Al-Ahzaab (The Clans)

19. “Being miserly with respect to you; but when fear comes you will see them looking to you, their eyes rolling like one who swoons of death; but when the fear departs, they smite you with sharp tongues, being miserly of the good things. Those have never believed and so Allah has made their deeds in vain, and that is easy for Allah.”

The hypocrites are never benevolent for you. At the time of danger they are miserly for helping and attending in the battlefield.

This verse implies that the motive of all these hindrances is that they are miserly in all things unto you.

The holy verse says:

“Being miserly with respect to you…”

The Arabic word /’ašihhah/ is the plural form of /šahih/ which is derived from /ših/ in the sense of a stinginess which is accompanied with avarice.

They are misers not only in giving their souls in the battle field, but also in giving financial helps for providing the tools and means of war; in bodily helps for digging a ditch, and even for giving mental helps. It is miserliness together with avarice and an avarice which increases every day.

After stating their stinginess and saying that they refused to give any donation, the Qur’an refers to stating some other qualities of theirs, which have almost a common and general aspect in all hypocrites during all ages and centuries.

It says:

“…but when fear comes you will see them looking to you, their eyes rolling like one who swoons of death…”

Since they do not possess a correct faith and do not have a strong support in life, when they confront a hard event they totally lose their control, as if their souls are being taken.

Then, when the storm of afflictions subsides, they will come over to you so expectant that as if they are the main conquerors of the battle and shout like creditors and demand their share of the spoils with rough words.

The verse adds:

“…but when the fear departs, they smite you with sharp tongues, being miserly of the good things…”

The Qur’anic term /salaqukum/ is derived from /salq/ which originally means: ‘to open something angrily’ whether it is the opening of one’s hand or tongue. This expression is used in respect to those who shout in a commanding tone and demand something.

The Arabic phrase: /’alsinatin hidad/ philologically means (sharp tongues), and here it ironically means: ‘being harsh in speech’.

At the end, the verse points to the last qualification of theirs which, in fact, is the origin of all their misfortunes.

It says:

“…Those have never believed and so Allah has made their deeds in vain, and that is easy for Allah.”

On the whole, we conclude that /mu‘awwiqin/ (hinderers) were some hypocrites who had the following qualifications:

1- They never came to fight but a little.

2- They were never from among those who sacrifice their lives and properties, and they did not tolerate the least distress.

3- In stormy and critical moments they entirely might lose countenance because of intense fear.

4- At the time of victory, they considered themselves as the heirs of the whole glories.

5- They were some faithless people so their deeds were worthless with Allah, too.

Such is the custom and behaviour of the hypocrites in all times and in any society. What an exact explanation the Qur’an has given about them, by which the like of them can be recognized, and how a great many examples of them we can see by our eyes in our own age!