207. Who are the "early outstrippers" from among the large body of Emigrants and Helpers (seeing that migration continued till the fall of Makkah: Au.)? While Sha`bi and `Amir believed that it is those who preceded the Ridwan pledge (of the sixth Hijrah year), Abu Musa al Ash`ari, Sa`id b. al Musayyib and Qatadah were of the opinion that those are entitled to the honor who embraced Islam before the Qiblah was changed from Bayt al Maqdis to Ka`bah (in the second year after Hijrah). However, some others have said that all the Companions of the Prophet are included in this category (including those who committed some errors later, but not of course the hypocrites: Au.). [In which case the "min" of the text will be treated as "bayaniyyah" {explanatory}: Shafi` from Tafsir Maz hari].

Humayd b. Ziyad's following story is quoted in support. He says he asked Ka`b al Qurazi (formerly a Jew: Au.), about the Companions, ‘I meant to know what to think of them in view of their quarrels among themselves after the Prophet.' Ka`b said, "Allah forgave their sins and promised them Paradise in His Book those who were exemplary as well as those who were not. Ibn Ziyad says, "I asked him, ‘Where did He promise them that?'" Ka`b replied, "Allah be glorified. Did he not say, ‘As for the early outrunners of the Migrants and the Helpers, and those who followed them in good stead, Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him?' You can see that He promised His good pleasure and Paradise unto all of them and declared those who follow them as deserving of the same treatment, except for placing a condition." Ibn Ziyad asked, "What is that condition?" Ka`b replied, "It is expressed in the words, ‘And those who followed them in good stead.' That is, they should follow them in good deeds and not in those that are not of the same class." Ibn Ziyad said, "I felt as if I had never read the verse earlier" (Imam Razi).

The subtle point that Ka`b brought out is that when Allah said, "And those who followed them in good stead," it meant that He was speaking of a group of people whose deeds were both good as well as otherwise. This meant that all of the Companions were included, including those who erred in some of their judgements later (Au.).

Imam Razi adds that Abu Bakr is included by default. How could he be left out who was the first among men to embrace Islam, the first to have brought to the Prophet six new converts including such figures as Talha, Zubayr and `Uthman and the one who accompanied the Prophet in his hijrah journey. How could he be left out and, instead, cursed, as the Shi`ah do? Again, he was of those about whom Allah said that He was pleased with them. Now, if it is said that those who outstripped others in faith, with whom Allah was pleased, later became hypocrites, as the Shi`ah allege, then, the words of Allah should not have been unconditional; rather, the words should have been, "Allah is pleased with them, on condition that they do not change later."

The following from Qurtubi should be of general interest:

(a) There is a general agreement among the scholars that the best of the Companions were the four Khulafa` followed by the rest of the ten that were given the tidings of Paradise (`ashara mubashsharah: Abu Bakr, `Umar ibn al Khattab, `Uthman b. `Affan, `Ali ibn Abi Talib, Talha b. `Ubaydullah, Zubayr b. al `Awwam, `Abd al Rahman ibn `Awf, Sa`d b. Abi Waqqas and Sa`id b. Zayd).

(b) After them, it were the Badri Companions, then those of Uhud and then

(c) those who participated in the Ridwan pledge.

(d) Of the Followers (Tabe`iyyun), the most virtuous was Sa`id b. al Musayyib, then `Alqamah, then Al Aswad.

(e) Others who followed them are Qays, Abu `Uthman, Masruq, `Ata' and Hasan.

(f) The best scholars among them were known as "the Seven Jurists of Madinah." They were, Sa`id b. al Musayyib, Qasim b. Muhammad, `Urwah ibn Zubayr, Kharijah b. Zayd, Abu Salamah b. `Abd al Rahman, `Abdullah b. `Utbah ibn Mas`ud and Sulayman b. Yasar.

(g) Among the female Followers the best were Hafsa bint Sirin, `Umrah bint `Abd al Rahman and Umm Darda'.

208. An interesting incident reveals how meticulously the Companions listened to every recitation of the Qur'an, and how meticulously it was preserved. Once `Umar heard someone recite this verse in the manner it is now in the Qur'an. He was surprised. He asked the man who had taught him to read it that way, because, `Umar had all along read that there was no "waw" (“and”) after the word Ansar. That meant, the verse was to be understood as: "As for the early outrunners of the Migrants and the Helpers who followed them in good stead," instead of the present day recitation: "As for the early outstrunners of the Migrants and the Helpers and those who followed them in good stead." (The introduction of a “waw” makes them three categories: Au.). The man named Ubayy b. Ka`b (the Ansari) as the one who had taught him that way. `Umar went up to Ubayy and asked him to explain. Ubayy told him, "That is how the Prophet taught me while you were away selling (bean) pods at Baqi`. `Umar said, "True. If you wished you could add, ‘We were present when you were away, helped him (the Messenger) when we abandoned him, and sheltered him when you expelled him’" (Zamakhshari).

