The Hypocrites

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- Zaotar
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The Hypocrites
OP - March 30, 2015, 11:32 PM

I've never seen much discussion about "the hypocrites" (al Munafiqun), and yet Qur'anic verses talking about them strike me as very important for understanding the latest layers of the Qur'an's composition as a set of 'divine' messages that the 'emigrants' were supposed to heed.

It is interesting to read through the sections of the Qur'an that rail against the hypocrites and, bracketing the traditional theory of their context, imagine what these would *otherwise* be talking about. Examples:

"And when it is said to them, 'Come now to what God has sent down, and the Messenger,' then thou seest the hypocrites barring the way to thee." (Q 4:61). This seems to be talking about how the listeners should come to what God has sent down *apart from* the Messenger himself. The Messenger is an afterthought; somebody else is relaying "what God has sent down."

"And it has already come down to you in the Book that when you hear the verses of Allah [recited], they are denied [by them] and ridiculed; so do not sit with them until they enter into another conversation. Indeed, you would then be like them. Indeed Allah will gather the hypocrites and disbelievers in Hell all together." (Q 4:140). Who are these people who, according to the "Book" that somebody else already has, are denying the Verses of Allah and ridiculing them? How can this be Mohammed himself? It appears to be a general exhortation.

"The hypocrites are apprehensive lest a surah be revealed about them, informing them of what is in their hearts. Say, "Mock [as you wish]; indeed, Allah will expose that which you fear." (Q 9:64). The 'hypocrites' seem to be criticizing the surahs as politically expedient inventions that are 'revealed' for dishonorable reasons. Almost half of the 10 Qur'anic uses of the term 'surah,' btw, are in Surah 9.

"And when a surah was revealed [enjoining them] to believe in Allah and to fight with His Messenger, those of wealth among them asked your permission [to stay back] and said, "Leave us to be with them who sit [at home]." (Q 9:86). Again, surahs seem to be 'revealed' by some group in a very dubious fashion here.

"And whenever a surah is revealed, there are among the hypocrites those who say, "Which of you has this increased faith?" As for those who believed, it has increased them in faith, while they are rejoicing." (Q 9:124). Same point. The hypocrites seem to be calling bullshit on new surahs appearing out of nowhere. This is highly unlikely if the Messenger was delivering them. More likely they were 'discovered,' and a large faction was criticizing the convenient appearance of new 'revelations.'

"And whenever a surah is revealed, they look at each other, [saying], "Does anyone see you?" and then they dismiss themselves. Allah has dismissed their hearts because they are a people who do not understand." (Q 9:27). At this point in history, btw, when Mohammed was already completely ascendant by the traditional chronology (Surah 9 being second-to-last of the Qur'an's surahs), it would be the least likely point for people to be saying this is a bunch of nonsense.

"Or do they say [about the Prophet], "He invented it?" Say, "Then bring forth a surah like it and call upon [for assistance] whomever you can besides Allah , if you should be truthful."" (Q 10:38). Interesting that the Prophet has to be bracketed in.

"When the hypocrites come to you, [O Muhammad], they say, "We testify that you are the Messenger of Allah." And Allah knows that you are His Messenger, and Allah testifies that the hypocrites are liars." (Q 63:1). The hypocrites are apparently people who agree, at least outwardly, with the message in some form. But they aren't overly enthused about the jihadi movement that is waving around the surahs.

"They are the ones who say, "Do not spend on those who are with the Messenger of Allah until they disband." And to Allah belongs the depositories of the heavens and the earth, but the hypocrites do not understand." (Q 63.7). Why this use of the phrase "spend on those who are with the Messenger of Allah"? This seems to imply that the Messenger of Allah is already metaphorical, and that what we are talking about is conflict over funding military bands who purport to be 'with' him.

A secondary question for those who know Arabic: Why does the triliteral root for the active participle munafiqun also feature so prominently in the Qur'an as the form IV verb "to spend", yunfiqu and its variations? Is the 'hypocrite' term a secondary derivation from that more basal verbal meaning? Is there grounds for arguing that the Qur'anic usage of munafiqun originated as basically a description of one who refuses to spend for the cause?
- Zimriel
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The Hypocrites
Reply #1 - March 31, 2015, 01:39 AM

Zaotar: " Is there grounds for arguing that the Qur'anic usage of munafiqun originated as basically a description of one who refuses to spend for the cause?"

Or perhaps of one who is seen as having bought his way out of the Sabil....

