"Instead of showing love to Muslims, a hypocrite befriends the kuffar." Chameleon continued. Then he said, "Allah says,
Allah also says,اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا ثُمَّ کَفَرُوۡا ثُمَّ اٰمَنُوۡا ثُمَّ کَفَرُوۡا ثُمَّ ازۡدَادُوۡا کُفۡرًا لَّمۡ یَکُنِ اللّٰہُ لِیَغۡفِرَ لَہُمۡ وَ لَا لِیَہۡدِیَہُمۡ سَبِیۡلً"Indeed, those who have believed then disbelieved, then believed, then disbelieved, and then increased in disbelief - never will Allah forgive them, nor will He guide them to a way." ― (QS. 4:137)
بَشِّرِ الۡمُنٰفِقِیۡنَ بِاَنَّ لَہُمۡ عَذَابًا اَلِیۡمَۨا"Give tidings to the hypocrites that there is for them a painful punishment." ― (QS. 4:138)
These verses show how the hypocrite behaves. He inclines towards the kuffar. But, only a Muslim looks at Islam and faith which ensure success both in this world and the hereafter instead of merely temporal profit which is what the western way of life advocates.یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا لَا تَتَّخِذُوۡا بِطَانَۃً مِّنۡ دُوۡنِکُمۡ لَا یَاۡلُوۡنَکُمۡ خَبَالًا ؕ وَدُّوۡا مَا عَنِتُّمۡ ۚ قَدۡ بَدَتِ الۡبَغۡضَآءُ مِنۡ اَفۡوَاہِہِمۡ ۚۖ وَ مَا تُخۡفِیۡ صُدُوۡرُہُمۡ اَکۡبَرُ ؕ قَدۡ بَیَّنَّا لَکُمُ الۡاٰیٰتِ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ تَعۡقِلُوۡنَ"O you who have believed, do not take as intimates those other than yourselves, for they will not spare you [any] ruin. They wish you would have hardship. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, and what their breasts conceal is greater. We have certainly made clear to you the signs, if you will use reason." ― (QS. 3:118)
ہٰۤاَنۡتُمۡ اُولَآءِ تُحِبُّوۡنَہُمۡ وَ لَا یُحِبُّوۡنَکُمۡ وَ تُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِالۡکِتٰبِ کُلِّہٖ ۚ وَ اِذَا لَقُوۡکُمۡ قَالُوۡۤا اٰمَنَّا ۚ٭ۖ وَ اِذَا خَلَوۡا عَضُّوۡا عَلَیۡکُمُ الۡاَنَامِلَ مِنَ الۡغَیۡظِ ؕ قُلۡ مُوۡتُوۡا بِغَیۡظِکُمۡ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ عَلِیۡمٌۢ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُوۡرِ"Here you are loving them but they are not loving you, while you believe in the Scripture - all of it. And when they meet you, they say, 'We believe.' But when they are alone, they bite their fingertips at you in rage. Say, 'Die in your rage. Indeed, Allah is Knowing of that within the breasts.'" ― (QS. 3:119)
Muslims are brothers one of the other. They are like a body, and they love each other, and they live according to the Islamic culture. Allah says,
Narrated An-Nu`man bin Bashir that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said,وَ الۡمُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ وَ الۡمُؤۡمِنٰتُ بَعۡضُہُمۡ اَوۡلِیَآءُ بَعۡضٍ ۘ یَاۡمُرُوۡنَ بِالۡمَعۡرُوۡفِ وَ یَنۡہَوۡنَ عَنِ الۡمُنۡکَرِ وَ یُقِیۡمُوۡنَ الصَّلٰوۃَ وَ یُؤۡتُوۡنَ الزَّکٰوۃَ وَ یُطِیۡعُوۡنَ اللّٰہَ وَ رَسُوۡلَہٗ ؕ اُولٰٓئِکَ سَیَرۡحَمُہُمُ اللّٰہُ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ عَزِیۡزٌ حَکِیۡمٌ"The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Those - Allah will have mercy upon them. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise." ― (QS. 9:71)
If anyone aids in promoting disbelief, then his conduct is both hypocrisy and disbelief. If the kuffar hurt the Muslims because of someone's help, then he will be executed. Allah says,تَرَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي تَرَاحُمِهِمْ وَتَوَادِّهِمْ وَتَعَاطُفِهِمْ كَمَثَلِ الْجَسَدِ إِذَا اشْتَكَى عُضْوًا تَدَاعَى لَهُ سَائِرُ جَسَدِهِ بِالسَّهَرِ وَالْحُمَّى"You see the believers as regards their being merciful among themselves and showing love among themselves and being kind, resembling one body, so that, if any part of the body is not well then the whole body shares the sleeplessness (insomnia) and fever with it." [Sahih al-Bukhari, 6011]
