Khutbah Ul Hajja

All Praise is due to Allah: We Praise Him: We beg assistance of Him: We ask Him for forgiveness.We have faith in Him: We have reliance on Him.

We fly for refuge unto Him (to deliver us) from the mischief of our minds and from the evil consequences of our actions.

Whomever Allah directs shall not go astray: and whomever He allows to go astray, no one can guide.

We profess that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah, and we further profess that Muhammad is His Servant and His Messenger.

Oh you who believe! Fear Allah as He has the right to be feared, and do not die except as Muslims.

(O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person, and from him He created his wife, and from them both He created many men and women, and fear Allah through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship) Surely, Allah is Ever an All-Watcher over you). [alNisei 4:1],

(O you who believe! Keep your duty to Allah and fear Him, and speak (always) the truth 70. He will direct you to do righteous good deeds and will forgive you your sins. And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger (SAW) he has indeed achieved a great achievement (i.e. he will be saved from the Hell-fire and made to enter Paradise). [alAhzaab 33:70]. (Sunan al-Nisaai: Kitaab al-Jumuah, Baab kayfiyyah al-khutbah).

O you who believe! Fear Allh and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the morrow, and fear Allh. Verily, Allh is All-Aware of what you do[]. (18) And be not like those who forgot Allh (i.e. became disobedient to Allh) and He caused them to forget their own selves, (let them to forget to do righteous deeds). Those are the Fsiqn (rebellious, disobedient to Allh). (19) Not equal are the dwellers of the Fire and the dwellers of the Paradise. It is the dwellers of Paradise that will be successful. (20)

Importance of Reflecting on Quran

Brothers and sisters in Islam Allah Tala tells us in the Quran in Surat Saad ayah 20:

(This is) a Book (the Qur'n) which We have sent down to you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember. (29) Also Allah Tala tells us in Surat Muhammad ayah 24:

47:24 Do they not then earnestly seek to understand the Qur'an, or are their hearts locked up by them?

Do they not then consider the Qur'n carefully? Had it been from other than Allh, they would surely have found therein many contradictions. (4:82)

So these and other ayaat tell that we must makeponderous and reflection on the Quraan if we are people of understanding. So today Insha-Allah we will reflect above the first few ayaat of Surat Al-Baqarah.

Introductory points on Surah Al Baqarah

First lets talk about some introductory points related to this great surah. Recall that Surat Al Faatihaa a Meccan surah is called the Umm-UlQurran or essence of the Quran, the summary of the Qurran. Now Surat Al Baqarrah is the first of four Medina Suwar, plural for surah thatfollows the Umm-Ul-Qurran, which explains the details of Umm-Ul-Qurran. Indeed the whole Quran is the detail of Umm-UlQurran. Surah Al Baqarah the 2nd chapter is paired by the scholars with Surah Alaa Imran the 3rd chapter based on the saying of Prophet Muhammad. Surah Al Baqarah is the longest surah of the Quran at 286 ayaat, and more than 2.5 Juz of the 30 Juz or Sections of the Quran. The 286 ayaat contain six thousand two hundred and twenty-one words. Further, its letters are twenty-five thousand five hundred. Allah knows best.It is divided into 40 ruku if you are reading the Qurran with Farsi/Urdu font. And if you look into the Utmaani font, than it is divided into over 6 Hizb.

Period of Revelations:
This Surah is the first Madinee surah. Most of it was revealed beginning just after Hijarah until just before the battle of badr. This puts at duration of a time span of 16 to 17 months. However a few parts of it werenot revealed until the end of Prophet Muhammad SAW life. In fact the last ayah to be revealed was:

Importance and Virtues:

The importance of this Surah has been given to us directly from our Beloved (SAW) who said as reported by Sahl bin Sa`d:

Everything has a hump (or, high peek), and Al-Baqarah is the high peek of the Quran. Whoever recites Al-Baqarah at night in his house, then Satan will not enter that house for three nights. Whoever recites it during a day in his house, then Satan will not enter that house for three days. This Hadith was collected by Abu Al-Qasim At-Tabarani, Abu Hatim Ibn Hibban in his Sahih and Ibn Marduwyah. Imam Ahmad said that Abu Nu`aym narrated to them that Bishr bin Muhajir said that `Abdullah bin Buraydah narrated to him from his father, "I was sitting with the Prophet and I heard him say,

(Learn Surat Al-Baqarah, because in learning it there is blessing, in ignoring it there is sorrow, and the sorceresses cannot memorize it.) He kept silent for a while and then said,

Learn Surat Al-Baqarah and Al `Imran because they are two lights and they shade their people on the Day of Resurrection, just as two clouds, two spaces of shade or two lines of (flying) birds. The Qur'an will meet its companion in the shape of a pale-faced man on the Day of Resurrection when his grave is opened. The Qur'an will ask him, 'Do you know me' The man will say, 'I do not know you.' The Qur'an will say, 'I am your companion, the Qur'an, which has brought you thirst 9

during the heat and made you stay up during the night. Every merchant has his certain trade. But, this Day, you are behind all types of trade.' Kingship will then be given to him in his right hand, eternal life in his left hand and the crown of grace will be placed on his head. His parents will also be granted two garments that the people of this life could never afford. They will say, 'Why were we granted these garments' It will be said, 'Because your son was carrying the Qur'an.' It will be said (to the reader of the Qur'an), 'Read and ascend through the levels of Paradise.' He will go on ascending as long as he recites, whether reciting slowly or quickly.)'' The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Recite the Qur'an, for on the Day of Resurrection it will come as an intercessor for those who recite It. Recite the two bright ones, Al Baqarah and Surat Al `Imran, for on the Day of Resurrection they will come as two clouds or two shades, or two flocks of birds in ranks, pleading for those who recite them. Recite Surat Al Baqarah, for to take recourse to it is a blessing and to give it up is a cause of grief, and the magicians cannot confront it. (Mu`awiyah said: It has been conveyed to me that here Batala means magicians.) [Reported by Muslim in his Sahih]. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said in another Hadith: It is sufficient for one to recite the last two Verses of Surat-Al Baqara at night. [Reported by Al Bukhari and Muslim from the Hadith of Ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him)]. Ad-Darimi also recorded that Ash-Sha`bi said that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "Whoever recites ten Ayat from Surat Al-Baqarah in a night, then Shaytan will not enter his house that night. (These ten Ayat are) four from the beginning, Ayat Al-Kursi (255), the following two Ayat (256-257) and the last three Ayat.'' In another narration, Ibn Mas`ud said, "Then Shaytan will not come near him or his family, nor will he be touched by anything that he dislikes. Also, if these Ayat were to be recited over a senile person, they would wake him up.''

Ayah1: The Miracle Letters:

Allah Tala starts the surah out the Quranic initials or or huruf or words that are cut apart from each other

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The general understanding is that only Allah Tala knows the meaning of these words. And there a couple points to be made with regards to this first ayah. 1. The mufaseeren mention that the last part of Surat Al Faatihaa there is calling for guidance. In this Surat Al Baqarah Allah Tala answers that call by saying,

But before that Allah revealed something that we cannot understand. In other words our intellect is put in its place if you want to get real guidance from this book then know that you cannot understand everything. So come to this book humble not arrogant and submit to Allah in order for you to attain this books guidance. This Alif Laam Meem teaches me to accept this book in its totality, not pick and choice parts. This teaches me that every verse of this book is from Allah, and I need Allahs help harvest the fruits of each of those, verses, those proofs, those ayaat.

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And this how Allah has defined the attitude of the knowledge towards the Qurran, when Allah says in 3:7:

Also the Alif, Lam, Meem also appeared in the Hadith reporting the rewards of reading the Quran, Hadith reported by at-Tirmidhi on the authority of Ibn Mas`ud which reads, Whoever reads one letter of the Book of Allah will have one Hasanah or (reward) for doing so, and every Hasanah will be multiplied by 10. I do not say that 'Alif, Lam, Meem' is one letter, but 'Alif' is a letter, Lamis a letter and 'Meem' is a letter.
Read more: http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?pagename=IslamOnline-EnglishAsk_Scholar%2FFatwaE%2FFatwaEAskTheScholar&cid=1119503545594#ixzz17fydRsFk

Ayah 2: That is the book

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The demonstrative pronoun but the Arabic word for this is

some translations translate as this . Now Rasullah did not have a

physical book with him. The revelation come to Rasullah, and he memorized it in his heart. So the actual book was with Allah in Jannah

in lohe mafooz. Therefore, the word

should be translated as

that. Meaning the book was far away, up high, elevated with Allah

in the guarded tablet.

There is no doubt:

So that book high elevated book has

in it. This tells that

there is absolutely no, room, space, ounce of doubt in it. So we asked for guidance in Al-Faatihaa, and this Qurran is the answer and there is no doubt in it.

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So this guidance is for those who taqwa, or are those who precautious of Allah Tala. Now undoubtedly there have been volumes of volumes of books on the un-doubtfulness that the Quran is the word of Allah. Therefore, this a lofty subject to explain, but let us consider the following points: First, to make this kind of a statement that there is no doubt in that book is not within human nature. I mean tell me if you ever came across a book written by a human that made such a statement. It would be like as an example writing a graduate thesis and turning it in to your professor and putting in bold letters at the beginning of the book or the cover, Have no doubt this book is perfect, there are no mistakes in it, I dare you to find any. You see, the professor would go crazy trying to find a mistake in the book. What you find in books written by humans is statement like, this is a humble effort, blah, blah, blah and if the reader finds any mistakes please write the author at blah, blah, blah. Or you will find, I would like to thank such and such for this effort, and they have help a lot, and forgive me of any short coming. But the Allah Tala is stating write the beginning of his book there is no doubt in it. So again this tells us this book must be written by the Creator of All, since only Allah can make such a statement of his supernatural abilities. Subhana-Allah. Another point is when we study this book we find that from a historically, statistically, mathematical, geological, embryonically or we can say general scientific, from a prophetic, and most importantly linguistic point of view this 14

book is perfect, leaving no doubt to sincere truth seekers that it is from the Creator of all, Allah Tala.

Levels of Taqwa
The levels of taqwa the scholars say have three levels. The first level these people are fearful of the punishment of Allah. They are fearful punishment of the grave, the Day of Judgment, and the hell fire. Second level of the people of taqwa, have love and hope for the promise of Allah Tala. In Allahs Jannah, and pleasures that he has reserved for the mutaqeen. Finally the people of become a mutaqeen or Allah conscious in everything that they do, in the eating, drinking, walking, talking, thinking, seeing, hearing everything they do. The question, they ask before doing is, Is this going to earn the pleasure or displeasure of the Allah Tala. The word taqwa is mention over 36 times in the rest of the surah. So this guidance is for those who seek it, and the people of precautious or conscious of Allah the ones who seek the guidance from the Quran.

Ayah 3:Belief in the Unseen, Establish salah and give charity:

Belief in the unseen is the is the second prerequisite for deriving benefits from the Qur'an. Ghayb signifies the realities which are hidden from our senses and which are beyond the scope of our

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ordinaryobservation and experience, for example the existence and attributes of Allah, the angels. the process of revelation, Paradise, Hell and so on. 'Belief in the Ghayb' means having faith in such matters, based on an absolute confidence in the Messengers of God and despite the fact that it is impossible to experience them in a physical sense.

Unflinching Salah

Second point the establish or

means it is unflinching,

unwavering, done all the time. So lets be those who plan our days, our activities around the 5 five daily salah. Not be of those who take a break from our lives to quickly do salah and then run back to our world activities. Allah Tala informs us to be guardians of the salah when He said,

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Guard salah like a precious jewel

1. An example or analogy is the one who is entrusted with a precious stone like in museum. In a museum they protect the precious jewel by putting it in a bright room with cameras, security guiared, infra-red motion dectors, and so on. So the same with salah. Salah is guard by observe ring carefully all the exterior and interior requirements of it. The outside or exterior requirements include clean clothes, proper wudu, and the place where we pray is clean and suitable, quiet, and an inviting atmosphere where we can concentrate. Also to pray at the correct time. Not delaying the salah and not prayer before the has come in for that prayer. The inside protection of the salah includes invoking Allah Tala to clear our minds of all of lives distractions, in other decompressing for a moment before starting salah. And when in the salah the heart is connected with Allah Tala.

Establish the Salah

So this belief in the unseen, leads the people of taqwa to immediate action. In other words they just do not say that they believe in Allah, Angels, books, prophets, Day of Judgment, qadr, heaven, hell, but they prove it immediately in deed in action by establishing the prayers that will lead them to be successful in this world and hereafter.

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Salah is easy for those who have strong iman

Another point is the sequence of this ayah is very interesting. Look, understand that we are told that those who believe in the unseen, salah is easy for them to establish. So those who have a weak iman it will be hard for them to establish the salah. But those who firmly believe in the unseen Day of Judgment, heaven, hell, then this will move them to establish the most important worship that proves their belief in the unseen and that is the salah.

And Spend out of what We have provided:

Faith does not mean divorce from the world

1. So the people of taqwa that believe in the unseen, and prove their belief with the deed of salah, their faith does not lead them to become monks, but rather they further prove their faith by being involved in the society by giving in charity. In other words their faith is proven in action by fulfilling the rights of Allah through salah and rights of other humans/and environment by giving in charity. They fulfill the rights of Allah and people.

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Wealth is a trust from Allah:

2. We learn here that we are not the ones who spend from ourselves, but rather what Allah has provided for us what we spend. So when we give we are giving of the trust or Amana that Allah has given us. This is like the role of the bank teller, there role is to give out of the account. So when a worthy cause, or person comes then we give out of what Allah has given to us as a trust. 3. So now look at the sequence, the people of taqwa have iman in the unseen the first fruit of this is establishing the salah, and after that it is easy to give in the sake of Allah.

