This excerpt is taken from the book by Fazilat-ul-Sheikh Abdul Salam Rustami From Denial of Hadith to Denial of Quran.
Eleventh Doubt: The Hypocrites' Lack of Recognition
Although the hadiths are narrated from the Companions of the Prophet, at that time there were also hypocrites in Medina and its surroundings, and no one knew whether a particular person was sincere or a hypocrite. Therefore, the religious authority of the hadiths becomes doubtful.
Answer:
Many chapters of the Holy Quran mention the characteristics of believers and hypocrites, and studying them reveals who the believers are and who the hypocrites are.
Characteristics of a Believer
Allah Almighty said:
الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ ﴿٣﴾ وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ وَبِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ ﴿٤﴾
"Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them, and who believe in what has been revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what was revealed before you, and of the Hereafter they are certain [in faith]."
Reference: (2-Al-Baqarah:3-4)
وَلَٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَآتَى الْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ ذَوِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَالسَّائِلِينَ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَالْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَاهَدُوا ۖ وَالصَّابِرِينَ فِي الْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَحِينَ الْبَأْسِ ۗ أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ ﴿١٧٧﴾
"But righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives his wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; and who establishes prayer and gives zakah; those who fulfill their promise when they promise; and those who are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous."
Reference: (2-Al-Baqarah:177)
التَّائِبُونَ الْعَابِدُونَ الْحَامِدُونَ السَّائِحُونَ الرَّاكِعُونَ السَّاجِدُونَ الْآمِرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّاهُونَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَالْحَافِظُونَ لِحُدُودِ اللَّهِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿١١٢﴾
"[They are] those who turn to Allah in repentance, who worship, who praise [Him], who fast, who bow and prostrate [in prayer], who enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and who observe the limits set by Allah. And give good tidings to the believers."
Reference: (9-At-Tawbah:112)
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ ﴿١﴾ الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ ﴿٢﴾ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنِ اللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُونَ ﴿٣﴾ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِلزَّكَاةِ فَاعِلُونَ ﴿٤﴾ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ ﴿٥﴾ إِلَّا عَلَىٰ أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ ﴿٦﴾ فَمَنِ ابْتَغَىٰ وَرَاءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ ﴿٧﴾ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَ ﴿٨﴾ وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَوَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ ﴿٩﴾
"Certainly will the believers have succeeded: Those who are during their prayer humbly submissive, And they who turn away from ill speech, And they who are observant of zakah, And they who guard their private parts Except from their wives or those their right hands possess, for indeed, they are not to be blamed - But whoever seeks beyond that, then they are the transgressors - And they who are to their trusts and their promises attentive And they who carefully maintain their prayer."
Reference: (23-Al-Mu’minun:1-9)
وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا
"And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth humbly, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace."
Reference: (25-Al-Furqan:63)
مُّحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللَّهِ ۚ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ أَشِدَّاءُ عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَاءُ بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ تَرَاهُمْ رُكَّعًا سُجَّدًا يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانًا ۖ سِيمَاهُمْ فِي وُجُوهِهِم مِّنْ أَثَرِ السُّجُودِ
"Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating [in prayer], seeking bounty from Allah and [His] pleasure. Their mark is on their faces from the trace of prostration."
Reference: (48-Al-Fath:29)
إِلَّا الْمُصَلِّينَ ﴿٢٢﴾ الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَائِمُونَ ﴿٢٣﴾
"But those who are constant in prayer."
Reference: (70-Al-Ma'arij:22, 23)
The primary exemplars of these noble verses were also the Companions of the Prophet. Besides these verses, there are many other verses that describe the qualities of the believers. Reflecting upon these verses reveals the characteristics of a sincere believer and a perfect Muslim, and by recognizing these traits, a person can decide whether someone is a true believer.
Characteristics of a Hypocrite
The Holy Quran has also described the signs of hypocrites, through the study of which one can identify hypocrites, and based on these signs, it can be said that a certain person is a hypocrite.