209. It is significant that when the Companions had to decide a starting date for the Islamic calendar, the choice fell on the event when the Hijra journey was undertaken, a turning point in the history of Islam, and an event by which the first batch of the Muhajirun and Ansar came together into a religion which has its strength in emigration by some, and help by others (Au.).

210. Rashid Rida points out that the worst of hypocrites in our own times are the Muslim ruling classes. They befriend the enemies of Islam and with their help enslave the Muslim masses. Some of them are in secret league with the enemies of Islam and co operate with them to ravage the Muslim lands. Where the Muslim masses are educated, these hypocrites deceive them and where they are not, they do not bother to conceal their intentions. The worst of such hypocrites are the rich and influential men who act against the interest of the Muslims, and the most harmful are those who pretend to be scholars while they are in the service of the rulers.

211. That is, "O Prophet, you do not know all of them." So, the Prophet knew only some of them. Once when someone complained to him of an indecent remark he heard from another, the Prophet bent down to him and confided, "Some of those who (profess to) follow me are hypocrites." But he was not keen on knowing their identities. Ibn `Asakir has reported that a man called Harmalah went up to him and said, "Here pointing to his tongue is faith, but here pointing to his heart is hypocrisy, and it does not remember Allah but little." The Prophet supplicated for him to cure him of his hypocrisy. The man said, "Messenger of Allah. I used to be in the company of hypocrites. And I was their ring leader. Shall I expose them by bringing them to you? The Prophet replied, "Whoever comes to us (following his free will), we shall supplicate for him. As for those who turn away, Allah is their custodian. (As for you), never expose anyone's secrets to others." (Ibn Kathir).

The authenticity of the hadith could not be traced (Au.).

Qatadah has said: It is strange of the people that they say, so and so is in Paradise and so and so is in Hellfire, whereas, when they are asked about themselves, as to where they will be, they say they are not sure. How can they, being doubtful of themselves, although they know their own deeds better than those of others, judge the fate of others? They speak out on issues over which the Prophet stayed silent (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir).

212. In this is an unequivocal denial of the Prophet's knowledge of the unknown and the unseen (Alusi, Thanwi).

213. Opinions vary over which two punishments have been alluded to. A report coming from Ibn `Abbas and Abu Malik says that once the Prophet (saws) interrupted his sermon to say, "O so and so, get out. You are a hypocrite. O so and so, get out. You are a hypocrite." He expelled several of them from the mosque. As they were going out, they encountered `Umar coming in. He was late for the Friday prayer. And, seeing them leaving, he thought that the Prayer was over, and so, out of shame, he concealed himself from them and they concealed themselves from him because they did not wish him to know them as hypocrites. But when `Umar entered, he found that they had not done the Prayers yet. Someone told him, "Be of good cheer, `Umar. Allah exposed the hypocrites today." This was, Ibn `Abbas says, the first punishment. The second punishment will be in the grave. Others however have said that the reference is to the adversities of various kinds in this life, and torture in the grave respectively (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir).

214. To whom is the allusion? A tradition originating with Ibn `Abbas says that there were ten Companions who did not join with the Prophet in the Tabuk campaign. When he came back, five to eight of them went to the Prophet's mosque and tied themselves to its columns, in shame and atonement. The Prophet enquired about them and was told who they were, and that they wished to be unbound by him. He said he was not going to do that until Allah accepted their excuse and sent down His pardon. They vowed that they would not untie themselves until Allah sent down His pardon. Finally, Allah sent this verse. Other versions add that when the pardon came down, Abu Lubaba (who was one of them) was so pleased that he went to the Prophet and said, "I think it is right that as a way of fulfilling my repentance I should move out of the place where I committed the sin and spend all my wealth in the way of Allah." The Prophet told him, "It would be enough if you spent one third" (Ibn Jarir).

215. Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir and others explain that the verse is applicable to everyone who mixes up good deeds with evil ones. He quotes Bukhari who narrated the following hadith in explanation of the verse. The Prophet said,

أَتَانِي اللَّيْلَةَ آتِيَانِ فَابْتَعَثَانِي فَانْتَهَيْنَا إِلَى مَدِينَةٍ مَبْنِيَّةٍ بِلَبِنِ ذَهَبٍ وَلَبِنِ فِضَّةٍ فَتَلَقَّانَا رِجَالٌ شَطْرٌ مِنْ خَلْقِهِمْ كَأَحْسَنِ مَا أَنْتَ رَاءٍ وَشَطْرٌ كَأَقْبَحِ مَا أَنْتَ رَاءٍ قَالَا لَهُمْ اذْهَبُوا فَقَعُوا فِي ذَلِكَ النَّهْرِ فَوَقَعُوا فِيهِ ثُمَّ رَجَعُوا إِلَيْنَا قَدْ ذَهَبَ ذَلِكَ السُّوءُ عَنْهُمْ فَصَارُوا فِي أَحْسَنِ صُورَةٍ قَالَا لِي هَذِهِ جَنَّةُ عَدْنٍ وَهَذَاكَ مَنْزِلُكَ قَالَا أَمَّا الْقَوْمُ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا شَطْرٌ مِنْهُمْ حَسَنٌ وَشَطْرٌ مِنْهُمْ قَبِيحٌ فَإِنَّهُمْ خَلَطُوا عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَآخَرَ سَيِّئًا تَجَاوَزَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ

"Last night two incoming beings came to me. They took me to a city that was built with bricks, one of gold and the next of silver. There we came across men whose one half was the most beautiful ever seen, but the other, the worst spotted ever. The two (angels) told them, ‘Go to that stream and take a dip.' They did that and came back to us in a most beautiful form, all their ugliness gone. The two told me, ‘This is Paradise and this is your abode.' And then they added, ‘As for those you saw: one half beautiful, another half ugly, they were people who had adulterated their good deeds with evil ones. Allah forgave them.'"

Some scholars have said that this verse holds out the most hope: "Then, there are others who admitted sins, adulterating good deeds with other evil ones .." to the end of the verse. Mutarraf is reported to have said, "When I lie down in my bed and think over the Qur'anic verses, I compare my deeds with the deeds of those who will be in Paradise. Their deeds were of a high order. Little did they sleep at night (51: 17). They spent their nights in prostrations and standing (25: 64). Is he then who spends the night in prostrations and standing [before his Lord equal to someone who does not] (39: 9). I do not find myself belonging to this group. Then I compare my deeds with those about whom the Qur'an said (74: 42), ‘What led you to Hell fire? They will say, "We were not of those who Prayed."' I do not find myself belonging to this group either. Then, as I search, I come across this verse, ‘Then, there are others who admitted sins, adulterating good deeds with other evil ones .." to the end of the verse. I hope," Mutarraf concluded, "myself and yourself, all of us belong to this group” (Alusi).

216. Ibn `Abbas, Zayd b. Aslam, Sa`id b. Jubayr and others have said that initially when Abu Lubaba and other true repentant men offered their wealth in charity, the Prophet said that he had not received any directive about it from Allah. So Allah revealed this verse. But Ibn Zayd has said that even those are included who suffered a strain of hypocrisy and so had remained behind without a good cause. Nevertheless, after the Prophet's return they expressed sincere regret and repented anew. Allah revealed this verse concerning them (Ibn Jarir).

Asad points out that the reason why their charity was not accepted initially is that its acceptance implied that they were Muslims: then a matter of doubt because of their hypocritical behavior.

217. Shabbir comments: Although they had repented sincerely, and were forgiven, meaning that they would not be questioned for that sin in the Hereafter, in this world, however, sins leave a mark on the sinner's soul. Zakah cleanses it.

After the Prophet, his successors, or governments in place will collect the Zakah. Further, Zakah is not a tax. It is for purification of wealth, although it might help in solving economic problems of the poor. But that is secondary. Hence, in nations previous to Islam, Zakah was put to fire. If it was a tax, it would not have been burnt (Shafi`).

(Shafi`’s allusion to the religious practice, as stated in the Torah, whereby the Israelites placed their alms. A fire appeared from the heaven and burnt it down – Au.).

218. This was to impress on the Companions that the Prophet had little to do in their affairs with Allah. It was Allah who accepted their repentance, or their alms (based on Ibn Jarir's note).