Ayah 4: Belief in current and previous revelations

Believe in the Previous Revelations
Allah Tala then revealed:

1. So these believers believe with certainty in what was sent to Muhammad SAW and what was sent to those before Muhammad. 19

2. The people of taqwa rise above all national, regional, geographic, and racial pre-conclusions, prejudices or bias towards other revelations. They do not discriminate against any of the Divine books of Allah. They believe all came from Allah Tala. 3. In other words they do not believe in the revelation of their prophet who came from their region, nation, or race but believe in all the revelations that were given by Allah to the Prophets. 4. One impact of this ayah is that sometimes even we get emotional about the truthfulness of Islam when talking to the Christians and Jews but we should still show respect in what was sent in the Bible and Torah, because we have iman that the original Bible and Torah was from Allah. 5. So when they talk about having Quran burning events, yes we should stand to condemn these acts, but still we must maintain our Islamic manners, and etiquettes. As Allah Tala admonishes to do:

You shall Invite (mankind, O Muhammad SAW) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islm) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Revelation and the Qur'n) and kind enlightenment, and debate with them in a way that is better.
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Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided. (125)

Firmly Believe in Hereafter

Then Allah Tala revealed:

6. So this ya-qeen with regards to the hereafter the believers are certain, and it is a conviction that have no doubt in it, they thoroughly convinced. 7. So at the end of the day having taqwa, establishing the salah, giving from the rizq that Allah Tala has given only happens, believe in the revelation given to Muhammad SAW and the previous Prophets when we are convinced without a doubtevery day of the hereafter. 8. Aisha RA the wife of Rasullah SAW said something that tells of the importance of having firm conviction in the hereafter, when she said, If the first matter revealed in the Quran was do not drink alcohol the people would have said we will never stop drinking alcohol, and if the first thing revealed in Quran was about prohibition of adultery and fornication the people would have said we will never stop adultery

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and fornication but the first things revealed in the Qurran were about heaven, hell and the day of judgment until the peoples hearts were attached to Allah Tala then orders of Halal and and haram came down. 9. So again when we are convinced about the hereafter everyday then performing the obligations of Islam becomes easy.

Ayah 5: The fruit of the believers guidance and success

1. Then Allah Tala revealed:

2. So those on true guidance from the Master, Allah are the people of taqwa who, believe in the Unseen (Allah, Angels, etc) and prove immediately this belief by establishing, firmly, unwaveringly, unflinching in their salah, and do not forget their obligations to the rest of mankind by giving out of the rizq that Allah has given, and believe in all that was given to Muhammad,

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and believe that the previous revelations, and have full yaqeen in then hereafter then they are the successful or .

Success comes with toil

3. So here the word relates back to a farmer who plants

the seeds, protects his crops from the insects and attacks of the weather, waters his plants and after those heavy labors, sweat, exertion, and effort he harvests his crops. So similarly Allah Tala uses the word success that comes after labor, after toil, after effort for success in Islam. Therefore Islam is not a religion of do nothing but rather following up the belief with effort. 4. I was driving my car the other day and saw a bumper sticker that said, Heaven is Free, Just ask Jesus. 5. Well for us in Islam heaven is not free, it is not a passive goal. Heaven is achieved by the correct belief, proven with the correct actions, and then by the mercy of Allah we are successful. 6. So we must be believers that are not lazy and just expect to have success with no effort. 7. Remember that laziness is one the tools of Shaitaan that is used to miss our obligations to Allah and society. 8. With regards to our obligations to Allah one example comes to us in the following hadith in Bukhari,Volume 4, Book 54, Number 491: Narrated Abu Huraira:Allah's Apostle said, "During your sleep, Satan knots three knots at the back of the head of each of you, and he breathes the following words at each knot, 'The night is, long, so keep on sleeping,' If that person wakes up and says

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Subhan-Allah, then one knot is undone, and when he performs ablution the second knot is undone, and when he prays, all the knots are undone, and he gets up in the morning lively and happy, otherwise he gets up dull and gloomy. Volume 4, Book 54, Number 492:Narrated 'Abdullah: It was mentioned before the Prophet that there was a man who slept the night till morning (after sunrise). The Prophet said, "He is a man in whose ears (or ear) Satan had urinated." Now I do not know how the smell of shaitaan is but those who are lazy and get up with the sun in their face, not praying fajr then they are of those people shaitaan has made lazy. 9. Umar ibn al-Khattab radi Allaahu anhu is quoted as saying, I seek Allahs protection from the time when the fasiq or disobedient will have much energy and enthusiasm and the righteous will be lazy. The fasiq will open up bars everywhere and run his houses of immorality with vigor. And the righteous will do little to nothing in the sake of Allah. When this happens, there is an imbalance on earth, and corruption will be widespread and prevalent. 10. So we seek Allah Tala protection from laziness. In fact at

fajr and maqrib there a dua that Rasullah use to mention:

My Lord, I take refuge in You from laziness and senility.

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So the believers are defined as those people of taqwa who talk the talk (belief in the unseen) and prove that talk by walking the walking the actions, the first quality is establishing salah, fulfilling the rights of Allah on them, and not forgetting the rights of the creation by giving out of the rizq that Allah has provided hem. And these beliefievers belief in what was given to Rasullah SAW, and was given before him, and are convinced everyday about the hereafter. Those are the ones who are guided, and those are the ones who will be successful after the struggle and striving of being a believers.

Ayah 6: The Dis-Believers (2nd Group)

1. Here Allah Tala refers to the dawah of Rasullah, and calls him a , meaning to warn. This word refers not to like a bandit, or a tyrant who warns to frighten, but rather a person who is motived by love and compassion and warns. Just like when you warn your child against a snake, dog, or fire. 2. So to this compassionate warning Allah Tala talks about the brand of kaafir that no matter how much dawah is made to them they will not believe, and instead of them becoming more open minded with dawah they become more close minded. 3. These peoples disbelieve are actually referred in the past sense

by the word . 4. Also note that the root word that kaafir comes from is ka-fa-ra, which refers to the farmer that digs a hole puts the seed in it, and then covers the seed with soil. So similarly a kaafir is the one who purposely, knowingly covers the truth the built-in nature (fitr) to know their Creator Allah Tala. 25

5. So examples of these people during Rasullah SAW time are Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab (flame),and his wife, Urwaah and the other enemies that were adamant on their disbelieve. 6. Abu Lahab even had a surah revealed that foretells about him and wife dying as a kaafir and burning in Hell.

7. One Muslim scholar Waseem Khan may Allah keep him on Islam explaining this ayah, reported that one of these disbelievers said to Rasullah, if a ladder came from the sky and an angel came

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down and he handed you a scroll that said you are the Messenger, we still would not believe in you. 8. So what happens to these adamant, persistent, insistent kaafir:

Ayah 7: Sealing of hearts, and ears, covering of eyes

1. Now note with regards to sensitivity of the language of the Quran. Look how Allah Tala says sealing of the heart, and ears, but says not sealing of the eyes but rather cover. So scholars explain this by saying the heart, and ears receive information from all directions. As an example you can hear from in front, behind, above and below so for this faculty it is more appropriate to say sealing. But for the eyes you can only see what is in front of the eyes, so simply covering of the eyes is enough to impair the sight. 2. So after these people have chosen disbelieve and are adamant about disbelieve, and proof this hatred and animosity against Islam, Allah Tala talks about the sealing of their hearts, and ears and covering their sight. 3. In other words if people persistent, and insistent on choosing the path of disbelieve then the scholars comment and say Allahs sunnah is to allow them to go forward on that path of disbelief by their sense of understanding and hearing, and seeing being dulled, or delusional.

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4. So the Mushrik of Mecca sees this man with perfect manners, with perfect morals, with the best character yet they have the audacity to call him a liar, a madman, a magician. The Mushrickof Mecca hearsthese beautiful, unmatched words of the Quraan yet they filter in their ears as this is some kind of magical potion or simply poetry. 5. Similarly now a days some people choose to see, and hear about Islam as only, backwards, grow a beard, everything is Haraarm, four wives, oppress women, violence, in-tolerance, etc. 6. They do not stand back and see how this Islam is the perfect way of life given by the Creator, that is meant for our ease for our well being for our success. 7. They do not see the contribution of Islam has made to the modern world, how when Muslims had healthy functioning countries, had universities, excelling in every scientific field, and was a light for all while Europe was eeking along in the Dark Ages. 8. But none of this should discourage us from making dawah, You see we give dawah not exclusively so someone accepts Islam, but the main reason we give dawah is because Allah Tala commands it. 9. So we ask Allah Tala to make clear to us and the whole worldto see, hear, and accept in our hearts the real beauty and message of Islam, and not are diluted by false stereotypes that is so prevalent about Islam in the current time.

Ayah 8: The Hypocrites (3rd group of people)

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1. So now Allah Tala tells about the third group of people, the hypocrites.

Kinds of Hypocrites
2. Scholars comment and mention that whenever you have an ideology a religion there is one group who is sincere and prepared to sacrifice anything, and everything for that cause, and then you have another group who will fight tooth and nail to oppose that cause in order to maintain the status quo or to keep thing as is, and the final group you have people who stand at the fences, and who neither want to commit totally to the believers, or the disbelievers. 3. Now with regards to this third group which is hypocrites the scholars break them into two groups. One group is the one who on the outside appears Muslim, but inside they do not believe. You can call them spies, or double agents.

Non-Muslim Hypocrite
4. I will give you an example of the non-Muslim type. Nouman Khan a Muslim scholar may Allah keep him on Islam, explained there was this white, American person showed up at their community, he wore a toub, coupe, long beard, the whole outfit. On one occasion this guy push or invited himself to join the Muslims in his group to a lunch gathering and then said with some of young youth around, Yeah we should be proud to be called terrorist, Allah tells us to terrorize the nonMuslims. The Muslim brother said they tried to dismantle his arguments, and after a while warned the guy,Brother you need to stop talking this non-sense otherwise we will have to report you to the to law enforcement. Later they found out that the guy was sent by a church group.

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5. Now one point with this example is that we need to not close our masjid doors to those who sincerely seek to learn about Islam and Muslims, and yet at the same time we need to be cautious that there are non-Muslim hypocrites who try to get Muslims and especially the youth into trouble especially given the current microscope that us Muslims are in now-a-days. 6. The first group again is to appear on the outside Muslim, but on the inside they are non-Muslim. Scholars call this Hypocrisy in Belief [An-Nifaq al-l'tiqadiyy].

Muslim-Hypocrite
7. The second group which is scarier is the Muslim who does not even know they are a hypocrite. Scholars call this hypocrisy as hypocrisy in Actions [An-Nifaq al-'Amaliyy].

Importance of Knowing Signs of Hypocrisy

Believers investigate their actions
8. Now why is it important to know about hypocrisy of action? The answer is that one of the qualities of the believers is that they investigate and scrutinize their intentions, actions, behavior and overall situation as regards to how they will fare in the hereafter, Allah Tala informs us:

O you who believe! Fear Allh and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the tomorrow, and fear Allh. Verily, Allh is All-Aware of what you do.

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Every soul will be confronted with all the good it has done and all the evil it has done and it will wish that there was between it and its (evil) a great distance. Surah al-Imran (3):30

Umar (radiallahu anhu) used to say when he would give advice: Call your own souls to account before you are called to account (on the Day of Judgment), weigh your own souls before you are weighed (on the Day of Judgment) and prepare yourselves for the biggest exposition!

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Hypocrisy in actions penetrates the Muslim community as the fire penetrates and devours wood. It enters into the hearts from directions that are not we are not aware. So we have to be on guard and seal the doors that hypocrisy it enters. A poet said:

Know evil
I acquainted myself with evil not for evil but in order to avoid it. Whoever does not know the evil is deserving of falling into it Therefore, this protection cannot be complete except by knowing the signs, characteristics and the minutest details of hypocrisy because this knowledge of its truth as an enemy is necessary for its expulsion, as well as causing its defeat. Umar (radiallahu anhu) said: Verily, the bonds of Islam are removed one by one from a people who are born into Islam and do not know what jahiliyyah is. Likewise the one who does not know the reality of hypocrisy will have the bonds of truthfulness and sincerity removed from him one by one until he falls into falsehood and hypocrisy.

Swine flu analogy

So last year we had the swine flu which turned into a pandemic, and on the media they reported the signs of being infected with swine flu. So everyone became very sensitive and many people with smith a rash, or throat ache, would go to doctor. You saw people even at the stores wearing masks as a precaution to not getting the swine flu. So similarly a Muslim would become familiar with the signs of hypocrisy, and be fearful of falling into hyprocrisy.

Umar RA asked if he is a hypocrite

Umar insisted on asking Hudhaifa (radiallahu anhuma): Did the Messenger of Allah count me amongst the hypocrites? This teaches a poignant lesson to those who feel comfortable, thinking that their actions for the sake of Allah are so many. Umar was one of the ten who had been granted the good tidings of Paradise but nevertheless, he still feared hypocrisy. So the question must be asked: What then, is the case of those besides Umar (radiallahu anhu) who are less than him in piety. and the fear of Allah?

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Surat al Baqarah and other chapters in the Quran as well as many hadith give us the signs of the hypocrite, so let us read and learn.

Ayah 8 - Hypo claim to be part of the group

9. The first point to note on ayah 8, is that the singular which is translated as who saying that We believe. So

the scholars point that one of the qualities of the hypocrite is they place themselves as one with the believers, by saying we are all together we all believe, instead of simply saying I believe. In other words they try to be part of the group and make everyone feel like they are one with the group.

Allah callout the hypos

10. this

But Allah Tala calls them out and says, coupled with the is one of the strongest ways of

. So

saying, absolutely not, notat all do they believers.

11.

Some scholars point that this ayah is also referring to the

position of the Jews in Medina who used to claim unity in Allah

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and belief in the hereafter Prophet hood of Rasullah SAW. 12.

, but not accept the

Scholars also stress in this ayah we learn that merely

having the cloak, the words, the faade of the believers means nothing to Allah without the sincerity that is required to back-up the cloak, words, and face of imaan. 13. Abu Huraira reported Allahs Messenger (may peace be

upon him) as saying: Verily Allah does not look to your bodies, or faces nor your wealth but He looks to your heart and to your deeds. (Sahih Muslim) So Allah does not look at our bodies how tall, how short, how round, how skinny, nor our faces whether it is white, black, brown, yellow, red, whether we have pimples, whether it is clear, whether our faces are beautiful, whether our faces are ugly, and Allah does not look to our wealth, all these thing are not our choices anyways, all these thing irrelevant, insignificant, meaningless to Allah Tala. But rather Allah looks at our hearts and our deeds.

Ayah 9: The Hypocrites try to deceive but they deceive only themselves

1. So here scholars comment that the hypocrites think they are deceiving Allah Tala and the believers but they only are deceiving themselves. 2. These people delude themselves that their hypocritical behavior will profit them when in fact it will prove harmful both in this world and the Next. A hypocrite may be able to fool people for a while, but it does not last long; his hypocrisy is ultimately seen

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through. As for the Next Life, it is obvious that his claim to be a true believer is contradicted by his own actions and is thus quite worthless.