➊ (2-Al-Baqarah: 8-16)
➋ (3-Aal Imran: 118-120, 153, 168)
➌ (4-An-Nisa: 61, 77, 78, 82, 91, 97, 107, 114, 137, 143)
➍ (9-At-Tawbah: 38, 101, 107, 125, 126)
➎ Similarly, the signs of hypocrites are also described in Surah An-Nur, Al-Ahzab, Muhammad, Al-Fath, Al-Mujadila, Al-Hashr, Al-Munafiqun, and Al-Ma'un. These are approximately 203 verses, and reflecting on these verses can help identify a hypocritical person.
The qualities of the believers described in the Holy Quran were present in the Companions of the Prophet رضي الله عنهم, and the qualities of the hypocrites described were present in the hypocrites of that time. In light of these qualities, an ordinary person can also distinguish between a believer and a hypocrite. Now, the Companions رضي الله عنهم and the Tabi‘in, who were at the highest level of understanding and insight, clearly understood the difference between a believer and a hypocrite. They took narrations from the believers, and as far as the hypocrites were concerned, they even avoided dealing with them in worldly matters. So how is it possible that they would avoid them in worldly matters but narrate from them in religious matters?
Allah Almighty tested the Companions رضي الله عنهم during the time of Prophethood through various trials and difficulties, which made the difference between the Companions رضي الله عنهم and the hypocrites clear. As Allah Almighty said:
مَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَذَرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَىٰ مَا أَنْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّىٰ يَمِيزَ الْخَبِيثَ مِنَ الطَّيِّبِ
“Allah will never leave the believers in the state you are in until He separates the evil from the good.”
Reference: (3-Aal Imran:179)
In this verse, Allah Almighty answered those who objected why He caused the believers to suffer in the Battle of Uhud, where 70 Companions رضي الله عنهم were martyred and many were wounded, even the blessed tooth of the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم was broken. The wisdom behind this entire event was that Allah wanted to distinguish between the believers and the hypocrites. When Allah distinguished between the believers and the hypocrites through this trial, then how is it possible that any Companion or any Tabi‘i would narrate from a hypocritical person?
Allah Almighty said:
وَمَا أَصَابَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْتَقَى الْجَمْعَانِ فَبِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿١٦٦﴾ وَلِيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ نَافَقُوا
“And [remember] when the two armies met at Uhud, and you were struck down in a manner that Allah intended to test who among you are true believers and to know who are hypocrites.”
Reference: (3-Aal Imran:166-167)
Furthermore, it has been established that the Hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم are revelation, and Allah Almighty Himself has taken the responsibility to protect the revelation:
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ
“Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder (Quran), and indeed, We will be its guardian.”
Therefore, the religion (Hadith) has reached us safely through the Companions رضي الله عنهم.
Question:
From the following verses of Surah Al-Anfal and Surah At-Tawbah, it is understood that the Companions رضي الله عنهم and even the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم did not know the hypocrites. Accordingly, Allah said:
"You do not know them, but Allah knows them."
Reference: (8-Al-Anfal:60)
He also said:
"The Prophet (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) does not know them, but We know them."
Reference: (9-At-Tawbah:101)
Answer:
Allah Almighty has affirmed knowledge for the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ regarding the hypocrites that is related to signs, as the Almighty says:
وَلَتَعْرِفَنَّهُمْ فِي لَحْنِ الْقَوْلِ
"You will recognize them by their speech."
Reference: (47-Muhammad:30)
Thus, the signs of the hypocrites that have been described enable the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to recognize them, as well as the Companions رضي الله عنهم. Whereas the knowledge negated in Surah Al-Anfal and Surah At-Tawbah is certain and detailed knowledge. The affirmation mentioned in the verse of Surah Muhammad is knowledge obtained through signs, which is general knowledge. Therefore, there is no contradiction between these two types of verses.
