30 SIGNS OF A HYPOCRITE (1-15)

Hypocrite is mentioned 37 times in the Quran.*

“I acquainted myself with evil not for evil but in order o avoid it. Whoever does not know the evil is deterring of falling into it”

You must know what a lie is in order not to tell one correct? This is the case with hypocrisy; we must know what it is to avoid it; we need to know the signs of the hypocrites in order not to display the character of one.

Abdullaah al-Qarnee has covered the essence of the signs and characteristics of hypocrisy which I will list below: (we should evaluate our soul and clean our impurities)

1.       Falsehood and lying

“Allah does witness that the hypocrites are indeed liars” 63:1

A hypocrite lies in jest and seriousness; committing this sin is minimal to the hypocrite.  In verses 2:8-10 and 63:1; it narrates the hypocrites as liars. The foundation of hypocrisy is lying. Inshallah we all avoid this sin whether in jest or in full sincerity.

2.       Treachery

“…and when he makes a covenant with somebody he acts treacherously (or is disloyal)”  Al-Bukari

When a hypocrite gives his trust to his wife, friends, family, children, or the leader he deceives them and acts treacherously.

3.       Showing Insolence and Licentiousness in Argumentation

“…and when he argues he behaves insolently” Al-Bukari

A hypocrite when speaking to a believer constantly argues and behaves immodestly in his argumentation

4.       Breaking one’s promise

A hypocrite is one who makes promises and breaks them for the sake of breaking them, there isn’t a reason to why they have broken the promise.  This is a sing of the hypocrite, this is why it is safe to not make promises one cannot keep.  May Allah protect us and save us from the attributes of a hypocrite.

5.       Laziness In Worship

“When they stand for prayer, they stand without earnestness (laziness)” 4:142

A hypocrite is idle in his approach to prayer, to the remembrances of Allah, inviting people towards Islam, towards knowledge or to good sittings.  A hypocrite perform salah with laziness and feebleness; they do not know what is firmness and being steadfast nor did they know that being firm and  steadfast in their duty towards Allah would be prosperous and life-giving.

6.       Showing off (look at the note about Riyaa at missiondawa.blogspot.com)

“When they stand for prayer, they stand without earnestness, to be seen of men, but they do not old Allah in remembrance but little” 4:142

What is showing off? A person is humble, nice and “religious” in front of people but when he is alone and in secrecy he prays quickly, without humility and submissiveness. He speaks of full renunciation of the wordly things and engaged in worship but he behaves when he is alone without no one watching him, he commits unlawful things. 

7.       Lack of the Remembrance of Allah

“…but they fo not hold Allah in remembrance except a little” 4:142

A hypocrite does not completely forget the whole concept of Allah, but remembers Allah lightly, infrequently, and glorifies him seldom.  A hypocrite does not desire or is enthusiastic for Allah’s remembrance. Although with Allah is our hearts at ease. If you remember Allah, Allah will remember you.  A sign of the believer is that they engage in the remembrance e of Allah.

8.       Hastiness in Prayer

“That is the prayer of a hypocrite…he stands and strikes the ground four times and he does not bring Allah to mind within them except a little” Reported by Muslim

A hypocrite performs their salah with hastiness and speed, they are inattentive and unaware of what is being said in payer and make no effort in trying to. Also within the prayer they remember Allah a little and purposely recite short surahs in order to be done with prayer faster.   “The believers will be successful. Those who are submissive and humble in their Prayer” 23:1

9.       Slandering Those Who Give themselves Freely to Good Deeds From Among  the Believers and the Righteous

A hypocrite draws out their tongues against the believers and the righteous.  The hypocrite has no other concern than bringing down the righteous, he spread evil and suspicion. The righteous are from the friends of Allah, the hypocrite talks about them and slanders them whenever he is in a gathering and mocks and ridicules them.

10.   Mocking the Quran, the Sunnah, and the messenger (sws)

The hypocrite mocks the verses of the Quran, the Sunnah, and the messenger but not only the messenger himself but any aspect of the messenger such as his clothes, his miswak or his thawb. The mockery of the religion is concealed in the mockery on the mockery of the Sunnah of the messenger of Allah, sws.

11.   The Protective Oath

A hypocrite makes excessive oaths and swears but what is not true. Most of the excessive oaths that’s they make are broken.

12.   Disliking in the matters for his own self interest.

Hypocrites spend, give charity, and donate money, build mosques; but no in the way of Allah actually the hypocrite hates spending in the way of Allah but rather for his own self- interest.

13.   Desertion and Abandonments (of the muslims)

Hypocrites flee from the ranks of Muslims, they have a pessimistic view of the Muslims and question the capability of the Muslim ummah. The hypocrite thinks against/negatively about the muslim.

14.   Originating false rumors and causing sedition

“Truly the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a deisease and those who stir up sedition in the city….” 33:60

Hypocrites rumor all the time, truth and lie and causes trouble wherever he or she go.

 15.   Finding Fault with Allah’s Decree

“The ones that say while themselves sit at ease: “if only they had listened to us they would not now have been slain” 3:168

There is more backgroup behind this one. When the Muslims went out towards Uhud, the hypocrites said to them “Don’t go out and fight but remain with us” They did not listen to them and went out and were slain as martyrs in the path of Allah. After the hypocrites aluded to the point that if the people would have listened to them, it would have never happened. But later in the verse Allah says

“Say: Avert death from your own seves if you are indeed truthful”

 Finding faults with in the “divine decree” is a sign of hypocrisy.  The above example is really confusing but was included in the book and I wanted to put it in here because it might clarify this for someone.  Also this sums up the point that hypocrites are not satisfied with the blessing of Allah and question Allah.

More Quran Verses about Hypocrites:

“They make their oaths a shelter, and thus turn away from Allah's way; surely evil is that which they do.” 63:2

O! Prophet Muhammad (Sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them; and their abode is hell, and evil is the destination.  9:73

“The hypocrites think that they are deceiving Allah, but he is deceiving them” 4:142

*30 Signs of the Hypocrite, Aa’id din’ Abdullaah al-Qarnee 

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT TO YOU: 

We should all stray away from the attributes of a hypocrite and the best way to do this is by knowing what a hypocrite is. 

-jazak! jazz :)