Moreover, He must test those who believe in the messengers, thereby distinguishing the truthful from the liars. As Allah, the Exalted, says:

“Do people think they will be left to say, ‘We believe,’ without being tested?”

“We certainly tested those before them, so Allah will surely know those who are truthful, and He will surely know the liars.”

Then He says:

“Or do those who commit evil deeds think they can escape Us? How badly they judge!”

When messengers are sent to people, each person falls into one of two categories: either someone who outwardly believes in them and must therefore be tested until the truthful can be distinguished from the liar; or someone who commits evil deeds and does not believe. Such a person cannot escape Allah; rather, He—glorified and exalted—is sure to seize him.

Thus, people fall into three categories in their response to the messengers: a believer inwardly and outwardly; a disbeliever who openly professes disbelief; and a hypocrite who outwardly professes faith while inwardly concealing disbelief. This division arose once the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, emigrated to Medina. At the beginning of Sūrat al-Baqarah, Allah, the Exalted, revealed four verses describing the believers, two verses describing the disbelievers, and ten-odd verses describing the hypocrites. But when he was in Mecca and the believers were oppressed, no one had any need