Insincere deeds become scattered dust

3. In a scary hadith that in Ibn Majah that we ask Allah to protect us from, Abu Hurairah reports: The Prophet said: People will come on the Day of judgement with good deeds like the mountains of Tihamah and Allah will make their deeds like scattered dust. The Companions asked: Will they not be Muslims.? He replied: Of-course! They will have prayed as you pray, they will have fasted as you fast, they will have spent in charity from their excess wealth and will have given their portion of the night (tahajjud) however, when they were alone they would violate the Sanctuary of Allah (i.e. trespass into what is unlawful). 4. So the action item for myself and you is to not be amongst those who try to deceive, with the cloak of piety in front of the people, but in private act wicked.

Ayah 10: Hypo is a disease and punishment is because they lie.

Hypo is a disease of heart

1. So we talked about earlier hypocrisy is like a disease and we as Muslims need to know the signs of this disease. Here Allah Tala is calling this hypocrisy a disease.

Never decreasing punishment

2. Another point on this ayah is that Allah Tala is quantifying the punishment of the hypocrites by calling out the punishment as .

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3. Now one phenomenon about pain that when you ask people who are in constant pain is that after some time a degree of tolerance is developed against it. So the first day the person is in more pain than the second day, because their body develops tolerance to that pain. 4. So scholars comment here that when Allah Tala uses the word , this means constant pain, a pain that never decreases. So how horrible the faith of the munafiqeen and disbelievers. 5. So earlier in the Surah Allah mentioned the punishment of the

disbelievers as great punishment , but for the munafiqeen the punishment is taken a step further as . 6. That is not to say that great punishment is something to be taken lightly, but again for the munafiq further increase of punishment is used with the word a-leem. 7. So may Allah protect us from the fate of the munafiqeen.

Sign of Hypocrite = Liar

8. So why are the munafiqeen punished so greatly. The answer,

9. Similarly in the 63 Surah or Surat Al Munafiqeen Allah calls out the hypocrites as liars.

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10. The greatest sign of a hypocrite is that he is a liar. So as believer we must look to ourselves and stay far away from lying. 11. In a Hadith narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr (RA) says that Rasulullah (SAW) said: Four traits whoever possesses them is a hypocrite and whoever possesses some of them has an element of hypocrisy until he leaves it: the one who when he speaks he lies, when he promises he breaks his promise, when he disputes he transgresses and when he makes an agreement he violates it. (Muslim and Bukhari) 12. Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah) says: Lying is a pillar from among the pillars of disbelief. He also says that whenever Allah mentions hypocrisy in the Quran, He mentions lying along with it and vice-versa. 13. Lying. Al-Hassan Al-Basri said: Nifaq is the difference between the inner and the appearance, between statement and action and between entering and leaving and it used to be said that the foundation of nifaq upon which it is built is lying. 14. Lying is cursed action, so we must be cautious against this blameworthy habit since the foundation of hypocrisy, its greatest pillar, its leader, its momentum and its support is lying. The hypocrites did not exhibit hypocrisy except due to falsehood in their hearts and that begins as a small speck in the heart, then deepens and enlarges, until it becomes a fortress from amongst the fortresses of hypocrisy - refuge is only with Allah! Therefore, I warn myself and you, for the sake of Allah, from lying. Beware of lying as it is due to hypocrisy and Allah has described the hypocrites as liars. 15. So let us look at the subject of lying closer, and study its signs and characteristics in order to become aware of it and Insha-Allah Stay away from it. 16. First let us study a fact from the Quran on where lying occurs. 17. First understand the general parts of the brain.

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Now let us see what science tells us with regards to the relation of lying and the brain. Looking at www.preventdisease.com we find the article, Brain Scans Can Detect Lying (HealthScoutNews) -- You know the old saying, "You can't lie to yourself"? Now, brain scans show that adage is all too true. In findings that could put the lie detector machine out of business, a new study has found brain scans can detect when someone is lying. Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to track the brain activity of 18 college student volunteers who were given a version of the Guilty Knowledge Test, a method of interrogation frequently used by law enforcement officials. The students were given an envelope containing the five of clubs playing card. They were told to hide it in their pockets and to deny they had it when asked. The students then were placed in a fMRI scanner and "interrogated" by a computer that showed them a series of playing cards accompanied by the question: "Do you have this card?"

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When the students lied, the areas of the brain that play a role in paying attention and controlling error were much more active than when the students told the truth. The brain sections include the anterior cingulate gyrus, located deep in the brain towards the top of the head, and parts of the prefrontal and premotor cortexes, both located in the very front of the brain. "It requires more brain activity to lie than to tell the truth," says lead study author Dr. Daniel Langleben, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. ''Truth is the default position of the brain. It's harder to lie than to tell the truth because the first thing we need to do to lie is to suppress something." The study was presented at the recent national meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego. So what does this mean for the future of catching criminals? Langleben says more testing is needed, but brain scans could eventually become the "gold standard" to refine other methods now used to determine truth and deception. The most commonly used lie-detecting device now is the polygraph, an instrument that uses electrodes to measure physiological changes associated with nervousness, such as increased respiration, heart rate and perspiration. Presumably, people who are lying are more nervous than those telling the truth. But the polygraph is very controversial. Critics say it's not reliable and that people can easily learn to fool the system. Researchers around the world are experimenting with newer technologies to develop more accurate lie-detection methods, including analyzing movements of eye muscles and "brain fingerprinting," a method that measures brain waves called P300. These brain waves are triggered when someone sees something familiar. Emanuel Donchin, professor of psychology at the University of South Florida, in Tampa, says looking for clues about lying by examining brain scans or brain waves is fraught with problems. In the experiment using fMRI scans, the researcher found the students' brains reacted differently to the five of clubs than to the other cards. But the study did not prove that the difference in brain activity was the result of lying. The brain could be reacting to the previous knowledge that the card had been singled out, Donchin says. "Lies are not being detected. What is being detected is an emotional response to an item," Donchin says.

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And he cites a real world example. In the Guilty Knowledge Test, suspects are asked about their knowledge of some aspect of a crime known only to the guilty person and the police. Say a wallet was stolen and hidden under an aquarium. The police ask the suspect a series of questions about the location of the wallet. (Is the wallet in the cabinet? on the table?) When the police ask if the wallet is under the aquarium, the suspect's brain might respond differently to that question. But this could be because the suspect forgot to feed his fish, or because, when he was a child, he got into big trouble for knocking over an aquarium. "If you respond differentially, you know the item has special significance, but you don't know that the person is lying," Donchin says. Another article on NPR shows that that compulsive liars have more connection in their frontal lobe of their brain.

Radio Lab: Into the Brain of a Liar

Robert Krulwich and Jad Abumrad

The Research
USC: Liars' Brains Wired Differently 'British Journal of Psychiatry' Paper, co-authored by Yaling Yang and Adrian Raine: Prefrontal White Matter in Pathological Liars 'British Journal of Psychiatry' Commentary: Sean Spence, a professor of psychiatry at University of Sheffield, shares his view of the study March 6, 2008 We all lie once a day or so, according to most studies. But usually we tell little lies, like "your new haircut looks great!" And most of us can control when we lie or what we lie about. But some people lie repeatedly and compulsively, about things both big and small. In 2005, a study published in The British Journal of Psychiatry provided the first evidence of structural differences in the brains of people with a history of persistent lying. The study was led by Yaling Yang, a doctoral student in psychology at the University of Southern California, and Adrian Raine, an expert on antisocial disorders who is now at University of Pennsylvania. They expected to see some kind of deficit in the brains of these liars, Yang says. But surprisingly, the liars in their study actually had a surplus specifically, they had more connections in the part of their brains responsible for complex thinking.

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Finding Liars The label "pathological liar" gets used in a variety of ways, and there's no standard psychological definition or test to measure if someone is a pathological liar. So Yang and her team chose to focus their study on people who have a history of repeated lying and seem not to be able to control their lying (hereafter called simply, "liars"). The researchers began by gathering volunteers from temporary employment agencies in the Los Angeles area. The idea was that liars would be over-represented at these agencies; a history of repeated lying would likely make it hard to keep a steady job. Then they ran 108 volunteers through extensive interviews and a battery of tests that measure patterns of deception. In the end, the team found 12 people who showed strong evidence of repeated and compulsive lying. For control groups, they identified 16 people who had antisocial tendencies but no history of lying and 21 people with no history of either lying or antisocial behavior. Into the Scanner Yang and her colleagues put all 49 people, both the liars and the non-liars, into a magnetic resonance imaging scanner and took pictures of their prefrontal cortex. They chose to focus on this area of the brain because previous studies had shown that the prefrontal cortex plays a role in both lying and in antisocial behaviors. If you could look into this part of the brain, which sits right behind your forehead, you would see two kinds of matter: gray and white. Gray matter is the groups of brain cells that process information. Most neuroscience studies focus on gray matter. But nearly half the brain is composed of connective tissues that carry electrical signals from one group of neurons to another. This is white matter. Roughly, gray matter is where the processing happens, and white matter connects different parts of the brain, helping us to bring different ideas together. The liars in Yang's study had on average 22 percent to 26 percent more white matter in their prefrontal cortex than both the normal and antisocial controls. More Connections Yang speculates that the increase in white matter means that people who lie repeatedly and compulsively are better at making connections between thoughts that aren't connected in reality like, say, "me" and "fighter pilot." Consequently, while some of us struggle to come up with reasons

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why we were late for work, or can't go out with someone we don't really like, Yang's liars impulsively serve up a heaping helping of excuses and stories, and fast. "By having more connections," Yang says, "you can jump from one idea to another and you can come up with more random stories and ideas." Admittedly, this study is just a first step. It doesn't show that more white matter in the prefrontal cortex accounts for all lying or that it's the only part of the brain involved. And the study does not establish whether the brain differences lead to lying or whether repeated lying somehow "exercises" connections in the brain. While the study was carefully designed to exclude differences that could be due to age, ethnicity, IQ, brain injury or substance abuse, the small sample size means the results need to be replicated. More research is needed to define what behaviors count as pathological lying and to establish the mechanism behind those behaviors. A Promising Beginning Still, the study provides a promising starting point for exploring the relationship between lying and white matter in the brain. For example, brain scans of autistic people, who have difficulty telling lies, show the exact opposite profile of Yang's liars: They have less white matter than other people. In autistic children, white matter doesn't develop at a normal rate. "For normal people, from age 2 to age 10 there is a big jump in their white matter," says Yang, "and actually that's the same age that they develop the skill to lie." Yang has good reason to be thinking about the development of young brains: She's a new mom. She's on maternity leave keeping a close eye on her daughter, Zoe. "Every step, every little noise she makes, it makes me wonder what's going on in her brain," Yang says. And because she's a scientist, as well as a mother, she does more than just wonder. "It's too early to scan her brain," Yang says, "but eventually I will do it." Soren Wheeler contributed to this report. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87922568

Liars seized by the forelock

Allah Almighty tells about the source of lying inside the brain of humans, fourteen hundred years ago.

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Lying Forelock in Surat Al Alaq

Allah tells us how He will deal with the liars, the lying sinful liars, in surah Al Alaq. (chpater 96).

Surat-Ar-Rahmaan also talks about the lying forelock

"Allah will grab him by the (naseyah) [frontal lobe of the brain], the lying sinful (naseyah). How could anyone have imagined 1,400 years ago, the frontal lobe of the brain was the source of lying, aggression and transgression? Yet, this is described in Quran as the exact location inside of the human mind for these horrible characteristics.

Duaa Placing the Forelock with Allah

Also Muhammad (SAW) told us of in the duaa to relief distress that the place of decision is in the forelock, by submitting his forelock to Allah Tala:

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O Allah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, son of Your maid-slave, my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You which You name Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the Quran the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my

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sorrow and a release for my anxiety.

So is it not amazing that both the Qurran and Muhammad SAW told of the location of where decisions are made, the forelock. From the forelock we can make the decision to na-aoubillah lie or call on Allah to take hold of it, by guiding it and then Insha-Allah we make the greatest position of submission to Allah, and that is sijdah. Also the duamentioned earlier Rasullah mentioned as reported in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad from Abdullah Ibn Masood that Rasullah said, That whoever reads this dua Allah relieves him of his worries

and replaces his sadness with happiness. They (the companions who were present) asked: O Messenger of Allah: Should we learn these words? He replied: Yes! Anyone who hears these words should learn them.

IN NAL HA MAS SAAB BIREEN

Signs of Hypocrites
Muhammad (SAS) said in a really important hadith told us the three big signs that can a munfiq can be recognized. These traits tell us how a munafiq goes through life, and the way they treat each other. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam reported by both al-Bukhari and Muslim: The signs of a (hypocrite) are three: When he talks he lies, when he makes a promise he breaks it and when he is trusted he is disloyal Also is he (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) saying which makes the matter more clear, as is reported by Umar: There are four things, whoever possesses them is a pure hypocrite and whoever possesses one of them possesses a characteristic of hypocrisy until he abandons it. When he is trusted he is disloyal, when he speaks he lies, when he makes a

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promise he breaks it and when he argues he behaves in an insolent manner. [Reported by al-Bukhari]

1 When they speak they lie

Nowadays when you go through the Muslim world they are known and it is very common the majority of us are liars, they always lie. All day, we lie about religion, we lie about personal matters, we lie about financial matters, we lie at work, we lie at school, we lie at the mosque, and we live everywhere we are.

What is lying?
Lying is hiding the truth. For a person who lies all the time scholars tell us that this person has no fear of Allah.

Why do people lie?

The reason why people lie it is most of the time or two main reasons. 1. Either a person is going to gain something from lying cause there hiding something. 2. They are afraid of getting busted. They are afraid of getting exposed. Lying is an extreme sin in Islam. So now let us talk about some examples or types of lying:

Lies against Allah and Rasullah

This is the most serious kind of lie, and the one who does this is subject to a severe warning. Some of the scholars said that the one who does this is to be denounced as a kaafir. So this is a serious offense. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

Say: Verily, those who invent a lie against Allah will never be successful [Yunus 10:69] It was narrated that Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Do not tell lies about me. Whoever tells lies about me, let him enter the Fire.

