Surah Al-Munaafiqoon (63) — Ayah 7

They are the ones who say, "Do not spend on the companions [12] of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ until they disperse." Yet the treasures of the heavens and the earth belong to Allah, but the hypocrites do not understand.

[12]
The Status of Abdullah bin Ubayy in Madinah Before the Hijrah:

To properly understand the correct meaning of verses 7 and 8, it is necessary to understand their historical background, which is as follows: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ arrived in Madinah, before his arrival, the two tribes of Madinah, Aws and Khazraj, had already agreed to accept Abdullah bin Ubayy as their king, and a golden crown had even been prepared for him. He himself belonged to the Khazraj tribe. Aws and Khazraj were greatly wearied by their mutual wars, and it was probably Abdullah bin Ubayy who was the first person whose leadership was accepted by both tribes. The ceremony of his coronation was about to take place when the Prophet ﷺ arrived in Madinah, and when all the people turned their attention to him, all of Abdullah bin Ubayy’s plans were ruined. Those who had been hoping for high positions during Abdullah bin Ubayy’s kingship continued to be his confidants and companions even after he and they embraced Islam. Outwardly, these people accepted Islam, but due to the loss of kingship and positions, the spark of enmity remained in their hearts.

The Reasons for Abdullah bin Ubayy’s Acceptance of Islam:

There were three compulsions for Abdullah bin Ubayy to accept Islam under these circumstances: First, the victory at Badr had established the awe of the Muslims throughout Arabia. Abdullah bin Ubayy was also among those opportunists who were accustomed to saluting the rising sun. Second, although Jews and polytheists also lived in Madinah, the Muslims were the influential ones. Third, Abdullah bin Ubayy’s own son, whose name was also Abdullah, had become a Muslim and was a true believer. Despite accepting Islam, the spark of enmity in the hearts of these people continued to incite them against Islam at every opportunity. Before the Battle of Badr, the polytheists of Makkah, considering Abdullah bin Ubayy as their ally, sent him this message: “You people have given refuge to our companion. By Allah! Either you fight him and expel him, or we will attack you with our entire force, kill your men, and violate the honor of your women.” [ابوداؤد۔ كتاب الجهاد۔ باب خبر النضير]
This letter was, in fact, the voice of Abdullah bin Ubayy’s own heart. He found great support in this letter and began to gather his companions around him. When the Prophet ﷺ was informed of these circumstances, he himself went to Abdullah bin Ubayy and said, “Will you fight your own sons and brothers?” Abdullah realized that many of his close relatives were Muslims, so his success was impossible; thus, he swallowed his anger and remained silent, and his companions dispersed. During the Battle of Badr, the Jews and Abdullah bin Ubayy’s party spread false news of the Muslims’ defeat, creating a tense atmosphere in Madinah. Then, when the news of the Muslims’ glorious victory arrived, their hearts were torn apart. The manner in which Abdullah bin Ubayy committed treachery at the critical moment in the Battle of Uhud has already been discussed in the footnotes to verse 121 of Surah Aal-e-Imran.

Abdullah bin Ubayy’s Hypocritical Attitude Towards the Muslims After Accepting Islam:

When the Jews of Banu Qaynuqa were imprisoned, Abdullah bin Ubayy strongly interceded for them and secured their release, after which they were exiled. In the Battle of Banu Nadir, the way he encouraged the Jews has been discussed in Surah Hashr, and in the Battle of Ahzab, the lack of cooperation shown by the hypocrites and the way they began to taunt the Muslims has been discussed in Surah Ahzab. In short, Abdullah bin Ubayy and his companions were always looking for such opportunities and displayed their hypocritical activities in ways that would harm Islam and the Muslims. Their aim was for the Muslims to leave Madinah or for their influence to end so that Abdullah bin Ubayy could regain his lost kingship.

