While we were sitting in a circle in ʿAbdullah's gathering, Hudhaifa came and stopped before us, and greeted us and then said, "People better than you became hypocrites." Al-Aswad said: I testify the uniqueness of Allah! Allah says: "Verily! The hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire." (4.145) On that ʿAbdullah smiled and Hudhaifa sat somewhere in the Mosque. ʿAbdullah then got up and his companions (sitting around him) dispersed. Hudhaifa then threw a pebble at me (to attract my attention). I went to him and he said, "I was surprised at ʿAbdullah's smile though he understood what I said. Verily, people better than you became hypocrite and then repented and Allah forgave them." (Using translation from Bukhārī 4602)   

كُنَّا جُلُوسًا فِي حَلْقَةٍ فِيهَا عَبْدُ اللهِ فَجَاءَ حُذَيْفَةُ حَتَّى قَامَ عَلَيْنَا فَسَلَّمَ ثُمَّ قَالَ «لَقَدْ أَنْزَلَ اللهُ النِّفَاقَ عَلَى قَوْمٍ كَانُوا خَيْرًا مِنْكُمْ» قَالَ الْأَسْوَدُ سُبْحَانَ اللهِ إِنَّ اللهَ ﷻ يَقُولُ {إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِي الدَّرْكِ الْأَسْفَلِ مِنَ النَّارِ} [النساء 145] فَتَبَسَّمَ عَبْدُ اللهِ وَانْطَلَقَ حُذَيْفَةُ حَتَّى جَلَسَ فِي نَاحِيَةِ الْمَسْجِدِ وَقَامَ عَبْدُ اللهِ وَتَفَرَّقَ أَصْحَابُهُ قَالَ فَرَمَانِي بِالْحَصَا فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَقَالَ حُذَيْفَةُ عَجِبْتُ مِنْ ضَحِكِهِ وَقَدْ عَرفَ مَا قُلْتُ أَجَلْ قَدْ أَنْزَلَ اللهُ ﷻ النِّفَاقَ عَلَى قَوْمٍ خَيْرٍ مِنْكُمْ ثُمَّ تَابُوا فَتَابَ اللهُ عَلَيْهِمْ