The Parable of the Hypocrites (5/5)

Far above what the unbelievers say:

'Thunder’, Allah has set forth a similitude to thunder due to what the Qur'an contains of rebukes that ring in the ears and stir the heart, some of which are mentioned in other verses such as His sayings,

“If they turn away, say: ‘I have warned you of a destructive awful cry.'” [Surah Fussilat (41): 13]

“You who have been given the Book! Believe in what We have revealed confirming what is already with you, before We obliterate faces, turning them inside out, or We curse them...” [Surah an-Nisa’ (4); 47]

“He is only a warner to you ahead of a terrible punishment.” [Surah Saba (34): 46]

Bukhari records in the chapter pertaining to the commentary of Surah at-Tur, on the authority of Jubayr ibn Mut'im (radiyAllahu 'anhu) who said, 'I heard the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam) reciting at-Tur in Maghrib prayer, and when he reached this verse, 'Were they created out of nothing, or were they themselves the creators? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? No, in truth, they have no certainty. Or do they possess the treasures of your Lord or do they have control of them?' my heart felt like it was flying!'

And other such rebukes and cataclysmic announcements from which the hypocrites were in continuous fear of, to the point that Allah said of them,

“...They imagine every cry to be against them, they are the enemy, so beware of them.” [Surah al-Munafiqun (63): 4]

The verse that we are in the process of explaining, even if it is with regards to the hypocrites, consideration is given to the generality of the wording and not to the specific reason for its revelation.

‘and lightning,' Allah has set forth a similitude to lightning due to what the Qur’an contains of the light of decisive evidences and radiant proofs. It has been made clear that the Qur'an is a light by which Allah uncovers the darknesses of ignorance, doubt, and shirk; in the same way that the natural light uncovers dark recesses. He says,

“O mankind! Indeed, there has come to you a clear proof from your Lord. We have sent down a clear light to you.” [Surah an-Nisa’ (4): 174]

“Nonetheless We have made it a light whereby We guide whoever We will of Our servants.” [Surah ash-Sbura (42): 52)

 “Follow the light that has been sent down with him.” [Surah al-A’raf (7): 157]

'Allah encompasses the disbelievers,’ some of the scholars said, 'encompasses the disbelievers' means ‘destroys them,' and this opinion is testified to by the saying of Allah,

 “He said, 'I will not send him with you until you swear a solemn oath to me in Allah's Name that you will bring him back to me unless you are yourselves surrounded.'” [Surah Yusuf (12): 66]

Meaning: unless an enemy destroys you to your last man. It is said that it means 'overcome' and both opinions are close in meaning because the one who is destroyed is not destroyed until he is surrounded on all sides and their remains no way for him to escape to safety and the same applies to the one who is overcome. Also in this respect, understanding 'surrounded' to mean 'destroyed' is His sayings,

 “So his fruits were encircled with ruin.” [Surah al-Kahf (I8): 42]

“...Then comes a stormy wind and the waves come to them from all sides and they think they are encircled therein; they invoke Allah, making their faith pure for Him.” [Surah Yunus (10): 22]

'The lightning all but snatches away their sight,' meaning that the light of the Qur'an blinds their eyes due to its extreme brilliance, in the same way that a flash of lightning almost snatches way the sight of the onlooker due to its extreme light. This is more so the case if the sight is weak because as the sight gets weaker, flashes of light affect it more severely. The poet said,

Like the day increases the sight of mortals

Due to its light and blinds the eyes of the bats

Another said,

The bats are blinded by the light of day

And the covering of the dark night agrees with them

The eyes of the disbelievers and the hypocrites are completely weak, and the severity of the dazzling lights of the Qur'an increases them in blindness, Allah has clarified this blindness with His sayings,

“So is the one who knows that what has been sent to you from your Lord is the truth like the one who is blind?” [Surah ar-Ra'd (13):19]

“The blind and the seeing are not the same.” [Surah Fatir (35): 19]

Some of the scholar said that the verse 'The lightning all but snatches away their sight,' means that the clear and unequivocal verses of the Qur’an reveal the weaknesses and defects of the hypocrites.

'Whenever they have light, they walk therein but whenever darkness covers them, they halt,' Allah sets forth a similitude for the hypocrites in this verse that when the Qur'an agrees with their desires and expectations they act according to it, like the favours they scrounge off the believers such as their inheriting from them, their receiving a share of the war booty, and their being secure from being killed despite the disbelief that is in their hearts. Whenever it does not agree with their desires such as their being commanded to expend their selves and wealth in Jihad they falter and procrastinate. Allah has pointed this out in His saying,

“When they are summoned to Allah and his Messenger to judge between them, a party of them immediately turn away. But if the right is on their side, they come to him in willing submission!” [Surah an-Nur (24): 48-49]

Some of the scholars said that ‘Whenever they have light, they walk therein,' means that whenever Allah favours them with wealth and well-being they say, 'This religion is the truth, ever since we have held onto to it we have only acquired good.' 'but whenever darkness covers them, they halt’ means that when they come across poverty or illness, or they have daughters born to them rather than sons they say, ‘This has not happened to us except due to the evil of this religion,' and they apostate from it. This explanation is proven by the saying of Allah,

 “Among mankind is he who worships Allah right on the edge. If good befalls him, he is content therewith; but if trial befalls him, he reverts to his former ways. He loses both in this world and the Hereafter. That is indeed sheer loss.”  [Surah al-Hajj (22): 11]

Some of the scholars said, 'Its flashing for them means their cognition of some of the truth and its darkness means the doubt that presents itself to them concerning Islam.'

And Allah knows best.[1]