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(Narrated by al-Bukhari, 106). It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Whoever tells lies about me, let him take his place in Hell. (narrated by al-Bukhari, 110; Muslim, 3). Now some might think well I would never lie about Allah and Rasullah. Opinion about religion w/o Knowledge But we have to be careful because when we give our opinion on issues of deen when we do not have the knowledge, then this is lying against the religion. How many times have you heard someone speaking on a religious matter and they say, I feel or I think, or My vibes tell me. Are you kidding me? What a joke when we say such things? I love how Yusuf Estes may bless him and keep him on Islam says before speaking to non-Muslim, First thank you for asking about my religion, Second we cannot tell a lie as Muslims, especially when it comes to religon. You see brothers and sisters those who speak about religon out of conjecture, out of their own whims and desires have actually sold the religon of Allah for a cheap price. Speaking without knowledge is a dangerous matter. Allah said in Surat al-Isra , Ayah 36:which means:

[Do not act or give judgments in the Religion without knowledge. On the Day of Judgment one s ears, eyes, and heart will be asked about their deeds.]
This is important to follow because giving judgments in the Religion without knowledge is among the ways which lead a person to be a loser in the Hereafter. Indeed, this matter is among the top reasons leading people to enter Hellfire.

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The one who says something is "halal" (permissible) or "haram" (forbidden) in the Religion without relying on a valid religious permission to do so according to the scholars is sinful.

Lying in buying and selling.

Lying also includes lies told about or to other people, such as It was narrated from Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: There are three to whom Allah will not speak on the Day of Resurrection and He will not look at them or praise them, and they will have a painful torment. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) repeated this three times. Abu Dharr said: May they be doomed and lost, who are they, O Messenger of Allah? He said, The one who lets his garment hang below his ankles, the one who reminds others of his favors, and the one who disposes of his goods by swearing a false oath. (Narrated by Muslim, 106) It was narrated that Hakim ibn Hizaam (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: The two parties involved in a transaction have the option [of canceling it] until they part. If they are honest and truthful, their transaction will be blessed for them and if they conceal something and tell lies, the blessing of their transaction will be wiped out. (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1973; Muslim, 532) Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymeeyah said: Allah has enjoined truthfulness and honesty, and He has forbidden lies and concealment with regard to matters which should be known and revealed to people, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said in a hadeeth whose authenticity is agreed upon: The two parties involved in a transaction have the option [of canceling it] until they part. If they are honest and truthful, their transaction will be blessed for them and if they conceal something and tell lies, the blessing of their transaction will be wiped out. And Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

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O you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allah as just witnesses; and let not the enmity and hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just: that is nearer to piety [al-Ma'idah 5:8]. (Minhaj al-Sunnah, 1/16)

Lying about visions and dreams

This refers to when some who claim to have seen such and such in a dream, but they are not telling the truth, then in the morning he starts to tell the people something that he did not see. It was narrated from Ibn Abbaas that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Whoever tells of a dream that he did not see will be commanded [on the Day of Resurrection] to tie two grains of barley together, but he will never be able to do it. Whoever eavesdrops on peoples conversation when they dislike that or they try to get away from him - will have molten copper poured in his ears in the Day of Resurrection. And whoever makes an image will be punished and will be told to breathe life into it, and he will not be able to do so. (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 6635)

Lying in jest
Some people think that it is permissible to tell lies if it is in jest. This is the excuse that they use for telling lies on April 1st or on other days. This is wrong. There is no basis for this in the pure Shari'ah. Lying is haram. whether the one who does it is joking or is serious. Scholors mention that lying in jest is haram, just like other kinds of lies.

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It was narrated that Ibn Umar said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, I joke, but I speak nothing but the truth. (narrated by al-Tabarani in al-Mujam al-Kabeer, 12/391) classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) in Saheeh al-Jami, 2494) It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: They said, O Messenger of Allah, you joke with us. He said, But I only speak the truth.(narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1990) Abu Eesa said: this is a saheeh hasan hadeeth. A similar hadeeth was narrated by al-Tabarani in al-Awsat (8/305) and classed as hasan by al-Haythami in Majma al-Zawaaid, 9/17 Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Laylaa said: the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told us that they were traveling with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). A man among them fell asleep and some of them went and took his arrows. When the man woke up, he got alarmed (because his arrows were missing) and the people laughed. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, What are you laughing at? They said, Nothing, except that we took the arrows and he got alarmed. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: It is not permissible for a Muslim to frighten another Muslim. (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 5004; Ahmad, 22555 this version narrated by Ahmad). It was narrated from Abd-Allaah ibn al-Sa'ib ibn Yazeed from his father from his grandfather that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: None of you should take the belongings of his brother, whether in jest or otherwise. Whoever has taken the stick of his brother, let him return it. (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 5003; al-Tirmidhi, 2160 in brief) The hadeeth was classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh alJami, 7578

Lying when playing with children

We must beware of lying when playing with children, because that will be written down (in the record of deeds of) the one who that. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) warned against doing that. It was narrated that Abd-Allaah ibn Aamir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: My mother called me one day when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was sitting in our house. She said, Come here, and I will give you 50

(something). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, What do you want to give him? She said, I will give him a date. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: If you had not given him something, you would have been lying. And it was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Whoever says to a child, Come here and take this, then does not give him something, this is counted as a lie. (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4991) This hadeeth was classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jami, 1319.

Lying to make people laugh

It was narrated that Muaawiyah ibn Haydah said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: Woe to the one who talks to make the people laugh and tells lies, woe to him, woe to him. (narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 235. He said: this is a hasan hadeeth. Also narrated by Abu Dawood, 4990). So these are some examples of different kinds of lying that we as Believers must become aware of it. We ask Allah Tala to forgive all of us of the time we have fallen into this sin, and ask hidayat and tawfeeq to stay away from lying.

Solutions to Lying
So what are some of the solutions to lying. Do not speak everything one hears Our Beloved Rasullah (SAW) gave us one solution when in Sahih Muslim he was reported to have said: It is sufficient lying for a man to speak of everything that he hears. (Narrated by Muslim, 5) So let us be careful speak about everything that we hear, because sometimes we hear lies and sometimes truth and the one who publishes everything they hear is liable to spread lies. Hold your Tongue Rasullah gave anothersolution to not getting trouble with our tongues when he said, That whoever believes in Allah and the day of judgment, should not be mean to their neighbors, treat their guest with honor, and say something good or be quiet. 51

In another similar hadith, Uqbah Ibn Aamir narrates: I said, "O RasulAllah! What is salvation?" He sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Hold your tongue! Make your house spacious for your guest. And cry over your (own) faults (Tirmidhi)!

The pious, knowledgeable people said it is a very good act for the person to say: "I do not know," when it is applicable to do so. If one does not know the religious judgment on a particular case, he should not venture his own opinion on it. Once, when Imam ^Aliyy was asked about something which he did not know, he said, "I do not know." Then he added, "How soothing it is for me to say I do not know when I do not know." Imam ^Aliyy meant that he felt comfortable not to answer a religious question when he did not know the answer to it. We should take heed and follow the words of Imam ^Aliyy in this matter. He was one of the most honored Companions of the Prophet--known for his high level of knowledge and comprehension in the Religion. Once, when Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, was asked what the best and the worst places were, he answered: His words mean: "I do not know. I will ask Jibril." When the Prophet asked Jibril, Jibril also said, "I do not know." After a period of time, Jibril returned to Prophet Muhammad with the answer which Allah revealed to him: "The worst places are the markets and the best places are the mosques." This is a sahih hadith related by Imam Muslim and others. The Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, taught us a very important lesson by his response. It is not shameful for one to reply, "I do not know" when it is applicable, but it is shameful to speak about religious matters without knowledge. Only Allah knows everything. For the Muslim to be safe on the Day of Judgment, he should speak only about what he knows. If one needs an answer to a Religious question, he should ask one more knowledgeable than himself or a trustworthy Muslim who can ask another pious, knowledgeable Muslim. This is the way the knowledge of the Religion is taught, and this is the way the knowledge is preserved.

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A believer does not lie

To the point that one time the sahaba the companies of the the prophet, came to the prophet Muhammad (SAS) and asked him this, Will a believer steal? and the prophet said yes, a believer might steal. Then they asked will a believer commit adultery, and the prophet said yes, they might. Then the last question was will a believer lie and he said no a believer would not lie. Now this is a really dangerous hadith if you do not understand it correctly. The hadith does not mean you can steal and commit adultery. Stealing It is saying that a believer might feel weak that there need might push them to steal. Lets say you are hungry poor, starving, you are begging people for food and money and they are not giving it to you. Nobody is helping you, any food or money. Or even worse you have children who are starving. Would you steal at that moment? Yes. Youre going to end up stealing. Or you have a rent and you need money so you are going beg around for money look for loans. Adultery The other thing is adultery. Having a relation with a male and female is haram and a Kabir or major. But can a believer slip and get tempted and fall into this major sin, according to this hadith. So if shataan gets into that person he or she might fall into that temptation. And it is not okay it is a big deal. The prophet is not saying it is okay, but the believer might slip, and do that crime (wan a othoro billa). But would a believer ever lie he Muhammad (SAS) says no. How come a believer my slip and steal, slip and commit adultery but he or she is not supposed to lie? The scholars mention, because lying has no benefit and there is not need for it. Your body doesnt need you to lie. Physically when someone commits adultery there body is pushing them to it. When somebody steals there life depends on that money if shataan gets to them. But when you lie, you have no reason to lie. If you are afraid you should know that you should not be afraid of anybody except Allah. So fear should not be controlling you.

Cases where lying is allowed

Now there are circumstances when lying is okay. Such as in war to lie to your enemies, but none of us are in that position as General.

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Another expection is to fib, just a litter to fix relations, especially when it comes to a husband and wife. As an example let us say a husband and wife get into an argument and they are getting to the piont of divorce. So scholars mention then one can in order to amend, and fix their relations got the husband and say your wife really misses you and wants you back, and go to the wife and say your husband misses you and wants you, even though theydid not say that. Another example is a husband and wife get into an argument and the husband or wife goes and says you know what honey you are 100% correct, I am sorry let us amend. And that person in their heart does not feel that they 100% incorrect, maybe they fee they are only 50% incorrect, nevertheless they say this to make amends. The believer is trying to fix it. Another incited is when Abu Sufyaan wife came to the prophet and said Abu Sufyaan was not spending enough money on the family. So he said it is okay to take money from his back and spend it on what is needed. Now that may sound like stealing but she is not thinking it of her sake she is thinking of it for her families sake. So lets say the wife has children and the husband is greedy and doesnt want to spend it on his family. She is allowed to take enough money for her family behind his back. So lying is 100 percent wrong except in those two cases. But in general when you have fear you should have no fear except of Allah (SWT). Why because you wont get any benefit you will get in bigger crime. Second Lunch Lets say you are a greedy person who loves to eat. So somebody asks you have you had lunch yet when you had lunch but you say no I didnt have lunch yet. So youre greedy you want to have a second lunch with him. Why did you lie. That is a shameful act, to gain to get something to get some food. Eid-ee Or let say a relative is giving you some e-di, this is some money for eid as a gift. And it is a big family and they ask did we give you e-de and you say no you didnt. so they give double the e-de. So that lie is based on greed.

Allah is with Saadiqeen

So lying is haram in Islam. And Allah is with those who are truthful. 54

And Allah said in the Quran the principle we learn here is that Allah is is with the honest people. And when Allah (SWT) is with you do you need anybody else. Allah (SWT) is protecting you and taking care of you. Supporting you. Do you need anybody else do you need to go and lie to somebody else. No. you get all what you need with Allah. Continual truth = Paradise In Sahih Muslim 'Abdullah reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: It is obligatory for you to tell the truth, for truth leads to virtue and virtue leads to Paradise, and the man who continues to speak the truth and endeavors to tell the truth is eventually recorded as truthful with Allah, and beware of telling of a lie for telling of a lie leads to obscenity and obscenity leads to Hell-Fire, and the person who keeps telling lies and endeavors to tell a lie is recorded as a liar with Allah.

2nd Sign Promise Breakers

The second thing is they promise something they break it. The reason why it is a sign of hypocrisy is usually you promise something you are giving your honor you are giving your because the Iman of Islam takes us to a higher level. Because you are pure for Allah (SWT). So when you give your promise to someone Muslim or non-Muslim and you break you your promise you look horrible in front of peoples eyes. Usually if you break promises, you promise me for example to give you a specific book or meet me somewhere for a specific incident or 55

occasion or drive me somewhere for example and then I wait for you or I go over there to meet you and you dont show what happens to me, what happened to my time, what happen to my feeling, what happen to my arrangement, what happen to some other important thing I was supposed to do. I sacrificed my time for you. You basically crushed me trust in you. When you are breaking your promise you are crushing the person you promised to. You have made them feel horrible. And the prophet Muhammad (SAS) said that the believer to the believer or the Muslim to the Muslim are just like the building, all the bricks together, keep the building together from falling apart. So when you are crushing the brother or sister you are going to opposite and you are mimicking the munafiqeen and you are a hypocrite because that is how they deal with others. So as Muslims we all fall into this. This is known unfortunate these days. When a Muslim promises you come later, half an hour, 45 minutes. You see this every day. You see this every day. People invite you to dinner. They say it starts at five, and you come at 5:45. Why? You have an excuse, I over slept, traffic, so leave earlier. Get out earlier, so you dont have to break your promise. People would tell you your work is from 7 to 3, and what time do you show up at work seven twenty. What happen, boss I got stuck in traffic, boss there was an accident, boss I had a flat tire, and you make all these excuses. Can you really have an accident, yeah? But if you always break your promise, on a daily or weekly basis, then you are a hypocrite. But if you are on time in six months and you get stuck in traffic, then Allah (SWT) will forgive you. But if you keep on breaking your promise you are a hypocrite. Even if it sounds harsh you are a hypocrite. A promise is a promise, your business hour is a promise, your school hours are a promise, your prayers to Allah (SWT) is a promise. We need to be afraid of that otherwise we will end up in the lowest part of hell fire.

Muhammad SAW waits for 3 days

It is reported about the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) in his seerah with acceptable chains of narration, that he made a promise to a man that he would meet him. So the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) came to the meeting place at the appointed time, but the man broke his promise and he remained in that place for three days and nights. Then the man remembered and came, so the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said to him: You have troubled me (i.e. caused me inconvenience).

