One of the very dangerous vices is hypocrisy. When it appears in any individual or a group it puts the society to peril and deprives it of every kind of progress.
Who is a Hypocrite?
The word munaafiq is derived from the root nifaaq. One whose outward and inward is not the same or who is called double-faced is a hypocrite. Here it means a band which acts against logic and reason and which, for their personal interests and transient benefits, goes against the decisive majority to such an extent that if they can, they resort to sabotage. Yet, for fear of the community or lust for current gains, they make a show of friendship and unity or intimacy.
Hypocrites are not found only in Islam or other religious but they are also seen in political parties. Generally when the working or course of the ruling party endangers the interests of a band and they are unable to oppose the rulers openly they strive to find out people like them and them form a nucleus of central nucleus of hypocrisy.
Sometimes such people also instigate other aliens to create fissure in the ruling party and through hues and cries prevent it from enacting its programmers.
In the third stage it is possible that a group is, from the beginning, not on the platform of the faithful but due to lust makes a show of being like it or for securing the safety of its life and property declares itself to be belonging to the rulers group.
The above-mentioned causes motivate the creation of hypocrite groups in global parties that are based on common thoughts.
Islam is also not an exception to the aforesaid rule. After the establishment of the Islamic state and party on the basis of Piety and social justice and moral virtues planted in the hearts of the majority of the people, groups like the Tudeh party and the Mujaahideene Khalq and Khalqe Muslaman and stood up or came into being who, outwardly, made a show of respect to the principles and laws of Islam but who were in their hearts, staunch opponents of Islam and who passed the military secrets of the Islamic state to enemies and/or by spreading false rumours treated fear in the hearts of some Muslims and tried for the break up of the Islamic state through their relations with anti-Islamic states.
So, after the victory of the Islamic Revolution, under the leadership of the great leader, the Naib Imam, Imam Khomeini such groups began their work of hindrances and sabotage and instigated daily strikes in schools and factories and made plots and spread rumours. They had enacted their plans so cleverly in organisations that they were able to inflict terrible blows on the head office of he Islamic Republican Party wherein they killed seventy-two representatives of the nation. Again they conspired in the office of the Prime Minister wherein the popular leader Brother Rajai and the scholar brother Bahonar were martyred. This hypocrisy was so deep-rooted that, had there not been the steadfastness of the Imam and the awakening of the nation, they would have been able to overturn the Islamic state in Iran, in the early days of the Islamic Revolution.
After this preamble, we now invite your attention to some of the Quranic verses and narrations regarding hypocrisy and the hypocrite:
And there are some people who say: We believe in Allah and the last day; and they are not at all believers. They desire to deceive Allah and those who believe, and they deceive only themselves and they do not perceive. There is a disease in their hearts, so Allah added to their disease and they shall have a painful chastisement because they And when it is said to them, Do not make mischief in the land, they say: We are but peace-makers. Now surely they themselves are the mischief-makers, but they do not perceive. And when it is said to them: Believe as the people believe they say: Shall we believe as the fools believe? Now surely they themselves are the fools, but they do not know. And when they meet those who believe, they say: We believe; and when they are alone with their Shaitans, they say: Surely we are with you, we were only mocking. Allah shall pay them back their mockery, and He leaves them alone in their inordinacy, blindly wandering on. These are they who buy error for the right direction, so their bargain shall bring no gain, nor are they the followers of the right direction. Their parable is like the parable of one who kindled a fire but when it had illumined all around him, Allah took away their light, and left them in utter darkness - they do not see. Deaf, dumb and blind, so they will not turn back. Or like abundant rain from the cloud in which is utter darkness and thunder and lightning; they put their fingers into their ears because of the thunder peal, for fear of death, and Allah encompasses the unbelievers. The lightning almost takes away their sight; whenever it shines on them they walk in it, and when it becomes dark to them they stand still; and if Allah had pleased He would certainly have taken away their hearing and their sight; surely Allah has power over all things.
