in trust, he betrays”.’
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ، وَقُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لِيَحْيَى – قَالاَ: حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو سُهَيْلٍ، نَافِعُ بْنُ مَالِكِ بْنِ أَبِي عَامِرٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «آيَةُ الْـمُنَافِقِ ثَلاَثٌ إِذَا حَدَّثَ كَذَبَ، وَإِذَا وَعَدَ أَخْلَفَ، وَإِذَا ائْتُمِنَ خَانَ».
[111–108]. (Dar al-Salam 0113) Abu Bakr ibn Ishaq narrated; Ibn Abi Maryam reported; Muhammad ibn Ja[far reported; al-[Ala’ ibn [Abd al-Rahman ibn Ya[qub, al-Huraqah’s mawla, reported to me; from his father; from Abu Hurayrah: ‘God’s Messenger said: “Among the marks of a hypocrite are three [characteristics]: when he speaks, he lies; when he promises, he reneges; and when he is placed in a position of trust, he betrays”.’
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي الْعَلاَءُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ، مَوْلَى الْحُرَقَةِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مِنْ عَلاَمَاتِ الْـمُنَافِقِ ثَلاَثَةٌ: إِذَا حَدَّثَ كَذَبَ، وَإِذَا وَعَدَ أَخْلَفَ، وَإِذَا ائْتُمِنَ خَانَ».
[112–109]. (Dar al-Salam 0114) [Uqbah ibn Mukram al-[Ammi narrated: Yahya ibn Muhammad ibn Qays Abu Zukayr narrated, saying: I heard al-[Ala’ ibn [Abd al-Rahman narrating with this chain of transmission. He said: ‘The mark of a hypocrite consists of three [characteristics], even though he fasts, prays and claims to be a Muslim’.
حَدَّثَنَا عُقْبَةُ بْنُ مُكْرَمٍ الْعَمِّيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ أَبُو زُكَيْرٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الْعَلاَءَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، يُحَدِّثُ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ، وَقَالَ: «آيَةُ الْـمُنَافِقِ ثَلاَثٌ، وَإِنْ صَامَ وَصَلَّى وَزَعَمَ أَنَّهُ مُسْلِمٌ».
[113–110]. (Dar al-Salam 0115) Abu Nasr al-Tammar and [Abd al-A[la ibn Hammad al-Nursi narrated: Hammad ibn Salamah narrated; from Dawud ibn Abi Hind; from Sa[id ibn al-Musay-yib; from Abu Hurayrah reporting the same hadith as the one narrated by Yahya ibn Muhammad from al-[Ala’, but adding, ‘even though he fasts, prays and claims to be a Muslim’.8
وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو نَصْرٍ التَّمَّارُ، وَعَبْدُ الأَعْلَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ دَاوُدَ بْنِ أَبِي هِنْدٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْـمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ يَحْيَى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ، ذَكَرَ فِيهِ «وَإِنْ صَامَ وَصَلَّى وَزَعَمَ أَنَّهُ مُسْلِمٌ».
Text Explanation
8. A number of scholars consider this hadith problematic, because some of these characteristics may be true of a Muslim who truly believes in Islam and has no doubt about it. Scholars are unanimous that a person who is a believer at heart and confirms his belief verbally, yet does such actions is not considered an unbeliever. Nor is he a hypocrite who remains in Hell. Prophet Joseph’s brothers displayed these characteristics, as did some of the early Muslims and some scholars. Although there is no problem with this hadith, scholars do express different views about its meaning. The majority, including highly eminent ones, say that these are characteristics of hypocrisy, and whoever displays such characteristics is similar to the hypocrite insofar as these are true of him. He adopts their manners, and in essence, hypocrisy means giving an appearance that is contrary to what one harbours. This is certainly true of one who has these characteristics. His hypocrisy is in respect of his dealing with the one whom he speaks to, promises, or the one from whom he accepts something in trust, but he lies, breaks his promise and neglects his trust. He is not a hypocrite in respect of Islam, meaning that he pretends to be a Muslim when he is not. The Prophet does not mean that such a person is like those hypocrites who are destined to the lowest rank in Hell.
The Prophet’s description of the one who combines all these characteristics as a ‘total hypocrite’ means that he is greatly similar to the hypocrite in matters of faith and religion because of these characteristics. Some scholars say this is true in the case of the one who often demonstrates such qualities. The one who is rarely guilty of such actions is not meant here.
This is the meaning given to this hadith by scholars. Imam al-Tirmidhi attributes it to scholars generally. He said: ‘According to scholars, this relates to hypocritical action’.
A number of scholars said: The hadith refers to hypocrites at the time of the Prophet who spoke about being believers but who were lying. When entrusted with faith, they betrayed that trust. They gave promises concerning their faith and readiness to support it but were untrue to these promises, resorting instead to falsehood in their quarrels. This view is expressed by Sa[id ibn Jubayr and [Ata’ ibn Abi Rabah. Al-Hasan al-Basri also adopted it after having been of a different view. It is also attributed to Ibn [Abbas and Ibn [Umar, who both report it from the Prophet. Qadi [Iyad said: ‘It is to this view that most of our scholars lean’.
Al-Khattabi mentions a different view, saying that the hadith is meant as a warning to Muslims against adopting such characteristics because they may lead them to complete hypocrisy. Al-Khattabi also quotes other scholars who say that the hadith referred to a particular person who was a hypocrite. The Prophet did not confront people with total rejection, saying of any person that he was a hypocrite. He would only make an implicit reference, just like he would refer to an action and say: ‘Why do some people do this or that’, but God knows best.
In the first version of this hadith the Prophet speaks of ‘four qualities’ and says that whoever combines them is a total hypocrite, while in the other version he says that three characteristics are the mark of a