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30 Signs of the Hypocrites |
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Aa'id bin 'Abdullaah al-Qarnee |
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Translation and Footnotes by Amjad ibn Muhammad Rafiq |
CONTENTS
Laziness in Worship
Showing Off
Lack of the Remembrance of Allaah
Hastiness in Prayer
Slandering Those Who Give Themselves Freely to Good Deeds From Among the Believers and the Righteous
Mocking the Qur'aan, the Sunnah and the Messenger sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam.
The Protective Oath
Disliking to Spend for the Sake of Allaah
Desertion and Abandonment (of the Muslims)
Originating False Rumours and Causing Sedition
Finding Fault with Allaah's Decree
Bringing Down the Honour of the Righteous
Remaining Away from the Congregational Prayer
Causing Mischief Whilst Claiming to Establish Peace
Outward Behaviour Contradicting What is in the Heart
Fear of Unpleasant Events, Incidents and Happenings
False Excuses
Commanding the Evil and Preventing the Good
Tying One's Hand Back Out of Stinginess
Forgetting Allaah
Denial of the Promise of Allaah and His Messenger
Concerning for the Outward Appearance and Neglect of the Inner Condition
Lack of Understanding of the Religion
Eloquence, Long-Winded Speech, Boasting and Bragging
Not Sinning in Front of the People (Due to Fear of Them) but Showing Boldness to Allaah by Committing Sins in Secrecy
Rejoicing at the Affliction of the Believers With a Calamity and Being Saddened at Their Being Touched By Joy and Pleasure
Indeed, all praise belongs to Allaah. We praise Him, seek His aid and forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allaah from the evil of our own selves and from our evil actions. Whomosever Allaah guides, none can misguide him and whomsoever Allaah misguides then none can guide him. I bear witness that nothing has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, in His Oneness, without any partners and I bear witness that Muhammad sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam is His Slave and Messenger.
"O you who believe! Fear Allaah as He should be feared and die not except that you are Muslims." [Soorah Aali-'Imraan (3):102]
"O Mankind! Fear your Lord, Who created you from a single soul (Aadam) and from him created his partner and from them both sent forth many men and women. Fear Allaah from whom you demand your mutual rights and reverance the wombs that bore you. For Allaah ever watches over you." [Soorah an-Nisaa' (4): 1]
"O you who believe! Fear Allaah and always say a truthful word. He will direct you to do righteous actions and will forgive you your sins. Whosoever obeys Allaah and His Messenger has already attained the highest success." [Soorah al-Ahzaab (33): 70-71]
To proceed: Indeed the best speech is the Book of Allaah and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam. The worst of affairs are the newly invented matters, for every newly invented matter is an innovation and every innovation is misguidance and every misguidance is in Hellfire.
Shaikh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullaah) divides the whole of mankind into three categories: "Since Allaah, the Exalted, sent Muhammad sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam and strengthened him with His assistance and the hijrah, mankind has divided into three groups:
The Believers: they are the ones who believe in Him outwardly
and inwardly.
The Disbelievers: they are the ones who outwardly disbelieve in Him.
The Hypocrites: they are the ones who believe outwardly but not
inwardly.
Because of this, Soorah al-Baqarah begins with four verses dealing with the description of the believers, two verses dealing with the description of the disbelievers and thirteen verses contain the description of the hypocrites." [Majmoo al-Fataawaa 28/433]
The disbelievers are open in their disbelief. Their rejection of Allaah and His Messenger is harmful only to themselves. As for the hypocrites, they openly profess belief yet belie the Qur'aan and its bringer, Muhammad sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam. Inwardly they disbelieve and seek to destroy the Religion of Islaam and its true adherents, as Ibn ul-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (rahimahullaah) has mentioned: "Thirteen verses (in the beginning of Soorah al-Baqarah) describe the hypocrites due to their abundance, the many trials they cause and the intense fitnah they cause to Islaam and its adherents." [Madaarij as-Saalikeen p.198]
So they seek to destroy Islaam, to turn Eemaan into kufr, Tawheed into shirk, Sunnah into bid'ah, justice into oppression and reformation into corruption and mischief. Thus, they pose a greater danger to the Ummah than the disbelievers, whose plotting and planning is more evident and clear to the Muslims. They exist and have existed in every age and era in the guise of leaders, reformers and deliverers from oppression. Yet Allaah has full knowledge of them, has already described them with their corruption and deception and will soon land them in the lowest depths of Hellfire. We seek refuge in Allaah from that.
