Page 14 - The Hypocrite According to the Qur'an

THE HYPOCRITE ACCORDING TO THE QUR’AN

tested by Allah, they immediately abandon them, thus reveal-
ing their true faces. Whether while or after leaving the pres-
ence of the believers, they do not abandon their agenda of
bringing harm upon the believers, or fomenting conflict, and
striving to ruin the unity of believers. For that reason, hyp-
ocrites are referred to in the Qur’an as “munafiqeen” (those who
incite nifaq and fitnah).
Hypocrites are a kind of people to whom Allah calls atten-
tion in many verses of the Qur’an, and against whom He re-
peatedly warns believers to be cautious. For this reason, a
believer, who takes the Qur’an as his guide, needs to be vigi-
lant against hypocrites, and be knowledgable of all their char-
acteristics, for, every community of believers, who live by the
morality of the Qur’an, will certainly encounter hypocrites.
It would be very wrong to say that such people existed
only in the time of our Prophet (saas), in Macca and Medina,
for,—in every other period—as today, such characters are pres-
ent right before us, under modern guises.
In our present societies too, there are communities of hyp-
ocrites who assume they can conceal themselves by taking on
the attributes of a believer. Deceptively, they ally with those
who are unclear or insincere in their understanding of religion,
as they are themselves, for the purpose of concealing the truth,
changing it for falsehood, forming new sects, and bringing
harm to the believers, both materially and spiritually.
The Qur’an addresses to every nation and all ages. In com-
pliance with the following verse, “... He will show you His
Signs and you will recognize them.” (Surat an-Naml, 93), one
who considers every matter in light of the Qur’an, will recog-
nize that the verses pertaining to hypocrites in the Qur’an, are

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