وَدُّوۡا لَوۡ تَکۡفُرُوۡنَ کَمَا کَفَرُوۡا فَتَکُوۡنُوۡنَ سَوَآءً فَلَا تَتَّخِذُوۡا مِنۡہُمۡ اَوۡلِیَآءَ حَتّٰی یُہَاجِرُوۡا فِیۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللّٰہِ ؕ فَاِنۡ تَوَلَّوۡا فَخُذُوۡہُمۡ وَ اقۡتُلُوۡہُمۡ حَیۡثُ وَجَدۡتُّمُوۡہُمۡ ۪ وَ لَا تَتَّخِذُوۡا مِنۡہُمۡ وَلِیًّا وَّ لَا نَصِیۡرًاHe who does not obey Allah and supports them will be counted among them and he will die as a disbeliever. Narrated Muhammad bin `Abdur-Rahman Abu Al-Aswad,
"They wish you would disbelieve as they disbelieved so you would be alike. So do not take from among them allies until they emigrate for the cause of Allah . But if they turn away, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them and take not from among them any ally or helper." ― (QS. 4:89)
The hypocrites also bore malice to the Sahabah. Narrated Al-Bara that the Prophet (ﷺ) said,قُطِعَ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ بَعْثٌ فَاكْتُتِبْتُ فِيهِ، فَلَقِيتُ عِكْرِمَةَ مَوْلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ، فَنَهَانِي عَنْ ذَلِكَ أَشَدَّ النَّهْىِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ أَنَّ نَاسًا مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ كَانُوا مَعَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ يُكَثِّرُونَ سَوَادَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَأْتِي السَّهْمُ فَيُرْمَى بِهِ، فَيُصِيبُ أَحَدَهُمْ فَيَقْتُلُهُ أَوْ يُضْرَبُ فَيُقْتَلُ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ {إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ ظَالِمِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ} الآيَةَThe people of Medina were forced to prepare an army (to fight against the people of Sham during the caliphate of `Abdullah bin Az-Zubair at Mecca), and I was enlisted in it; Then I met `Ikrima, the freed slave of Ibn `Abbas, and informed him (about it), and he forbade me strongly to do so (i.e. to enlist in that army), and then said, "Ibn `Abbas informed me that some Muslim people were with the pagans, increasing the number of the pagans against Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). An arrow used to be shot which would hit one of them (the Muslims in the company of the pagans) and kill him, or he would be struck and killed (with a sword)." Then Allah revealed, "Verily! as for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves (by staying among the disbelievers)" (4.97)
Narrated Anas bin Malik that the Prophet (ﷺ) said,الأَنْصَارُ لاَ يُحِبُّهُمْ إِلاَّ مُؤْمِنٌ، وَلاَ يُبْغِضُهُمْ إِلاَّ مُنَافِقٌ، فَمَنْ أَحَبَّهُمْ أَحَبَّهُ اللَّهُ، وَمَنْ أَبْغَضَهُمْ أَبْغَضَهُ اللَّهُ"None loves the Ansar but a believer, and none hates them but a hypocrite. So Allah will love him who loves them, and He will hate him who hates them." [HR Al-Bukhari, 3783]
To love all the Sahabah is the sign of faith, and to bear malice to any one of them for any reason, is a sign of hypocrisy. Umm Al-Mukmineen, Aisha, radhiyallahu 'anhu, narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) said,آيَةُ الإِيمَانِ حُبُّ الأَنْصَارِ، وَآيَةُ النِّفَاقِ بُغْضُ الأَنْصَارِ"The sign of Belief is to love the Ansar, and the sign of hypocrisy is to hate the Ansar." [HR Al-Bukhari, 3784]