In these verses, the Holy Quran shows the signs of the hypocrites concisely yet in a clear and interesting manner:
1 - The hypocrites, for advancing their evil aims and for crushing Islam, derive benefit under the cover of Imam.
2 - The hypocrites always pose themselves as men of reform though they have always been the evildoers.
3 - They consider themselves above the real Muslims who obey the orders of they Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and they consider themselves as clever and consider the Muslims as fools whereas, in fact, they themselves are fools.
4 - They had formed a secret group and were not prepared to announce the issues they used to discuss in their secret gathering.
Announce to the hypocrites that they shall have a painful chastisement: Those who take the unbelievers for guardians rather than believers. Do they seek honour from them? Then surely all honour is for Allah. And indeed He has revealed to you in the Book that when you hear Allah's communications disbelieved in and mocked at do not sit with them until they enter into some other discourse; surely then you would be like them; surely Allah will gather together the hypocrites and the unbelievers all in hell. Those who wait for some misfortune to befall you then If you have a victory from Allah they say: Were we not with you? And is there a chance for the unbelievers, they say: Did we not acquire the mastery over you and defend you from the believers? So Allah shall Judge between you on the day of resurrection, and Allah will by no means give the unbelievers a way against the believers. Surely the hypocrites strive to deceive Allah, and He shall requite their deceit to them, and when they stand up to prayer they stand up sluggishly; they do it only to be seen of men and do not remember Allah save a little. Wavering between that and this, belonging neither to these nor to those; and whomsoever Allah causes to err, you shall not find a way for him. O you who believe! do not take the unbelievers for friends rather than the believers; do you desire that you should give to Allah a manifest proof against yourselves?
The attributes and features of the hypocrites which we find from these verses are as follows:
1 - They adopt the way of deceit and conspiracy to attain their evil aims so much sot that they want to deceive even God while they are busy in it a kind of deceit has taken place, because, in order to get little wealth they have lost a big wealth of their own existence and this is a true example of a well known story quoted by elders wherein it is said that it was sold to a group of traders: Beware, lest an alien poor may put a cap on your head defraud you. One said: Perchance they are unaware and simpleminded people; we shall put cap on their heads. The wise old man said: I also mean the same thing. In this manner you are earning a little wealth and giving away a great capital your Faith.
2 - They are away from Allah and do not derive pleasure by remembering Him in private and hence: when they stand up for praying namaz their entire selves are in a state of indisposition and feebleness
3 - Since they have no faith in Allah and His great promises, whatever good act of noble deed they do, they do it just for showing it to others, not for God.
4 - Even if they remember Allah and describe Him it is no from the awareness of heart and mind and even if it is so, it is much less:
5 - They are wandering aimlessly without any fixed programme forming neither part of the assembly of the faithful nor are they in the line of disbelievers:
The word Muzahzab is an object name from the root word zabzab which originally means a particular noise which is created when a hanging thing is swinged due to its striking with the air waves and this word is used with regard to moving objects and wandering and wandering persons.
In verse 144 of Surah Nisa we read: O you who believe! do not take the unbelievers for friends rather than the believers. Do you wish through this deed to provide before God a clear proof to your own detriment? Because the hypocrites are to dwell in the lowest stage of Hell and they will never find a helper therefore, refrain from befriending the enemies of Allah, as it is a sign of hypocrisy.
It is clearly learnt from this verse that, from the viewpoint of Islam, hypocrisy is one of the worst kinds of disbelief and hypocrites are the people who are farthest from God and, on this ground, their place is in the lowest and the worst stage of the Hell; and it ought to be so, because, the harms inflicted by them on the Islamic society are in no way comparable with other dangers. They are those, who, taking undue advantage of their safety under the cover of verbally expressed belief, attack shelter less people in a cowardly and unrestrained manner. They knife others on the back. Doubtlessly, the position of these enemies, who are both cowards and dangerous, and who appear in the garbs of friends is far worse than that of the declared enemies who make themselves know as enemies.
