Dealings with Hypocrites in a state of war
4. Sura an-Nisa
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
وَإِذَا
قِيلَ
لَهُمْ
تَعَالَوْاْ
إِلَى
مَا
أَنزَلَ
اللّهُ
وَإِلَى
الرَّسُولِ...
4: 61. When it is said to them: "Come to what Allah hath revealed, and to the Messenger":
... رَأَيْتَ الْمُنَافِقِينَ يَصُدُّونَ عَنكَ صُدُودًا ﴿٦١﴾
thou seest the Hypocrites avert their faces from thee in disgust.
فَكَيْفَ
إِذَا
أَصَابَتْهُم
مُّصِيبَةٌ
بِمَا
قَدَّمَتْ
أَيْدِيهِمْ
...
4: 62. How then, when they are seized by misfortune, because of the deeds which their hands have sent forth?
... ثُمَّ جَآؤُوكَ يَحْلِفُونَ بِاللّهِ إِنْ أَرَدْنَا إِلاَّ إِحْسَانًا وَتَوْفِيقًا ﴿٦٢﴾
Then they come to thee, swearing by Allah: "We meant no more than goodwill and conciliation!"
أُولَـئِكَ
الَّذِينَ
يَعْلَمُ
اللّهُ
مَا
فِي
قُلُوبِهِمْ
...
4: 63. Those men, Allah knows what is in their hearts;
... فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ وَعِظْهُمْ وَقُل لَّهُمْ فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ قَوْلاً بَلِيغًا﴿٦٣﴾
so keep clear of them,
but admonish them, and speak to them a word to reach their very souls.
C582. How should hypocrites be treated?
To take them into your confidence would of course be foolish. To wage unrelenting war against them may destroy the hope of reforming them and purging them of their hypocrisy.
The Prophet of Allah keeps clear of their wiles, but at the same time, does not hesitate to show them the error of their ways, nor to put in a word in season, to penetrate their hearts and win them back to Allah.
****************
وَدُّواْ
لَوْ
تَكْفُرُونَ
كَمَا
كَفَرُواْ
فَتَكُونُونَ
سَوَاء...
4: 89. They but wish that ye should reject faith, as they do, and thus be on the same footing (as they):
... فَلاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ مِنْهُمْ أَوْلِيَاء حَتَّىَ يُهَاجِرُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ...
but take not friends from their ranks until they flee in the way of Allah (from what is forbidden).
C607. Flee: the verbal form which the noun Hijrah is derived. Bukhari interprets this rightly as fleeing from all that is forbidden. This would include Hijrah in the technical sense of leaving a place in which the practice of religion is not allowed.
But it is more general. In time of war, if a man is willing to submit to discipline and refrain from infringing orders issued, he has proved his fidelity and may be treated as a member of the community at war.
On the other hand if he by false pretences comes into the inner counsels merely to betray them, he may rightly be treated as a traitor or deserter and be punished for his treason or desertion; or
if he escapes, he can be treated as an enemy and is entitled to no mercy. He is worse than an enemy: he has claimed to be of you in order to spy on you, and been all the time helping the enemy.
... فَإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَخُذُوهُمْ وَاقْتُلُوهُمْ حَيْثُ وَجَدتَّمُوهُمْ...
But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them wherever ye find them?
... وَلاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ مِنْهُمْ وَلِيًّا وَلاَ نَصِيرًا ﴿٨٩﴾
and (in any case) take no friends or helpers from their ranks.
إِلاَّ
الَّذِينَ
يَصِلُونَ
إِلَىَ
قَوْمٍ
بَيْنَكُمْ
وَبَيْنَهُم
مِّيثَاقٌ...
4: 90. Except those who join a group between whom and you there is a treaty (of peace),
C608. Except: the exception refers to "seize them and slay them", the death penalty for repeated desertion.
Even after such desertion, exemption is granted in two cases.
- One is where the deserter took asylum with a tribe with whom there was a treaty of peace and amity.
Presumably such a tribe (even though outside the pale of Islam) might be trusted to keep the man from fighting against the forces of Islam -in the modern phrase, to disarm him and render him harmless.
- The second case for exemption is where the man from his own heart desires never to take up arms against Islam, though he does not wish to join the forces of Islam, to fight against a hostile tribe (perhaps his own) fighting against Islam.
But he must make a real approach, giving guarantees of his sincerity. In the modern phrase he would be "on parole".
But this provision is much milder than that in modern military codes, which grant the privilege only to enemy prisoners, not to those who have deserted from the army granting them parole.
The Hypocrites were in that position, but humanity as well as policy treated them with great leniency.
