Page 223 - The Profound Darkness of the Hypocrite

A D N A N O K TA R ( H A R U N Y A H Y A )

In those times, hypocrites were also inclined to steal the properties and pos-
sessions of Muslims who were close to our Prophet (pbuh). Tu'mah ibn Ubairiq is
one of the most known hypocrites in this regard. The accounts tell us that some of
the verses of Surat an-Nisa' were revealed upon the thefts he committed and the
commentators explained the mentioned verses as follows:

We have sent down the Book to you with the truth so that you can judge between
people according to what God has shown to you. But do not be an advocate for the
treacherous. And ask God's forgiveness. God is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Do not
argue on behalf of those who betray themselves. God does not love any evildoing
traitors. (Surat an-Nisa', 105-107)
"The commentators are in accord on the point that most of these verses are revealed about
Tu'mah ibn Ubairiq". But there are various stories concerning the incident:

First: Tu'mah stole a coat of mail, when they wanted him to return it, he imputed the theft

to a Jew.
Second: A coat of mail was entrusted to him without a witness and when they wanted him
to return it, he denied it.
Third: When they wanted him to return it, he claimed that the Jew stole it…
The summary of the narrations that the majority of commentators preferred is as follows:
One night, someone named Tu'mah ibn Ubairiq of the Banu Zafar tribe of the Ansar [the people
from Medina who helped immigrated Muslims] stole a coat of mail within a sack of flour from
his neighbor Qatada ibn al-Numan. He carried it while flour was pouring down from the side of

the sack and hid it with a Jew named Zayd ibn al-Samin. Tu'mah was searched, but the coat was
not found; afterwards, he swore that he did not take it and did not know about it and they let go
of him. They followed the traces of flour and reached the Jew's house and found the sack of
flour. The Jew said that Tu'mah brought and left it there and other Jews stood witness to that.
The Banu Zafar went to the Prophet (pbuh) and they bore witness that Tu'mah was innocent
and that the Jew was a thief and they pleaded him to defend Tu'mah and struggle with the Jews
for the sake of Muslims. So our Prophet (pbuh) wanted to do this depending on their testimony
and the oath of Tu'mah, who was seemingly a Muslim. Upon this, God revealed these verses and

showed the true path to our Prophet (pbuh) by informing him directly about who the treacherous

one and the righteous one was and preserved him from making a mistake. In the face of this,

Tu'mah fled to Mecca and abandoned religion instead of submitting to God and repenting. First

he took shelter beside a woman named Sulafa ibn Sa'd. Then he went to a person named Hajjaj

ibn Allat of the Banu Salim tribe where he was expelled after committing theft there as well.

Later on, while he was drilling into a wall of a house for theft, the wall collapsed and he got stuck

under the collapsed wall. According to one account, he did not die in this incident, but was
taken out of Mecca. He then joined an Arabian merchant convoy, stole from them as well and
ran away but was then captured and was tragically beaten to death. (Elmalılı M. Hamdi Yazır,
Hak Dini Kur'an Dili [The True Religion, the Language of the Qur'an], vol.3 p.75-81)

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