreb city-state; those spies/agents were those adamant in hypocrisy mentioned in this verse: "Among the Desert-Arabs around you there are some hypocrites, and among the inhabitants of Yathreb too. They have become adamant in hypocrisy. You do not know them, but We know them. We will punish them twice; then they will be returned to a severe torment." (9:101).

Ordinary believers among the immigrants:

 Those were not among the Forerunners in deeds and faith and they were not among those who were adamant in hypocrisy; we get to know them through the notion of alliances; i.e. to ally oneself either to believers or to the aggressive enemies.

Secondly: alliances:

 This notion has emerged after the Meccan polytheists of Qorayish launched aggressive attacks against Muhammad and the early believers in Yathreb; believers had to choose to either ally themselves to God and Islam and to the monotheists inside Yathreb, or to the aggressive polytheists who launched war against the Yathreb city-state. It is obvious and logical to ally oneself to peaceful people who defended themselves and NOT to aggressors; yet, the stances of the dwellers of Yathreb differed.

1- The basis of alliance is to immigrate to the Quran-based Yathreb city-state that defended peaceful believers who joined it; the Yathreb dwellers could not ally themselves to other believers outside Yathreb who did not join the Yathreb city-state; yet, persecuted ones outside Yathreb can ask for the support of the Yathrebian believers and they should help them, unless there is a peace treaty/pledge that would prevent this help and support: "Those who believed, and emigrated, and struggled in God's cause with their possessions and their persons, and those who provided shelter and support-these are allies of one another. As for those who believed, but did not emigrate, you owe them no protection, until they have emigrated. But if they ask you for help in religion, you must come to their aid, except against a people with whom you have a treaty. God is Seeing of what you do." (8:72).

2- The application of the notion of alliance differed, of course, among the dwellers of Yathreb who settled in it after immigration.

2/1: The oppressed, watched, persecuted weak/ordinary believers in Mecca have been allowed by God to conceal their faith to avoid severe persecution and life-threatening situations by pretending to follow the religion of the polytheists but their hearts must remain filled with devotion and monotheism: "Believers are not to take disbelievers for allies instead of believers. Whoever does that has nothing to do with God, unless it is to protect your own selves against them. God warns you to beware of Him. To God is the destiny. Say, "Whether you conceal what is in your hearts, or disclose it, God knows it." He knows everything in the heavens and the earth. God is Powerful over everything." (3:28-29). This is unlike the Shiite Taqiyya of conniving, conspiring, and scheming to ascend to power (see our article in English titled "They Ask You about Taqiyya", found on this link: http://www.ahl-alquran.com/English/show_article.php?main_id=17632), and likewise, this has nothing to do with the outspoken political opposition of the explicit hypocrites of Yathreb who enjoyed absolute political and religious freedom (within peaceful words and deeds) as long as they never raise arms or commit against anyone.

2/2: It is unlikely that the Forerunners in faith and belief would have allied themselves to the aggressive, polytheistic Meccans.

2/3: The real problem was in ordinary and/or weak believers in Yathreb who allied themselves to their polytheistic relatives in Mecca.

2/3/1: Those Meccan immigrants  who settled in Yathreb felt homesick and yearned to meet their polytheistic relatives and kinsmen; they thus allied themselves to polytheistic aggressors and overlooked that such aggressors hated God, the Quran, and Muhammad and committed the sin of driving the believers out of Mecca by force: "O you who believe! Do not take My enemies and your enemies for allies, offering them affection, when they have disbelieved in what has come to you of the Truth. They have expelled the messenger, and you, because you believed in God, your Lord. If you have mobilized to strive for My cause, seeking My approval, how can you secretly love them? I know what you conceal and what you reveal. Whoever among you does that has strayed from the right way." (60:1).

2/3/2: They did not take heed of the Quranic warning; God describes here real believers to warn the disbelievers: "You will not find a people who believe in God and the Last Day, loving those who oppose God and His Messenger, even if they were their parents, or their children, or their siblings, or their close relatives. These-He has inscribed faith in their hearts, and has supported them with a spirit from Him. And He will admit them into Gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will dwell forever. God is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. These are the allies of God. Indeed, it is God's partisans who are the successful." (58:22).

2/3/3: They did not take heed of the Quranic warning; God has warned them here more severely: "O you who believe! Do not ally yourselves to disbelievers rather than believers. Do you want to give God a clear case against you?" (4:144).

3- It is expected that those immigrants who were adamant in hypocrisy mentioned in 9:101 allied themselves to the Meccan polytheists who planted them inside Yathreb to spy on Muhammad and the early believers within the Yathreb city-state. There is a Quranic indication in the Quranic Chapter 4 about those hypocrites who were fickle and their stances oscillated between belief and disbelief until they chose disbelief eventually; they allied themselves to the Meccan polytheists later on, of course, and they died as such and will be tormented in Hell forever as they never repented: "Those who believe, then disbelieve, then believe, then disbelieve, then increase in disbelief, God will not forgive them, nor will He guide them to a way. Inform the hypocrites that they will have a painful torment. Those who ally themselves with the disbelievers instead of the believers. Do they seek glory in them? All glory belongs to God." (4:137-139). 