... أَوْ جَآؤُوكُمْ حَصِرَتْ صُدُورُهُمْ أَن يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ أَوْ يُقَاتِلُواْ قَوْمَهُمْ...
or those who approach you with hearts restraining them from fighting you as well as fighting their own people.
C609. Approach or come: refers not to the physical act coming, but to the mental attitude; the heart is mentioned for sincerity.
When they sincerely promise not to fight against you, do not pursue them. remember that if they had fought against you, your difficulties would have been increased. their neutrality itself may be a great advantage to you.
So long as you are satisfied that they are sincere and their acts support their declarations of peace with you, you should not consider yourself justified in pursuing them and warning against them.
... وَلَوْ شَاء اللّهُ لَسَلَّطَهُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ فَلَقَاتَلُوكُمْ...
If Allah had pleased, He could have given them power over you, and they would have fought you:
... فَإِنِ اعْتَزَلُوكُمْ فَلَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ وَأَلْقَوْاْ إِلَيْكُمُ السَّلَمَ فَمَا جَعَلَ اللّهُ لَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ سَبِيلاً ﴿٩٠﴾
therefore if they withdraw from you but fight you not, and (instead) send you (guarantees of) peace, then Allah hath opened no way for you (to war against them).
Others Version:
4: 61
Asad And so, whenever they are told, “Come unto that which God has bestowed from on high, and unto the Apostle,” you can see these hypocrites turn away from you aversion [note 80].
Yusuf Ali When it is said to them: "Come to what Allah hath revealed and to the Apostle": thou seest the Hypocrites avert their faces from thee in disgust.
Pickthall And then it is said unto them: Come unto that which Allah hath revealed and unto the messenger, thou seest the hypocrites turn from thee with aversion.
Transliteration Wa iza_ qila lahum ta'a_lau ila_ ma_ anzalalla_hu wa ilar rasu_li ra'aital muna_fiqinayasuddu_na 'anka sudu_da_(n).
4: 62
Asad But how [will they fare] when calamity befalls them [on the Day of Judgment] because of what they have wrought in this world –whereupon they will come to you, swearing by God, “Our aim was but to do good, and to bring about harmony”? [Note 82]
Yusuf Ali How then when they are seized by misfortune because of the deeds which their hands have sent forth? Then they come to thee swearing by Allah: "We meant no more than good-will and conciliation!"
Pickthall How would it be if a misfortune smote them because of that which their own hands have sent before (them)? Then would they come unto thee, swearing by Allah that they were seeking naught but harmony and kindness.
Transliteration Fa kaifa iza_ asa_bathum musibatum bima_ qaddamat aidihim summa ja_'u_ka yahlif_na billa_(i), in aradna_ illa_ ihsa_naw wa taufiqa_(n).
[[ Asad’s note 82 – I.e., they will plead that their aim was no more than a harmonization of the Quranic ethics with a “humanistic” (that is, man-centered) world-view: a plea which the Quran implicitly rejects as being hypocritical and self-deceptive )cf.2:11-12). As regards the phrase “whereupon they will come to you”, see verse 41 of this surah.]]
4: 63
Asad As for them – God knows all that is in their hearts; so leave them alone, and admonish them, and , speak unto them about themselves in a gravely searching manner:
Yusuf Ali Those men Allah knows what is in their hearts; so keep clear of them but admonish them and speak to them a word to reach their very souls.
Pickthall Those are they, the secrets of whose hearts Allah knoweth. So oppose them and admonish them, and address them in plain terms about their souls.
Transliteration Ula_'ikal lazina ya'lamulla_hu ma_ fi qulu_bihim fa a'rid 'anhum wa 'izhum wa qul lahum fi anfusihim qaulam baliga_(n). fastagfarulla_ha wastagfara lahumur rasu_lu lawajadulla_ha tawwa_bar rahima_(n).
4: 63 As for them (see 4;60-64) - God knows all that is in their hearts; so leave them alone, and admonish them, and speak unto them about themselves in a gravely searching manner: ……
[[ Ali’s note - 582 How should hypocrites be treated? To take them into your confidence would of course be foolish. To wage unrelenting war against them may destroy the hope of reforming them and purging them of their hypocrisy. The Prophet of Allah keeps clear of their wiles, but at the same time, does not hesitate to show them the error of their ways, nor to put in a word in season, to penetrate their hearts and win them back to Allah. (4.63) ]]
4: 89 …………. And do not take any of them for your ally or giver of succor,
4: 90 unless it be such as have ties with people to whom you yourselves are bound by a covenant,
or such as come unto you because their hearts shrink from [the thought of] making war either on you or on their own folk, although, if God had willed to make them stronger than you, they would certainly have make war on you.
Thus if they let you be, and do not make war on you, and offer you peace, God does not allow you to harm them.