They are deceiving themselves [2:9]

Qur’an:

“They try to deceive God and those who believe. But (ultimately) they only deceive themselves and they do not realize it.” [Al-Baqarah 2:9]

يخادعون الله والذين آمنوا وما يخدعون إلا أنفسهم وما يشعرون

Hadith:

Hasan Al-Askari (a.) reported that Imam Al-Kazim (a.) said: “When the Prophet Muhammad (s.) was approached by the talk and comments of the people about Ali (a.) and their evil plans against him, he called them to him and rebuked them, whereupon they tried to swear the oaths. The first of them said: “O Messenger of Allah, there is nothing like this oath of allegiance (in Ghadir Khumm) that has occupied me, and I put my hope that Allah will grant me access to the gardens of Paradise and make me the best inhabitant and inmate therein.” The second of them said: “My father and mother be sacrificed to you, O Messenger of God, I have no certainty of entering paradise and being saved from the fire except by this oath of allegiance. By God, I would have no joy in not keeping it or breaking it after receiving what was granted to me, even if i owned pearls and shining jewels to the extent of the distance between the earth and the throne.” The third of them said: “By God, O Messenger of God, I turned to the good pleasure of God out of joy over this oath of allegiance and out of happiness and opening of hopes. I am convinced that if i had the sins of all the inhabitants of the earth, they would have been forgiven by this oath of allegiance.” He then swore an oath because of what he said about it and cursed the one who told the Prophet Muhammad (s.) the opposite of what he swore about. Then they emulated those of the aggressors and apostates with this excuse. For this reason, God said to Muhammad:”They are trying to deceive God.” (2:9) Which means that they are trying to deceive the Messenger (s.) by pretending the opposite of what is in their hearts: “And those who believe.” Also those whose master and most virtuous is Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.)” After that, God says: “But in the end, they only deceive themselves.” Through this deception they harm no one but themselves, for God is not in need of them and does not depend on their help. Were it not for His delay, they would have no power over their transgressions and their tyranny: “And they do not know.” (2:9) That this is exactly the case, and that God informed His prophet (s.) of their hypocrisy and their dishonesty and their disbelief, and commanded him to cast the curse on them in cursing the oathbreaking oppressors, and this curse will not be separated from them. The chosen servants of God will curse them and in the hereafter they will taste the most severe punishment of God.” [Bihar-ul-Anwar of Al-Majlisi, Volume 37 Page 143 – 144 Hadith 36]

عن محمد بن محمد عن الحسن العسكري عليه السلام عن موسى الكاظم عليه السلام قال: فاتصل ذلك من مواطأتهم وقيلهم في علي عليه السلام وسوء تدبيرهم عليه برسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله، فدعاهم وعاتبهم فاجتهدوا في الايمان وقال أولهم: يا رسول الله ما اعتددت بشئ كاعتدادي بهذه البيعة (في غدير خم) ولقد رجوت أن يفسح الله بها لي في الجنان ويجعلني فيها من أفضل النزال والسكان، وقال ثانيهم بأبي أنت وأمي يا رسول الله ما وثقت بدخول الجنة والنجاة من النار إلا بهذه البيعة، والله ما يسرني إن نقضتها أو نكثت بعد ما أعطيت من نفسي ما أعطيت وإن كان لي طلاع ما بين الثرى إلى العرش لآلي رطبة وجواهر فاخرة، وقال ثالثهم: والله يا رسول الله لقد صرت من الفرح بهذه البيعة من السرور والفتح من الآمال في رضوان الله ما أيقنت أنه لو كانت علي ذنوب أهل الأرض كلها لمحصت عني بهذه البيعة، وحلف على ما قال من ذلك، ولعن من بلغ عنه رسول الله خلاف ما حلف عليه، ثم تتابع بهذا الاعتذار من بعدهم من الجبابرة والمتمردين، فقال الله عز وجل لمحمد: يخادعون الله يعني يخادعون رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله بإبدائهم خلاف ما في جوانحهم والذين آمنوا كذلك أيضا الذين سيدهم وفاضلهم علي بن أبي طالب عليه السلام ثم قال: وما يخدعون إلا أنفسهم وما يضرون بتلك الخديعة إلا أنفسهم، فالله غني عنهم وعن نصرتهم، ولولا إمهاله لما قدروا على شئ من فجورهم وطغيانهم وما يشعرون أن الامر كذلك، وأن الله يطلع نبيه على نفاقهم وكذبهم وكفرهم، ويأمره بلعنهم في لعنة الظالمين الناكثين، وذلك اللعن لا يفارقهم، في الدنيا يلعنهم خيار عباد الله، وفي الآخرة يبتلون بشدائد عذاب الله

Ali Ibn Suwaid reported that Imam Al-Kazim (a.) said: “You questioned me about the two men (Abu Bakr and Umar). Both snatched from a man his possessions, which he gave to the poor and needy and travelers on the path of God. When they had both snatched it from him, they were not satisfied with their dispossession until they forced him to take it to their homes, and they continued the matter until they had squandered it in the highest degree. How much have they thereby increased in disbelief? By my life, the two of them had already fallen into hypocrisy before, and they were hostile to the Word of God, and they mocked His Messenger (s.). Both are disbelievers, God, the angels and every man curse them! By God, nothing of belief penetrated into their hearts. They were deceivers, doubters and hypocrites until they cast away the angels of punishment to the place of shame, the place of the abode.” Muhammad Baqir Al-Majlisi writes:“Very authentic (Sahih).” [Al-Kafi of Al-Kulaini, volume 8 page 125 Hadith 95; Mir’at-ul-Uqul of Al-Majlisi, volume 25 page 295]

عدة من أصحابنا، عن سهل بن زياد، عن إسماعيل بن مهران، عن محمد بن منصور الخزاعي، عن علي بن سويد، ومحمد بن يحيى، عن محمد بن الحسين عن محمد بن إسماعيل بن بزيع، عن عمه حمزة بن بزيع، عن علي بن سويد، والحسن بن محمد، عن محمد بن أحمد النهدي، عن إسماعيل بن مهران، عن محمد بن منصور، عن علي بن سويد قال: قال الإمام موسى الكاظم عليه السلام: وسألت عن رجلين (أبي بكر وعمر) اغتصبا رجلا مالا كان ينفقه على الفقراء والمساكين وأبناء السبيل وفي سبيل الله فلما اغتصباه ذلك لم يرضيا حيث غصباه حتى حملاه إياه كرها فوق رقبته إلى منازلهما فلما أحرزاه توليا إنفاقه أيبلغان بذلك كفرا؟ فلعمري لقد نافقا قبل ذلك وردا على الله عز وجل كلامه وهزئا برسوله صلى الله عليه وآله وهما الكافران عليهما لعنة الله والملائكة والناس أجمعين والله ما دخل قلب أحد منهما شئ من الايمان منذ خروجهما من حالتيها وما ازدادا إلا شكا، كانا خداعين، مرتابين، منافقين حتى توفتهما ملائكة العذاب إلى محل الخزي في دار المقام وقال محمد باقر المجلسي: في قوة الصحيح