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Therefore, the person who breaks his promise on purpose or carelessness that is a clear sign of hypocrisy. This occurs due to the lack of discipline in the promises made between the Muslims. Whoever promises to meet you at a certain hour, day or place then fails you in your promise then know that he possesses a branch of hypocrisy.

Righteous do not make promises they cannot keep

One of the righteous used to say when making a promise to his brother: If Allah wills and there is no promise between me and you, if I am able then I will be present and if I am not able then pardon me. This, in order that a branch of hypocrisy does not penetrate into him and that it is not written for him that he possesses a branch of hypocrisy.

3rd Sign Break a Trust

The third sign the hypocrite breaks the trust. A lot of us get trusted with information, secret, plan, or an object or a even a child. Then what happen we betray that trust, that secret and tell everyone, the plan is published to the world, the object given gets lost, broken, misused, and the child entrusted to us is not taken care like our own. Now examples of that and this is a very common one, someone says there is a surprise party for this person he is getting out of the hospital. So you go and you tell everyone. And the person who is supposed to be surprised finds out. The person might not act surprised or might not even like it. Usually when you surprise someone you do it because you love them. And when you tell that person you hurt their feelings for spoiling. Another common one is borrowing books from a friend or library and you dont take care of it. You drop water on it or you are eating pizza. The pizza sauce falls on it and you try to clean it off but you just mess it up some more. That is breaking the trust that is breaking the amana. You borrow a clean paper and you give it back crumbled, you broke the trust and you are a hypocrite. Because and amana is an amana and once you say I will keep this safe for you and you mess it up you have became a hypocrite. Another example you borrow someone car to drive somewhere because your car broke down. Then the door was clean and now there are some scratches on it that was an amana. The car didnt belong to you, you took it and that person trusted you to keep it same. So now you must tell the person. Brother I took the car and it got scratched and I didnt scratch it someone else did and if you want me to replace the car I will because it is my duty and 57

responsibility. The person might say it is okay, or the person will make you fix it and you have to fix it. You have to fix it even though it wasnt your fault. The person gave it to you for safe keeping. You are going out of town and you give me your key to the house so you can water the plants. Instead you have a party. Watch movies, sleep there, eat popcorn. That key was a trust and amana and you broke it. An amana is an amana and you must not break it or else you will be a hypocrite. Allah says in the Quran the sign of believer is that they are caring for each other. I someone gives you a safe key they dont spread it they keep it safe. They dont damage it they dont misuse it. And the prophet says when you have been given an amana keep it safe dont be dishonest. So dont be a hypocrite or you will be in the lowest part of hell fire.

We can say, without doubt that, lying is one of the most evil characteristics, of which all religions and systems of ethics warn against and which man's innate common sense (Fitrah) agrees that it is wrong. Any who possess normal chivalry and sound reason would be obliged to same the same. Truthfulness is one of the pillars on which the moral survival of the world depends. It is the foundation of praiseworthy characteristics, the foundation of prophet hood, and the result of taqwa. Were it not for truthfulness, the rulings of all divinely-revealed laws would collapse. Acquiring the characteristic of lying is akin to shedding one's humanity, because speaking is an exclusively human trait. (Bareeqah Mahmoodiyyah, Muhammad al-Khaadimi, 3/183) Our purely monotheistic Shari'ah warns against lying in the Quran and Sunnah, and there is consensus that it is haram. The liar will have bad consequences in this world and in the next. According to Shari'ah, lying is not permitted except in specific cases which do not lead to loss of rights, bloodshed or slander of peoples honor, etc., but which concern saving lives, reconciling between people, or creating love between husband and wife. There is a never a day or a moment when Shari'ah permits a person to tell lies or to say whatever he wants based on lies. One of the things that have become widespread among the common people is the so

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called April Fools Day, where they claim that the first day of the fourth solar month is a day when lying is permitted without being subject to any shari'ah guidelines. Many bad things may result from this, some of which we will mention below. The prohibition of lying. 1. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): It is only those who believe not in the Ayah (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah, who fabricate falsehood, and it is they who are liars." [al-Nahl 16:105] Ibn Kathir said: Then Allah tells us that His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is not a fabricator or a liar, because only the most evil of people who do not believe in the signs of Allah, the kafirs and heretics who are known amongst the people for telling lies, tell lies about Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was the most truthful of people, the most righteous, the most perfect in knowledge, action, faith and certain belief. He was known amongst his people for his truthfulness; none of them doubted that, to such an extent that he was known amongst them as al-Ameen (the trustworthy) Muhammad. So, when Heraclius, the ruler of Rome, asked Abu Sufyan about the characteristics of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), one of the things he asked was, Did you ever accuse him of lying before he said what he said? He said, No. Heraclius said: If he refrained from telling lies about people he would not go and tell lies about Allah (Tafseer Ibn Kathir, 2/588) 2. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: The signs of the hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is entrusted with something, he betrays that trust.

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(Narrated by al-Bukhari, 33; Muslim, 59) al-Nawawi said: What the commentators and most of the scholars said which is correct is that this means that these characteristics are the characteristics of hypocrisy, and the one who has these characteristics resembles the hypocrites in this sense." The words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), He is a pure hypocrite mean that he strongly resembles the hypocrites because of these characteristics. Some of the scholars said: this is concerning one in whom these characteristics predominate; one in whom these characteristics rarely appear is not included in this. This is the favored view concerning the meaning of this hadeeth. Imam Abu Eesa al-Tirmidhi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated this meaning from the scholars and said: The meaning of this according to the scholars is hypocrisy in one's actions. (Sharh Muslim, 2/46-47) The most evil kinds of lies are:

The punishment for lying: The liar is warned of destructive punishment in this world, and humiliating punishment in the Hereafter. These include: 1. Hypocrisy in the heart. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): So He punished them by putting hypocrisy into their hearts till the Day whereon they shall meet Him, because they broke that (covenant with Allah) which they had promised to Him and because they used to tell lies [al-Tawbah 9:77]

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Abd-Allaah ibn Masood said: You may know the hypocrite by three things: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is entrusted with something he betrays that trust.. He said: Recite this ayah (interpretation of the meaning): And of them are some who made a covenant with Allah (saying): If He bestowed on us of His Bounty, we will verily, give Sadaqah (Zakaah and voluntary charity in Allah's Cause) and will be certainly among those who are righteous. Then when He gave them of His Bounty, they became niggardly [refused to pay the Sadaqah (Zakaah or voluntary charity)], and turned away, averse. So He punished them by putting hypocrisy into their hearts till the Day whereon they shall meet Him, because they broke that (covenant with Allah) which they had promised to Him and because they used to tell lies [al-Tawbah 9:75-77]. (Musanaaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, 6/125) 2. Guidance to evildoing and to the Fire It was narrated that Abd-Allaah ibn Masood said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Truthfulness is righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. A person will continue to tell the truth until he is written with Allah as one who tells the truth. Lying is evildoing, and evildoing leads to Hell. A person will keep on telling lies until he is written as a liar. (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 5743; Muslim, 2607) al-Sanaani said: This hadeeth indicates that whoever continues to speak the truth, it will become a feature of his, and whoever deliberately tells lies and persists in it, it will become a feature of his. This is the same as any other good or evil characteristic, if a person persists in it, it becomes a feature of his.

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This hadeeth indicates how serious the matter of telling the truth is, and that it may lead a person to Paradise, and it indicates how ugly lying is and how it may lead a person to Hell. This is in addition to the consequences in this world, for the one who tells the truth will have his words accepted by people, and his testimony will be accepted by judges and he will be liked for what he says, whereas for the liar the opposite will be the case. Subul al-Salaam, 2/687 3. His testimony will be rejected Ibn al-Qayyim said: [The reason why the testimony of the liar is rejected] The strongest reason why testimonies, Fatwas and reports may be rejected is lying, because it corrupts the very essence of the testimony, Fatwa or report. It is like the testimony of a blind man concerning sighting the new moon, or the testimony of a deaf man concerning having heard the admission of someone. The lying tongue is like some faculty that is no longer working, indeed it is even worse than that, for the most evil thing a man may possess is a lying tongue. Alaam al-Muwaqqieen, 1/95 4. Blackening of the face in this world and in the Hereafter Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): And on the Day of Resurrection you will see those who lied against Allah (i.e. attributed to Him sons, partners) their faces will be black" [al-Zumar 39:60] Ibn al-Qayyim said: Hence on the Day of Resurrection Allah will make blackened faces the sign of the one who told lies about Him and His Messenger. Lying has a great effect in blackening the face and covering it with a mask of shame which every truthful person will be able to see. The feature of the liar is clearly visible in the face, and everyone who has the eyes to see can see it. But Allah will bless the truthful person with dignity and respect, so whoever sees him will respect him and love him, and He

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will give the liar humiliation and shame, so whoever sees him will loathe him and despise him. And Allah is the Source of strength. Alaam al-Muwaqqieen, 1/95 5. The liar will have the flesh of his cheeks torn to the back of his head It was narrated that Samurah ibn Jundub (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) often used to say to his companions, Has anyone among you seen a dream? Then whoever Allah willed would tell of his dream. One day he said to us, Two (angels) came to me last night and woke me up, then they said to me, Lets go! so we set out and came to a man who was lying flat on his back and another man standing over his head with an iron hook, and behold, he would put the hook in one side of the man's mouth and tear off that side of his face to the back (of the neck) and similarly tear his nose from front to back and his eye from front to back. Then he turned to the other side of the man's face and did just as he had done with the other side. Hardly had he completed this side when the first side was restored to its normal state. Then he went back and did that all over again. I said to my two companions, 'Subhaan Allah! Who are these two persons?' They said to me, Move on, move on!' (Then he said, describing how the two angels explained the things that he had seen): As for the man you came across, the sides of whose mouth, nostrils and eyes were being torn off from front to back, he is the symbol of the man who goes out of his house in the morning and tells so many lies that it spreads all over the world. (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 5745) The comments of the Salaf on lying: 1. Abd-Allaah ibn Masood said: A man may speak the truth and persist in doing so until there is in his heart not even room for evil the size of a needle. Or a man may tell lies and persist in doing so until there is in his heart not even room for truth the size of a needle. 2. And it was narrated that he said: It is not correct to tell lies whether in jest or in seriousness, then Abd-Allaah recited the ayah (interpretation of the meaning):

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O you who believe! Fear Allah, and be with those who are true (in words and deeds) [al-Tawbah 9:119] 3. Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq said: Beware of lying, for it has nothing to do with faith. 4. It was narrated that Sad ibn Abi Waqqas said: The believer may acquire all sorts of characteristics except treachery and lying. 5. It was narrated that Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: True faith is not achieved until one gives up lying in jest. (Musanaaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, 5/235, 236) Permissible kinds of lies Lying is permissible in three cases: war; reconciling between two disputing parties; and a husband lying to his wife or vice versa for the sake of love and harmony. It was narrated from Umm Kalthum Bint Uqbah that she heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: He is not a liar who reconciles between people and narrates something good or says something good. (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 2546; Muslim, 2605) It was narrated that Asma Bint Yazeed said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: It is not permissible to tell lies except in three (cases): when a man speaks to his wife in a way to please her; lying in war; and lying in order to reconcile between people.

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30 Signs of the Hypocrites Posted by Ibn e Adam in Family, Social Life, Business and Trade on 10 15th, 2009 | 4 responses

by Sheikh Aaid al-Qarnee Introduction to the Signs of Hypocrisy Indeed, all praise belongs to Allah. We praise Him, seek His aid and forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our own selves and from our evil actions. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide him and whomsoever Allah misguides then none can guide him. I bear witness that nothing has the right to be worshipped except Allah, in His Oneness, without any partners and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared and die not except that you are Muslims. [Surah ali-'Imran (3):102] O Mankind! Fear your Lord, Who created you from a single soul (adam) and from him created his partner and from them both sent forth many men and women. Fear Allah from whom you demand your mutual rights and reverence the wombs that bore you. For Allah ever watches over you. [Surah an-Nisa' (4):l] O you who believe! Fear Allah and always say a truthful word. He will direct you to do righteous actions and will forgive you your sins. Whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has already attained the highest success.[Surah al-Ahzab (33):7071]

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To proceed: Indeed the best speech is the Book of Allah and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). The worst of affairs are the newly invented matters, for every newly invented matter is an innovation and every innovation is misguidance and every misguidance is in Hellfire. Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah) divides the whole of mankind into three categories: Since Allah, the Exalted, sent Muhammad and strengthened him with His assistance and the hijrah, mankind has divided into three groups:
y y y

The Believers: they are the ones who believe in Him outwardly and inwardly. The disbelievers: they are the ones who outwardly disbelieve in Him. The hypocrites: they are the ones who believe outwardly but not inwardly.

Because of this, Surah al-Baqarah begins with four verses dealing with the description of the believers, two verses dealing with the description of the disbelievers and thirteen verses contain the description of the hypocrites. [Majmu'alFatawa 28/433] The disbelievers are open in their disbelief. Their rejection of Allah and His Messenger is harmful only to themselves. As for the hypocrites, they openly profess belief yet belie the Quran and its bringer, Muhammad Inwardly they disbelieve and seek to destroy the Religion of Islam and its true adherents, as Ibn ul-Qayyim al-Jawzi (rahimahullah) has mentioned: Thirteen verses (in the beginning of Surah al-Baqarah) describe the hypocrites due to their abundance, the many trials they cause and the intensefitnah they cause to Islam and its adherents. [Madarij as-Salikeen p. 198] So they seek to destroy Islam, to turn Iman into kufr, Tawheed into shirk, Sunnah into bidah, justice into oppression and reformation i nto corruption and mischief. Thus, they pose a greater danger to the Ummah than the disbelievers, whose plotting and planning is more evident and clear to the Muslims. They exist and have existed in every age and era in the guise of leaders, reformers and deliverers from oppression. Yet Allah has full knowledge of them and has already described them

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with their corruption and deception and will soon land them in the lowest depths of Hellfire. We seek refuge in Allah from that. However, these outright hypocrites are only half of the very serious and corrosive disease of hypocrisy present within the Ummah. The other half is due to the hypocrisy in action which is widespread throughout the Ummah. You will not travel to a place where Muslims reside except that you will find a fair number among them lazy, delaying the fixed prayers beyond their proper times, lyin-, breaking promises, deceitful, cowardly, showing off, insincere, harsh and callous, backbiting, slandering and other such features which none but the outright hypocrites possess. When cancer spreads through the body, destroying it from within and corroding it, how can it seek to be fit, dynamic and full of vitality and what after that can restore it and bring it back to health and life? When such repugnant qualities a.-e present and widespread throughout the Ummah rendering it diseased and sick, how can the Ummah stand upon its feet and help itself.? How can this Ummah receive help and assistance from Allah? How will His mercy, blessings, aid and forgiveness descend? The mischief, oppression and injustice dominant in the Muslim lands is made to continue because of the hypocrisy in action which you and I are guilty of. Until we seek repentance, hurry for His forgiveness. cleanse our hearts from such sins and strive to remove them with Allahs help, you and I as individuals will not prosper, nor our communities, nor this Ummah. Indeed, if Allah wishes, He could destroy us all and bring a generation who would be completely devoid of such evil characteristics, worship Him sincerely and aid His cause with firmness upon His Path. The Exalted says: O You who Believe! Whoever from among you turns away from his Religion (then) soon will Allah bring a people (in replacement of you) whom He will love and they will love Him. [Surah al-Ma'idah-(5):54] It is we who are destitute, in need and Allah is free of all wants, worthy of all Praise. Therefore this is a matter of great, concern, consideration and fear for us all.