Step 1: Fighting in God's way: Qital (Suras 3, 47).
Step 2: Other ways of supporting God's way: Hijra (Sura 4, v. 89 > 22:8 ) and general Jihad (Sura 4, v. 95).
Step 3: Spending in God's way: Nifaq (Sura 8, v. 60; last verse of sura 47 > 2:195, 9:34, 57:10).
Step 4: The guys in step 2 and - more so - in step 1 get grouchy at the fat rich guys who'd been waving step 3 at them.
Step 5: Munafiqun (#3) are now the hypocrites.

In the above I don't intend to imply Steps 2 and 3 are here in chronological sequence. I never could place suras 3, 4, 8, and 47 into such a relative sequence. Also that last verse of sura 47 is longer than usual ... but, I admit, it is not as long as is v. 15. (It is not nearly as egregious as is 73:31.) Maybe steps 2-3 were concurrent, alongside now-lost suras and/or "prophetical logia".

But also note: the order of Steps 2 and 3 don't matter much for the purpose of this discussion. Steps 4 and 5 seem, to me, the inevitable results of the Jihad after rich opportunists who didn't fight (*kof*Umayyads) had taken over.
- questioner
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The Hypocrites
Reply #2 - March 31, 2015, 02:51 PM

Great post
- justperusing
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The Hypocrites
Reply #3 - March 31, 2015, 06:42 PM

@zaotar

Taking the quran as a text with various layers that probably originate from different sources (some from pre-existing Christian writings, others from an unnamed prophet, and/or some added after the lifetime of this prophet), do you think the quran was originally composed with the intention that people would think it all originated from the recitations of prophet muhammad? Or was that something imposed on it later by exegetes?

I guess I'm asking: was the picture of the quran as something revealed to one prophet over time something the quran portrays on it's own taken as a whole composition, or was the quran intended to come across as a mish-mash of layers and later exegetes tried to smooth it all out as something revealed to prophet muhammad because of political/theological reasons.

"I moreover believe that any religion that has anything in it that shocks the mind of a child, cannot be a true system."
-Thomas Paine
- Zaotar
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The Hypocrites
Reply #4 - March 31, 2015, 07:27 PM

The latter. I currently think that the basal Qur'anic texts were Arabic homiletic on Christian-Syriac beliefs and texts which were not themselves comprehensible to the Arabic-speaking audience of believers. They were delivered by one-or-more preachers (who could think of themselves as messengers), not by a unique prophet.

At some point, these basal texts were seized upon by some faction as 'Arabic scripture' which helped validate and form a new class of religious-political believers, the Arabs in the post 622 era. This had an ecumenical slant to it, which eliminated beliefs that might divide the believers, and focused on core beliefs. At this point, the message was still generic truth (not a startling unique revelation), and anybody could be a messenger, or relay the message. Indeterminate consensus monotheism, eliminating social/religious division, was the impetus for this promulgation of an Arabic message (as opposed to the pious unworldly original nature of the base texts).

Subsequently there was a turn towards articulating Arab political-religious identity against the "Byzantines", the dogmatic Jews, and the Persians. This is when the so-called Medinan texts were written, and edited, to reflect the idea of an anonymous Arab prophet who exhorted a sort of pious military confederacy movement, who could be (but was not necessarily) loosely identified with the historical Mohammed. The anonymity of the 'prophet' remained firmly embedded in the text, however, because the basal texts were at pains to depict the message as not being the product of a specific prophetic personality -- rather it was just a reminder, the eternal correct message. The prophet's own personality was irrelevant. Not much could be done to move away from that anonymity while still venerating the 'Arabic Qur'an.'

I read the 'hypocrites' as likely being the broad class of Arabic speakers who weren't entirely onboard with accepting this expanded jihadi edition of the Qur'anic texts via promulgation of 'new surahs' that were 'revealed' and implausibly claimed prophetic authority. To deal with such expected resistance, probably the later Qur'anic surahs represent a compromise between trying to look/feel like the archaic basal texts (in order to claim authenticity against the munafiqun), while now articulating a very different message. This is why they are very conservative and sort of jiggered together out of older pieces.

Last are the layers that reflect more developed dogma which reconciles the text of the Qur'an with the body of oral beliefs about a historical prophet named MHMD. At this point, MHMD as a historical figure was sort of crudely written into the Qur'an at a few specific points, reflecting the then-circulating traditions about him. This last layer was probably done about the 650-60 timeframe, in my present view. It probably reflects the historical MHMD about as well as the Apostle Paul's earliest letters reflect the historical Jesus.
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