Sifat Al-Munafiqin (5/5)

This holds true for all who find the texts burdensome  and see them coming between him and his innovations  and desires; it seems to him that he has come across an unbreakable solid structure, so he trades them for false rhetoric;  exchanging reality for illusion. This leading to the corruption of his inner and outer,

“That is because they said to those who hate what Allah has sent down, 'We will obey you in part of the affair.' But Allah knows their secrets. How will it be when the angels take then in death, beating their faces and their backs? That is because they followed what angers Allah and hated what pleases Him. So He made their actions come to nothing.” [Surah Mubammad (47): 26-28]

They think that if they hide their disbelief and display their faith they will have acquired a great profit, but how can this be so when the All-Seeing has unveiled their secrets?

“Or did those with sickness in their hearts imagine that Allah would not expose their malevolence? If We wished, we would show them   to you and you would know them by their mark and know them by their ambivalent speech. Allah knows your actions.” [Surah Muhammad (47): 29-30]

How will they be when they are gathered on the Day of at­Talaq, and Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, manifests Himself and uncovers His shin? The Day when they are called to prostrate but are unable,

“Their eyes will be downcast, darkened by debasement; for they were called to prostrate when they were in full possession of their faculties.” [Surah Al-Qalam (68): 43]

How will they be when they are gathered together to traverse the Bridge spanning Hell? A bridge finer than a blade of hair and sharper than the edge of a sword, easy to slip off, entrenched in darkness and none can cross it save those guided by a light that shows them where to place their feet. Light is apportioned amongst man; the intensity of light each person has governs the swiftness by which he will cross that bridge. They ate given a superficial light with which they accompany the Muslims, just as they used to accompany the Muslims in this life: outwardly praying, giving wealth-tax, performing the pilgrimage, and fasting. When they reach the middle 0f the bridge their light is blown out by the sharp wind of hypocrisy and they come to a halt in utter confusion, not knowing how to proceed.  A wall containing a door is placed between them and the believers, the believers’ side of which contains mercy, while the side upon which they find themselves in contains punishment.  They cry out to the believers, who in the distance sparkle like stars,

“Wait for us so that we can borrow some of your light.” [Surah Al-Hadid (57): 13]

So that We may cross this bridge in safety,

 “They will be told, ‘Go back and look for light'” [Surah Al-Hadid (57): 13]

Go back to where the light was first apportioned.  Never will anyone stop to aid them in such a situation! None will assist another on that path; and a close friend will not turn to aid his friend. They will remind the believers that they accompanied them in this life, just as a wayfarer reminds the resident that he accompanied him on his journey,

“Were we not with you?” [Surah Al-Hadid (57): 14]

We  fasted  with  you,  prayed  with  you,  recited  the  Quean with you,  and  performed  the pilgrimage   with  you; why have  we been separated   from  you! They  will reply,  your  bodies  were  with  us but  your  hearts  were  with  every  deviant   and  every  disbelieving tyrant,

“But you made trouble for yourselves and hung back and doubted and false hopes deluded you until Allah's command arrived. The Deluder deluded you about Allah. So today no ransom will be accepted from you or from those who were disbelievers.   Your refuge is the Fire, it is your master. What an evil destination.” [Surah Al-Hadid (57):  14-15]

The descriptions of these people are numerous; by Allah what we have omitted   is more than we have mentioned. One  could almost   say  that  the  whole   Qur'an   is about   them   due  to  their plenitude   on  the  face  of  this  earth  and  in its belly, namely  their graves.  There  is not  a single  place  on  earth  except  that  they  are to be  found  therein.   Hudhayfah once heard a person saying, 'O Allah, destroy the hypocrites!' He said; 'Son of my brother; were He to destroy the hypocrites you would find yourself walking down roads alone; because hardly anybody would be left!'

By Allah,  the hearts  of the Righteous  Predecessors  lived in dread of hypocrisy because they knew its major and minor manifestations,  they knew  is generalities  and  its details  and  they thought little of themselves to the point that they feared being one of  the hypocrites. ‘Umar bin al-Khattab said to Hudhayfah, 'I ask you by Allah, did the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) count me as one of them?' He replied, 'No, and I will not answer this question for any other after you.' Ibn Abi Mulaykah said, 'I met thirty Companions of Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and found all of them fearing hypocrisy for himself, and not one of them said that his faith was like the faith of Jibril and Mika’il,' (recorded by Bukhari). He also recorded that al-Hasan al-Basri said, 'None feels safe from hypocrisy except a hypocrite, and none fears it save a believer.' One of the Companions supplicated thus, 'Allah, I take refuge with you from hypocritical submissiveness.'  When asked what it was he replied, 'That the body be seen to be submissive but the heart is not.'

By Allah, their hearts were overflowing with faith and certainty yet their fear of hypocrisy was great. The faith of many people does not even begin to compare to theirs, yet they claim that their faith is like that of Jibril and Mika’il!

The plant of hypocrisy grows from two stems: lying and ostentation.  It grows out of two sources: weakness of spiritual insight and weakness of resolution. When these four factors exist, the plant of hypocrisy flourishes and grows firm. However, it grows by the side of waters on the brink of a crumbling precipice, so when they see the flood of reality on the Day when all secrets are disclosed, and the graves are emptied out, and the heart's contents are brought to light, the one whose capital was hypocrisy will discover that all he attained was a mirage,

“A thirsty man thinks it is water but when he reaches it, he finds it to be nothing at all, but he finds Allah there. He will pay him his accounts in full. Allah is swift at reckoning.” [Surah An-Nur (24): 39]

Their hearts are heedless of performing good but their bodies outwardly do so, and indecent deeds are frequently performed by them. When they hear the truth their hearts are too hard to accept it, but when they witness falsehood and hear fallacy, their hearts openly accept it and they lend a willing ear.

By Allah, these are the signs of hypocrisy, so beware of them! Beware of them before the judgment comes upon you: when they are entrusted with something they break the trust, when they promise they break it, when they speak they are not fair and just, when they are called to obedience they falter, when they are called to what Allah has revealed and to His Messenger (Peace be upon him) they turn away, but when it suits their whims and desires they rush to it. Leave them to the subjugation and misery they have chosen for themselves, rely not on their contracts and trust not in their promises for they are liars,

“Among them were  some who  made an  agreement  with  Allah: 'If He  gives us  of His  bounty we will definitely give  in  charity and  be  among the  righteous.' But  when He  does  give  them  of His  bounty they  are tight-fisted with  it and  turn away, so he  has  punished them   by putting hypocrisy in  their  hearts until  the  Day  they  meet Him   because  they   failed Allah in  what   they promised Him   and  because they  lied.” [Surah At-Tawbah (9): 75-77]

Peace and Blessings be upon our Prophet, Muhammad, his Family and his Companions.[1]