219. Although the reference is to the hypocrites, Ibn Kathir uses the occasion to draw attention to a hadith about deeds of the living brought to the notice of the dead believers. Jabir b. `Abdullah narrates in a report in Ahmad that the Prophet said,

إِنَّ أَعْمَالَكُمْ تُعْرَضُ عَلَى أَقَارِبِكُمْ وَعَشَائِرِكُمْ مِنْ الْأَمْوَاتِ فَإِنْ كَانَ خَيْرًا اسْتَبْشَرُوا بِهِ وَإِنْ كَانَ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ قَالُوا اللَّهُمَّ لَا تُمِتْهُمْ حَتَّى تَهْدِيَهُمْ كَمَا هَدَيْتَنَا

"Your deeds are reported to your dead kinsfolk. If they are good, they rejoice. But if they are otherwise, they say, O Allah, do not deal them death until you have guided them as You guided us.'"

The hadith was declared weak by Haythamiyy (Au.).

220. In other words, mere words of repentance or feelings or remorse, were not sufficient. They had to be backed by deeds. And, although they would be judged by their deeds alone in this world, in the Hereafter sincerity would also count when they are presented to the Knower of the Unseen and the Seen who will let them know the truth of what they were doing (Au.).

221. It was widely believed by the earliest scholars that the allusion is to Ka`b b. Malik, Hilal b. Umayyah and Murarah b. al Rabi`. These three did not bind themselves to the pillars in the mosque and did not seek to be excused. They knew that they had committed a wrong by not joining in the campaign and felt so dejected that they spoke nothing on the subject, not even to the Prophet. They knew that they had no case for themselves and so deserved to be punished and, therefore, moved about in fear and apprehension (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir).

222. The following report has come from several sources. As the Prophet was preparing for Tabuk, a few people came to him and said, "Messenger of Allah, we have built a mosque in our neighborhood for the sick and the old and for nights of bad weather. We should like you to come and pray in it." The Prophet told them that he was busy with the Tabuk affair, but would, Allah willing, come and pray in it after the expedition. But, as he was an hour's journey or so during his return journey to Madinah, Allah revealed this verse to inform him that the mosque had been built by the hypocrites for nefarious purposes. The Prophet sent a few men to destroy it. (Wahshi the killer of Hamza at Badr was one of those sent: Zamakhshari, Qurtubi). They pulled it down and burnt it. According to some reports, the Prophet had even asked for his outer shawl to be brought to him so he could go to the new mosque when this verse was revealed (Ibn Jarir).

Zamakhshari adds the warning note: It is said that any mosque that is built in competition, show off, or for reasons other than pleasing Allah, or out of unlawful income, is of the class as the original mosque of mischief. Accordingly, when large enemy territories fell to Islamic power during the time of `Umar, he ordered that mosques be built everywhere, but warned that no two mosque were to be in one locality in such a way that one affected (attendance of) the other.

Qurtubi points out that this is the reason why some jurists have disallowed two congregations with two Imams in the same mosque. This breaks up the congregation into two.

Asad adds: "Although the whole of this verse relates primarily to the historical occasion explained (above), it has a definite bearing on all attempts at creating sectarian divisions among the Muslims..."

223. The newly built mosque was quite close to the Quba' mosque and the intention was to divide the Muslims congregation between the two mosques and cause division. It was so close that they promised that when it was not raining and the night clear, they would pray in the Quba' mosque itself (Ibn Jarir).

224. The reference is to a man called Abu `Amir, the Khazraji, who had acquired knowledge of the Christian religion and was heavily influenced by it, if he had not converted to that religion for all intents and purposes.

`Amir al-Rahib

He was given to ascetic ways and was nick named "Al Rahib" (the Monk). When the Prophet arrived he decided to disbelieve and began to conspire against Islam. (When the Quraysh were defeated at Badr, he could not take it anymore. He told the Prophet, "So long as I find someone fighting you, I shall fight against you along with him," and migrated to Makkah.

He was one of those who had instigated Makkan invasion in revenge of the defeat at Badr, resulting in the assault of Uhud. It was he who had dug a few pits in that battle field into one of which the Prophet fell and injured himself. He invited the Ansar to a duel but they refused to fight him and cursed him: Ibn Kathir). It was he who had worked to convince the Quraysh and other tribes to attack Madinah as one body rather than fight him singly, and had succeeded in bringing them together at the gates of Madinah in the 5th year after Hijrah for the famous Battle of the Ditch.

Subsequently, with the failure of the invasions, and the expected fall of Makkah, he moved out to Syria to join with the Romans and seek their help in overthrowing the Prophet. He remained in constant correspondence with his followers at Madinah. Following a scheme hatched out in Syria, he wrote to his tribesmen, Banu Ghanam b. `Awf and other secret followers, to build a mosque which could be used as an assembly point for them and a shelter for him when he decided to return: a rallying place for all the disgruntled ones, if he prevailed upon the Romans to raid Madinah.