However, these outright hypocrites are only half of the very serious and corrosive disease of hypocrisy present within the Ummah. The other half is due to the hypocrisy in action which is widespread throughout the Ummah. You will not travel to a place where Muslims reside except that you will find a fair number among them lazy, delaying the fixed prayers beyond their proper times, lying, breaking promises, deceitful, cowardly, showing off, insincere, harsh and callous, backbiting, slandering and other such features which none but the outright hypocrites possess. When cancer spreads through the body, destroying it from within and corroding it, how can it seek to be fit, dynamic and full of vitality and what after that can restore it and bring it back to health and life? When such repugnant qualities are present and widespread throughout the Ummah rendering it diseased and sick, how can the Ummah stand upon its feet and help itself? How can this Ummah receive help and assistance from Allaah? How will His mercy, blessings, aid and forgiveness descend?
The mischief, oppression and injustice dominant in the Muslim lands is made to continue because of the hypocrisy in action which you and I are guilty of. Until we seek repentance, hurry for His forgiveness, cleanse our hearts from such sins and strive to remove them with Allaah's help, you and I as individuals will not prosper, nor our communities, nor this Ummah. Indeed, if Allaah wishes, He could destroy us all and bring a generation who would be completely devoid of such evil characteristics, worship Him sincerely and aid His cause with firmness upon His Path. The Exalted says:
"O You who Believe! Whoever from among you turns away from his Religion (then) soon will Allaah bring a people (in replacement of you) whom He will love and they will love Him." [Soorah al-Maa'idah (5): 54]
It is we who are destitute, in need and Allaah is free of all wants, worthy of all Praise. Therefore this is a matter of great concern, consideration and fear for us all.
'Abdullah ibn Mas'ood said: "Indeed the Muslim sees his sins as if he is sitting under a mountain fearing that it will fall upon him." [Reported by al-Bukhaaree]
Somehow great effort has to be spent in expelling this fatal virus of hypocrisy. It might be pertinent to mention a way Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisee [Mukhtasir Minhaaj il-Qaasideen p.379] has described, by which a person can remove evil characteristics from himself. He mentions that a person should list all those particular qualities which are a defect in his character. Then he should attend to each one, individually and strive to remove it by doing the opposite of it and to persist in that until its opposite becomes a habit. During his struggle against this idiosyncrasy he should learn why he fell into it, how he is drawn towards it and how he can avoid it in the future. Once he has overcome and removed one of these characteristics he can cross it off his list, praise and thank Allaah for this success which was bestowed upon him by the Mercy of Allaah and then move onto the next one.
It is hoped that this book can be used in a similar manner. One can list those particular signs of hypocrisy which are characteristic of him - and Allaah's refuge is sought from that - and then seeking Allaah's aid he can strive to remove them, thus clearing himself from hypocrisy. I hope Allaah benefits me and all those who read this book which brother Aa' id has written. Some of the Pious Predecessors used to say "May Allaah show mercy to that man who guided us to our faults", so may Allaah have mercy upon him and forgive him for directing us to the signs of hypocrisy which he has deduced from the Qur'aan and the Sunnah and may He also reward him for his effort and great concern.
Amjad ibn Muhammad Rafiq, University of Essex, Colchester.
23rd
Rabee' al-Awwal 1415
(1st September 1994)
Indeed one of the manifest characteristics of the believers is that they investigate and scrutinise their intentions, actions, behaviour and overall situation as regards to how they will fare on that terrifying day when:
"Every soul will be confronted with all the good it has done and all the evil it has done and it will wish that there was between it and its (evil) a great distance." [Soorah Aali-'Imraan (3): 30]
'Umar (radiallaahu 'anhu) used to say when he would give advice: "Call your own souls to account before you are called to account (on the Day of Judgement), weigh your own souls before you are weighed (on the Day of Judgement) and prepare yourselves for the biggest exposition!"
Hypocrisy in actions penetrates the Muslim community as the fire penetrates and devours wood. It enters into the hearts from directions that are not perceived. Thus, being vigilant and sealing the doors through which it enters is a prerequisite to protection. A poet said:
I acquainted myself with evil
not for evil but in order to avoid it.
Whoever does not know the evil
is deserving of falling into it.
Therefore, this protection cannot be complete except by knowing the signs, characteristics and the minutest details of hypocrisy because this knowledge of its truth as an enemy is necessary for its expulsion, as well as causing its defeat. 'Umar (radiallaahu 'anhu) said: "Verily, the bonds of Islaam are removed one by one from a people who are born into Islaam and do not know what jaahiliyyah is." Likewise the one who does not know the reality of hypocrisy will have the bonds of truthfulness and sincerity removed from him one by one until he falls into falsehood and hypocrisy.
