عَلِمْتُمْYou learnedأَنْthatالْإِيمَانَthe faithفِيinقَلْبِهِhis heart،,وَهُمْand theyلَمْdid notيُؤْمَرُواbe commandedأَنْtoيَنْقُبُواdigعَنْaboutقُلُوبِheartsالنَّاسِof the peopleوَلَاnorيَشُقُّواcut openبُطُونَهُمْtheir bellies،,فَإِذَاso ifرَأَوْاthey sawرَجُلًاa manيَظْهَرُshowingالْإِيمَانَthe faithجَازَit is permissibleلَهُمْfor themعَتْقَهُto free him،,وَصَاحِبُand the ownerالْجَارِيَةِof the maidلَمَّاwhenسَأَلَhe askedالنَّبِيَّthe Prophetﷺهَلisهِيَsheمُؤْمِنَةٌa believer،,إِنَّمَاhe onlyأَرَادَwantedالْإِيمَانَthe faithالظَّاهِرَthe apparentالَّذِيwhichيُفَرِّقُmakes a distinctionبِهِwith itبَيْنَbetweenالْمُسْلِمِthe Muslimوَالْكَافِرِand the disbeliever،,وَكَذَٰلِكَand likewiseمَنwhoeverعَلَيْهِis upon himنَذْرٌa vowلَمْdid notيُلْزِمْهُobligate himأَنْtoيُعْتِقَfree (a slave)إِلَّاexceptمَنْfromعَلِمَhe knowsأَنَّthatالْإِيمَانَthe faithفِيinقَلْبِهِhis heart،,فَإِنَّهُfor heلَاdoes notيَعْلَمُknowذَٰلِكَthatمُطْلَقًاabsolutely،,بَلbutوَلَاnorأَحَدٌanyoneمِنَofالْخَلْقِcreationيَعْلَمُknowsذَٰلِكَthatمُطْلَقًاabsolutely،,وَهَذَاand thisرَسُولُthe Messengerاللَّهِof Allahﷺأَعْلَمُthe most knowledgeableالْخَلْقِof creation،,وَاللَّهُand Allahيَقُولُsaysلَهُto him﴿[وَمِمَّنْAnd among thoseحَوْلَكُمْaround youمِنَofالأَعْرَابِthe Bedouinsمُنَافِقُونَare hypocritesوَمِمَّنْand among the peopleأَهْلِthe peopleالْمَدِينَةِof Medinaمَرَدُواhave returnedعَلَىtoالنِّفَاقِhypocrisyلَاdo notتَعْلَمُهُمْyou know themنَحْنُWeنَعْلَمُهُمْknow themسَنُعَذِّبُهُمْWe will punish themمَرَّتَيْنِtwice﴾]
You learned that the faith is in his heart, and they were not commanded to dig into the hearts of people or to cut open their bellies. So if they saw a man showing faith, it was permissible for them to free him. And concerning the owner of the maid, when he asked the Prophet ﷺ whether she was a believer, he only wanted the apparent faith that makes a distinction between the Muslim and the disbeliever. Likewise, whoever has a vow is not obligated to free anyone except he who knows that the faith is in his heart, for he does not know that absolutely, and no one of creation knows that absolutely. And this Messenger of Allah ﷺ is the most knowledgeable of creation, and Allah says to him: 'And among those around you are Bedouins who are hypocrites, and of the people of Medina, some have returned to hypocrisy. You do not know them; We know them. We will punish them twice.'
فَأُولَـٰئِكَSo thoseإِنَّمَاonlyكَانَwasالنَّبِيُّthe Prophetيَاtheالَّذِيwhoيَحْكُمُjudgesفِيهِمin themكَحُكْمِهِlike his judgmentفِيinسَائِرِthe otherالْمُؤْمِنِينَbelievers،,وَلَوْand ifحَضَرَتْthe funeralجَنَازَةٌof a funeralأَحَدِهِمof one of themصَلَّىhe would prayعَلَيْهَاon it،,وَلَمْand he was notيُنْهَ عَنْ الصَّلَاةِforbidden from prayingإِلَّاexceptعَلَىuponمَنْwhomعَلِمَhe knowsنِفَاقَهُhis hypocrisy،,وَإِلَّاand unlessلَزِمَit would be requiredأَنْtoيَنْقُبَdigعَنْaboutقُلُوبِthe heartsالنَّاسِof the peopleوَيَعْلَمُand knowسَرَائِرَهُمْtheir inner secrets،,وَهَذَاand thisلَاnoيَقْدِرُone is ableعَلَيْهِto do soبَشَرٌhuman،,وَلِهَذَاand for thisلَمَّاwhenكَشَفَهُمْAllah exposed themاللَّهُAllahبِسُورَةٍwith the Surahبَرَاءَةٍof Repentanceبِقَوْلِهِby saying(وَمِنْهُمْ(And among them،,وَمِنْهُمْ)(۱)and among them (1)
So those were judged by the Prophet as his judgment concerning other believers; if the funeral of one of them was present, he would pray on it, and he was not forbidden to pray except for someone whom he knew of their hypocrisy, unless it required that he dig into the hearts of the people and know their secrets. And this is impossible for any human to do. And for this, when Allah exposed them with the ’Surah of Repentance’ by saying: 'And among them…'.
