Al-Munaafiqoon (The Hypocrites)
Verse 1
Table of Contents
Section (juz’) 28
Number of Verses: 11
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Like the preceding Chapter, the blessed Chapter in question, revealed in Medina, has eleven Verses. The hypocrites’ characteristics are not only treated in this Chapter, but some Qur’anic Chapters, particularly those revealed in Medina, make references to their psychological and behavioral qualities. Such characteristics are most comprehensively treated in Chapter nine (Surah al-Tawba) in which approximately one hundred Verses are devoted to such traits.
The recitation of the Chapter in the Friday prayer is enjoined. Such emphasis may be owing to the point that the Muslim community (umma) should at all times beware of the plots hatched by hypocrites.
According to jurisprudential sources, e.g. Jawahir al-Kalam, that if the leader of the Friday congregation prayer comes halfway to recite another Chapter following the recitation of the first Chapter (Surah al-Hamd), he may begin to recite Chapter 63 unless he began the recitation of Chapters 62 or 112.
The Merit of Reciting the Chapter
According to a tradition narrated from the Noble Prophet of the Islamic faith (S), one who recites Surah al-Munafiqin will be absolved of any hypocrisy.1 It is narrated from Imam Sadiq (as) that it is incumbent upon all the believers following the Shi‘i Imams to recite Chapter 62 (Surah al-Jum‘a) and
“Glorified is the Name of thy Most Sublime Lord”
on Friday night and Chapters 62 and 63 in the Friday noon prayer.
Then, he went further to say that when such believer acts upon the same, it is as if he has done the Noble Prophet's (S) deeds and Divine Rewards will be in store for him.2 It is worthy of note, however, that such Rewards will fall into the shares of those who act upon Qur’anic Injunctions, since the mere utterance devoid of reflection and action will be of no avail.
Surah al-Munafiqun - Verse 1
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ إِذا جاءَكَ الْمُنافِقُونَ قالُوا نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَ اللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُ وَ اللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ الْمُنافِقِينَ لَكاذِبُونَ (1)
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
1. When the hypocrites come unto you, they say: “We bear witness that you are verily Allah's Messenger.” Allah knows that you are His Messenger and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are liars.
The Arabic word nifaq, derived from the root n-f-q, connotes the underground tunnels used for camouflage or flight. Some animals, like field mice and lizards dig nests with two holes. In like manner, hypocrites leave clandestine ways through which they may flee at the time of urgency. People may fall into four categories.
The first group consists of those who are devout believers and act upon their obligations. These are true believers. Those in the second group sincerely believe, but they fail to act. Such people are disobedient. The third group consists of those who do not believe in their hearts but pretend belief. These are hypocrites. The people in the fourth group neither sincerely believe nor act upon their obligations. They are disbelievers.
Imam ‘Ali (as) is quoted as saying that hypocrisy stems from inward inferiority.3 Hypocrites in the early days of Islam had found their way into decision making for society and even the Noble Prophet (S) was exposed to their conspiracies.
The exegesis of the blessed Verse in question requires a prelude regarding the point that the earliest instances of hypocrisy trace back to the Noble Prophet's (S) migration to Medina when the strong pillars of the Islamic faith and its triumph were reflected. There were almost no hypocrites in Mecca, since powerful opponents could utter and do whatever they liked against the Islamic faith without entertaining fear in their hearts. Thus, there was no need to act hypocritically.
The widespread of the Islamic faith in Medina weakened its enemies, since it was hard and at times impossible to explicitly deny the Islamic faith.
Consequently, the defeated enemies made attempts at destructive stratagems in a new guise and thereby pretended to join the Muslims, but they pursued their clandestine measures. It is natural that any revolution, following its manifest triumph, confronts the lines of hypocrites and the bitter enemies of yesterday appear in the guise of the infiltrators of today.
Therefore, the reason behind the revelation of numerous Qur’anic Verses in Medina rather than Mecca regarding the hypocrites is clarified.
It is, however, noteworthy that the question of hypocrisy and hypocrites is not particular to the time of the Noble Prophet (S) since any society, particularly the revolutionary society, confronts it.
Therefore, the Qur’anic analytical treatment of the subject, not only as a historical question but also as some current affair, requires precise scrutiny so that such treatment may inspire confrontation with the spirit of hypocrisy and hypocritical lines in the Islamic societies in modern times. The hypocrites tokens, extensively reflected in the Holy Qur’an, are to be accurately comprehended so that such tokens may lead Muslims to reveal their lines and stratagems.
Another point of significance is that the challenge posed to any society by hypocrites is worse than any enmity since it is not facile at all times to recognize them on the one hand and they are domestic enemies on the other such that they infiltrate within the innermost of the society such that it is quite hard to screen them.
Furthermore, their interrelations with the other members of the society pose a harder challenge in confronting them. Consequently, the Islamic society has received the worst blows by the hypocrites and it is for the same reason that the Holy Qur’an poses the harshest challenges to them and attacks them worse than any other foe. The Holy Qur’an herein opens with the hypocrites’ pretense to belief constituting the pivot of their hypocrisy.
The blessed Verse in question is saying that
“When the hypocrites come unto you, they say: 'We bear witness that you are verily Allah's Messenger.' Allah knows that you are His Messenger and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are liars.”
Thus, the first token of hypocrisy is revealed which is the difference between inward intentions and outward conduct. Hypocrites emphatically claim to be believers but their hearts entertains no belief. Fabricating such lies falls into the two categories of true and untrue claims and doctrinal truth and untruth.
In other words, the criterion for the former is to assay whether or not the claims conform to truth. The latter, dealing with conformity or non-conformity to beliefs, reflects that if one reports something which conforms to truth but it is against his beliefs, it is termed as doctrinal untruth. Nonetheless, if it conforms to his beliefs, it is truth.
Thus, the hypocrites’ testimony to the Prophetic Call of the Noble Prophet of the Islamic faith (S) did not embody untruth, but it constituted the truth, but since they disbelieved in it, their testimony was regarded as untruth. It is in this vein that the Holy Qur’an is saying that he is Allah's Messenger (S), though they forge lies.
The Noble Prophet said:
“I fear neither believers nor disbelievers, though I fear hypocrites.”4