The Words of ʿAbdullāh ibn Ubayy

Now the news reaches ʿAbdullāh ibn Ubayy, the head of al-munāfiqūn, and he said, "Did they really cause this? They challenge us and outnumber us in our own lands. I swear by Allah, the old maxim well applies to us and these Quraysh ruffians: 'Fatten your dog and it will eat you.'" ʿAbdullāh ibn Ubayy is saying: we brought in these Muhājirūn into our land — and look at what he said about them — it's like we fatten them and then they eat us. And he's using this maxim, "Fatten your dog and it will eat you." "I swear, when we return to Madīnah, the stronger will drive out the weaker." And in Arabic it is al-aʿazz, the more honourable or the stronger — both are correct translations of the word aʿazz: the stronger, or the more honourable, will drive out the weaker, or the humble. "See what you have done to yourselves. You let them settle among you and shared your property with them. I swear, if you had kept what you owned from them, they would have gone somewhere else." This nifāq is coming out of his mouth.

A young Companion — his name is Zayd ibn Arqam — heard what ʿAbdullāh ibn Ubayy said, so he goes and conveys the news to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Some men from the Anṣār who were present told the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), "Perhaps the lad mistook what was said, or didn't memorise it correctly." So they were defending ʿAbdullāh ibn Ubayy; they said probably this young boy didn't hear it right. ʿUmar said, "Let me go and execute this munāfiq." Now, ʿUmar doesn't play around: "Let me go and execute him." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "How would it be, ʿUmar, to have people say that Muḥammad kills his own companions? No; give orders to leave instead." The refusal is also in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī (4905): "Leave him, lest the people say that Muḥammad kills his companions." There is ḥikmah to learn from this statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and it is returned to below.

Usayd ibn Ḥuḍayr (may Allah be pleased with him), one of the Anṣār — he is from the people of ʿAbdullāh ibn Ubayy^** — the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) told him, "Didn't you hear what your friend said?" He said, "Which friend?" He said, "ʿAbdullāh ibn Ubayy." "What did he say?" The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) told him what he said. Usayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Well, I swear by Allah, Messenger of Allah, you will drive him out if you wish. He is certainly the weak one and you are the strong." And then he said, "Be kind to him, O Messenger of Allah. I swear, Allah brought you to us while his people were stringing pearls with which to make a crown for him, and so he considers that you have robbed him of his kingdom."

And this is the problem with the people of authority and the people who have money: when they feel that Islam would threaten their authority or their wealth, they become munāfiqīn. So it's very important for anybody who is in such a situation to be careful, and not fall into the traps of nifāq. ʿAbdullāh ibn Ubayy became a munāfiq because he felt that his authority was threatened, because he felt that Islam robbed him of something.