Surah Muhammad (47) — Ayah 30

(Ayah 30) ➊ {وَ لَوْ نَشَآءُ لَاَرَيْنٰكَهُمْ فَلَعَرَفْتَهُمْ بِسِيْمٰىهُمْ: ’’سِيْمَا‘‘} Sign. From the previous verse, it appeared that Allah would expose the inner enmities and hypocrisy of the hypocrites. This raises the question: then why did He not expose the hypocrites by name or by placing a sign on them? In response, it is said that the reason is not fear of the hypocrites or any other danger, but purely Our will. Allah has stated this matter with the word {’’ لَوْ ‘‘}, which is used for such a condition that does not occur, and therefore its consequence also does not occur. That is, if We had willed, We could have shown you each hypocrite by name or by placing a special sign on him, by which you would have clearly recognized them all, but We did not will this, nor did We make any such sign to make you recognize them individually, because Our wisdom and forbearance required that they not be disgraced in such a way that if anyone wished to repent, he could not do so, because with Us the door of repentance is open even for the hypocrites, as He said: « لِيَجْزِيَ اللّٰهُ الصّٰدِقِيْنَ بِصِدْقِهِمْ وَ يُعَذِّبَ الْمُنٰفِقِيْنَ اِنْ شَآءَ اَوْ يَتُوْبَ عَلَيْهِمْ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ كَانَ غَفُوْرًا رَّحِيْمًا» [الأحزاب : ۲۴ ] "So that Allah may reward the truthful for their truth and punish the hypocrites if He wills, or accept their repentance. Surely Allah is always Most Forgiving, Most Merciful." And in this, there was also Allah's wisdom that people should judge according to what is apparent, and the matter of the inner self should be left to Allah.

➋ {وَ لَتَعْرِفَنَّهُمْ فِيْ لَحْنِ الْقَوْلِ: ’’ وَ لَتَعْرِفَنَّهُمْ ‘‘} The emphatic "lam" and "noon thaqeelah" come in response to an oath, meaning that although Allah did not inform you, O Prophet (peace be upon him), of the hypocrites by name or by placing a sign on their faces, this does not mean that you did not recognize them at all. Allah swore that you would surely recognize them by the tone and manner of their speech. In Surah Tawbah, Allah has mentioned many sayings, conditions, and actions of the hypocrites by which their identification is not difficult. Referring to such matters, Umar bin Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) tried to prevent the Prophet (peace be upon him) from performing the funeral prayer of Abdullah bin Ubayy, after which Allah explicitly forbade performing the funeral prayer for the hypocrites or standing at their graves. This identification of the hypocrites was also not made by naming them or placing a sign on them, but by making their staying behind from the Battle of Tabuk without excuse as their identification. Thus, where He forbade performing their funeral prayer or standing at their graves, before that He mentioned their crime: «فَرِحَ الْمُخَلَّفُوْنَ۠ بِمَقْعَدِهِمْ خِلٰفَ رَسُوْلِ اللّٰهِ وَ كَرِهُوْۤا اَنْ يُّجَاهِدُوْا بِاَمْوَالِهِمْ وَ اَنْفُسِهِمْ فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ وَ قَالُوْا لَا تَنْفِرُوْا فِي الْحَرِّ » [ التوبۃ : ۸۱ ] "Those who were left behind rejoiced in their staying behind after the Messenger of Allah and disliked to strive with their wealth and their lives in the way of Allah, and they said, 'Do not go forth in the heat.'" Then He said: «فَاِنْ رَّجَعَكَ اللّٰهُ اِلٰى طَآىِٕفَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ فَاسْتَاْذَنُوْكَ لِلْخُرُوْجِ فَقُلْ لَّنْ تَخْرُجُوْا مَعِيَ اَبَدًا وَّ لَنْ تُقَاتِلُوْا مَعِيَ عَدُوًّا اِنَّكُمْ رَضِيْتُمْ بِالْقُعُوْدِ اَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ فَاقْعُدُوْا مَعَ الْخٰلِفِيْ (83) وَ لَا تُصَلِّ عَلٰۤى اَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ مَّاتَ اَبَدًا وَّ لَا تَقُمْ عَلٰى قَبْرِهٖ اِنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوْا بِاللّٰهِ وَ رَسُوْلِهٖ وَ مَاتُوْا وَ هُمْ فٰسِقُوْنَ » [ التوبۃ : 84،83 ] "So if Allah brings you back to a group of them, and they ask your permission to go out (to battle), say, 'You shall never go out with me, nor fight any enemy with me. Indeed, you were pleased to sit the first time, so sit with those who stay behind.' And never pray over any of them who dies, nor stand at his grave. Surely they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and died while they were defiantly disobedient." By such actions and words of the hypocrites, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would recognize them, and on several occasions, he informed the noble companions (may Allah be pleased with them) about some of the hypocrites. In the {’’كِتَابُ صِفَاتِ الْمُنَافِقِيْنَ وَ أحْكَامِهِمْ ‘‘} of Sahih Muslim, there are narrations mentioning several such hypocrites.