The hypocrites rejoice when the Muslims face a difficulty, but if the Muslims gain some good, they are depressed and feel jealous. They hope for the blessing to be with drawn from the Muslims. Allah says,يَا عُثْمَانُ إِنَّهُ لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ يُقَمِّصُكَ قَمِيصًا فَإِنْ أَرَادُوكَ عَلَى خَلْعِهِ فَلاَ تَخْلَعْهُ لَهُمْ"O 'Uthman! Indeed Allah may give you a shirt, and if they wish that you take it off, do not take it off for them." [HR Jami' at-Tirmidhi; Sahih]
A Muslim sympathises with his Muslim brother when he is in distress or difficulty. He exhorts him to exercise patience. Whenever, the Prophet (ﷺ) visited anyone to condole with him, he (ﷺ) would pray,اِنۡ تَمۡسَسۡکُمۡ حَسَنَۃٌ تَسُؤۡہُمۡ ۫ وَ اِنۡ تُصِبۡکُمۡ سَیِّئَۃٌ یَّفۡرَحُوۡا بِہَا ؕ وَ اِنۡ تَصۡبِرُوۡا وَ تَتَّقُوۡا لَا یَضُرُّکُمۡ کَیۡدُہُمۡ شَیۡـًٔا ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ بِمَا یَعۡمَلُوۡنَ مُحِیۡطٌ"If good touches you, it distresses them; but if harm strikes you, they rejoice at it. And if you are patient and fear Allah, their plot will not harm you at all. Indeed, Allah is encompassing of what they do." ― (QS. 3:120)
If, in His wisdom, Allah tries the Muslims with an affliction and spares the hypocrites, they boast that they had known the sequence of events and were prepared for it. They will pretend to sympathise, but will rejoice inwardly. They are the hypocrites.إِنَّ لِلَّهِ مَا أَخَذَ وَلَهُ مَا أَعْطَى وَكُلٌّ عِنْدَهُ بِأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى، فَلْتَصْبِرْ وَلْتَحْتَسِبْ"Whatever Allah takes is for Him and whatever He gives, is for Him, and everything with Him has a limited fixed term (in this world) and so she should be patient and hope for Allah's reward." [HR Al-Bukhari, 1284]
Allah says,
If anyone faces some hardship because of abiding by the Islamic teachings then the hypocrites attribute that to Allah's punishment. Rather, this is a trial and it sifts the genuine from the fake. Allah says,وَ اِنَّ مِنۡکُمۡ لَمَنۡ لَّیُبَطِّئَنَّ ۚ فَاِنۡ اَصَابَتۡکُمۡ مُّصِیۡبَۃٌ قَالَ قَدۡ اَنۡعَمَ اللّٰہُ عَلَیَّ اِذۡ لَمۡ اَکُنۡ مَّعَہُمۡ شَہِیۡدًا"And indeed, there is among you he who lingers behind; and if disaster strikes you, he says, 'Allah has favored me in that I was not present with them.'" ― (QS. 4:72)
وَ لَئِنۡ اَصَابَکُمۡ فَضۡلٌ مِّنَ اللّٰہِ لَیَقُوۡلَنَّ کَاَنۡ لَّمۡ تَکُنۡۢ بَیۡنَکُمۡ وَ بَیۡنَہٗ مَوَدَّۃٌ یّٰلَیۡتَنِیۡ کُنۡتُ مَعَہُمۡ فَاَفُوۡزَ فَوۡزًا عَظِیۡمً"But if bounty comes to you from Allah, he will surely say, as if there had never been between you and him any affection. 'Oh, I wish I had been with them so I could have attained a great attainment.'" ― (QS. 4:73)
It is also the characteristic of the hypocrites that they will hasten to join the Muslims to receive a share in the booty that the Muslims acquire.وَ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَنۡ یَّقُوۡلُ اٰمَنَّا بِاللّٰہِ فَاِذَاۤ اُوۡذِیَ فِی اللّٰہِ جَعَلَ فِتۡنَۃَ النَّاسِ کَعَذَابِ اللّٰہِ ؕ وَ لَئِنۡ جَآءَ نَصۡرٌ مِّنۡ رَّبِّکَ لَیَقُوۡلُنَّ اِنَّا کُنَّا مَعَکُمۡ ؕ اَوَ لَیۡسَ اللّٰہُ بِاَعۡلَمَ بِمَا فِیۡ صُدُوۡرِ الۡعٰلَمِیۡنَ"And of the people are some who say, 'We believe in Allah,' but when one [of them] is harmed for [the cause of] Allah, they consider the trial of the people as [if it were] the punishment of Allah . But if victory comes from your Lord, they say, 'Indeed, We were with you.' Is not Allah most knowing of what is within the breasts of all creatures?" ― (QS. 29:10)
