Page 41 - The Hypocrite According to the Qur'an

They Aim To Deceive The Believers

They Do Not Make A Concerted Effort
In Allah’s Way
Though hypocrites spend their wealth to impress others,
what they spend is a pittance. What they spend is only of a small
amount; they never adopt the habit peculiar to believers, as de-
scribed in the verse, “Allah has bought from the believers their
selves and their wealth in return for the Garden.” (Surat at-
Tawba, 111).
Believers do not hesitate to spend all their resources to earn
Allah’s good pleasure. Hypocrites, on the other hand, remain in
the company of believers merely for personal gain. Therefore,
rather than seeking Allah’s good pleasure, they consider self-sac-
rifices as investments made for the future; they think a small gift
of charity made in the name of pretence will entitle them to ben-
efit from the bounty of blessings conferred upon the believers.
In the Qur’an, Allah draws attention to the stinginess of
hypocrites:
Among them there were some who made an agreement
with Allah: “If He gives us of His bounty we will defi-
nitely give alms and be among the righteous.” But
when He does give them of His bounty they are tight-
fisted with it and turn away. So He has punished them
by putting hypocrisy in their hearts until the day they
meet Him because they failed Allah in what they
promised Him and because they lied. (Surat at-
Tawba, 75-77)
The miserliness and selfishness of a hypocrite is quite con-
trary to the self-sacrifice typical of a believer, for a believer
seeks rewards for his deeds in Allah’s sight, aiming only for
the Hereafter. He has fully grasped the transitory and

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