The Eleventh Evidence

The revelation of Allāh’s words: ﴿أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُمْ آمَنُوا بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ يُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَحَاكَمُوا إِلَى الطَّاغُوتِ وَقَد أُمِرُوا أَن يَكْفُرُوا بِهِ وَيُرِيدُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَن يُضِلَّهُم ضلالا بَعِيدًا﴾ “Have you not seen those who claim to have believed in what was revealed to you and what was revealed before you? They wish to refer to the judgment of Taghut, while they were commanded to reject it; and Satan wishes to lead them far astray” [An-Nisā': 60]. Ash-Sha’bi, may Allāh have mercy on him, said: «كان بين رجل من المنافقين ورجل من اليهود خصومة، فقال اليهودي: نتحاكم إلى محمد ﷺ، لأنه عرف أنه لا يأخذ الرشوة، وقال المنافق: نتحاكم إلى اليهود، لعلمه أنهم يأخذون الرشوة، فاتفقا أن يأتيا كاهناً في جهينة فيتحاكما إليه، فنزلت الآية» "There was a dispute between a man from the hypocrites and a man from the Jews. The Jew said, 'Let us refer our case to Muḥammad,' because he knew that Muḥammad did not accept bribes. However, the hypocrite said, 'Let us refer our case to the Jews,' because he knew they accepted bribes. They eventually agreed to go to a soothsayer from Juhaynah to settle their dispute. This Āyah was revealed concerning them ['Asbab An-Nuzūl' of Al-Wāḥidi, p. 119]. If someone says: Allāh labeled them as hypocrites because they sought judgment from a soothsayer. The response is twofold: 1. This narration is weak because Ash-Sha’bi, may Allāh have mercy on him, is a Tabi’ē (from the generation following the Companions), making the narration Mursal (a transmission with a missing link in the chain). 2. Even if the narration were authentic, the Āyah was revealed concerning a hypocrite. Exhibiting one trait of hypocrisy in a Muslim does not necessarily make them a major hypocrite (who exits the fold of Islam), unless there is other evidence indicating that the ruling of hypocrisy is solely due to this trait (seeking judgment from other than Allāh).