Many legislative texts have been reported which draw attention to the greatness of the signs of hypocrisy, warning the Muslim of the presence of just one of these signs within him or her. The Salaf (Pious Predecessors) of this Ummah never ceased to have an intense fear of hypocrisy. For this reason even 'Umar insisted on asking Hudhaifa (radiallaahu 'anhumaa): "Did the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam count me amongst the hypocrites?" This teaches a poignant lesson to those who feel comfortable, thinking that their actions for the sake of Allaah are so many. 'Umar was one of the ten who had been granted the good tidings of Paradise but nevertheless, he still feared hypocrisy. So the question must be asked: What then, is the case of those besides 'Umar (radiallaahu 'anhu) who are less than him in piety and the fear of Allaah?
Aa'id bin 'Abdullaah al-Qarnee, may Allaah protect him, has covered the essence of the signs or characteristics of hypocrisy, has been exhaustive in revealing and explaining them and has warned us about them, with a warning which a sincere lover would give to the one he or she loves. May Allaah reward him greatly for his wise and beneficial undertaking.
Noble reader! Here is a collection from among the signs of hypocrisy with which you should evaluate your soul and then, purify it from the effects of hypocrisy and impurities of riyaa' (showing off). Consult your heart sincerely, even if the people have a good impression of you and Allaah is the One from Whom all help is sought and upon him should all trust be placed.
"Indeed Allaah is the Knower of all that is in the hearts." [Soorah Aali-'Imraan (3): 154]
Praise be to Allaah Who is well informed and ever watchful. Blessed be the One Who has placed in the sky constellations and made therein a blazing lamp and a moon which both illuminate. He is the One Who has made the night and day follow each other in alternation for the one who wishes to celebrate the praises of Allaah or one who desires to be grateful. I testify that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allaah and I testify that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger who was sent by his Lord as a guide, a bringer of good tidings, a warner and an inviter to Allaah, by His permission; the shining light who conveyed the message, fulfilled his trust, advised the Ummah and strove in the way of Allaah until there came to him the certainty. Peace and Blessings be upon him, his family and his Companions.
The Hypocrites Mentioned in the Qur'aan
Allaah, Glory be to Him, the Exalted, mentions the word nifaaq (hypocrisy) and its derivatives thirty-seven times in a number of different Soorahs, which are:
Aali-'Imraan (3), al-Hashr (59), at-Tawbah (9), al-Ahzaab (33), al-Fath (48), al-Hadeed (57), al-Anfaal (8), al-Munaafiqoon (63), an-Nisaa' (4), al-'Ankaboot (29) and at-Tahreem (66).
These words are mentioned repeatedly in the above Soorahs, proving the danger of the hypocrites upon society and its following of the Religion. We ask Allaah to purify and free us from them and that He brings out from within them their disease as well as causing their cure. Indeed, He is Powerful over that and capable of it.
The scholars of Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah have divided hypocrisy into two types:
The First Type: Hypocrisy in Belief [An-Nifaaq al-l'tiqaadiyy]
This takes the one guilty of it, out of the Religion and into the lowest depths of the Fire. He is the one who rejects internally and secretly the Messengership of Muhammad sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, even if he proclaims that he in fact believes and makes this outwardly clear or he rejects the Books, the angels or any fundamental point of belief from among the basics of 'Aqeedah (creed) of Ahl-us-Sunnah. The proof of that is Allaah saying, Glory be to Him, the Exalted:
"Among men are those who say: 'We believe in Allaah and the Last Day', but they do not really believe. They (think) that they deceive Allaah and those who believe, but they only deceive their own souls, yet they do not perceive. In their hearts is a disease so Allaah has increased their disease and for them is a mighty punishment for the lies they used to tell.'" [Soorah al-Baqarah (2): 8-10]
The Second Type: Hypocrisy in Actions [An-Nifaq al-'Amaliyy]
This does not take the one guilty of it out of Islaam. However, the danger of that is still present. The proof of that is the saying of the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam reported by both al-Bukhaaree and Muslim:
"The signs of a (hypocrite) are three: When he talks he lies, when he makes a promise he breaks it and when he is trusted he is disloyal."
Also is his sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam saying which makes the matter more clear, as is reported by 'Umar:
"There are four things, whoever possesses them is a pure hypocrite and whoever possesses one of them possesses a characteristic of hypocrisy until he abandons it. 'When he is trusted he is disloyal, when he speaks he lies, when he makes a promise he breaks it and when he argues he behaves in an insolent manner.'" [Reported by al-Bukhaaree]
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