Al-Baqarah: (11-12) And when it is said to them...

This section discusses the second category of the hypocrites' reprehensible actions. The discussion involves four points:

1. Who is the speaker saying, "Do not spread corruption in the land"?
2. What is the meaning of "corruption in the land"?
3. Who is the speaker saying, "We are only reformers"?
4. What is the meaning of "reform"?

There are differing opinions on who says, "Do not spread corruption in the land":

• Some say it is Allah (SWT).
• Some say it is the Messenger (PBUH).
• Some say it is some of the believers.

All these possibilities are plausible. It cannot be someone who is not dedicated to religion and sincere advice.

The most likely scenario is that the speaker is someone who directly confronted them about their hypocrisy. Either:

1. The Messenger (PBUH) was informed of their hypocrisy but was not entirely certain, so he advised them. They responded by affirming their faith, claiming to be as righteous as other believers.
2. Some individuals to whom the hypocrites expressed their corruption would not accept it and instead became admonishers, telling them, "Do not spread corruption."

If it is asked: Did they not report this to the Messenger (PBUH)? The answer is yes. However, when confronted, the hypocrites would revert to displaying Islam and remorse, swearing falsely to deny those who reported them, just as Allah described them: "They swear by Allah that they have not said [the word of disbelief], but they have certainly spoken the word of disbelief" (At-Tawbah: 74), and "They swear to you so that you will be pleased with them" (At-Tawbah: 96).

Corruption (Fasad) is when something departs from its state of being beneficial. Its opposite is reform (Salah).

The phrase "corruption in the land" implies an additional meaning, for which there are three views:

1. View of Ibn Abbas, Al-Hasan, Qatadah, and As-Suddi: Corruption in the land means publicly displaying disobedience to Allah.
   • Al-Qaffal (may Allah have mercy on him) explained this: Displaying disobedience to Allah is corruption because divine laws (Shara'i') are established norms among people. When people adhere to them, aggression ceases, everyone stays within their bounds, blood is preserved, and strife is calmed, leading to the reform of the land and its people. If they abandon adherence to the laws and everyone acts on their whims, chaos, disorder, and turmoil ensue. This is why Allah says: "Then is it to be expected of you, if you turned away, [that] you would spread corruption in the land?" (Muhammad: 22), warning them that if they turn away from obedience, they will only achieve corruption in the land.

2. Second View: This corruption refers to the hypocrites' appeasement and association with the disbelievers. Because they leaned toward disbelief while outwardly claiming faith, they gave the disbelievers the impression that the Messenger (PBUH) and his supporters were weak. This emboldened the disbelievers to openly show enmity toward the Prophet, wage war against him, and become hopeful of victory, which is a great corruption in the land.

3. Third View (Al-Asamm): They were secretly calling for denying the Prophet (PBUH), rejecting Islam, and sowing doubts.

The ones who said, "We are only reformers," are the hypocrites. It is most likely that their statement is the opposite of what they were forbidden from doing. Since they were forbidden from spreading corruption in the land, their statement, "We are only reformers," counters that prohibition.

This leads to two possibilities regarding their intent:

1. They genuinely believed their religion (i.e., their hidden doctrine) was correct, and their efforts were aimed at strengthening that doctrine. Thus, they said, "We are only reformers," because, in their belief, they were striving only to purify the face of the earth from corruption.
2. If we interpret "Do not spread corruption" as the hypocrites' appeasement of the disbelievers, then their statement, "We are only reformers," means this appeasement is an effort toward reconciliation between the Muslims and the disbelievers. This is supported by Allah recounting their words: "We intended nothing but good and reconciliation" (An-Nisa: 62). Therefore, their statement, "We are only reformers," means, "We are setting our own affairs right."

Conclusion on Rulings:

The scholars derived from this verse that whoever outwardly displays faith must be treated according to the rulings of the believers. Allowing for the possibility of hidden disbelief does not invalidate this principle. Furthermore, the repentance of a secret disbeliever (Zindiq) is accepted. And Allah knows best.

This statement is based on three grounds:

1. They are corrupters because disbelief (Kufr) is corruption in the land, as it involves ingratitude for Allah's blessings and everyone acting on their whims. If one does not believe in a God, nor hope for reward or fear punishment, people will descend into chaos. Thus, hypocrisy is established as corruption, which is why Allah said, "Then is it to be expected of you, if you turned away, [that] you would spread corruption in the land?" as previously established.

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