The hypocrites will call to the believers, “Were we not with you?” They will say, “Yes, but you afflicted yourselves and awaited [misfortune for us] and doubted, and wishful thinking deluded you until there came the command of Allah. And the Deceiver deceived you concerning Allah.
Chapter 24 is about hypocrisy and hypocrites. Our sister likens them to the behaviour of rats. A rat lives within different tunnels and holes, looking for the best place for itself. He stays in an area where there’s no stress or problem, eating whatever he can. The minute stress presents – a cat chasing perhaps, they go right into those holes and find the next best place to pop out from. Survival first. A hypocrite’s life and living are like this. Where it’s survival for the rat, it’s living in pretense for survival that is the hypocrites’ lot. A hypocrite is somebody who pretends to be a Muslim on the outside while he or she is not a Muslim at heart.
When I think of hypocrites (munafiqun), I think of the people during the time of the Prophet Sallahu alyahi wa salam, as is mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah. Our sister pulls us back to reality – the traits of hypocrisy are around, in fact may even be within us, subhanallah, and from this verse in Suratul Hadid, she lists 5 traits of a Munafiq to add to the ones we are more conversant with.
This is not about us knowing who the hypocrites are, but checking ourselves if we have traces of hypocrisy. The Sahaba, our mentors, were people who worried about hypocrisy in themselves. Yes, they identified hypocrites and called them out, but more importantly, they were always worried that they might have traces of hypocrisy. We must not get carried away with the fact that we’re Muslim, praying and fasting, but what is the state of our hearts? What is the state of our hearts?
First part of the Quran verse,
‘You afflicted yourselves…’
Sister Sadaf says you brought harm to yourself, a.k.a. played in Shaytan’s background. This is scary because the hypocrite is someone who looks for opportunities not to have to serve Allah, so that they would say, ‘Oh, it wasn’t my fault, I was in such-and-such situation,’ etc. So, you find yourself going to a particular place where it’s difficult to serve Allah, which might even stop you from praying or fasting, right? Why would you do that? Because your heart is not craving for Allah’s mercy. You prefer to be in the crowds of the Kafirun, it’s easier to ‘hang’ with those who sing your praises and do ‘cool’ things, and not with those who remind you of Your Rabb. Outwardly, it looks like you’re being persecuted, but you’re not putting up much of a fight because your heart is giving you what you truly want. Getting married? Marry a rich noble family. Who wants to suffer, right?
Picking up a job? Let’s go into fashion modelling or even banking? Putting yourself into temptation for minor shirk, clubbing and riba. Your outward appearance is Muslim but doing things that show that you do not care how it affects your deen.
Ignorance? Really? I liken this to being ill and not knowing what the cure is. We investigate other things in our lives to the nth degree. Why not our deen?
There may be situations where, truly, you have been forced and choice has been wrestled from you, but remember the story of the first female martyr of our deen and her family? Her son Ammar was made to denounce Islam, but his heart, when asked by the Prophet Sallalahu Alayhi wa salam, remained strong in his faith. Is this your case? Are you making dua, staying firm and looking for a way out? A hypocrite will lounge and let temptation rule.
Second,
‘…awaited (misfortune for us).
Now, this is the part about hypocrisy that I remember, which is that the hypocrites always wanted bad things to happen to the Muslims, right? So that they could say things like, ‘We told you so. You shouldn’t have gone to that war. You were like 300, and the Quraysh 1,000, how did you think you would win?’
At the same time, when they win, they’ll come over and say, ‘We are one of you. Let’s share the bounty.
’So, ask yourself, how do you feel about what’s happening to our brothers and sisters, persecuted and killed in the thousands in Palestine and around the world? Glad it’s not you? Wondering why they went and looked for trouble, sef? If there is a failure in the Muslim land and our values are being eradicated, how is your heart? Glad we’re getting more westernised, because for you this is ‘success’?
Do you wish for the Shariah to spread across all lands, eradicating fitna and oppression or worried that the world will be too Muslim?Next,
‘…and doubted
This is huge. Crosses your mind, doesn’t it? If Allah is not real and Shaytan is not real and there’s no Day of Judgement. We’re never going to be risen, no punishment or reward. And on and on. Do you doubt those things in your mind? If you ever have, you should check your heart. Even if you are fasting and praying, if you’re starting to have any doubts about Islam, this is a big neon sign that needs to be addressed. With knowledge. Arm yourself with the truth.
The hypocrites in this regard act the way they do because deep down, it’s all a lie. They don’t believe, but just in case, here’s my outward appearance show. You can’t say you never saw me. You can’t judge my heart. Hence the cry at the start of the verse, ‘We were with you.’ No doubt, right? Or is there?
Fourth,
…wishful thinking deluded you until there came the command of Allah.
’Wishful thinking is you placing yourself in Allah’s place, fa audhubillah, and deciding the merit of your good deeds and actions because you rely more on hope than fear.
– I’ve done many good deeds, and Allah said I can enter through any door, so I will enter the door of charity.
– Nothing is going to happen to me, I’m fine, at least I’m not a disbeliever.
– They are the ones who have to worry about going to hellfire
– The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would intercede for us so we will get a chance to go to Jannah.
– My Quran will intercede for me.
– My son, who has finished the Quran, will intercede for me.
– You know Allah is forgiving and merciful, stop talking about His punishments, you know He’s good, and I cannot believe that A Lord that is so good would not see that I tried
– As a believer, I will not remain in the fire forever
…and so on.
In this state, you carry on like a yo-yo, then Allah bestows a trial upon you, and you’re in the Mosque, praying every day, giving charity, asking others to pray for you, and once that trial is lifted, the yo-yoing just resumes. The hadith of us thinking of Allah good thoughts is taken to the extreme instead. Beware or wishful thinker, you may be a hypocrite.
And finally,
‘And the Deceiver deceived you concerning Allah’.
Shaitan can cause a swinging heart to become straightened to the point that you have negative thoughts of Allah – when there is a perceived delay in the answer to your duas, when a tragedy occurs and you start to question or when you start to place your Qadr squarely on Allah without making any effort’ I am a thief because Allah has willed so’ etc etc.
And just like that, it’s a different brand of Islam you’re practicing and fighting tooth and nail to convince everyone about. Outward appearance, check. Inward….???
Let’s check ourselves with these 5 Ya Ibaadi. It’s important to note that these behaviours come from the heart whose creed is not sound and properly grounded.
Read the verse again. Are we the kind of people who court temptation, doubt, hold on to wishful thinking and allow the chief deceiver to deceive us? Are we looking for the failure of the ummah? May Allah not make us among the hypocrites. May He make us and surround us with people who are muksinoon and mushinoon, en route this journey to Jannah