➌ Regarding the information the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) gave to the companions about some hypocrites, Maulana Sanaullah Amritsari (may Allah have mercy on him) has provided another explanation. He writes: "Until the revelation of this verse, the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not have knowledge of the identification of the hypocrites; after this, it was made known, as is proven from the hadiths that the Prophet (peace be upon him) informed the companion Hudhayfah." (Tafsir Thanai)

➍ {وَ اللّٰهُ يَعْلَمُ اَعْمَالَكُمْ:} That is, it is possible that the servants may not know about someone's hypocrisy, but Allah knows all your deeds; nothing can remain hidden from Him.

30. 1. That is, each person would be identified in such a way that every hypocrite would be recognized. But Allah did not do this for all hypocrites because this is against Allah’s attribute of Sattari; He generally conceals, not exposes. Secondly, He has commanded humans to judge by what is apparent and to leave the matter of the inner self to Allah.

30. 2. However, their tone and manner of speech are such that they reveal their inner selves; no matter how much they try to hide it, a person’s speech, movements, and certain specific states expose the secrets of his heart.

And if We willed, We could show them to you, and you would surely recognize them by their faces. Yet you will surely recognize them by the tone of their speech [34], and Allah knows well all your deeds.

[34]
Exposing the Hypocrites Publicly is Against Allah’s Wisdom:

That is, to expose such hypocrites publicly is also against Allah’s wisdom. Otherwise, We would have told you everything, by which other Muslims would have known exactly which hypocrites have infiltrated among them.

Hypocrites Can Be Recognized by the Light of Insight:

However, We have certainly granted you such a light of insight that you can recognize them by their tone and manner of speech, that such and such a person is a hypocrite. The reason for this is that in the conversation of a straightforward and sincere true believer, there is a maturity and seriousness that cannot be found in the manner of speech of a person who harbors malice in his heart. Thus, by this very light of insight, you knew all the hypocrites by name in the last part of your life.

Sayyiduna Hudhayfah bin Yaman, the Keeper of the Prophet’s Secrets:

When, on the return from the Battle of Tabuk, the hypocrites tried to kill you ﷺ by leading you onto a mountain pass, Sayyiduna Hudhayfah bin Yaman ؓ was with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. At your ﷺ command, he was repeatedly striking the faces of the hypocrites’ mounts with his shield. Later, these hypocrites became known as the People of Aqabah. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ told the names of these fourteen or fifteen hypocrites, even the names of their fathers. However, you ﷺ also instructed Sayyiduna Hudhayfah ؓ never to reveal these names to others. That is why Sayyiduna Hudhayfah bin Yaman is also called the Keeper of the Prophet’s ﷺ secrets. A brief mention of this incident is found in Muslim, Book of the Characteristics of the Hypocrites.