وَ لَیَعۡلَمَنَّ اللّٰہُ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ لَیَعۡلَمَنَّ الۡمُنٰفِقِیۡنَ"And Allah will surely make evident those who believe, and He will surely make evident the hypocrites." ― (QS. 29:11)
سَیَقُوۡلُ الۡمُخَلَّفُوۡنَ اِذَا انۡطَلَقۡتُمۡ اِلٰی مَغَانِمَ لِتَاۡخُذُوۡہَا ذَرُوۡنَا نَتَّبِعۡکُمۡ ۚ یُرِیۡدُوۡنَ اَنۡ یُّبَدِّلُوۡا کَلٰمَ اللّٰہِ ؕ قُلۡ لَّنۡ تَتَّبِعُوۡنَا کَذٰلِکُمۡ قَالَ اللّٰہُ مِنۡ قَبۡلُ ۚ فَسَیَقُوۡلُوۡنَ بَلۡ تَحۡسُدُوۡنَنَا ؕ بَلۡ کَانُوۡا لَا یَفۡقَہُوۡنَ اِلَّا قَلِیۡلً"Those who remained behind will say when you set out toward the war booty to take it, "Let us follow you." They wish to change the words of Allah . Say, "Never will you follow us. Thus did Allah say before." So they will say, "Rather, you envy us." But [in fact] they were not understanding except a little." ― (QS. 48:15)
A hypocrite will change sides between Muslims and non-Muslims according to where his advantage lies, and which side faces a difficulty.O my brothers and sisters, a hypocrite is deprived of religious knowledge and understanding though he may have mastered worldly knowledge. Allah says,
An understanding of religion is a great blessing of Allah. Muawiya narrated that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said,یَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ظَاہِرًا مِّنَ الۡحَیٰوۃِ الدُّنۡیَا ۚۖ وَ ہُمۡ عَنِ الۡاٰخِرَۃِ ہُمۡ غٰفِلُوۡنَ"They know what is apparent of the worldly life, but they, of the Hereafter, are unaware." ― (QS. 30:7)
A hypocrite is unaware of religious knowledge. He may be proficient in worldly sciences and may even try to acquire them, but he lacks proficiency in religious sciences. The hypocrites cite the Hadith that ’it is fard on every Muslim to acquire knowledge’ to gain worldly sciences, conveniently ignoring its meaning to gain Divine awareness, knowledge of the Qur'an and Sunnah. While it is not disallowed to acquire worldly sciences yet it is meaningless to acquire them without religious knowledge. Knowledge of religion is a means of success in the hereafter. There fore it must be sought first.مَنْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ بِهِ خَيْرًا يُفَقِّهْهُ فِي الدِّينِ، وَإِنَّمَا أَنَا قَاسِمٌ وَاللَّهُ يُعْطِي، وَلَنْ تَزَالَ هَذِهِ الأُمَّةُ قَائِمَةً عَلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِ لاَ يَضُرُّهُمْ مَنْ خَالَفَهُمْ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ"If Allah wants to do good to a person, He makes him comprehend the religion. I am just a distributor, but the grant is from Allah. (And remember) that this nation (true Muslims) will keep on following Allah's teachings strictly and they will not be harmed by any one going on a different path till Allah's order (Day of Judgment) is established." [HR Al-Bukhari, 71]
O my brothers and sisters, it is part of faith to believe in predestination or the decree whether of good or bad. When Jibreel, alayhissalam, came to the Prophet (ﷺ) in human form and asked some questions, he also asked, "Now, tell me about faith." He (ﷺ) said, "That you believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messenger and the Last Day, and that you believe in the decreeing both of good and evil." He said, "You spoke the truth."
The Prophet (ﷺ) also said, "A person does not believe unless he (also) believes in the decreeing both of good and evil till he is convinced that what has afflicted him could not have been averted and what has by passed him could not have afflicted him."