The Fight Between the Muhajirun and Ansar in the Battle of Bani Mustaliq and Abdullah bin Ubayy Inciting the Ansar:

The Battle of Bani Mustaliq does not hold much importance from a military perspective. However, two incidents occurred during this battle that made it famous, and both incidents are related to the hypocrites, especially Abdullah bin Ubayy. These were not just incidents but tribulations, both instigated by Abdullah himself. One was the incident of Ifk, which occurred during the return journey and has been discussed in detail in Surah Nur. The second incident happened at the same place where the Muslims had defeated the polytheist tribe and, after the victory, had stayed for a few days to rest. There, at a well, an argument broke out over drawing water between the servant of Sayyiduna Umar ؓ, Jahjah bin Qays, and an Ansari. This incident is mentioned in Bukhari in these words: Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah Ansari says that we had gone on a campaign. There, a Muhajir (Jahjah bin Qays) kicked an Ansari (Sanan bin Wabarah Juhani) on his buttocks. The Ansari cried out, “O Ansar! Come to help!” and the Muhajir cried out, “O Muhajirun! Come to help!” When the Prophet ﷺ heard these cries, he came there and said, “Are you indulging in the ways of the Age of Ignorance?” They said, “O Messenger of Allah! A Muhajir kicked an Ansari.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “Leave such things. These are filthy matters.” [بخاری۔ کتاب بدء الخلق۔ باب ماینھی من دعوۃ الجاھلیۃ۔ مسلم۔ کتاب البروالصلۃ۔ باب نصر الاخ ظالما او مظلوما]
When Abdullah bin Ubayy heard this, he said (to the Ansar), “All this is your own doing. By Allah! When we return to Madinah, the honorable chief will expel the lowly one from there.” When this news reached the Prophet ﷺ, Sayyiduna Umar ؓ stood up and said, “O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Allow me to strike off the head of this hypocrite.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “Do not do so. People will say that Muhammad ﷺ has started killing his own companions.” When the Muhajirun migrated to Madinah, they were few and the Ansar were many, but later the Muhajirun also became numerous. [بخاري۔ كتاب التفسير]

Abdullah bin Ubayy’s Nonsense and Later Swearing Oaths to Deny It:

Sayyiduna Zayd bin Arqam says that I heard Abdullah bin Ubayy saying during a campaign (the Battle of Tabuk): “O Ansar! Do not give anything for expenses to those people (the Muhajirun) who are with the Prophet ﷺ. They will themselves leave the Prophet and scatter. And if we return from this campaign to Madinah, the honorable one (meaning himself) will expel the lowly one (meaning the Prophet) from there.” I related Abdullah bin Ubayy’s conversation to my uncle (Sa’d bin Ubadah) or to Sayyiduna Umar ؓ, and they informed the Prophet ﷺ of this. The Prophet ﷺ summoned the hypocrite Abdullah bin Ubayy and his companions, and they began to swear oaths that they had not said such a thing. Thus, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ considered me a liar and him truthful. I was so grieved by this that I had never been so grieved by anything before. I stayed at home. My uncle said to me, “What have you done? After all, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ considered you a liar and was displeased with you.” At that time, Allah Almighty revealed this verse: ﴿اِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُنٰفِقُوْنَ﴾ to the end. The Prophet ﷺ then summoned me, recited Surah Munafiqun to me, and said, “Zayd! Allah has declared you truthful.” [بخاري۔ كتاب التفسير]
On this occasion, Abdullah bin Ubayy greatly incited the Ansar, saying, “These Muhajir people have come to our land and become our rivals. The proverb fits them: ‘Raise a dog and fatten it so that it may devour you.’ By Allah, when we return to Madinah, the most honorable among us (meaning Abdullah bin Ubayy) will expel the most lowly man there (meaning the Prophet of Islam ﷺ) from there.” Then he said, “This calamity is of your own making. You settled them in your city, shared your wealth with them, and now they have become bold. Even now, the only solution is to stop giving to these people. They will leave on their own.”