WHO ARE THE HYPOCRITES IN ISLAM & THEIR SIGNS Part 3 of 5

WHO ARE THE HYPOCRITES IN ISLAM & THEIR SIGNS

Part 3 of 5

2.0 HIDDEN SIGNS OF A HYPOCRITE

Hypocrites are like poison – the more of their nonsense you take in, the more mentally and emotionally sick you get. Before you know it, you become self-conscious, inferior, and insecure. You feel like someone is constantly judging you and that you can never live up to their expectations.

The good news: there are warning signs! Follow these and you’ll never fall victim to a hypocrite’s poison again.

2.1 THEY ONLY RESPECT THOSE WITH POWER AND AUTHORITY

Hypocritical people love to suck up. And chances are you’ve seen this in action at your workplace. The same person who smiles and compliments your boss will lower his nose at you or maybe even the cleaning crew. A sincere person pays their respects to everyone, regardless of their position in life or what that person can do for them.

2.2 THEY CRITICIZE OTHERS WHO LOOK BETTER THAN THEM

Hypocritical people are usually insecure. So instead of complimenting someone they perceive looks better than them, they feel threatened and demean them. Think Regina George from Mean Girls. “I love your sweater….” (then aside: “That sweater is hideous.”) Sincere people, on the other hand, are confident in themselves and admire another person’s fashion.

2.3 THEY NEVER STOP GOSSIPING.

Research shows people who gossip are generally not happy with themselves and high have levels of anxiety. To combat this, hypocrites gossip to feel superior, to lift themselves up temporarily by dragging others down. However, sincere people don’t gossip; they simply express their opinion, without malice. This is because they have a healthy self-esteem.

2.4 THEY HELP PEOPLE ONLY WHEN IT’S PROFITABLE FOR THEM

Hypocritical people are always thinking of themselves, first and foremost. If they think they can benefit from a situation, they will jump in, no questions asked, and then expect payment (monetary or other) in return. Sincere people help others because they want to. They don’t expect payment of any kind; they enjoy the simple gratification of helping others in need.

2.5 THEY TRY SO HARD TO GET ATTENTION

If a hypocritical person they have achieved something, they will make sure the whole world knows about it. This is because hypocrites crave attention and validation from others, due to the fact that they haven’t learn how to cultivate it for themselves. You may or may not have seen these types of people on social media, parading around their “perfect” lives. On the flip side, sincere people only care about what they and their loved ones think. They don’t need attention or validation from anyone else.

2.6 THEY NEED TO IMPRESS OTHERS

Impressing others sometimes is normal. But when it becomes a way of life, you’re dealing with a hypocrite. Hypocrites are so focused on what everyone else thinks that they lose touch with what they believe and value. If they don’t have their own truth in place, then they constantly desire the truth of others. Sincere people are secure enough in themselves that they don’t constantly need others’ approval. By being themselves, other people sense their sincerity, which makes them effortlessly likeable.

2.7 THEY LOVE TO BRAG

Have you ever met someone and one of the first things they do is brag? This all stems from someone with low self-esteem, someone who is trying so hard to create a false image of themselves, purely as a means to impress. For hypocrites, because they are lacking a solid core belief system, their achievements hold no value unless others approve. Sincere people don’t boast about their success. They don’t need the approval of others because they already have their own.

3.0 OTHER SIGNS OF A HYPOCRITE IN ISLAM

3.1 Nifaq (hypocrisy): in the Arabic language means the general category of deception, scheming and presenting an outward appearance of good while concealing its opposite.

3.2 In the Shari ‘a, nifaq is of two types:

a) Greater (An-Nifaq Al-Akbar): To present an outward appearance of belief in Allah, his Angels, his books, his messengers, the last day, etc. while concealing within that which negates all or some of that. This is the hypocrisy which Rasulullah (sallalahu alaihi wa salaam) confronted during his life and the ones who Allah said in the Qur’an that they are in “the lowest depth of hell-fire”.

b) Lesser (An-Nifaq Al-Asghar) or hypocrisy of action: To present an outward appearance of good and good deeds while concealing within that which negates that. This form of hypocrisy is built on the 5 things mentioned in the hadith at hand.

3.4 The actions in this hadith are all part of lesser hypocrisy: One who has these character traits in interaction with other people is most likely to have them with regard to Allah and his Prophet’s (Alaihi Salaam) That is why the existence of them is a ‘sign’ of the existence of greater nifaq.

3.5 Breaking Agreements. Allah said:

وَلَا تَقۡرَبُواْ مَالَ ٱلۡيَتِيمِ إِلَّا بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحۡسَنُ حَتَّىٰ يَبۡلُغَ أَشُدَّهُ ۥ‌ۚ وَأَوۡفُواْ بِٱلۡعَهۡدِ‌ۖ إِنَّ ٱلۡعَهۡدَ كَانَ مَسۡـُٔولاً۬ (٣٤)

“And fulfill your agreements for verily agreements will be asked about.”(Holy Quran Chapter Surah Al-Isrâ 17: 34)

Allah says:

وَأَوۡفُواْ بِعَهۡدِ ٱللَّهِ إِذَا عَـٰهَدتُّمۡ وَلَا تَنقُضُواْ ٱلۡأَيۡمَـٰنَ بَعۡدَ تَوۡڪِيدِهَا وَقَدۡ جَعَلۡتُمُ ٱللَّهَ عَلَيۡڪُمۡ كَفِيلاً‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعۡلَمُ مَا تَفۡعَلُونَ (٩١)

“And fulfill Allah’s agreement when you have made an agreement and don’t violate your oaths after they have been established and you have made Allah your guardian (therein).” (Holy Quran Chapter Surah An-Nahl 16: 91)

The most serious oath to dishonor is the oath of allegiance to the khalifah of the Muslims.

