9: Harbor No Hypocrisy
"(Hypocrites) have a disease in their hearts"
(Qur'an 2: 12)
"The signs of a hypocrite are three; lying when speaking, breaking of promises and betraying of trust;
though observing fast, performing prayer and asserting to be Muslim."
(Prophet Muhammad (pbuh))
Hypocrisy is ...
- belief - action = hypocrisy
"Why do you say that which you do not do? It is grievously odious in the estimation of Allah that you do not do what you proclaim."
(Quran 61:2)
"Hypocrisy is most often clothed in the garb of religion."
(Hosea Ballou) - pretending to be what you are not
Hiding behind a façade of good appearance. The irony is that though the hypocrite is ...
trying to deceive others, he actually only deceives himself"
(Qur'an 4:142)
Socrates said :
" The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be."
Cecil said :
"Hypocrisy is a folly. It is much easier, safer and more pleasant to be what you appear to be than to keep up the appearance of being what you are not." - saying what you do not mean (Qur'an 2:8)
"I detest that person who hides one thing in the depths of his heart and speaks forth another" said the Greek philosopher, Homer.
William Hazlitt stated that the only vice which cannot be forgiven is hypocrisy because the repentance of a hypocrite is itself hypocrisy. - being unreliable
The tendency to lie about others or wanting to believe the worst about others or wishing bad for others.
A "friend" who is a hypocrite could be the worst enemy. The gravest danger of hypocrisy; besides the damage
it causes to those betrayed, is that it becomes part of his character, that he eventually ceases to perceive
his deception and ends up lying with (what he believes to be) sincerity.
So consider carefully how you feel about others, why you feel the way you feel and what you say about people. Note well that hypocrites can rarely face people when challenged and when challenged exhibit impropriety. - being two-faced / Dhul-Wajhain
Harboring ill-feelings towards others but giving an impression of friendliness; affection beaming out of the face and mischief planned in the heart.
As Prophet Jesus/'Isa (pbuh) said :
"You appear outwardly righteous to people but inside you are full of hypocrisy."
(Matthew 23:38)
William Shakespeare urged :
"God has given you one face, and you make yourself another?"
Imam Abu Hanifah quotes his teacher Imam Baqir as saying :
"It is evil for a worshipper to have two faces and two tongues; praising his brother in his presence and slandering him in his absence. If his brother is successful he envies him, and when he is in difficulty he deserts him." - being troublemakers
None are so industrious to detect faults of others or to impute blame to others or to blemish the reputation of others or to destroy the integrity of others than a hypocrite. Often suffering from envy or inferiority complex, hypocrites willingly try to belittle those to whose heights they themselves are unable to reach.
- When a character is polluted with lying, violating promises, betraying trusts; then the disease of hypocrisy finds a wide arena in which to wreak havoc.
- Hypocrisy becomes a barrier to attaining good character for hypocrisy is an epidemic that threatens a person's dignity, honor and reliability. Hypocrisy leads to irresponsibility, distrust, envy, suspicion and pessimism.
- Hypocrisy is undoubtedly among the most detestable of all negative human qualities. It is little wonder that Allah declares that the hypocrites will be in the lowest depth of hell fire. If the world despises the hypocrites what do you expect their estimation to be in the hereafter?
- The antidote to hypocrisy is sincerity and purification of the self.
O Allah! Cleanse our hearts, our thoughts, our speech, our deeds from showing off, from mischief, envy,
hypocrisy, selfishness and bad character.