the speech of the Arabs and of all other peoples, because the intended meaning is understood. For example, hypocrites may be counted among the believers in one passage, while in another it is said that they are not of their number. Allah Most High says:

“Allah certainly knows those among you who hinder others and those who say to their brothers, ‘Come to us,’ and who hardly ever join the fighting.”

“Begrudging you their help, when fear comes, you see them looking at you, their eyes rolling like someone overcome by the throes of death. But when fear departs, they lash you with sharp tongues, greedy for good things. Those have not believed, so Allah has rendered their deeds worthless, and that is easy for Allah.”

Here He counted these hypocrites among the believers, though they feared the enemy, shrank from fighting, discouraged others, and disparaged the believers. Yet in another verse He says:

“They swear by Allah that they are of you, but they are not of you; rather, they are a people who are afraid.”

“If they could find a refuge, caves, or somewhere to slip into, they would turn to it, rushing headlong.”

The sin of these latter people is less grave, for they did not harm the believers either by discouraging them or by lashing them with sharp tongues. Rather, they swore by Allah that they were believers inwardly, in their hearts; the believers already knew that outwardly they were of their number. So Allah declared their claim false and said:

“But they are not of you.”

In the other passage, however, He said:

“Allah certainly knows those among you who hinder others.”

Thus, the address encompasses someone who is outwardly a Muslim and a believer without actually being a believer: among you are people of this description who do not believe, and whose deeds Allah has instead rendered worthless. Such a person is of your number outwardly, but not inwardly.

For this reason, when the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked for permission to kill some of the hypocrites, he said:

“People must not say that Muhammad kills his Companions.”

For outwardly they were counted among his Companions by those who did not know the true state of affairs. Yet among his Companions who truly were his Companions there was no hypocrisy