Allah informs His Messenger, peace be upon him, that among the bedouins
around Al-Madinah there are hypocrites and in Al-Madinah itself, those,
[مَرَدُواْ عَلَى
النَّفَاقِ]
(who persist in hypocrisy;) meaning they insisted on hypocrisy and continued
in it Allah's statement,
[لاَ تَعْلَمُهُمْ
نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُمْ]
(you know them not, We know them), does not contradict His other statement,
[وَلَوْ نَشَآءُ
لأَرَيْنَـكَهُمْ فَلَعَرَفْتَهُم بِسِيمَـهُمْ وَلَتَعْرِفَنَّهُمْ فِى لَحْنِ
الْقَوْلِ]
(Had We willed, We could have shown them to you, and you should have known
them by their marks; but surely, you will know them by the tone of their
speech!)[47:30], because the latter Ayah describes them by their
characteristics, not that the Messenger knows all those who have doubts and
hypocrisy. The Messenger knew that some of those who associated with him from
the people of Al-Madinah were hypocrites, and he used to see them day and night
[but did not know who they were exactly]. We mentioned before in the explanation
of,
[وَهَمُّواْ بِمَا
لَمْ يَنَالُواْ]
(...and they resolved that (plot) which they were unable to carry
out...)[9:74] that the Prophet informed Hudhayfah of the names of fourteen or
fifteen hypocrites. This knowledge is specific in this case, not that the
Messenger of Allah was informed of all their names, and Allah knows best.
`Abdur-Razzaq narrated that Ma`mar said that Qatadah commented on this Ayah
[9:101], "What is the matter with some people who claim to have knowledge about
other people, saying, `So-and-so is in Paradise and so-and-so is in the Fire.'
If you ask any of these people about himself, he would say, `I do not know (if I
will end up in Paradise or the Fire)!' Verily, you have more knowledge of
yourself than other people. You have assumed a job that even the Prophets before
you refrained from assuming. Allah's Prophet Nuh said,
[وَمَا عِلْمِى بِمَا
كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ]
(And what knowledge have I of what they used to do)[26:112] Allah's Prophet
Shu`ayb said,
[بَقِيَّتُ اللَّهِ
خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ وَمَآ أَنَاْ عَلَيْكُمْ بِحَفِيظٍ
]
(That which is left by Allah for you (after giving the rights of the people)
is better for you, if you are believers. And I am not a guardian over
you)[11:86], while Allah said to His Prophet ,
[لاَ تَعْلَمُهُمْ
نَحْنُ نَعْلَمُهُمْ]
(you know them not, We know them.)'' Mujahid said about Allah's statement,
[سَنُعَذِّبُهُم
مَّرَّتَيْنِ]
(We shall punish them twice), "By killing and capture.'' In another narration
he said, "By hunger and torment in the grave,
[ثُمَّ يُرَدُّونَ
إِلَى عَذَابٍ عَظِيمٍ]
(and thereafter they shall be brought back to a great (horrible) torment.)''
`Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said, "The torment in this life strikes their
wealth and offspring,'' and he recited this Ayah,
[فَلاَ تُعْجِبْكَ
أَمْوَلُهُمْ وَلاَ أَوْلَـدُهُمْ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُعَذِّبَهُمْ بِهَا
فِي الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا]
(So let not their wealth nor their children amaze you; Allah only wants to
punish them with these things in the life of this world.) [9:55] These
afflictions torment them, but will bring reward for the believers. As for the
torment in the Hereafter, it is in the Fire,
[ثُمَّ يُرَدُّونَ
إِلَى عَذَابٍ عَظِيمٍ]
(and thereafter they shall be brought back to a great (horrible) torment.)
[وَءَاخَرُونَ
اعْتَرَفُواْ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ خَلَطُواْ عَمَلاً صَـلِحاً وَءَاخَرَ سَيِّئاً عَسَى
اللَّهُ أَن يَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ]
(102. And (there are) others who have acknowledged their sins, they have
mixed a deed that was righteous with another that was evil. Perhaps Allah will
turn unto them in forgiveness. Surely, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful.)