Types of People

From Tafseer ibn Katheer on Surat Baqarah:17-20
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.

This is similar to the parables that were given in Surat An-Nur (chapter 24). Like the example of the believer and the faith that Allah put in his heart, compared to a brightly illuminated lamp, just like a rising star. This is the believer, whose heart is built on faith and receiving its support from the divine legislation that was revealed to it, without any impurities or imperfections, as we will come to know, Allah willing.

Allah gave a parable of the disbelievers who think that they have something, while in reality they have nothing; such people are those who have compounded ignorance. Allah said,

[وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ أَعْمَـلُهُمْ كَسَرَابٍ بِقِيعَةٍ يَحْسَبُهُ الظَّمْآنُ مَآءً حَتَّى إِذَا جَآءَهُ لَمْ يَجِدْهُ شَيْئاً]

(As for those who disbelieved, their deeds are like a mirage in a desert. The thirsty one thinks it to be water, until he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing) (24:39).

Allah then gave the example of ignorant disbelievers, simple in their ignorance. He said;

[أَوْ كَظُلُمَـتٍ فِى بَحْرٍ لُّجِّىٍّ يَغْشَـهُ مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِ مَوْجٌ مِّن فَوْقِهِ سَحَابٌ ظُلُمَـتٌ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ إِذَآ أَخْرَجَ يَدَهُ لَمْ يَكَدْ يَرَاهَا وَمَن لَّمْ يَجْعَلِ اللَّهُ لَهُ نُوراً فَمَا لَهُ مِن نُورٍ ]

(Or (the state of a disbeliever) is like the darkness in a vast deep sea, overwhelmed by waves, topped by dark clouds, (layers of) darkness upon darkness: if a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it! And he for whom Allah has not appointed light, for him there is no light) (24:40).

Therefore, Allah divided the camp of the disbelievers into two groups, advocates and followers. Allah mentioned these two groups in the beginning of Surat Al-Hajj,

[وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يُجَـدِلُ فِى اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَيَتَّبِعُ كُلَّ شَيْطَـنٍ مَّرِيدٍ ]

(And among mankind is he who disputes about Allah, without knowledge, and follows every rebellious (disobedient to Allah) Shaytan (devil) (devoid of every kind of good)) (22:3), and,

[ومِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يُجَـدِلُ فِى اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ وَلاَ هُدًى وَلاَ كِتَـبٍ مُّنِيرٍ ]

(And among men is he who disputes about Allah, without knowledge or guidance, or a Book giving light (from Allah)) (22:8).

Furthermore, Allah has divided the group of the believers in the beginning of Surat Al-Waqi`ah (56) and at the end. He also divided them in Surat Al-Insan (76) into two groups, the Sabiqun (those who preceded), they are the "near ones" (Muqaribun) and Ashab Al-Yamin (the companions of the right), and they are righteous (Abrar).

In summary, these Ayat divide the believers into two categories, the near ones and righteous. Also, the disbelievers are of two types, advocates and followers. In addition, the hypocrites are divided into two types, pure hypocrites and those who have some hypocrisy in them. The Two Sahihs record that `Abdullah bin `Amr said that the Prophet said,

«ثَلَاثٌ مَنْ كُنَّ فِيهِ كَانَ مُنَافِقًا خَالِصًا، وَمَنْ كَانَتْ فِيهِ وَاحِدَةٌ مِنْهُنَّ كَانَتْ فِيهِ خَصْلَةٌ مِنَ النِّفَاقِ حَتَّى يَدَعَهَا: مَنْ إِذَا حَدَّثَ كَذَبَ، وَإِذَا وَعَدَ أَخْلَفَ، وَإِذَا ائْتُمِنَ خَان»

(Whoever has the following three (characteristics) will be a pure hypocrite, and whoever has one of the following three characteristics will have one characteristic of hypocrisy, unless and until he gives it up. Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie. Whenever he makes a covenant, he proves treacherous. Whenever he is entrusted, he breaches the trust)

Hence, man might have both a part of faith and a part of hypocrisy, whether in deed, as this Hadith stipulates, or in the creed, as the Ayah (2:20) stipulates.

Imam Ahmad recorded Abu Sa`id saying that the Messenger of Allah said

«الْقُلُوبُ أَرْبَعَةٌ: قَلْبٌ أَجْرَدُ فِيهِ مِثْلُ السِّرَاجِ يَزْهَرُ وَقَلْبٌ أَغْلَفُ مَرْبُوطٌ عَلى غِلَافِهِ وَقَلْبٌ مَنْكُوسٌ وَقَلْبٌ مُصْفَحٌ، فَأَمَّا الْقَلْبُ الْأَجْرَدُ فَقَلْبُ الْمُؤْمِنِ فَسِرَاجُهُ فِيهِ نُورُهُ، وَأَمَّا الْقَلْبُ الْأَغْلَفُ فَقَلْبُ الْكَافِرِ، وَأَمَّا الْقَلْبُ الْمَنْكُوسُ فَقَلْبُ الْمُنَافِقِ الْخَالِصِ عَرَفَ ثُمَّ أَنْكَرَ وَأَمَّا الْقَلْبُ الْمُصْفَحُ فَقَلْبٌ فِيهِ إيمَانٌ وَنِفَاقٌ وَمَثَلُ الْإيمَانِ فِيهِ كَمَثَلِ الْبَقْلَةِ يَمُدُّهَا الْمَاءُ الطَّيِّبُ وَمَثَلُ النِّفَاقِ فِيهِ كَمَثَلِ الْقُرْحَةِ يَمُدُّهَا الْقَيْحُ وَالدَّمُ فَأَيُّ الْمَادَّتَيْنِ غَلَبَتْ عَلَى الْأُخْرَى غَلَبَتْ عَلَيْه»

(The hearts are four (types): polished as shiny as the radiating 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.