It is said that it is his efforts that resulted in the Roman decision to take the first step toward uprooting the new political entity at Madinah by raising an army at Tabuk comprised mainly of the same class of men as Muslims: tough bedouins of the desert, so that steel could meet steel. When that scheme also failed, but instead, the Prophet surprised them by taking the initiative, which resulted in the dispersion of the bedouins off the area of recruitment, Abu `Amir remained with the Romans, kicking the bucket some time later. No wonder when somebody referred to the man as `Amir the Rahib (the Monk), the Prophet remarked, "Do not say ‘`Amir the Rahib,' rather, say ‘`Amir the Fasiq."'

An interesting point about Abu `Amir is that he was the father of the famous Hanzala who was given a wash by the angels when he was martyred in the battle of Uhud because he was in an unclean state when he heard of the battle call, and rushed to join the ranks without taking a bath. A second interesting part of the man’s episode is that whatever Abu `Amir's companions experienced in the Roman lands, and, surely, it could not have been very salubrious, the result was that most of them changed their minds, returned to Madinah and embraced Islam at the Prophet's hand in earnest. Lastly, during one heated conversation with the Prophet, the man had lost his temper and had said, "May Allah cause the lying one between me and you to die as an outcast in a lonely state" (Au.).

Ibn `Abbas has said that actually the man had conspired before he left, ordering his followers to construct a mosque and use it for concealing weapons until he came back with a Roman army to oust the Prophet. The Prophet had come to know of their construction and at one point had asked one of the hypocrites what they were up to. He was told, "We wish nothing but good." Others have added that the man first went to Makkah where he recruited a few others to his cause and traveled to Syria in their company seeking Roman help (Ibn Jarir).

225. Opinions are divided over which mosque has been alluded to. The opinion of Ibn `Umar, Zayd b. Thabit, Abu Sa`id, and Sa`id b. al Musayyib is that it is the Prophet's mosque: the Masjid al Nabi. In fact, Abu Sa`id al Khudri even narrated from the Prophet that it was his mosque that was "built on piety." (The narration is in Muslim: Ibn Kathir). But Ibn `Abbas and `Urwa ibn Zubayr held the opinion that it was the mosque at Quba' that was alluded to in this verse. Al `Awfa too narrated that he heard the Prophet say that it was the mosque at Quba' that is the one "built on piety" (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi and others).

Ibn Kathir points out that there is no reason why both the mosques should not be the mosque "built on piety," for both the mosques were built on piety from day one. The Prophet visited the Quba' mosque every now and then, both on mount as well as on foot and said in a hadith preserved by Ibn Majah,

صَلاَةٌ فِى مَسْجِدِ قُبَاءٍ كَعُمْرَةٍ

"Prayer in the Quba' mosque is equal to an `Umrah."

There has been no consensus over trustworthiness of this hadith. Hakim declared it Sahih. But Tirmidhi himself, who placed it in his compilation, declared it weak; but Ibn Kathir said it is Sahih (Au.).

226. Over half a dozen narrators have reported that when this verse was revealed the Prophet asked the people of Quba', "What is it you do that Allah said about you, ‘in it are people who liked to be cleansed.'" They replied, "We always use water after the nature's call (as against many others in those times who used stones or mud balls to cleanse themselves: Au.)" Ibn Jarir.

One version of the above report is in the Sahih of Ibn Khuzaymah. And some versions say that the people of Quba' had picked up the practice from the Jews (Ibn Kathir).

Rashid Rida thinks however that the allusion is to the acts of devotion, Prayers and remembrance of Allah morning and evening that evoked the remark.

227. Ibn Kathir comments: Staying clean and pure is a habit that has Allah's approval. It is reported in a hadith of Ahmad that once the Prophet recited surah al Rum but committed an error in the recitations. When he was finished he said,

إنه يلبس علينا القرآن إن أقواماً منكم يصلون معنا لا يحسنون الوضوء, فمن شهد الصلاة معنا فليحسن الوضوء

"We get confused over the Qur'an. Among you are men who do not perform their ablution well. Let him who comes here for Prayers do his ablution well."

Shu`ayb Arna’ut thought the report is weak.

228. What has been rendered as "cliff" has in its original the word "juruf" which is used for the bank of a river the underside of which has been eroded of its sand (Au.).

229. Zamakhshari explains that since the mosque was built with mischievous intentions, the destruction left a deep mark of anger, disappointment, and regret in the hearts of those who had built it. That caused an increase in their hypocrisy and in doubts. Hence Allah's words, "The structure that they constructed will remain a (source of) doubt in their hearts until their hearts are cut to pieces."