Page 24 - The Hypocrite According to the Qur'an

THE HYPOCRITE ACCORDING TO THE QUR’AN

bid what is right and keep their fists tightly closed.
They have forgotten Allah, so He has forgotten them.
The hypocrites are deviators. (Surat at-Tawba, 67)
When hypocrites remember Allah, they do not do so in the
way He ought to be remembered, for they do not assign to
Allah the attributes due to Him, or appreciate His grandeur,
artistry and supreme knowledge. Their manner of remember-
ing Allah is not candid, sincere and frank, for their purpose in
remembering Him is solely to imitate believers. Indeed, theirs
is artificial and half-hearted, and based on rote learning, and
aimed at hiding their true intentions and sentiments. When
talking of everyday issues, they speak fluently and easily, mak-
ing use of rich vocabulary. When it comes to the remembrance
of Allah, however, they falter, and speak in a manner that is
contrived. That they feel the need to perform this obligation,
though they do not truly desire to, causes them to develop
inner misgivings towards the believers. This condition is re-
lated in the Qur’an as follows:
When Allah is mentioned on His own, the hearts of
those who do not believe in the Hereafter shrink
back shuddering, but when others apart from Him
are mentioned, they jump for joy. (Surat az-Zumar,
45)
In addition, they intentionally keep away from gatherings
where the name of Allah is mentioned, and contrive various
excuses to do so. Similarly, they also avoid places where the
Qur’an is being read, for it reminds them of the truths of death,
the Day of Judgment, and Hell, which they try to forget.
Remembering these facts disturbs their consciences. In one
verse, Allah relates this trait as follows:

22