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Anwar al Awlaki | The Lure of Munafiqeen Amongst Muslim Youth

Transcribed from a lecture by Anwar al Awlaki

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, Who created us Muslims and blessed us with Jihad on His straight path! Peace and blessings be to Prophet Muhammad, his family, his disciples and all of those who follow the straight way till the Day of Judgment! And then:



The reason why we have gone astray is that we have abandoned the Jihad on the way of Allah. When a Muslim comes out to Jihad and becomes a Mujahid on the way of Allah, he attains victory over those who were talking him out of it.



They speak our language and claim to be Muslims; they attack by using all sorts of "proofs" in order to dissuade the believers from Jihad on the way of Allah or distort its purpose. This is what Allah says about such people:



"If they had come out with you, they would not have added to your (strength) but only (made for) disorder, hurrying to and fro in your midst and sowing sedition among you, and there would have been some among you who would have listened to them. But Allah knoweth well those who do wrong."
(Holy Quran, 9:47)



This can be happening under the guise of Islamic and Sharia terminology and coming from Muslim scholars, who will be telling you: "Now it's not the time for Jihad on the way of Allah!"



Allah says: "and there would have been some among you who would have listened to them".



Why? Because of the status of these people! They are the leaders in their societies, they are the learned ones. They are the people who can speak eloquently. They are diverting the Muslims from Jihad on the way of Allah, and they are the Munafiqun (hypocrites)! Any Muslim who diverts from Jihad on the way of Allah is a Munafiq, because this is what this ayat (verse) says about the hypocrites.



Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"Verily, I am afraid that the imams will appear in my community, who will delude. If they are stricken by a sword, he will not rise until the Day of Resurrection. And his Hour shall not come until those remained alive join the Mushrikin (polytheists), and until a part of them worships the idols... Nevertheless, in all times in my community there will be the group of people, who will cling to the truth and win the victory, and they will not be harmed by those who left them without support, until the behest of Almighty and Blessed Allah comes."
(Reported by Abu Daud (4202), Ibn Majah (3952), Ahmad 5/278 and 284 by Sauban; the authentic Hadith).



A Muslim who became a Mujahid (a warrior) has disobeyed these people to please Allah! And there status does not matter to him. He is not touched by their eloquence! He is doing what Allah wants from him, and this is enough for him. Allah Akbar! (God is Great!)



Today some scholars are not only failing to prompt the Muslims, but on the contrary, they are diverting them from Jihad on the way of Allah. So, a man capable of defeating the Munafiqun has won a very serious and important victory!



Allah addressed the Sahabs (disciples) in this ayat: "...and there would have been some among you who would have listened to them". Apparently, not because the Sahabs had no Faith (Iman)! But because of the status of the dissuaders, who hide the truth of what they have in their hearts.



But Allah rescued the Sahabs and not allowed those people to come out to Jihad along with them. Had they come out, they would have spread disorder and confusion (Fitna). Because these people are extremely dangerous, Allah warned the Sahabs, the best men after Prophet (pbuh):



"Those who were left behind (in the Tabuk expedition) rejoiced in their inaction behind the back of the Messenger of Allah. They hated to strive and fight, with their goods and their persons, in the cause of Allah. They said, "Go not forth in the heat." Say, "The fire of Hell is fiercer in heat." If only they could understand!
(Holy Quran, 9:81)



If a Mujahid won a victory over himself, then he won the victory over Satan and those who dissuaded him from Jihad on the way of Allah, and this is a great victory!!!



"Truly Allah loves those who fight in His Cause in battle array, as if they were a solid cemented structure."

(Holy Quran, 61:4)



Today many assert that Mujahideen are in delusion, and they, the ones holed up, are supposedly on the straight path. But Allah says in the Quran:



"O you who believe! whoever from among you turns back from his religion, then Allah will bring a people, He shall love them and they shall love Him, lowly before the believers, mighty against the unbelievers, they shall strive hard in Allah's way and shall not fear the censure of any censurer; this is Allah's Face, He gives it to whom He pleases, and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing."
(Holy Quran, 5:54)



Allah loves them. Subhanallah! And they love Allah!



They are lowly before the believers. What does it mean? It means that they are concerned about the believers, they love the believers, they are concerned what will happen to the Muslims all around the world! Those who are willing to come to help when they hear that Muslims are being oppressed and treated outrageously are the ones humble before the believers. They are willing to sacrifice their lives and their property for them for the sake of Allah.



On the other hand, we can see the people who claim to be Muslims, but they possess quite opposite qualities. We can see how they are criticizing the Muslims and attacking them by word and deed, they are ready to unite with kuffar (infidels) to fight Muslims for their mercantile purposes.



Mighty against the unbelievers. They are tough towards the kuffar. They are ready to oppose the oppression by Kuffar for the sake of exalting the word of Allah, by slaying and being slain.



They shall strive hard in Allah's way! And these are the ones who are on the way of Allah, on the straight way! And then Allah says about them: "...and they shall not fear the censure of any censurer".



The Munafiqun (hypocrites) will be accusing them with any possible forms and methods, they will be humiliating the believers by slandering and making up repulsive nicknames and labels, by calumniating and thinking up all sorts of denigrating stories, and will even be using Islamic terminology (auzubillah) when trying to divert them.



But indeed, these brothers are not bothered with what is said about them! They are not bothered with dissatisfaction of the traitors! They are only seeking to please Allah, Holy and Great He is!



If Allah is pleased with it, we will be doing it! And Kuffar and Munafiqun will never win this war because they are fighting against Awliya of Allah. Allah declared the war on those who are enemies with His Awliya (friends)!



Allah Akbar! (God is Great!)