Fear of Nifaaq (Hypocrisy)

[BiLaaL]

A brief description to this important topic. The description is not of my own writing.

 

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

 

In the Shari’a, nifaaq is of two types:

 

a) Greater (An-Nifaaq Al-Akbar): To present an outward appearance of belief in Allah, his Angels, his books, his messengers, the last day, etc. while concealing withing that which negates all or some of that. This is the hypocrisy which the Prophet (sas) 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-Nifaaq Al-Asghar) or hypocrisy of action: To present an outward appearance of good and good deeds while concealing within that which negates that.

 

Umar (ra) said: "The furthest of men from hypocrisy and the most fearful of them for himself is one who finds that nothing can save him from it." (Sifat ul Munafiq #94)

 

Mu'awiyah Ibn Qurrah (ra) said, "That there is no element of hypocrisy in me would be dearer to me than the world and whatever it contains. Indeed, Umar (ra) was fearful of it, how then may I be

safe from it?" (Sifat ul Munafiq (Faryabi) #86)

 

Jubayr Ibn Nufayr (ra) said that he heard Abu Darda (ra) while he was finishing his Salah. He sought refuge in Allah from hypocrisy and he sought it again and again. Jubayr asked him, 'What's with you, o Abu Darda? You and hypocrisy?' He said, 'Leave me alone. By Allah, a man turns away from his religion in just a moment, and comes out of it.'" (Sifat un Nafiq #73)

 

Ibrahim Taymi (ra) said, "When I compare my words with my deeds, I am fearful lest I be a liar." (Bukhari chapter 36, Book of Faith, heading preceding Hadith #48)

 

Abu Ayyub Ansari (ra) said, "Times will come to a man when he has not even a needle's worth of hypocrisy in him. But times will also come to him when he does not have faith even the worth of a

needle." (Sifat ul Munafiq (Faryabi) #77)

 

Aban asked Hasan and he asserted, "what gives me security from hypocrisy when (even ) Umar Ibn Khattab (ra) was fearful of it?" (Ibid)

 

Mu'lla ibn Ziyad said that he had heard Hasan swear in the Mosque - By Allah other than whom there is no God, there has never been nor is a believer who has no fear of hypocrisy. And there was never, nor is, a hypocrite who fears hypocrisy. He who does not fear hypocrisy is a hypocrite. (Ibid #87)

 

Hudhayfah (ra) said, "The hypocrites who are among you today are worse than the hypocrites who were in the times of Allah's Messenger (saw)." Someone asked him, "O Abu Abdullah, how is that?"

He said: "Those people used to conceal their hypocrisy while these ones make it known." (Musnad Abu Dawud Tiyalsi p55) (Ibn Abu Shaybah 15/109) (Sifat ul Munafiq (Faryabi) #53) (Sifat un-Nifaq wa Na't ul-Munafiq #110)

 

 

XXIII: On the signs of the hypocrite

 

33. Abu Hurayra related that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "There are three signs of a hypocrite: whenever he speaks, he lies; whenever he makes a promise, he breaks it; and whenever he is trusted, he betrays his trust."(The Book of Belief (Iman), Chapter 2, XXIII, Bukhari).

 

34. It is related from 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If anyone has four characteristics, he is [like] a pure hypocrite, and if anyone has one of them, he has an aspect of hypocrisy until he gives it up: whenever he is trusted, he betrays his trust; whenever he speaks, he lies; when he makes an agreement, he breaks it; and when he quarrels, he deviates from the truth speaks falsely. (The Book of Belief (Iman), Chapter 2, XXIII, Bukhari).

 

 

XXXV:On the believer's fear that his actions will come to nothing without his being aware of it.

 

Ibrahim at-Taymi said, "When I compare my words with my actions, I fear that I may be called a liar." Ibn Abi Mulayka said, "I met thirty Companions of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,, and all of them were afraid of becoming hypocrites. None of them said that he had the belief of Jibril or Mika'il." Al-Hasan

al-Basri said, "Only a believer is afraid and only a hypocrite feels secure." One should be wary about persisting in hypocrisy and rebellion without repenting to Allah as Allah says, "They do not knowingly persist in what they were doing." (3:135) (The Book of Belief (Iman), Chapter 2 - XXXV, BUkhari)