Allah tries every Muslim in different ways to separate the persevering from the dissenters on predestination. He says,مَاۤ اَصَابَ مِنۡ مُّصِیۡبَۃٍ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ وَ لَا فِیۡۤ اَنۡفُسِکُمۡ اِلَّا فِیۡ کِتٰبٍ مِّنۡ قَبۡلِ اَنۡ نَّبۡرَاَہَا ؕ اِنَّ ذٰلِکَ عَلَی اللّٰہِ یَسِیۡرٌ"No disaster strikes upon the earth or among yourselves except that it is in a register before We bring it into being - indeed that, for Allah, is easy." ― (QS. 57:22)
Thus, it is part of faith to believe in the decreeing of good and evil, If one does not believe in that then he is not a Muslim.وَ لَنَبۡلُوَنَّکُمۡ بِشَیۡءٍ مِّنَ الۡخَوۡفِ وَ الۡجُوۡعِ وَ نَقۡصٍ مِّنَ الۡاَمۡوَالِ وَ الۡاَنۡفُسِ وَ الثَّمَرٰتِ ؕ وَ بَشِّرِ الصّٰبِرِیۡنَ"And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient." ― (QS. 2:155)
الَّذِیۡنَ اِذَاۤ اَصَابَتۡہُمۡ مُّصِیۡبَۃٌ ۙ قَالُوۡۤا اِنَّا لِلّٰہِ وَ اِنَّاۤ اِلَیۡہِ رٰجِعُوۡنَ"Who, when disaster strikes them, say, 'Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.'" ― (QS. 2:156)
اُولٰٓئِکَ عَلَیۡہِمۡ صَلَوٰتٌ مِّنۡ رَّبِّہِمۡ وَ رَحۡمَۃٌ ۟ وَ اُولٰٓئِکَ ہُمُ الۡمُہۡتَدُوۡنَ"Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided." ― (QS. 2:157)
A hypocrite raises objections to the decreeing. This is what the hypocrites said after the Battle of Uhud when seventy of the Sahabah were martyred. Allah says about them,
What is destined cannot be averted. One who wails when afflicted quitters down in the end, but the persevering is quiet from the beginning.یٰۤاَیُّہَا النَّاسُ کُلُوۡا مِمَّا فِی الۡاَرۡضِ حَلٰلًا طَیِّبًا ۫ۖ وَّ لَا تَتَّبِعُوۡا خُطُوٰتِ الشَّیۡطٰنِ ؕ اِنَّہٗ لَکُمۡ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِیۡنٌ"O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth [that is] lawful and good and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy." ― (QS. 2:168)
The hypocrite seeks out a Muslim's faults and he spies on him. This evil of spying on other Muslims is very common. People must realise that it is the work of the hypocrites. Allah has forbidden us to do it and we must avoid it lest we go on perpetrating a major sin without realizing that our good deeds are wiped out because of it. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If anyone eavesdrops on the conversation of other people while they do not like him to do so, or they keep away from him, then heard will be poured in to his ears on the day of resurrection."
A Muslim is disallowed to spy on another Muslim. Spying, on others is a Major sin. Allah says,
Bara' ibn Aazib narrated that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) addressed them so that women also heard him within their veils. He (ﷺ) called out in his loud voice, "O company of those who have Believed with their tongues, but faith has not been established sincerely in whose hearts, do not backbite the Muslims and do not seek to find their faults, for, who seeks to find the faults of his brother, Allah will seek out his faults. And he whose faults are sought by Allah, He will expose him (even) in the deepest part of his home."یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوا اجۡتَنِبُوۡا کَثِیۡرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّ ۫ اِنَّ بَعۡضَ الظَّنِّ اِثۡمٌ وَّ لَا تَجَسَّسُوۡا وَ لَا یَغۡتَبۡ بَّعۡضُکُمۡ بَعۡضًا ؕ اَیُحِبُّ اَحَدُکُمۡ اَنۡ یَّاۡکُلَ لَحۡمَ اَخِیۡہِ مَیۡتًا فَکَرِہۡتُمُوۡہُ ؕ وَ اتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ تَوَّابٌ رَّحِیۡمٌ"O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful." ― (QS. 49:12)
The hypocrite ignores the Sharia laws and obeys the laws of the taghut (or false good). Allah says about them,
The people who turn away from the Shari'ah courts and Islamic laws in favour of the laws that suit them must ask themselves where they belong to the Muslims or the hypocrites? Those who do not judge by the Qur 'an are sinners, transgressors and disbelievers.اَلَمۡ تَرَ اِلَی الَّذِیۡنَ یَزۡعُمُوۡنَ اَنَّہُمۡ اٰمَنُوۡا بِمَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ اِلَیۡکَ وَ مَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِکَ یُرِیۡدُوۡنَ اَنۡ یَّتَحَاکَمُوۡۤا اِلَی الطَّاغُوۡتِ وَ قَدۡ اُمِرُوۡۤا اَنۡ یَّکۡفُرُوۡا بِہٖ ؕ وَ یُرِیۡدُ الشَّیۡطٰنُ اَنۡ یُّضِلَّہُمۡ ضَلٰلًۢا بَعِیۡدًا"Have you not seen those who claim to have believed in what was revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what was revealed before you? They wish to refer legislation to Taghut, while they were commanded to reject it; and Satan wishes to lead them far astray." ― (QS. 4:60)