In truth, hypocrisy the behaviour of a people who have no personality and who are timid and low and mean and corrupt in every way. Yet, in order to clarify that even such extraordinary people have a way toward God and for improving their position condition, the Divine verse adds: except those who repent and amend and hold fast to the Mercy of Allah and make their behaviours pure for God, will be with the Faithful and Allah will give a great reward to the Faithful people.
In another Ayat the Holy Quran describes the signs of hypocrites thus: The hypocritical men and the hypocritical women are all alike; they enjoin evil and forbid good and withhold their hands; they have forsaken Allah, so He has forsaken them; surely the hypocrites are the transgressors.
In this verse also five signs of the hypocrites are mentioned:
First and second: they encourage people to indulge in evil and prevent them from doing good = That is totally against the working of the Faithful who always, according to the command Amr bil Maaroof and Nahya anil Munkar, strive for reforming the society and for clearing it of corruption. The hypocrites continuously strive for enveloping the society by corruption and for emptying it of good so that in those circumstances and conditions, they may attain their evil goals. Yes, A plunderer seeks a bazaar in turmoil.
Third: They never spend anything, rather close their hands. They neither spend in the way of God nor help the deprived poor. Neither their relatives nor other ever benefit from their money:
It is obvious that since they do not believe in the Hereafter life after death and the spending for good they are stingy in the matter of wealth. It is likely that, for attaining their evil aims, they say also spend a lot of money or may spend much money for making a show of their generosity. But they never do so only with an honest intention of pleasing God.
Fourth: All of their words and deeds declare that they have forgotten God. Also their lifestyle shows that God also has forsaken them and deprived them of His blessings and grace and gifts that is, He has forgotten them and the signs of such forgetting become obvious throughout the lives of the hypocrite.
Fifth: that the hypocrites are lewd and licentious and live out of the circle of obedience to God god almighty, in this verse, after describing the attributes of hypocrites, says:
Allah has promised the hypocritical men and the hypocritical women and the unbelievers the fire of hell to abide there in it is enough for them; and Allah has cursed them and they shall have lasting punishment.
And when the hypocrites and those in whose hearts was a disease began to say; Allah and his apostle did not promise us victory but only to deceive.
This verse and the ones after it are in connection with the war of Ahzab and is related to Bani Qurayza tribe. It is derived from Tafseer al-Mizan that those with diseased hearts are people having a little or less faith and not the hypocrites. But it can be said that: the reference is a general one and is pointed especially toward particular persons. But it fully applies to the hypocrites too. So the Holy Quran, in verse no:10 in Surah Baqarah says about the hypocrites:
It must be kept in mind that the soul of man is like his body. When a man's body becomes ill and he does not refrain from undesirable food and does not take medicine his illness becomes serves. Similar is the case of divine spiritual illnesses. If man doest not try to remedy them, that is, if he does not do Tawbah, and if be does not revert to obedience of Divine commandments and continues to belie the Prophet and goes on sinning, his spiritual disease becomes serious as this is one of the universal laws.
The difference between a healthy and a sick heart or soul is that, if it is healthy it likes good and if it is not well it does not like good and finds it detestable and the body does not accept it. This is what is mentioned in these verses of Surah Tawbah:
And whenever a chapter is revealed, there are some of them who say: Which of you has it strengthened in faith? Then as for those who believe, it strengthens them in faith and they rejoice. And as for those in whose hearts is a disease, it adds uncleanness to their uncleanness and they die while they are unbelievers.
And also in the matter of oppressors it says:
And We reveal of the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to the believers, and it adds only to the perdition of the unjust.
One of the vices of a hypocrite is lying. Hence they Holy Quran says: When the hypocrites come to you, they say: We bear witness that you are most surely Allah's Apostle; and Allah knows that you are most surely His Apostle, and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are surely liars.