simply do not know him.

It is also related that ʿUmar said, “Perhaps all you have ever seen him do is bow a few rakʿahs in the mosque.” A hypocrite can put on a show of prayer, and unless one has dealt with him in person, he will never discern what is concealed within. As it is said:

A wolf you spy in prayer—
if you pass by, you find him bowed;
He lifts his hands in supplication,
yet most of what he asks is that the prey not slip away.
But let the quarry come into view,
and his piety and scrupulousness disappear.

Given this, the heart of the one whom Allah informed and chose for prophethood is among the very best of hearts in truthfulness and righteousness. By contrast, whoever fabricates lies about Allah owns a heart that is among the worst in falsehood and debauchery. As ʿAbd Allah b. Masʿūd said:

“Allah looked into the hearts of His servants and found the heart of Muhammad to be the finest of all, so He selected him for His message. He then looked into the hearts of the servants after the heart of Muhammad and found the hearts of his Companions to be the best of hearts…”