وَ اِذَا قِیۡلَ لَہُمۡ تَعَالَوۡا اِلٰی مَاۤ اَنۡزَلَ اللّٰہُ وَ اِلَی الرَّسُوۡلِ رَاَیۡتَ الۡمُنٰفِقِیۡنَ یَصُدُّوۡنَ عَنۡکَ صُدُوۡدًا"And when it is said to them, 'Come to what Allah has revealed and to the Messenger,' you see the hypocrites turning away from you in aversion." ― (QS. 4:61)
Major hypocrisy or or nifaq i’tiqadi, leads to eternal punishment in the lowest depths of Hell; it is to outwardly display faith in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers and the Last Day, whereas inwardly one is devoid of such belief, indeed disbelieving in it. He does not believe that Allah spoke to a man amongst men who He appointed to be a Messenger: guiding them by His permission and warning them of His punishment. In the Qur’an, Allah has revealed the machinations of the hypocrites, He has unveiled their beliefs, their qualities, and made their goals clear so that the believers can be aware of them. He divided mankind into three groups in the beginning of Surah al-Baqarah: the believer, the disbeliever, and the hypocrite. He mentioned four verses concerning the believers, two verses concerning the disbelievers, and thirteen verses concerning the hypocrites due to their plenitude and the great harm and tribulation they bring to Islam and the Muslims. Allah says,
The harm they cause to Islam, is truly severe for they claim to be Muslims, they claim to aid and support Islam, whereas in reality they are its enemies seeking to destroy it from within, covertly spreading their corruption and ignorance such that the unwary thinks that what they are upon is knowledge and right action."یَحۡذَرُ الۡمُنٰفِقُوۡنَ اَنۡ تُنَزَّلَ عَلَیۡہِمۡ سُوۡرَۃٌ تُنَبِّئُہُمۡ بِمَا فِیۡ قُلُوۡبِہِمۡ ؕ قُلِ اسۡتَہۡزِءُوۡا ۚ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ مُخۡرِجٌ مَّا تَحۡذَرُوۡنَ"They hypocrites are apprehensive lest a surah be revealed about them, informing them of what is in their hearts. Say, 'Mock [as you wish]; indeed, Allah will expose that which you fear.'" - (QS.9:64)
Chameleon paused for a second, then said, "O my brothers and sisters, there are many more signs of hypocrisy you will find out there, but this is all I can tell you.
Know O my brothers in sisters, in current time, the hypocrites must not be obeyed. They must not be made happy. Because they disbelieve in Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ), the funeral Salah must not be offered over the disbeliever and the hypocrite, nor may one offer congregational Salah with one of them as an Imam, nor may a hypocrite be appointed an Imam of Muslims, because both of them are disbelievers, or infidels. They are the worst enemies of the Muslims.
Hypocrisy is a disease that drives faith out of a person's heart. Sometimes, a person is unaware that hypocrisy has made a home in his heart and he performs the deeds of a hypocrite unknowingly. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Most of the hypocrtites in my ummah will be its reciters of the Qur'an." They try to ward off blame by memorizing the Qur'an and their conviction is to remove it. This was what the hypocrites did in the times of the Prophet (ﷺ). Many people memorise the Qur 'an and get the word 'Hafiz' appended before their names. They no longer ensure that they have the Qur'an preserved in their memory. But, the 'Hafiz' is retained.
Finally, hypocracy will be more common before the Last Days. The Last Hour will not come till every people are governed by their hypocrites. And Allah knows best."
References :
- 'Aed Abdullah Al Qarni, The Signs of the Hypocrites, Darul Ishaat Karachi.
- Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah, Characteristic of the Hypocrites, translated by Abu Rumaysah, Daar Us Sunnah Publishers.
[Part 5]
[Part 1]
