How does hypocrisy develop? How does it take root in the heart? And what will be its consequences? Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) tells us clearly in the following Ayahs from Surah Tawbah:
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 and will be certainly among the righteous.”
Then when He gave them of His bounty, they became stingy, 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.
Know they not that Allah knows their secret ideas, and their Najwa (secret counsels), and that Allah is the All-Knower of things unseen.
Quran (Surah Tawbah: 75 – 78)
Reflections from these verses
Some hypocrites make promises to Allah that if He enriches them from His bounty, they will give away alms and become righteous.
- But they fail to fulfill their vows and prove to be liars.
- The hypocrites prefer to remain ignorant that Allah knows their secret ideas. But they delude only themselves with their pretence.
- Allah knows the secret and what is more hidden than the secret. He has full knowledge of what is in everyone’s hearts. He The All-Knowing knows us better than we know ourselves, for He is the All-Aware of all unseen and apparent things, every secret, every session of counsel and all that is seen and hidden.
- Hypocrisy is placed in the hearts of those who broke their promise and lied until the Day they shall meet Allah the Exalted, on the Day of Resurrection.
- We should seek refuge with Allah from such an end.
- In the Two Sahihs, it is recorded that the Messenger of Allah said:
(There are three signs for a hypocrite: if he speaks, he lies; if he promises, he breaks the promise; and if he is entrusted, he betrays the trust.)
— End