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The Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: Indeed the Muslim sees his sins as if he is sitting under a mountainfearing that it will fall upon him. [Reported by al-Bukhari from'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud] Somehow great effort has to be spent in expelling this fatal virus of hypocrisy. It might be pertinent to mention a way Ibn Qudamah alMaqdisi has described, by which a person can remove evil characteristics from himself. He mentions that a person should list all those particular qualities which are a defect in his character. Then he should attend to each one, individually and strive to remove it by doing the opposite of it and to persist in that until its opposite becomes a habit. During his struggle against this idiosyncrasy he should learn why he fell into it, how he is drawn towards it and how he can avoid it in the future. Once he has overcome and. removed one of these characteristics he can cross it off his list, praise and thank Allah for this success which was bestowed upon him by the Mercy of Allah and then move onto the next one. One can list those particular signs of hypocrisy which are characteristic of him and Allahs refuge is sought from that and then seeking Allahs aid he can strive to remove them, thus clearing himself from hypocrisy [[Mukhtasir Minhaj il-Qasideen p.379]. I hope Allah benefits me and all those who read this from what Shaikh Aid has written. Some of the Pious Predecessors used to say May Allah show mercy to that man who guided us to our faults, so may Allah have mercy upon him and forgive him for directing us to the signs of hypocrisy which he has deduced from the Quran and the Sunnah and may He also reward him for his effort and great concern. Purpose of Bringing Up The Topic of Hypocrisy Indeed one of the manifest characteristics of the believers is that they investigate and scrutinise their intentions, actions, behaviour and overall situation as regards to how they will fare on that terrifying day when: Every soul will be confronted with all the good it has done and all the evil it has done and it will wish that there was between it and its (evil) a great distance. Surah al-Imran (3):30

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Umar (radiallahu anhu) used to say when he would give advice: Call your own souls to account before you are called to account (on the Day of Judgement), weigh your own souls before you are weighed (on the Day of Judgement) and prepare yourselves for the biggest exposition! Hypocrisy in actions penetrates the Muslim community as the fire penetrates and devours wood. It enters into the hearts from directions that are not perceived. Thus, being vigilant and sealing the doors through which it enters is a prerequisite to protection. A poet said: I acquainted myself with evil not for evil but in order to avoid it. Whoever does not know the evil is deserving of falling into it Therefore, this protection cannot be complete except by knowing the signs, characteristics and the minutest details of hypocrisy because this knowledge of its truth as an enemy is necessary for its expulsion, as well as causing its defeat. Umar (radiallahu anhu) said: Verily, the bonds of Islam are removed one by one from a people who are born into Islam and do not know what jahiliyyah is. Likewise the one who does not know the reality of hypocrisy will have the bonds of truthfulness and sincerity removed from him one by one until he falls into falsehood and hypocrisy. Many legislative texts have been reported which draw attention to the greatness of the signs of hypocrisy, warning the Muslim of the presence of just one of these signs within him or her. The Salaf (Pious Predecessors) of this Unimah never ceased to have an intense fear of hypocrisy. For this reason even Umar insisted on asking Hudhaifa (radiallahu anhuma): Did the Messenger of Allah count me amongst the hypocrites? This teaches a poignant lesson to those who feel comfortable, thinking that their actions for the sake of Allah are so many. Umar was one of the ten who had been granted the good tidings of Paradise but nevertheless, he still feared hypocrisy. So the question must be asked: What then, is the case of those besides Umar (radiallahu anhu) who are less than him in piety. and the fear of Allah? Shaikh aid bin Abdullah al-Qarnee, may Allah protect him, has covered the essence of the signs or characteristics of hypocrisy, has been exhaustive in revealing and explaining

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them and has warned us about them, with a warning which a sincere lover would give to the one he or she loves. May Allah reward him greatly for his wise and beneficial undertaking. Noble reader! Here is a collection from among the signs of hypocrisy with which you should evaluate your soul and then, purify it from the effects of hypocrisy and impurities of riya (showing off). Consult your heart sincerely, even if the people have a good impression of you and Allah is the One from Whom all help is sought and upon Him should all trust be placed. Indeed Allah is the Knower of all that is in the hearts. [Surah al-'Imran (3):154] The Hypocrites Mentioned in the Quran Praise be to Allah Who is well informed and ever watchful. Blessed be the One Who has placed in the sky constellations and made therein a blazing lamp and a moon which both illuminate. He is the One Who has made the night and day follow each other in alternation for the one who wishes to celebrate the praises of Allah or one who desires to be grateful. I testify that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah and I testify that Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger who was sent by his Lord as a guide, a bringer of good tidings, a wamer and an inviter to Allah, by His permission; the shining light who conveyed the message, fulfilled his trust, advised the Ummah and strove in the way of Allah until there came to him the certainty. Peace and Blessings be upon him, his family and his Companions. Allah, Glory be to Him, the Exalted, mentions the word nifaq (hypocrisy) and its derivatives thirty-seven times in a number of different Surahs, which are: al-Imran (3), al-Hashr (59), at-Tawbah (9), al-Ahzab (33), alFath (48), al-Hadid (57), al-Anfal (8), al-Munafiqun (63), anNisa (4), al-Ankabut (29) and at-Tahrim (66). These words are mentioned repeatedly in the above Surahs, proving the danger of the hypocrites upon society and its following of the Religion. We ask Allah to purify and free us from them and that He brings out from within them their

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disease as well as causing their cure. Indeed, He is Powerful over that and capable of it. The Types of hypocrisy The scholars of ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaah have divided hypocrisy into two types:
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The First Type: hypocrisy in Belief [An-Nifaq al-l'tiqadiyy]

This takes the one guilty of it, out of the Religion and into the lowest depths of the Fire. He is the one who rejects internally and secretly the Messengership of Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), even if he proclaims that he in fact believes and makes this outwardly clear or he rejects the Books, the angels or any fundamental point of belief from among the basics of Aqeedah (creed) of Ahl-us-Sunnah. The proof of that is Allah saying, Glory be to Him, the Exalted: Among men are those who say:We believe in Allah and the Last Day, but they do not really believe. They (think) that they deceive Allah and those who believe, but they only deceive their own souls, yet they do not perceive. In their hearts is a disease so Allah has increased their disease and for them is a mighty punishment for the lies they used to tell. [Surab alBaqarah (2):8-10]
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The Second Type: hypocrisy in Actions [An-Nifaq al'Amaliyy]

This does not take the one guilty of it out of Islam. However, the danger of that is still present. The proof of that is the saying of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam reported by both al-Bukhari and Muslim: The signs of a (hypocrite) are three: When he talks he lies, when he makes a promise he breaks it and when he is trusted he is disloyal Also is his (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) saying which makes the matter more clear, as is reported by Umar: There are four things, whoever possesses them is a pure hypocrite and whoever possesses one of them possesses a

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characteristic of hypocrisy until he abandons it. When he is trusted he is disloyal, when he speaks he lies, when he makes a promise he breaks it and when he argues he behaves in an insolent manner. [Reported by al-Bukhari] 30 Signs of Hypocrites Sign One: Falsehood and Lying Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah) says: Lying is a pillar from among the pillars of disbelief. He also says that whenever Allah mentions hypocrisy in the Quran, He mentions lying along with it and vice versa. The One free from all imperfections, the Exalted has said: They think that they deceive Allah and those who have accepted Faith, but they do not deceive except themselves and yet they do not perceive this. In their hearts is a disease so Allah has increased them in this disease. For them is a tormenting punishment for their falsehood. Surah al-Baqarah (2):8-10

+Allah does witness that the hypocrites are indeed liars. Surah al-Munafiqoon (63):1 Whenever hypocrisy is mentioned, lack of the remembrance of Allah is mentioned and when Faith is mentioned the remembrance of Allah is mentioned along with it. Allah says: They do not remember Allah except little. Surah an-Nisa (4):142 0 You who believe! Do not let your wealth or offspring divert you from the remembrance of Allah. Surah al-Munafiqoon (63):9 Allah has cleared the believers of hypocrisy due to their remembrance of Him and has described the hypocrites with their little remembrance of Him. The Messenger of Allah said as is reported by both al-Bukhari and Muslim: The signs of a hypocrite are three

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Among them is mentioned that when he talks he lies. Therefore, if he lies jokingly or seriously (in any matter) or in order to accomplish an objective or an end then there is within him a branch of hypocrisy. He does not lie except due to the hypocrisy in his heart and Allah is the One from whom all aid is sought. Lying is a clear sign which testifies to the hypocrisy of the one who does it. Likewise for the one who lies in jest as some people are careless in that. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: Woe be to him, woe be to him, woe be to him, he who utters a lie to make people laugh. Lying is cursed whether it is done seriously or jokingly. So one must be cautious against this blameworthy habit since the foundation of hypocrisy, its greatest pillar, its leader, its momentum and its support is lying. The hypocrites did not exhibit hypocrisy except due to falsehood in their hearts and that begins as a small speck in the heart, then deepens and enlarges, until it becomes a fortress from among the fortresses of hypocrisy - refuge is only with Allah! Therefore, I warn myself and you, for the sake of Allah, from lying. Beware of lying as it is due to hypocrisy and Allah has described the hypocrites with lying. 30 Signs of Hypocrites Sign Two:Treachery Evidence for this is his [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] saying: and when he makes a covenant with somebody he acts treacherously (or is disloyal). [reported by al-Bukhari from'Abdullah bin 'Amr al-'Aas] So whoever gives his right hand to the Muslims, the leader or any Muslim and makes a covenant with him, or to a disbeliever in war (i.e. treaty) and then acts treacherously (or is disloyal to his covenant) then he has testified against himself with hypocrisy.

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This is shown from the hadeeth of Buraidah in Saheeh Muslim, the day when he appointed an ameer and said to him: When the people of the fort ask you that they should be allowed to give up and (be judged) in accordance with the judgement of Allah, for verily, your guarding/protecting your covenants is easier than guarding/protecting the covenant of Allah. Whoever gives his trust to a man, his wife, his son, his companion, his friend or the leader, then deceives and acts treacherously without legal justification from the Shariah, then clearly, this is a sign and a pillar from the pillars of hypocrisy and refuge is only with Allah. 30 Signs of Hypocrites Sign Three: Showing Insolence and Licentiousness in Argumentation This is due to the prophets [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] saying reported by both al-Bukhari and Muslim: and when he argues he behaves insolently. The People of Knowledge have said: whoever argues with a Muslim (and I say a Muslim because argumentation with disbelievers is in a different category which they have separated from argumentation with a Muslim) and behaves immodestly in his argumentation then he has called Allah to witness as to what is in his heart: that he is an insolent hypocrite. As for the disbeliever, then there is a hadith: War is deception. [1]Ali (radiallahu anhu) acted upon it and it has another separate explanation. When deception of the disbelievers is required and jesting with them and making ruses and stratagems against them is appropriate then there is no treachery in that, but rather it comes under the category of deception and strategy and there is no evil in it. 1. Reported by Abu Dawood and al-Bayhaqi. The hadith however is not authentic as there is an unknown narrator Abdul-Kareem bin Abdullah bin Shaqeeq in the chain. See Sunan Abee Daawood no. 4996. 30 Signs of Hypocrites

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Sign Four: Breaking Ones Promise Whoever makes a promise to his brother and then breaks his promise has inherited a branch from among,the branches of hypocrisy. It is reported about the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) in his seerah with acceptable chains of narration, that he made a promise to a man that he would meet him. So the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) came to the meeting place at the appointed time, but the man broke his promise and he remained in that place for three days and nights. Then the man remembered and came, so the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said to him: You have troubled me (i.e. caused me inconvenience). Therefore, one who breaks his promise without having been kept back or restrained then that is a clear sign of hypocrisy. This occurs due to the lack of discipline in the promises made between the Muslims. Whoever promises to meet you at a certain hour, day or place then fails you in your promise then know that he possesses a branch of hypocrisy to wash your hands of him (his acquaintance). One of the righteous used to say when making a promise to his brother: If Allah wills and there is no promise between me and you, if I am able then I will be present and if I am not able then pardon me. This, in order that a branch of hypocrisy does not penetrate into him and that it is not written for him that he possesses a branch of hypocrisy. Refuge is only with Allah! This is the hypocrisy in action which is abundant due to the lack of faith in some Muslims. They wake up breaking promises, lying, behaving insolently (with people) and acting treacherously. When a traveller goes to the lands of disbelief and sees their selfcentred discipline due to materialistic goals and their discipline in making promises he says: How strange! I found sincerity, truthfulness and trustworthiness there. So he returns extolling the enemies of Allah and the followers of every atheist, apostate and coward whilst cursing the Muslims. So we say to him: You found over there a people trading with the dirham and the deenar (money), worshipping the profit and you have found people here who have no Faith and who have opposed the laws of