3.6 Betraying of Trusts: When a Muslim is entrusted with something, he must do his best to protect it. Allah said:

 يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَخُونُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلرَّسُولَ وَتَخُونُوٓاْ أَمَـٰنَـٰتِكُمۡ وَأَنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ (٢٧)

“O ye that believe! Betray not the trust of Allah and the Messenger, nor misappropriate knowingly things entrusted to you.” (Holy Quran Chapter Surah Al-Anfaal 8: 27)

 “O Prophet! Strive hard against the unbelievers and the Hypocrites, and be firm against them. Their abode is Hell,- an evil refuge indeed. They swear by Allah that they said nothing (evil), but indeed they uttered blasphemy, and they did it after accepting Islam; and they meditated a plot which they were unable to carry out: this revenge of theirs was (their) only return for the bounty with which Allah and His Messenger had enriched them! If they repent, it will be best for them; but if they turn back (to their evil ways), Allah will punish them with a grievous penalty in this life and in the Hereafter: They shall have none on earth to protect or help them. Amongst them are men who made a covenant with Allah, that if He bestowed on them of His bounty, they would give (largely) in charity, and be truly amongst those who are righteous But when He did bestow of His bounty, they became covetous, and turned back (from their covenant), averse (from its fulfillment). So He hath put as a consequence hypocrisy into their hearts, (to last) till the Day, whereon they shall meet Him: because they broke their covenant with Allah, and because they lied (again and again).”

c) Holy Quran Chapter Surah Al-Ahzaab 33: 72-73 (Betraying trusts)

إِنَّا عَرَضۡنَا ٱلۡأَمَانَةَ عَلَى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱلۡجِبَالِ فَأَبَيۡنَ أَن يَحۡمِلۡنَہَا وَأَشۡفَقۡنَ مِنۡہَا وَحَمَلَهَا ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنُۖ إِنَّهُ ۥ كَانَ ظَلُومً۬ا جَهُولاً۬ (٧٢) لِّيُعَذِّبَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُنَـٰفِقِينَ وَٱلۡمُنَـٰفِقَـٰتِ وَٱلۡمُشۡرِڪِينَ وَٱلۡمُشۡرِكَـٰتِ وَيَتُوبَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتِۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ غَفُورً۬ا رَّحِيمَۢا (٧٣)

“We did indeed offer the Trust to the Heavens and the Earth and the Mountains; but they refused to undertake it, being afraid thereof: but man undertook it, He was indeed unjust and foolish, (With the result) that Allah has to punish the Hypocrites, men and women, and the Unbelievers, men and women, and Allah turns in Mercy to the Believers, men and women: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

3.7 Umar (RA) mentioned Rasulullah (sallalahu alaihi wa salaam) saying: “The thing from which I fear for you the most is the knowledgeable hypocrite.” Umar (RA) was then asked: “How can a hypocrite be knowledgeable?” Umar (RA) answered: “He speaks with wisdom but acts with injustice.”

3.8 Ibn Umar was told: “We enter the presence of the ruler we speak to him other than what we say after we leave.” Ibn Umar said: “We used to consider that hypocrisy.” (Bukhari)

3.9 Ibn Abi Malaika said: “I encountered thirty Companions of Rasulullah (sallalahu alaihi wa salaam)) every one of them fears hypocrisy for himself and Al-Hassan Al-Basri used to say about it: “No one fears it but a believer and no one feels safe from it but a hypocrite.” (Bukhari)

3.10 Another aspect of hypocrisy: to do apparently good deeds with wicked intentions. Allah said:

وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُواْ مَسۡجِدً۬ا ضِرَارً۬ا وَڪُفۡرً۬ا وَتَفۡرِيقَۢا بَيۡنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ وَإِرۡصَادً۬ا لِّمَنۡ حَارَبَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۥ مِن قَبۡلُ‌ۚ وَلَيَحۡلِفُنَّ إِنۡ أَرَدۡنَآ إِلَّا ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ‌ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَشۡہَدُ إِنَّہُمۡ لَكَـٰذِبُونَ (١٠٧)

“They set up a Masjid for the purpose of harm, Kufr, creating division among the Muslims and as an outpost for those making war against Allah and His Prophet before this and they will swear “We only intended good.” And Allah bears witness that they are liars.” (Holy Quran Chapter Surah Taubah 9: 107)

3.11 Allah says:

لَا تَحۡسَبَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَفۡرَحُونَ بِمَآ أَتَواْ وَّيُحِبُّونَ أَن يُحۡمَدُواْ بِمَا لَمۡ يَفۡعَلُواْ فَلَا تَحۡسَبَنَّہُم بِمَفَازَةٍ۬ مِّنَ ٱلۡعَذَابِ‌ۖ وَلَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ۬ (١٨٨)

“Do not imagine that those who are joyful with what they have done and love to be praised for that which they did not do – do not imagine them to be safe from punishment – and theirs is a painful punishment.” (Holy Quran Chapter Surah al-Imraan 3:188)