8 Preface يَقولونَ لَئِن رَجَعنا إِلَى المَدينَةِ لَيُخرِجَنَّ الأَعَزُّ مِنهَا الأَذَلَّ ۚ وَلِلَّهِ العِزَّةُ وَلِرَسولِهِ وَلِلمُؤمِنينَ وَلٰكِنَّ المُنافِقينَ لا يَعلَمونَYusuf AliThey say, “If we1 return to Medīna, surely the more honourable (element) will expel therefrom the meaner.” But honour belongs to God and His Messenger, and to the Believers; but the Hypocrites know not.Words of this import were spoken by 'Abd God Ibn Ubayy, the leader of the Medīna Hypocrites to or about the Exiles, in the course of the expedition against the Banū Mustaliq in the fourth or fifth year of the Hijrat. He had hopes of leadership which were disappointed by the coming to Medīna of a man far greater than he. So he arrogated to himself and his clique the title of “the more honourable (element)” and slightingly spoke of the Emigrants as the “meaner” element that had intruded from outside.