Page 240 - The Profound Darkness of the Hypocrite

THE PROFOUND DARKNESS OF THE HYPOCRITE

Despite all the troubles they experience because of their lack of love, the hyp-
ocrites are still not after 'love.' What is important for them in life is not love but

their own interests. Hypocrites would never go after something, such as love,

that they think would not bring them any benefits. They do not spend their en-
ergy, their time or tricks to attain something so intangible. The hypocrites only
focus on what others could provide for them. If there seems to be personal gains
such as money, power, reputation, creating a circle of friends, popularity, rank or

post to be attained in a certain place, then the hypocrites would show an unprece-

dented effort to attain these. But they wouldn't move a finger for love.

But in spite of that, just for the sake of playing tricks against Muslims, they
claim that 'their real goal is solely love.' They play their role in this play very
finely. That is because such a claim would provide them with a continual 'wealth of
evil acts' against Muslims. Claiming to be in search of love is a perfect 'trap' for
hypocrites to 'create unrest, dissension and tumult, bother Muslims, consume
their time and energy, tire them in a way that they won't be able to carry out

their activities for Islam.' In this way, the hypocrites annoy decent, well-mannered

and faithful Muslims by using so-called 'love' as a pretext. They imagine that they

can emphasize their own superiority and discredit Muslims by blaming and speaking

ill of them. Their only point is that they have been 'overshadowed' by these suc-
cessful, good mannered Muslims. Their anger stems from the distress of having
failed to create the image that they are the superlative, the most remarkable, the
most splashy, the most successful, the most perfect ones.
In the Qur'an, God draws attention to this method of the hypocrites who try to

use love as an element of aggression and immorality for their ignominious goals.

How hypocrites are dragged into dissention and aberration with the claim of love

is clearly seen in 'the Story of Cain and Abel' revealed in the Qur'an:

Both sons of the Prophet Adam (pbuh) presented sacrifice to God. One of
theirs was accepted and the other's was not. According to the historical accounts,
Cain was consumed with jealousy when the sacrifice he presented was not accepted
and thought that 'God loved his brother more.' (Surely God is beyond that). So he
felt a grudge towards God (may God forbid) and 'martyred his brother'.

This incident shows us the fierceness of a hypocrite's mentality. Cain martyred

his brother 'not because he wanted God to love him,' but only 'to satisfy his own

pride, arrogance and egocentricity.' The reason of his unruliness was not his de-
sire for love but his feelings of rivalry and his wish to be superior.
It is obvious that the hypocrites are ready to do any kind of ignominy using
love as a pretext. They might get aggressive, and even commit murder, when
they feel necessary without batting an eye. However the hypocrites, who use this

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