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Allah, thereby making the image, this Religion repugnant and repulsive in the eyes of the Muslims. 30 Signs of the Hypocrites Sign Five: Laziness In Worship Allah, Glory be to Him, says: When they stand for the Prayer, they stand without earnestness (laziness). [4:142] When you see one who is lazy and idle in his approach to the Prayer, to the first row, to the remembrance of Allah, towards inviting people to Islam, towards knowledge or to the good sittings (in which the remembrance of Allah is made and correct beneficial knowledge is disseminated) then know that in his heart is the whisper of Shaytan. Shaytan wishes that this person is at ease while the whisper is within him, so that it may take its effect after a delayed time; just as a hen lays an egg and waits for it to hatch, likewise Shaytan plants a whisper in his heart, waiting for it to produce its ill effects. So beware of that. It is not so that the one who prays is free from hypocrisy as the hypocrites used to pray along with the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. However, a sign of their Prayer was that they were lazy and idle in their approach to it. They performed it with laziness and out of feebleness. They did not know what was firmness and being steadfast (in worship) nor did they know that being firm and steadfast in their duty towards Allah would be prosperous and life-giving. Allah says: 0 Yahya! Hold on to the Book with rirmness. [19:12] As for the hypocrite, he drags his feet as if they are chained and he is being dragged by the chains towards the mosque. So you see him at the end of the rows or at the back of the mosque during the congregational prayer. He does not know what the Imam is reciting nor does he contemplate over it and neither does he understand it. Muslim reports in his Saheeh in the hadith of al-Aswad bin Yazeed al-Iraqi al-abid that he said:

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I asked Aishah-(radiallahu anha) when did he used to wake up for the night prayer (that is Qiyam ul-Lail or Tahajjud)? So she replied: He used to get up when he heard the cock crow and he used to jump and leap up. She did not say that he would stand up but that he used to jump and leap up for the prayer. This is a proof for bravery, courage, soundness, fitness, liveliness, the fierceness of Faith and the firmness of intention. He used to come towards worship with determination and obedience. Therefore, you will see the righteous person constantly looking at the hands of his watch thinking when will the muadhin make the Call to Prayer? Has the time arrived? Has the time for the Prayer commenced? Then he stands hastily. Imam Ahmad reports in his Kitab az-Zuhd, in the biography of Adee bin Hatim, that he said: By Allah never did the time for Prayer come close except that I had an ardent desire for it. They also say about Saeed bin al-Musayyib, in his biography, that he said: Never did the muadhin announce the Call to Prayer in forty years except while I was in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) By Allah, this is Faith. So when you see the man who is in the best part of the mosque and in the first row then you may bear witness that he has Faith. With at-Tirmidhee is a chain in which Daraj bin Abi as-Samah relates from Abi al-Haitham (which makes the chain weak) that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)said: Whomsoever you see frequenting the mosque then bear witness that he has Faith. However, its meaning is authentic with the People of Knowledge. So, whoever comes to the mosque and is constantly,upon that then he is free, if Allah wills, from hypocrisy in belief and it is upon him that he frees himself from hypocrisy in actions. So laziness, my brothers and sisters, is a sign from among the signs of hypocrisy. You will see this sign with regards to Prayer, fasting, giving charity, remembrance of Allah, seeking forgiveness, attendance of lessons, useful knowledge and

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inviting people to Islam. So let the servant beware and make himself cautious of laziness, idleness and the lack of zeal as this is a dangerous disease with which Allah has described the hypocrites and we seek refuge in Him from it. 30 Signs of the Hypocrites Sign Six: Showing Off Allah, Glory be to Him, the Exalted, says about them: When they stand for the prayer, they stand without earnestness, to be seen of men, but they do not hold Allah in remembrance except little. [4:142] Al-Bukhari and Muslim report the saying of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam): He who lets the people hear of his good deeds intentionally to win their praise, Allah will let the people-know his real intention (on the Day ofjudqement) and he who does good things in public to show off and win the praise of people, Allah will disclose his real intention and humiliate him (on the Day of Judgement). So how is showing off done? A person is humble and submissive in front of the people but when he is alone and in secrecy he prays quickly, without humility and submissiveness. When he sits with people he is full of renunciation of the worldly things and engaged in I worship; he behaves with good manners, speaks and thinks in a disciplined manner, but when he is alone he violates the sanctuary of Allah (commits unlawful things). Ibn Majah reports from Abu Hurairah: The Prophet said: People will come on the Day of judgement with good deeds like the mountains of Tihamah and Allah will make their deeds like scattered dust. The Companions asked: Will they not be Muslims.? He replied: Qfcourse! They will have prayed as you pray, they will have fasted as you fast, they will have spent in charity from their excess wealth and will have given their portion of the night (tahajjud) however, when they were alone they would violate the Sanctuary of Allah (i.e. trespass into what is unlawful).[1]

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So a sign of the hypocrite is showing off. His actions are done for the sake of the people and he speaks for the sake of the people. We ask Allah to purify us from showing off and from fame and reputation. They fare the most dangerous of diseases because when a servant is inflicted with them, they corrupt all his actions. It is authentically related from the Messenger of Allah that he said: Allah will say on the Day of Judgement: I am free of having any partners and from having anything associated with me. Whoever associates (partners) with me in any action, I will abandon him and his association o me. [2] So Allah will not accept the actions of a hypocrite whether they are few or many. Imam Ahmad reports in his Musnad the saying of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) Showing off is (a form of) associating partners with Allah. The Pious Predecessors used to cry out of their fear from showing off. They would complain to Allah, their Master and Protector, that He should cleanse and free them from showing off. Spending (both wealth and goods), praying, fasting, the remembrance of Allah, speaking, loving, hating, enjoining the good, forbidding the evil, and all other actions can enter into (the sin of) showing off. There is no protection from showing off except with the help of the following three points: First: To know that none that has the power to give benefit and inflict harm except Allah, that there is none that can cause illness and heal, give and take life, give sustenance and withhold it, give reward for any action and punish for any action, except Allah. So it is upon you to be aware of this and to be cautious. Second: To acknowledge that the creation has very little ability and its power to do the above-mentioned is nonexistent. It cannot benefit nor harm; it cannot give nor take life; it cannot resurrect nor give reward and neither can it punish. So again, it is upon you to be aware of this and to be cautious.

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Third: To call upon Allah with this beautiful supplication which the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to say and taught his Companions with, that they should say: Allahumma innee aoodhobika an ashruka bika shayan wa ana a lam wa astaghfiruka mim-ma la alam. <<Oh Allah! I seek refuge with You from knowingly associating anything with You and I seek forgiveness from You for that which I am unaware of. [3] Al-Hasan al-Basri used to say: Oh Allah! I seek refuge in You from showing off and seeking repute and fame. In another wording from him, in his biography: Oh Allah! Forgive me for my showing off and my seeking to be heard of. So fear Allah! Fear Him and be cautious of these two diseases. As for seeking repute and fame, then this means seeking reputation or recognition, speaking and doing actions for the purpose of gaining fame amongst the people. Therefore Allah will expose the hypocrites in front of all the people (on the Day of Judgement) and we ask Allah to heal us and free us from showing off and seeking repute and fame.it. [1] Reported by Ibn Majah from Thawban and al-Albani has authenticated it in Sahih Ibn Majah no. 3423. [2] Reported by Muslim. [3] Reported by Ahmad in his Musnad and also reported by atTabarani in alAwsat. 30 Signs of the Hypocrites Sign Seven: Lack of the Remembrance of Allah Glory be to Allah! The hypocrites do remember Allah, but only seldom. He, the Exalted and Glory be to Him, has said When they stand up to Prayer, they stand without earnestness, to be seen of men, but they do not hold Allah in remembrance except little. [4:142] Allah did not say that they do not remember Him. He said that they remember Him but only a little. Perhaps the hypocrite remembers Allah and glorifies Him but only seldom, his tongue

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and heart are dead and he is not desirous or enthusiastic for Allahs remembrance. It has been confirmed that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said in the hadeeth of Abu Darda: That is the Prayer of the hypocrite, and that is the prayer of the hypocrite, that is the prayer of the hypocrite. He watches the sun till it is close to its place of setting In another version until it becomes yellow, then he stands and strikes the ground four times (four rakahs) and he does not bring Allah to mind within them except little. [Reported by Muslim] Glory be to Allah! The hypocrite prays and remembers Allah a little but still that does not free him from hypocrisy. As for the sign of Faith then that is abundant, continual remembrance of Allah. Ibn al Qayyim al Jawzee said in his book, (al-Wabil as-Sayyib): If there was no benefit to be gained from the remembrance of Allah except that it excludes the one who does it from hypocrisy then that would be enough. It was said to Ali (radiallahu anhu): Were the Khawarij hypocrites? The Khawarij whom he killed. He said: No. They, the Khawarij, used to remember Allah in abundance whilst the hypocrite remembers Allah only a little. Allah, Glory be to Him, says. Wi thout doubt, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction. [13:28] Then remember me and I will remember you. [2:152] Those who remember Allah standing, sitting and lying down on their sides. [3:191 "Men and women who engage much in Allah's remembrance." [33:35] 0 you who believe! Engage yourself in Allahs praises and do so often. [33:41]

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It was said to Ibn as-Salah ash-Shafiee, the muhaddith: What is the definition of abundant remembrance of Allah? He said: Whoever guards the remembrances after the Prayers and in the morning and evening, when eating and drinking, when sleeping, when awakening, upon seeing the lightning, upon hearing thunder, upon the fall of rain which brings about produce, when entering and leaving the mosque and their like then he has remembered Allah often. It has been attributed to Ibn Abbas (radiallahu anhu) that he said: Whoever remembers Allah whether he is journeying or not, whether he is standing, sitting, lying on his side or moving, in good health and in illness then he has remembered Allah often. It has been mentioned from some of them (the Pious Predecessors) that they said: Remembering Allah often is that your, tongue does not cease to be moist (busy) with the remembrance of Allah. At-Tirmidhee reports with an authentic chain from Abdullah ibn Busr that a man came to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and said: O Messenger of Allah! The commandments of Islam are too numerous for me, so inform me of something to which I may hold fast. He said: Do not let your tongue cease to be moist with the remembrance of Allah. Muslim reports that he said: That I say Glory be to Allah (Subhanallah), Praise be to Allah (Alhamdulillah), there is nothing worthy of worship except Allah (La illaha illallauh) and Allah is the Greatest (Allahu-Akbar) are more loved by me than anything upon which the sun rises. In another version or sets. Muslim reports from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah said: The Mufarridoon have outstripped (the rest). They (the Companions) asked: Who are the Mufarridoon, 0 Messenger of Alla? He replied: They are the men and women who remember Allah much. My brothers and sisters! Commit yourselves to much remembrance of Allah as hypocrisy is feared for the one who does not remember Allah abundantly. Let there be increase in your remembrance of Allah in the morning and the evening, let your hearts cling to the tasbeeh

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(Subhanallah), to the tahmeed (Alhamdulillah), to the takbeer (Allahu-Akbar), to the tahleel (La ilaha illallah), to the recitation of the Quran and to the sending of peace and blessings upon Muhammad. Among the best books on Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah) are alAdhkar of an-Nawawee, al-Wabil asSayyib of Ibn al-Qayyim alJawzee and al-Kalimat ut-Tayyib of Ibn Taymiyyah. 30 Signs of the Hypocrites Sign Eight: Hastiness in the Prayer As has been reported from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in the aforementioned hadeeth: That is the Prayer of the hypocrite, that is the Prayer of the hypocrite, that is the Prayer of the hypocrite. He watches the sun till it is close to its place of setting, then he stands and strikes the ground four times (four rakahs) and he does not bring Allah to mind within them except little. [Reported by Muslim] This means performing the Prayer with hastiness and speed; being inattentive and unaware of what is being said in the Prayer; making little remembrance of Allah within it which means that one recites with speed and recites the short chapters (of the Quran) so that the prayer is completed quickly, glorifying Allah in the bowing and prostration by using only the minimum of what is required and not extending beyond that; without the presence of the heart; making oneself aware of the presence of the Might of Allah, the Exalted with Power, the Magnified and of His Exalted Position and without fear of Him. These are among the signs of the Prayer of the hypocrite. Ibn Qayyim al- Jawzee says in his book al-Madarij: The one who is praying prays by the side of his brother in the same row, behind the same imam and the difference between the prayers of the two is like the distance between the heavens and the earth. This is because in one heart is sincerity, love, an ardent longing and craving (for Allah), watchfulness and fearfulness. As for the other heart, it has escaped from the Prayer and is far away

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in the valleys of the world, there is no life in it because it is dead. We seek refuge in Allah from that. So fear Allah! Fear Him by paying more attention to submissiveness and humility in the prayer. Allah, Glory be to Him, says: The Believers will be successful. Those who are submissive and humble in their Prayer. [23:1] I refer you to the book al-Khushoo fis-Salah of Ibn Rajab and this is the best of what has been written about the Prayer. [In the English language, there is probably no book more beneficial than The characteristics of the Prophet's Prayer described by the esteemed scholar Muhammad Nasir ud-Deen al-Albanee, translated by Usama ibn Suhaib Hasan] 30 Signs of the Hypocrites Sign Nine: Slandering Those Who Give Themselves Freely to Good Deeds From Among the Believers and the Righteous Slander is the defamation of the honour of the Believers and the Righteous and drawing out ones tongue against them. Included in the Mutawwieen (those who give themselves freely to doing good deeds) are those true in obedience (Mutasaddiqeen) and those who give their souls to (struggling in the) path of Allah. You will find the hypocrite in every gathering. He has no other concern except for the bringing down of the righteous. He is the spreader of evil and suspicion, being extremist, unrelenting in his pursuit. He does not know that he should be talking about the Jews, the Christians or the Communists. His only concern in the morning and the evening is attacking the Friends of Allah. The righteous are from among the Friends of Allah. The hypocrite talks about them and slanders them whenever he is in a gathering and mocks and ridicules them. Just like one of the contemporary writers who says in his book: A man from the Emirates with a big thick beard asked me about cologne and his intention is to attack the beard and the thawb (gown). I dont know how he perceives the Sunnah except that he thinks it to be peculiar. He also said in Algeria: A person with a big thick beard asked me about the shortening of the thawb

