339. Allah does not deceive anyone. It is nothing but parity of words, the meanings are different. See ch. 2, note 25 and ch. 86, note 14 (both works of this series) for fuller explanation (Au.). Here, in this world, they are allowed to do what they want to, as a result of which they make some worldly gains which leads them to believe that what they are doing is right. They will be treated in the Hereafter in the like manner. See ch. 57, verse 12-15. A hadith of Bukhari says:

مَنْ سَمَّعَ سَمَّعَ اللَّهُ بِهِ وَمَنْ يُرَائِي يُرَائِي اللَّهُ بِه

“He who tried to make people hear (of his knowledge), Allah will expose him (to the people on the Day of Judgment) and he who tried to show off, Allah will show the truth about him thereof.” (Ibn Kathir). Suddi, Hasan and Ibn Jurayj have said however, that the true deception would be in the Hereafter when they would be given light along with the believers, but, a little later, their light will be withdrawn, they will be left in darkness, and a wall would be placed, separating them from the believers (Ibn Jarir).

340. A hadith preserved by the Sahihayn records the Prophet as having said:

إِنَّ أَثْقَلَ صَلَاةٍ عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ صَلَاةُ الْعِشَاءِ وَصَلَاةُ الْفَجْرِ وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِيهِمَا لَأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا وَلَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ آمُرَ بِالصَّلَاةِ فَتُقَامَ ثُمَّ آمُرَ رَجُلًا فَيُصَلِّيَ بِالنَّاسِ ثُمَّ أَنْطَلِقَ مَعِي بِرِجَالٍ مَعَهُمْ حُزَمٌ مِنْ حَطَبٍ إِلَى قَوْمٍ لَا يَشْهَدُونَ الصَّلَاةَ فَأُحَرِّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ بُيُوتَهُمْ بِالنَّارِ.

“The most difficult of the Prayers for the hypocrites is that of Fajr and `Isha’. But, if they knew what is there in them, they would respond, even if they had to drag themselves. Indeed, I intend to order the Prayer begun, ask another person to lead in the Prayer, and myself go around with a group of people with some wood in search of those who do not come to the Prayer and burn down their homes.” In another report of Muslim he said:

تِلْكَ صَلاَةُ الْمُنَافِقِ، يَجْلِسُ يَرْقُبُ الشَّمْسَ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَتْ بَيْنَ قَرْنَىْ شَيْطَانٍ قَامَ فَنَقَرَهَا أَرْبَعًا ، لاَ يَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِيهَا إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً

“That is the Prayer of a hypocrite. He sits down watching the sun, until, when it is about to set, he gets up and offers four rak`ah of Prayers, striking the ground, bird-like (with his forehead), not remembering Allah therein, but a little” (Qurtubi with Ibn Kathir in greater detail).

341. Zamakhshari observes: It is the same attitude that you will observe in many of those who claim to be Muslims (but whose hearts are enamoured with worldly things). If you happen to be in their company, you will find them endlessly talking of this world and its affairs, seldom glorifying Allah or praising Him: They do not remember Allah, but little.

342. The hypocrite - with his physical body with the believers, but the heart with the unbelievers - wavers between the two. The Prophet has said about him (in a hadith of Muslim: Ibn Kathir):

مَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ كَمَثَلِ الشَّاةِ الْعَائِرَةِ بَيْنَ الْغَنَمَيْنِ تَعِيرُ إِلَى هَذِهِ مَرَّةً وَإِلَى هَذِهِ مَرَّةً

“The example of a hypocrite is similar to a goat wandering between two herds. It wanders sometimes to one, at other times to another” (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi).

343. Mawdudi comments: “No human being can proceed along any path, whether it be good or evil, unless God lets him proceed along it, and bestows upon him the means to do so. However, it is up to the man himself to choose his own path, and after he has made the choice, God will let him proceed along it, and will even pave the way for him. If a person really cares about God, genuinely seeks the truth and earnestly tries to pursue the path charted by God, God permits him to follow his choice, and even provides the means necessary to proceed along his chosen path. On the other hand, God shuts the door of true guidance on the person who chooses error and strives to proceed only along wrong paths, and further enables him to follow the path of his choice. It is beyond the power of any human being to prevent such a person from thinking wrongly, acting wrongly and using his energies in wrong directions. If a man loses the road to his success and is subsequently deprived of true guidance by God, in whose power it lies, then, to restore to him his lost treasure”?

344. “Friends” is not the right word for “waliyy” (pl. awliya’), rather, only convenient to use. Waliyy is one in whom one places his full trust, from whom he conceals nothing, and who will protect him as he will himself (Au.).

345. It is widely reported of the Companions and their followers that the hypocrites will be in the lowest region of Hell, in special chambers, constructed of steel, with lids from the top firmly locked and sealed from all around with no chance of escape (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir, Shawkani). When one wishes to express the meaning of ‘one level above the other,’ the word in Arabic would be darj. But if one wants to express the meaning of ‘one level below the other,’ then the word is dark. It is said that of Hell there are various levels (adrak). The first is known as Jahannum, the one below it is Laza, the next al-Hutamah, the next Al-Sa`ir, the next Saqar, the next al-Jahim and finally al-Hawiyyah, which is the lowest region. However, sometimes all the seven are referred to by the name of the top most, i.e., Jahannum (Qurtubi).

