Another Parable of the Hypocrites

This is another parable which Allah gave about the hypocrites who sometimes know the truth and doubt it at other times. When they suffer from doubt, confusion and disbelief, their hearts are, {Like a Sayyib}, meaning, "The rain", as Ibn Mas'ud, Ibn 'Abbas, and several other Companions have confirmed as well as Abu Al-'Aliyah, Mujahid, Said bin Jubayr, 'Ata', Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Qatadah, 'Atiyah Al-'Awfi, 'Ata' Al-Khurasani, As-Suddi and Ar-Rabi' bin Anas. Ad-Dahhak said "It is the clouds." However, the most accepted opinion is that it means the rain that comes down during, {darkness} meaning, here, the doubts, disbelief and hypocrisy. {thunder} that shocks the hearts with fear. The hypocrites are usually full of fear and anxiety, just as Allah described them, {They think that every cry is against them}, and, {They swear by Allah that they are truly of you while they are not of you, but they are a people who are afraid. Should they find refuge, or caves, or a place of concealment, they would turn straightway thereto in a swift rush}.

{The lightning}, is in reference to the light of faith that is sometimes felt in the hearts of the hypocrites, {They thrust their fingers in their ears to keep out the stunning thunderclap for fear of death. But Allah ever encompasses the disbelievers}, meaning, their cautiousness does not benefit them because they are bound by Allah's all-encompassing will and decision. Similarly, Allah said, obvious and most correct view, and Allah knows best.

Consequently, on the Day of Judgment, the believers will be given a light according to the degree of their faith. Some of them will gain light that illuminates over a distance of several miles, some more, some less. Some people's light will glow sometimes and be extinguished at other times. They will, therefore, walk on the Sirat (the bridge over the Fire) in the light, stopping when it is extinguished. Some people will have no light at all, these are the hypocrites whom Allah described when He said, {On the Day when the hypocrites - men and women - will say to the believers: "Wait for us! Let us get something from your light!" It will be said to them: "Go back to your rear! Then seek a light!"}.

Allah described the believers, {On the Day you shall see the believing men and the believing women - their light running forward before them and by their right hands. Glad tidings for you this Day! Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise)}, and, {The Day that Allah will not disgrace the Prophet (Muhammad) and those who believe with him. Their Light will run forward before them and (with their Records - Books of deeds) in their right hands. They will say: "Our Lord! Keep perfect our Light for us [and do not put it off till we cross over the Sirat (a slippery bridge over the Hell) safely] and grant us forgiveness. Verily, You are Able to do all things"}.

Ibn Abi Hatim narrated that 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud commented on, {Their Light will run forward before them}, "They will pass on the Sirat according to their deeds. The light that some people have will be as big as a mountain, while the light of others will be as big as a date tree. The people who will have the least light are those whose index fingers will sometimes be lit and extinguished at other times." Ibn Abi Hatim also reported that Ibn 'Abbas said, "Every person among the people of Tawhid (Islamic Monotheism) will gain a light on the Day of Resurrection. As for the hypocrite, his light will be extinguished. When the believers witness the hypocrite's light being extinguished, they will feel anxious. Hence, they will supplicate, {Our Lord! Keep perfect our Light for us}." Ad-Dahhak bin Muzahim said, "On the Day of Resurrection, everyone who has embraced the faith will be given a light. When they arrive at the Sirat, the light of the hypocrites will be extinguished. When the believers see this, they will feel anxious and supplicate, {Our Lord! Keep perfect our Light for us}."

Types of Believers and Types of Disbelievers

Consequently, there are several types of people. There are the believers whom the first four Ayat (2:2-5) in Surat Al-Baqarah describe. There are the disbelievers who were described in the next two Ayat. And there are two categories of hypocrites: the complete hypocrites who were mentioned in the parable of the fire, and the hesitant hypocrites, whose light of faith is sometimes lit and sometimes extinguished. The parable of the rain was revealed about this category, which is not as evil as the first category. lamp, a sealed heart with a knot tied around its seal, a heart that is turned upside down and a wrapped heart. As for the polished heart, it is the heart of the believer and the lamp is the light of faith. The sealed heart is the heart of the disbeliever. The heart that is turned upside down is the heart of the pure hypocrite, because he had knowledge but denied it. As for the wrapped heart, it is a heart that contains belief and hypocrisy. The example of faith in this heart, is the example of the herb that is sustained by pure water. The example of hypocrisy in it, is the example of an ulcer that thrives on puss and blood. Whichever of the two substances has the upper hand, it will have the upper hand on that heart. This Hadith has a Jayid Hasan (good) chain of narration.

Allah said, {And if Allah willed, He would have taken away their hearing and their sight. Certainly, Allah has power over all things}. Muhammad bin Ishaq reported that Ibn 'Abbas commented on Allah's statement, {And if Allah willed, He would have taken away their hearing and their sight}, "Because they abandoned the truth after they had knowledge in it."

{Certainly, Allah has power over all things}. Ibn 'Abbas said, "Allah is able to punish or pardon His servants as He wills." Ibn Jarir commented, "Allah only described Himself with the ability to do everything in this Ayah as a warning to the hypocrites of His control over everything, and to inform them that His ability completely encompasses them and that He is able to take away their hearing and sight."

Ibn Jarir and several other scholars of Tafsir stated that these two parables are about the same kind of hypocrite. So the 'or' mentioned in, {Or like a rainstorm from the sky} means 'and', just as the Ayah, {And obey neither a disbeliever among them}. Therefore, 'or' in the Ayah includes the choice of using either example for the hypocrites. Also, Mujahid said that 'or' means, "To show compatibility of the two choices, just as when one says, 'Sit with Al-Hasan or Ibn Sirin.' According to the view of Az-Zamakhshari, 'so it means each of these persons is the same as the other, so you may sit with either one of them.' The meaning of 'or' thus becomes 'either.' Allah gave these two examples of the hypocrites, because they both perfectly describe them."

I (Ibn Kathir) say, these descriptions are related to the type of hypocrite, because there is a difference between them as we stated. For instance, Allah mentioned these types in Surat Bara'ah (chapter 9) when He repeated the statement, "And among them" three times, describing their types, characteristics, statements and deeds. So the two examples mentioned here describe two types of hypocrites whose characteristics are similar. For instance Allah gave two examples in Surat An-Nur, one for the advocates of disbelief and one for the followers of disbelief, He said, {As for those who disbelieved, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert}, until, {Or (the state of a disbeliever) is like the darkness in a vast deep sea}.

The first example is of the advocates of disbelief who have complex ignorance, while the second is about the followers who have simple ignorance. Allah knows best.