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(gown) and another with a big beard asked me about the matter of hijab. We say to him that the matter of the beard, the thawb and the hijab was not raised except out of mockery and slander. My brothers and sisters, for the sake of Allah, let the believer take caution from this as it is a sign of hypocrisy that he defames and slanders the righteous. The hypocrite is always narrating stories about the righteous and mocking them, as well as the scholars, the callers to Allah, the students of knowledge and the steadfast worshippers. This happens repeatedly and is common practice amongst them as Ibn alQayyim has mentioned in his book Healin for the Diseased. He says, when he mentions innovations that they attack and make assaults upon Ahl-us-Sunnah. Al-Awwal, the poet said: If I was put to trial by one from among the clan of Hashim Having with him the Banu Abdul Madan It would be easy for me what I encounter, however Come and look at the one who is putting me to trial A bedouin made it clear to his brother when he said: Either you must be my brother in truth Then I would know from you my good from my bad Or if not, then expel me and take me as an enemy I will fear you and you will fear me If my left hand opposed me with hatred I would not reconcile it by my right Then I would cut it and declare between myself Thus do I have an aversion for whoever turns from me Therefore, abusing the righteous and taking their honour is a sign of hypocrisy and refuge is with Allah. 30 Signs of the Hypocrites Sign Ten:Mocking the Qurlan, the Sunnah I heard about a debauched sinner present in our time. This evil person does not pray, nor does he fast or give charity or

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restrain himself (from evil) yet he vomits over the Sunnah and mocks the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam ). If this story is true then upon him is the curse of Allah, the angels and the whole of mankind. Allah will not accept from him any of his efforts nor his just behaviour, nor.his words and He will not look towards him nor purify him and there is for him a tormenting punishment. He sat with some youths, misleading them and diverting them from the path of Paradise and instead taking them to the path of Hellfire. He said: Do you wish that I should narrate to you a hadeeth of Abu Hurairah? So they said: Narrate to us a hadeeth of Abu Hurairah. So he said: My (paternal) aunt narrated to me that her (maternal) aunt narrated to her that her grandmother heard someone so that one day while the Companions were gathered around the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam he said: Do you know what Pepsi is? Whereas there was no such thing as Pepsi during his time, rather he was jesting, mocking. So they (the Companions) said: We do not know so he said: Go away from me! You do not know what Pepsi is! This is enough for the charge of Kufr (disbelief) to be made against him, he has disbelieved due to these words of his and his blood has gone to waste and his recompense is the sword. Prayer shall not be performed over him, nor should he be shrouded and neither should he be buried amongst the graves of the Muslims, rather he is a disbeliever. He, the Sublime, says: Say: Is it Allah and His Messenger that you mock. Do not make any excuses as you have already disbelieved after having had Faith. [9:65] Allah revealed this verse with regard to a group of people from the hypocrites who prayed with the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam fasted and did jihad. However, they sat in a gathering, chattering and conversing and one of them said: We have not found a people like the Companions more greedier for food or more cowardly than them in meeting the enemy. So Allah revealed their disbelief in this verse as well as their disgust and humiliation in front of all the witnesses (on the Day

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of Judgement) and nothing has the right to be worshipped except Allah! How many lofty palaces which the Muslims possessed have been demolished? How many fortresses have fallen? How many houses have been made to lay in ruins and how many cities have perished? The reward of all of them being the Fire of Hell, what an evil refuge! Mockery of the Religion is concealed in the mockery of the Sunnah of the Messenger such as mocking the thawb (the gown, the bottom of which is kept above the ankles), the siwak (the toothstick), the beard, the religious gatherings (for knowledge etc.), the hadeeth and their like. The ruling on the one who deliberately mocks the Religion is that he is a disbeliever. 30 Signs of the Hypocrites Sign Eleven:The Protective Oath Allah, the Sublime, says: They have made their oaths a screen (for their misdeeds). [(63):21] Meaning as a means of protection. When you question them then the easiest thing for them to do is to swear and -make an oath that what they say is the truth, whereas in reality they are liars. So you will see them backbiting a man and when this man who has been backbitten hears about it, the hypocrite says: By Allah, I did not say anything about you! By Allah, you are one of my most beloved friends! But in reality he has lied and has made his oath as a screen to protect himself. Amongst the signs of the hypocrites is that he makes many false oaths to the people. He, the Sublime says: So do not follow every despicable person who is hasty in making oaths. [(68):10] The word khallaf in this verse means one who makes excessive oaths and this form of the word is the same as faal [1] giving it the meaning: one who repeatedly swears and makes oaths. Imam ash-Shafiee said: I never swore by Allah either truthfully or out of falsehood. He never made an oath in falsehood oreven when he spoke the truth out of veneration of

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Allah, the One, the Unique and due to His Might. May Allah give him a goodly reward for his fear and awe. [1] A verb form which denotes the intensity of the action it represents or its frequent repetition 30 Signs of the Hypocrites Sign Twelve: Disliking to Spend for the Sake of Allah You will see the hypocrite spending, giving charity and donating money. He will have built mosques and will have given his share towards them either out of show or to be heard of. Yet he hates to spend (in the way of Allah). He only gives in those matters which are for his own self interests. Allah knows best about him, whether it is for fame or to flatter himself in front of the people or so that people may turn their eyes towards him. So he spends but reluctantly and really hates to do so. However, when the Muslim gives, he opens his chest and is delighted and praises Allah, asking that He should facilitate for him an affair of goodness or that there is a poor or needy person who will accept his charity. So he extols Allah for these gains. These are among the signs of a believer. My beloved brothers and sisters, scrutinise your spending (giving in charity etc.) to see for what reasons and motives it is actually spent. If you see any sign of showing off or hesitancy (i.e. dislike) in what you spend, then hold on tightly to your dirham so that your wealth and possessions are not squandered and thus become a loss to you. Otherwise regret and remorse will be felt on the Day of the Biggest Exposition! 30 Signs of the Hypocrites Sign Thirteen: Desertion and Abandonment (of the Muslims) Among the signs of the hypocrites is that they flee from the ranks of the Muslims. This man will desert you and be pessimistic and constantly in fear. He will say: the disbelievers are stronger than the Muslims, Israel has technology and strength which Allah does not know about! He mocks and ridicules saying: Are the Muslims capable of fighting America, the owner of nuclear weapons and atomic

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bombs? They are not capable. We Muslims are doomed to destruction and annihilation, we are weak and in poverty. This is his opinion. Therefore, you will find that the hypocrites who have gone to the countries of the west have become brainwashed and have taken on the role of being representatives for the disbelievers, the colonialists and the foreigners. Yet they are our own sons, constantly portraying the might of America, her strengths, her rockets and her aeroplanes. However, in contrast they mention the weakness of the Muslims and their humiliation because they do not believe that honour and strength is from Allah: To Allah belongs all Honour and to the Messenger and the believers. [63:8] Allah, the Sublime, says: If Allah helps you, then there is none that can overcome you.[3:160] There is no help except from Allah. [4:126] The example of those who take protectors besides Allah is like the example of the spider which builds for itself a house, but truly the flimsiest of houses is the house of the spider. [29:41] But the hypocrite does not understand that honour is with Allah, so he constantly turns away from the Muslims. When thejihad that took place in Afghanistan was mentioned to him he would say: Do you really think that the Russians will leave the mujahidoon. They will soon pulverise them. There is no comparison between the two. Russia has abilities and powers that Allah does not know about! When he heard about the youth who were about to embark on jihad, he would say: I do not think that they will go, as I havejust heard of a massive battle that the mujahidoon, may Allah help them, have taken a brutal thrashing. When he sees someone going to lectures or talks, he flees from him and says: I dont see any benefit in these lectures. There is nothing in them, but Fear Allah, Fear Allah! Yet are there more beautiful

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and beneficial words than Fear Allah! Or more lofty or more noble or graceful? By Allah never! He says to his colleagues: Dont attend the lessons, these things go on all the time, its better for you that you stay at home, dont waste your time, You will find the most important things in the books and magazines. All of this is from the abandonment and desertion of Muslims and is one of the signs of hypocrisy. Refuge from this is only with Allah! 30 Signs of the Hypocrites Sign Fourteen: Originating False Rumours and Causing Sedition Allaah, the Sublime, has said: Truly the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease and those who stir up sedition in the city [33:60] Causing sedition and deserting the Muslims are related. However, the one causing sedition or spreading rumours exaggerates events and happenings. Whenever there is an easy matter he makes it difficult and makes it appear very big so that when he hears that one of the mujaahidoon has been killed, he says: I have heard that one hundred mujaahidoon have been killed or when he hears that a particular scholar has erred in some matter, he says: May Allaah guide us and him with his many mistakes. When a caller to Allaahs Religion says a word and his tongue slips, saying something which has no purpose, this rumourmonger makes it such a big issue and exaggerates it in the gatherings, saying: Have you not heard what so and so said. He engages upon cutting that person up, knowing full well that this caller possesses many good qualities and many benevolences, but he does not spread these amongst the people. Ash-Shubee said: I have never seen the likes of these rumour mongers. By Allaah if I am hurt ninety-nine times they will forget it, but they will hold me to account for one mistake. By Allaah, this is sedition and they shake and upset peoples hearts. 30 Signs of the Hypocrites Sign Fifteen: Finding Fault with Allahs Decree

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Allah, the Sublime, has said about the hypocrites: The ones that say (of their brethren who have been slain) while they themselves sit at ease: If only they had listened to us they would not now have been slain. [3:168] When the Muslims went out towards Uhud, the hypocrites said to them: Dont go out and fight, but remain with us. They did not listen to them, and went out and were slain, martyrs in the path of Allah. Then the hypocrites began to boast in the gatherings, saying: we told them, gave them our sincere advice and counselled them but they disagreed with us. If they had listened to us they would not have been slain. Allah the Sublime, has said: Say: Avert death from your own selves if you are indeed truthful. [3:168] By Allah, indeed they are in utter falsehood and soon will they die the death of a donkey! The poet spoke the truth when he said: By your life! The great misfortune is not the loss of wealth Nor a sheep which dies, nor a camel But the great misfortune is the loss of nobility There die with its death an abundance of men. The hypocrites say that whoever dies in the chicken house is as the one who dies by the sword in the path of Allah, this one is dead and similarly that one is also dead. Whoever dies in the wine shop is like the one who dies in the path of Allah. However, (in reality) one is in Hellfire and the other is in Paradise and yet the taste of death for both was the same. A poet says: The taste of death in a matter contemptible Is as the taste of death in a matter monumental. In essence, finding fault with al-Qada wal-Qadr (Divine Decree) is one of the signs of hypocrisy. The Muslim however submits to Divine Decree with the Exalteds words placed in front of him: No misfortune can happen on earth or in your own souls but is recorded in a Book before We bring it into existence. (57):22

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Verily all things We have created in proportion and measure and Our command is but a single (act) like the twinkling of an eye. (54):49-50 Indeed We shall test you with something of fear and hunger and some loss in your goods or lives or the fruits of your toil. But give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere, who say when inflicted with a calamity: To Allah we belong and to Him shall we return. (2):155-156 The hypocrite however, questions and is not satisfied with the measure of Allah. When he is afflicted with a calamity he says: How can this be? If only I had done such and such then it would have been otherwise. He blames the people, having rejected the Divine Decree and measure of Allah. As forthe believer he says: I believe in Allah and I have submitted. He knows full well that everything is due to Allahs decree and apportioning. [Refer to the booklet Faith in Predestination, edited by Dr. Suhaib Hasan. This work contains an article by Shaikh Muhammad ibn Salih al-'Uthaimeen, which explains this important belief of the Divine decree, in a clear and concise manner. In Saheeh Muslim from Suhaib is the hadeeth of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam): "How strange is the affair of a believer. Indeed in all of his affairs there is goodness. If he is made to feel pleasure then showing gratefulness is a source of good for him and if he is made to suffer from some calamity then showing patience is a source of good for him and this is not the case with, anyone but a believer." 'Umar (radiallahu 'anhu) said: "By Allah, I do not care whether I ride on a mount of poverty or ride a mount of wealth." How free is Allah from all imperfection. How the Friends of Allah are pleased by Allah's Decree and determination of affairs! How delightfully beautiful is the taste ofthe pleasure of al-Qada walQadr which has been forbidden to the hypocrites! Along with this (loss), soon will they have a taste of Allah's Decree. Then they will be resurrected and brought to Allah in a state of regret and remorse. Abu Tamam Ma'ziyan said to one of his brothers:

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Do you show steadfastness upon trials, With hope and anticipation (of reward) so that You may be recompensed or will -you think no more, Just as the oblivion of the beasts. He says if you do not show patience and anticipate a reward in the Hereafter, then by Allah you will be heedless just as an animal is oblivious of its offspring. 30 Signs of the Hypocrites Sign Sixteen: Bringing Down the Honour of the Righteous Destroying the honour of a Muslim is different from mocking him as destroying his honour resembles backbiting. The Exalted says: "They will smite you with sharp tongues, covetous of goods." [33:19] Sharp meaning as if they are swords. One will see them, when the righteous turn their backs, they smite them with their tongues, attack them viciously and take their honour by backbiting them in the gatherings. Backbiting can be in the form of a supplication. Ibn Taymiyyah mentions that within a supplication there is what amounts to backbiting due to the intention of a person. On the outside it appears that he is supplicating for him. When you say to him: What do you think of such and such? He replies: May Allah forgive him and us, while he does not really desire forgiveness for us or for him, but rather he desires something else which Allah has full knowledge of. Or he says: May Allah protect us from the trial which so and so is going through, or he says: May Allah guide him. Even in the glorification of Allah there is backbiting as Ibn alMubarak (rahimahullah) has pointed out. Once when a man had been mentioned to one of the Sultans, one of the ministers said: How free is Allah from every imperfection, as a warning to the Sultan, for him to be cautious of the man mentioned. So on the outside he glorified Allah, but on the inside he slandered and belittled that person. These hidden intentions, Allah will make them known on the Day when that which is in the graves will be raised and given

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life and that which is locked up in the hearts of men will be made manifest. It is strange that some people will not backbite the evildoer and sinner. The Jews and the Christians are secure from the tongue of this sinner but the Muslim has no safety from him. A man came to one of the righteous and backbit this persons brother. The righteous person asked him: Have you fought against the Romans? He replied: No, the righteous person asked: Have you fought against the Persians? The man (the backbiter) replied: No. The righteous person then said: Rome and Persia are secure from you, yet a Muslim is not! Get away from me! Another man whilst in a gathering with one of the scholars backbit someone, so the scholar said: bring to mind when they place the shroud over your eyes, whilst you are in the agony of death and: The Day when wealth and sons will not avail anyone except he who comes to Allah with a sound heart. (26):88-89

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