An Important Prophetic Lesson on Dealing with Hypocrisy in the Battle of the Trench

In the Battle of the Trench, the hypocrites spoke words of disbelief. Allah the Almighty said: ((And when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease said, 'What Allah and His Messenger promised us is not but delusion.')). These people were a danger to the Islamic society, abandoning the people in standing firm with the Prophet at the Trench: ((And when a party of them said, 'O people of Yathrib, there is no place for you, so return.')). And they lied to the Prophet to escape confrontation: ((And a party of them ask permission of the Prophet, saying, 'Indeed, our houses are exposed,' and they were not exposed. They intended nothing but [to] flee.)) These were projects of open apostasy: ((If they were entered upon from their [city's] sides, they would be put to flight. And they would not tarry over you except a little.)) meaning if the disbelievers entered upon them from every direction and asked them to disbelieve, they would disbelieve out of the slightest fear, nothing preventing them from that would be faith or honor. These are the hypocrites. Despite that, did the Prophet preoccupy himself with them and try to prove their statement (What Allah and His Messenger promised us is not but delusion) legally, which would necessitate the punishment of apostasy if they did not repent? Did he confront them and leave the more dangerous enemy threatening the city? Did he test them in their faith? No, but he faced the greater danger, protected the homes of the Muslims and their honor, and this great role of the Prophet became apparent to the people, so they rallied around him and were pleased with his leadership while these hypocrites fell from view and their phenomenon died a slow death without the need for military confrontation. Imagine with me, brothers, if the polytheists on the other side of the Trench saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) confronting the hypocrites and fighting them (lest their evil spread) and (to rid the society of their harm) and (to purify the Muslim ranks of them) and (because they are a project of apostasy)... Would anything have been more beloved to the polytheists at that time than to arm the hypocrites to carry out the task on their behalf? And would the Islamic ranks have remained united around the Prophet (peace be upon him), or would some have been tempted and sided with their relatives among the hypocrites out of tribalism and partisanship? The Messenger of Allah teaches us that evil is to be avoided and not tested, and that diverting effort from the duty of the time (repelling the advancing enemy) is not from the purity of the methodology and the application of the Sharia in any way. And let us remember that in this very Surah, Allah the Almighty said: ((Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example to follow for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often)). Note: I will not enter here into a discussion of the incidents and the conflicting reports, but the intention is to outline a general methodology. And this speech is not an admission at all of the accusation of some against those we consider better than them with the Salafi approach! For more: Follow the word (If they are like Ibn Sallul, then be to them like the Messenger): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq9tdFupO0c and the word (What do you mean by the Sahwah!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BF8LHWrAm8s which I know refutes most of those who disagree with what is in this publication.