The wisdom in describing them by their traits rather than identifying them by name is that the admonition then applies in general—to everyone who embodies those qualities. Allah says: “Among them are those who pledged to Allah, ‘If He grants us of His bounty, we will surely give in charity and be among the righteous.’ Yet when He did grant them of His bounty, they grew stingy, turned away, and withdrew in arrogance, so He planted hypocrisy in their hearts until the Day they will meet Him, because they broke their promise to Allah and because they were habitual liars” (Tawbah 9:75–77).

He also says: “And among them are those who find fault with you concerning the distribution of charity; if they are given some of it they are satisfied, but if they are not given anything they grow resentful” (Tawbah 9:58).

And He says: “Those who deride the believers who give freely in charity and those who can find nothing to give but their effort—Allah derides them in turn” (Tawbah 9:79).

Passages of this kind abound in Surah al-Tawbah, which some of the early generations dubbed al-Fāḍiḥah, “the Exposer,” because it laid bare the condition of the hypocrites.

Once revelation ceased, however, people no longer had a way to know who was a hypocrite, for hypocrisy, Allah forbid, resides in the heart. ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) therefore said: “Whoever displays goodness to us, we deal with him according to the goodness he has shown us, even if he is concealing something evil. And whoever displays evil, we deal with him according to the evil he has shown us, even if he is harboring a good intention.” We are only obligated to judge by what is outwardly apparent, and that is a mercy from Allah, for ruling on what lies hidden within the breast would be an unbearable burden—and Allah does not charge a soul beyond its capacity.