صَارَit becameيُعْرَفُknownنِفَاقٌthe hypocrisyنَاسٌof some peopleمِنْهُمْamong themلَمْhad notيَكُنْbeenيُعْرَفْknownنِفَاقُهُمْtheir hypocrisyقَبْلَbeforeذَٰلِكَthat،,فَإِنَّfor AllahاللَّهَAllahوَصَفَهُمْdescribed themبِصِفَاتٍwith attributesعَلِمَهَاknownالنَّاسُto the peopleمِنْهُمْamong them،,وَمَاand whatكَانَwasالنَّاسُthe peopleيَجْزِمُونَcertainبِأَنَّهَاthat itمُسْتَلْزِمَةٌis indicativeلِنِفَاقِهِمof their hypocrisy،,وَإِنْand althoughكَانَwasبَعْضُهُمْsome of themيَظُنُّthoughtذَٰلِكَthatوَبَعْضُهُمْand some of themيَعْلَمُهُknew it،,فَلَمْit was notيَكُنْwasنِفَاقُهُمْtheir hypocrisyمَعْلُومًاknownعِندَbyالْجَمَاعَةِthe group،,بِخِلَافِunlikeحَالِهِمtheir stateلَمَّاwhenنَزَلَthe Quran،,وَلِهَذَاand for thisلَمَّاwhenنَزَلَتْit was revealedسُورَةُthe Surahبَرَاءَةٍof Repentanceكَتَمُواthey concealedالنِّفَاقَthe hypocrisy،,وَمَاand whatبَقِيَremainedيُمْكِنُهُمْwas possible for themمِنْofإِظْهَارِهِshowing itأَحْيَانًاat timesمَاwhatكَانَwasيُمْكِنُهُمْpossible for themقَبْلَbeforeذَٰلِكَ,،,وَأَنْزَلَand He revealedاللَّهُAllahتَعَالَىthe Most High﴿[لَمْdid notيَنْهَهُمْforbid themالْمُنَافِقُونَthe hypocritesوَالَّذِينَand thoseفِيinقُلُوبِهِمtheir heartsمَرَضٌdiseaseوَالْمُرْجِفُونَand the rumor mongersفِيinالْمَدِينَةِthe cityلَنْنْفِرِيَمِنْكwill attack youبِهِمwith themثُمَّthenلَاnotيُجَاوِرُونَكَwill reside with youفِيهَاin itإِلَّاexceptقَلِيلًاa littleمَلْعُونِينَcursedأَيْنَمَاwhereverتَقِفُواyou stopأُخِذُواthey will be takenوَقُتِلُواand killedتَفْتِيلًاutterlyلِسُنَّةِfor the traditionاللَّهِof Allahفِيinالَّذِينَthose whoخَلَوْاhave passedمِنْ قَبْلِهِمbefore himوَلَنْand notتَجِدَfindلِسُنَّةِfor the traditionاللَّهِof the Allahتَبْدِيلًاany change
It became known among the people that some had hypocrisy that was not known before. Allah described their attributes to the people and it was not certain among the general public that they had hypocrisy. When the Quran was revealed, it revealed the realities and exposed their state, unlike when the Surah of Repentance was revealed, they concealed their hypocrisy. What remained possible for them to show at times was no longer possible because Allah the Most High revealed: 'The hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease and the rumor mongers in the city will attack you…'.
فَلَمَّاSo whenتَوَعَدُواthey threatenedبِالْقَتْلِwith deathإِذَاifأَظْهَرُواthey revealedالنِّفَاقَhypocrisy،,كَتَمُوهُthey concealed it،,وَلِهَذَاand for thisتَنَازَعَthe scholars differedالْفُقَهَاءُthe juristsفِيinاسْتِتَابَةِthe repentance ofالزَّنْدِيقِthe heretic
So when they were threatened with death if they revealed their hypocrisy, they concealed it. And for this reason, the scholars differed in the issue of the repentance of the heretic.
فَقِيلَAnd it was said::يُسْتَتَابُthey should be given a chance to repent،,وَاسْتَدَلَّand it was arguedمَن قَالَby those who saidذَٰلِكَthatبِالْمُنَافِقِينَby referring to the hypocritesالَّذِينَwhoكَانَwereالنَّبِيُّthe Prophetﷺيَقْبَلُhe acceptedعَلَانِيَّتَهُمْtheir public statements،,وَيُكِلُand entrustedأَمْرَهُمْtheir mattersإِلَى اللَّـهِto Allah،,فَيُقَالُand it is said(۱)(1)
And it was said: 'They should be given a chance to repent', and it was argued by those who said that by referring to the hypocrites whom the Prophet ﷺ accepted their public statements, and entrusted their matters to Allah.
(۱)(1)سُورَةُSurahالتَّوْبَةِthe Repentanceالْآيَاتِthe verses٤٩49٥٨58،,٧٥75،,وَهِيَand they are(وَمِنْهُمْ(And among themمَّنis one whoيَقُولُsaysأَشْذَنُواDefer meلِيto meوَلَاand notنَفْتِيgive fatwa
(1) Surah of Repentance, verses 49, 58, 75, and they include: (And among them is one who says, 'Defer me' and does not give fatwa).