Page 20 - The Hypocrite According to the Qur'an

THE HYPOCRITE ACCORDING TO THE QUR’AN

When you see them, their outward form appeals to
you, and if they speak you listen to what they say. But
they are like propped-up planks of wood. They imag-
ine every cry to be against them. They are the enemy,
so beware of them. May Allah destroy them! How
they are perverted! (Surat al-Munafiqun, 4)
Indeed, among the attributes of believers that hypocrites
try to imitate are their physical purity and manner of dress. It
is therefore hard to distinguish hypocrites from sincere believ-
ers. However, hypocrites suffer from a form of spiritual impu-
rity that penetrates into every aspect of their lives. By the
verse, “... Leave them alone, then! They are filth....” (Surat at-
Tawba, 95), Allah informs us about this characteristic of the be-
lievers. Furthermore, Allah “... adds defilement to their
defilement...” (Surat at-Tawba, 125) The light of faith never ap-
pears on their faces, for their minds are always devising evil,
hatching plots, and occupied in treachery, hatred, deceit and
jealousy. In the Qur’an, Allah describes their faces with the fol-
lowing example:
... It is as if their faces were covered by dark patches
of the night. (Surah Yunus, 27)
In another verse, hypocrites are described as follows:
They will be plunged into abasement wherever they
are found, unless they have a treaty with Allah and
with the people. (Surah Al ‘Imran, 112)
The faces of believers, on the other hand, are bright with
the light of faith, for they are continually seeking of Allah’s
good pleasure. As Allah relates in the following verse, “...
Their mark is on their faces...” (Surat al-Fath, 29)

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