346. The Prophet has said:

أخلص دينك يكفك القليل من العمل

“Make your religion purely for Allah, then a little deed will suffice you” (Ibn Kathir). But the hadith has been questioned for its chain of narration (Au.).

347. Allah’s displeasure that they earned in the past because of their evil deeds is apparent in that He did not say: “They are the believers,” rather: “They shall be with the believers” (Qutaybi: Qurtubi, Shawkani).

348. “The attitude of gratefulness to God consists in acknowledging His benefaction in one’s heart, in confessing it in one’s speech and by manifesting it in one’s deeds” (Mawdudi).

349. “The word used here is shakir ... In the context of the God-man relationship, when the word shukr is used in respect of God, it denotes ‘appreciation of services’. When it is used in respect of man, it denotes his acknowledgement of God’s benefaction and his sense of gratitude to Him” (Mawdudi). The Relationship When Allah spoke of the evil ways of the hypocrites, He followed it up to say that He does not approve of the evil word spoken aloud: including some of such things as were spoken about the hypocrites. But sometimes, when the person is a transgressor, it becomes necessary. Hence He said: “Allah does not approve of an evil word (spoken) aloud, unless a man has been wronged” (Razi).

350. It is another way of saying that Allah is angry with them (Razi, Alusi).

351. Although the words are, “spoken aloud,” perhaps the meaning is, “(Allah does not approve of the evil word) ‘spoken out’ (even if it is not spoken aloud)” - Alusi.

352. Ibn `Abbas has said that the prohibition concerns a man supplicating against another, unless he were to be wronged by him. But if he forgives, then that’s better for him. Mujahid and others have illustrated it this way. Supposing a man is mistreated as a guest. When he leaves he can complain that he was not treated well (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir). Ibn Kathir quotes a hadith from the Sahihayn to show that Mujahid’s statement has a basis. Once, the Companions complained to the Prophet that sometimes when they stopped at a village, they were not treated well. He told them that they could go to the extent of forcing the host to treat them well. According to another hadith in Ahmad, a night’s shelter and food are the rights of every guest. If he is mistreated he might seek the help of those in the neighborhood against the host. The above shows how important, the rights of a guest upon a host are in an Islamic system of life. (Au.) Hasan al-Busri has advised that if a man is wronged, he should, instead of supplicating against the oppressor, say, “O Allah, help me against him to get back my right” (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir). A more general meaning is, Allah does not approve that someone speak ill of another, unless he be wronged by the other (Ibn Jarir). At one time when someone stole something from `A’isha’s house, she began to supplicate against him. The Prophet told her: “Do not lighten his burden” (Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir). A variant reading however, has been zalama (he wronged) instead of zulima (he was wronged) which was the opinion of Zayd b. Aslam, Ibn Abi Is-haq, Dahhak, Ibn `Abbas, Ibn Jubayr, `Ata’ ibn Sa’ib. The interpretation in that case would be as follows. Firstly, the answer to the ‘except’ should be assumed, and then the whole to be understood as, ‘(Except for him who commits a wrong) ... against such a person one can speak evil aloud.’ Yet another possible meaning in view of this second reading is that it is only the oppressor who will speak evil aloud (Qurtubi).

353. Mawdudi writes: “.... If a wronged person speaks out against a wrong-doer, he is quite justified in doing so. Even though this is a person’s right, it is more meritorious to continue to do good both in public and in private, and to ignore the misdeeds of others. For one’s ideal should be to try to approximate to God’s ways as far as possible. God with whom one wants to be close is lenient and forbearing; He provides sustenance even to the worst criminals and seeks mitigating circumstances in even the most serious offenses. In order to become close to God, one ought to be generous in spirit and full of tolerance.” Shafi` comments: Thus, we see that Islam establishes justice by giving the oppressed the right to seek revenge. However, court rulings normally create a bitter feeling among the contentious parties. Therefore, it recommends the oppressed that he forgive his right. This creates peace and harmony in the society.

354. Several allusions are possible. It could mean a way in between belief and unbelief. (But they erred because there is no relationship whatsoever between the two: Zamakhshari). In explanation, Alusi quotes the verse (10: 32):

فَمَاذَا بَعْدَ الْحَقِّ إِلَّا الضَّلَالُ [يونس : 32]

“And what (is left) after the truth, but falsehood?” Alternatively, it could mean: a way by which they believe in some prophets and deny others. It could also mean that they wish to find a way by which they believe in God but not in His messengers. Although the immediate reference was (as pointed out by Qatadah and Suddi: Ibn Jarir) to the Jews and Christians, of whom the former believed in Musa but denied `Isa and Muhammad, while the latter believed in Musa and `Isa, but denied Muhammad – peace on them all (Au.). Majid’s comment on “they wish to make division between Allah and His messengers” is: “By professing to believe in Him in the abstract, but rejecting His law as propounded by His prophets and apostles.”

355. That is, those whose disbelief is beyond any doubt (Zamakhshari, Razi).

356. So He will forgive their minor sins.