Hypocrisy

Are the both inside and outside same or contradict?

     A plague that has engulfed almost the entire world , ‘hypocrisy’. It’s just like coating something and make that as it look like which it’s actually not. It’s a gold plating on brass. Imam Sadiq quoted the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as saying, “In our view, when outward humility is greater then inner humility, there is a hypocrisy.”

 Literal Meaning:-

              It’s insincerity , duplicity or an imposture.

In Terminological Meaning:–

              An act of insincerity in which a persons’ outer state contradicts his inner.

    Through different views, hypocrisy in one’s belief or hypocrisy in politics both are the results of intentional disbelief.

By Hakimah Bamousian article:

some said that hypocrisy is derived from ‘nafaqa’  or ‘nifaq’. Nafaq meaning is ,’ a hole in the ground as a way to another place.’ Nafiqa meaning ‘ a place in the mouse burrow,where the mouse digs a hole in the ground down and then up toward the surface of the earth and close enough to reach it, without puncturing the surface. Nifaq is a mouse burrow, which is apparently  Earth and actually inside it’s hollow, same as a

hypocrite who shows as he is a believer but literally his heart has no faith and shows disbelief.

   There are over one thousand verses about hypocrisy in Quran. In the chapter Al-Nisa, the mentality of the hypocrites is described below:

” They but wish that you would reject faith, as they do and thus be on the same footing .”

(63:1)

Compiled by Unknown that ‘Diseases of

soul: Hypocrisy’. In the chapter Al-Nisa (4:140) Allah prohibits to sit with them because if stayed with them ,then certainly the one who stayed with them would be like them.

    Imam Al- Ghazali said that; ‘ The hypocrites look for faults in people. The

believers look for excuses for people.’ Imam Sajjad said, ‘Verily the hypocrite is the one who prohibits other from doing something while doing so himself and commands others to do what he does not do….He finishes his day and has no concern but eating dinner while he was not fasting. He gets up in the morning has no concern but sleeping while he was not awake at night.’

They desire to deceive Allah and those who believe, and they deceive themselves and they do not perceive.

(2:9)

At one spot in Quran, Allah says:

“Who are unmindful of their prayers, who do [good] to be seen?”

(107:5-6)

  The mentality of hypocrites is just to impress the people by their appearances and words. Their words and actions contradicts. They are self- centred. Abu Umamah Al Bukhari narrated that the Messenger of Allah ( PBUH) said:” Al- Haya (modesty) and Al-‘ly( terse, brief and not talkative) are two branches of faith and Al- Badha(vulgar) and Al- Bayan(very talkative) are two branches of hypocrisy. “

     Hypocrisy is just spreading and increasing day by day because of many reasons like; show off, to get attention, importance, for fame, and inferiority complexes . Today’s modern man has just become hollow. His mind is just full of straw, having no faith. Because the faith is just departed.

Hypocrisy has many of the bad effects like hollowness, camparison and underestimating. They became liars and broke their promises. First verse of the chapter Al- Munafiqun demonstrates this:

When the hypocrites come to you they say, we bear witness that you are indeed the Messenger of Allah.’Yes Allah knows that you are indeed His Messenger , and Allah bears witness that  the hypocrites are indeed liars.”

( 63:1)

We can save ourselves from this evil by purifying ourselves internally and appearntely. By believing in our own actions instead of just saying words and have strong faith to get reward by Allah not by people. The Messenger of Allah ( PBUH) said, ‘ there are three signs of a hypocrite: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is trusted,he betrays his

trust.” ( Sahih Bukhari).

   There is a clear cut difference between hypocrisy and ‘dissimulation’. The first one is prohibited but the other one is permissible. Hypocrite conceals his disbelief and shows faith. Whereas prerequisite in some cases in which dissimulates shows disbelief but hides his faith. The purpose of hypocrisy is to spoil the society and to weaken the roots of Islamic system. Whereas the purpose of dissimulation is to reform others and save lives, legal properties and authority. To save ourselves from this moral disease we need to make our intentions clear and purified.

جزاک اللہ خیرا

 Momna Muzaffar