Lastly: other Quranic indications about those who are adamant in hypocrisy:

1- The first Quranic indication of those who are adamant in hypocrisy comes after the unexpected victory of the Yathrebian troops within the battle of Badr; the shock and bitterness of such defeat drove the polytheistic Meccans to try to influence the impressionable believers and win them to their side as allies using money as the source of temptation; in these verses, God has warned such Yathrebian believers against betrayal and treachery and told them to adhere to piety, and this implies there were already spies and traitors inside Yathreb, and this Quranic context ends by referring to the schemes of the Qorayish polytheists: "O you who believe! Obey God and His Messenger, and do not turn away from him when you hear. And be not like those who say, "We hear," when they do not hear. The worst of animals to God are the deaf and dumb-those who do not reason. Had God recognized any good in them, He would have made them hear; and had He made them hear, they would have turned away defiantly. O you who believe! Respond to God and to the Messenger when He calls you to what will revive you. And know that God stands between a man and his heart, and that to Him you will be gathered. And beware of discord which does not afflict the wrongdoers among you exclusively; and know that God is severe in retribution. And remember when you were few, oppressed in the land, fearing that people may capture you; but He sheltered you, and supported you with His victory, and provided you with good things-so that you may be thankful. O you who believe! Do not betray God and the Messenger, nor betray your trusts, while you know. And know that your possessions and your children are a test, and that God possesses an immense reward. O you who believe! If you remain conscious of God, He will give you a criterion, and will remit from you your sins, and will forgive you. God is possessor of infinite grace. When the disbelievers plotted against you, to imprison you, or kill you, or expel you. They schemed, and God schemed, but God is the Best of schemers." (8:20-30).     

2- In fact, the verse "And know that your possessions and your children are a test..." (8:28) shows clearly that money is thee important factor manipulated by those who are described in the verse 9:101 as those who are adamant in hypocrisy; this entails some explanation in the points below.

2/1: The Qorayish tribesmen were the most affluent people in Arabia; all Arabs had less money. God has warned Muhammad several times in Mecca against admiring such immense wealth owned and enjoyed by those polytheists who spread corruption in the land: "And do not extend your glance towards what We have given some classes of them to enjoy - the splendor of the life of this world - that We may test them thereby. Your Lord's provision is better, and more lasting." (20:131); "Do not be impressed by the disbelievers' movements in the land. A brief enjoyment, then their abode is Hell. What a miserable resort." (3:196-197); "None argues against God's Verses except those who disbelieve. So do not be impressed by their activities in the land." (40:4).

2/2: It is expected that the Qorayish leaders and tribesmen would be very generous and spare no money within spending on military aggression against Muhammad and the early believers who settled in Yathreb; this began once the Meccans were defeated in the battle of Badr; God tells believers beforehand that the polytheists will feel the deep sorrow, in this world and the next, resulting from spending money in order to repel people away from God's Path: "Those who disbelieve spend their wealth to repel from God's path. They will spend it, then it will become a source of sorrow for them, and then they will be defeated. Those who disbelieve will be herded into Hell." (8:36). 

2/3: It is expected that those spies/agents planted by the Qorayish tribe inside the Yathreb city-state were clever merchants; they turned Yathreb whose economy was based on agriculture into the hub of trade and wealth. Proof: many people in Yathreb left Muhammad while he was preaching the Friday congregational prayer sermon and hurried to meet the trade caravans owned by those wealthy ones who were adamant in hypocrisy: "O you who believe! When the call is made for prayer on Congregation Day, hasten to the remembrance of God, and drop all business. That is better for you, if you only knew. Then, when the prayer is concluded, disperse through the land, and seek God's bounty, and remember God much, so that you may prosper. Yet whenever they come across some business, or some entertainment, they scramble towards it, and leave you standing. Say, "What is with God is better than entertainment and business; and God is the Best of providers."" (62:9-11). This economic flourishing had increased the wealth of the already affluent hypocrites among the two major Yathrebian tribes: Al-Aws and Al-Khazraj; God in the verses 9:55 and 9:85 has warned Muhammad twice against admiring the wealth and progeny of those hypocrites.    

3- In sum, after the Yathrebian believers entered into Mecca along with Muhammad as victorious ones and made the Qorayish tribe leaders agree to the peace treaty/pledge, those who were adamant in hypocrisy formed commercial ties of trade with everyone to win ordinary believers among the immigrants to their side; within the context of the verses of the Quranic Chapter 9 about those polytheistic Meccans of Qorayish who breached the peace treaty/pledge after the Meccans submitted to Muhammad, we quote this verse about the prohibition of allying oneself to aggressive disbelievers: "O you who believe! Do not ally yourselves with your parents and your siblings if they prefer disbelief to belief. Whoever of you allies himself with them - these are the unjust ones." (9:23). The very next verse makes Arabs at this point have to choose between allying themselves to God or to the Qorayish polytheists who control the wealth and trade: "Say, "If your parents, and your children, and your siblings, and your spouses, and your relatives, and the wealth you have acquired, and a business you worry about, and homes you love, are more dear to you than God, and His Messenger, and the struggle in His cause, then wait until God executes His judgment." God does not guide the sinful people." (9:24).   

4- In fact, once Muhammad died, those hypocritical Arabs along with those who were adamant in hypocrisy have chosen to disbelieve in God in order to side with the Qorayish tribe, which ruled and dominated over Arabian to mobilize Arabs into the Arab conquests for the sake of money and other transient life possessions within forming an Arab empire; and then, those hypocritical Arabs fought one another within civil wars because of money and power. This means that those hypocrites have chosen to be among the sinful ones: "...God does not guide the sinful people." (9:24).