Their capital is deception and scheming, their merchandise is lies and treachery, and their intellect is one that is employed just for this world: believers and disbelievers alike are happy with them and they live in security amongst both,
“They think to deceive Allah and those who believe but they deceive none save themselves but they are not aware of it.” [Surah Al-Baqarah (2): 9][1]
The disease of desires and doubts has consumed their hearts and destroyed them, and evil objectives have permeated their motivations and intentions and corrupted them. Their corruption is so severe that they are flung to perdition, and the doctors of the religion are unable to cure them,
“There is a sickness in their hearts and Allah has increased their sickness. They will have a painful punishment on account of their lies.” [Surah Al-Baqarah (2): 10][2]
Whoever falls prey to the claws of their doubts will have his faith shredded to pieces; whoever allows his heart to open to their vile tribulations will find himself in a burning furnace; and whoever lends an ear to their deceptions will find them coming between him and firm belief. Indeed the corruption they cause on earth is great but most people are unaware,
“When they are told, ‘Do not cause corruption on the earth,’ they say, ‘We are only putting things right.’ No indeed! They are the corrupters but they are not aware of it.” [Surah Al-Baqarah (2): 11-12][3]
When one of them follows the Book and Sunnah, he is doing so to keep up appearances, he is like a donkey carrying books: it understands none of what it is carrying. The revelation in their eyes is profitless merchandise and as such worthless. Those who truly follow it are fools in their eyes,
“When they are told, ‘Believe like the people have believed,’ they say, ‘What! Are we to believe like the fools have believed?’ No indeed! They are the fools, but they do not know it.” [Surah Al-Baqarah (2): 13][4]
Each one of them has two faces: a face with which he meets the Muslims and a face with which he meets his deviated associates. Each one of them has two tongues: a false tongue with which he meets the Muslims and a true tongue which expresses his actual beliefs,
“When they meet those who have believed they say, ‘We have believed.’ But when they go apart with their devils they say, ‘We are really with you. We were only mocking.’” [Surah Al-Baqarah (2): 14][5]
They have turned away from the Book and Sunnah, making mockery of those who follow them and looking down on them. They refuse to submit to the revelation, making do with what knowledge they have: and what knowledge? The increase of which only leads to more evil and arrogance! You will always see them mocking those who follow the clear import of the revelation but,[6]
“Allah is mocking them, and drawing them on, as they wander blindly in their excessive insolence.” [Surah Al-Baqarah (2): 15]
They ply their trade in oceans of darkness traversing vessels of doubts. Uncertainty and suspicion plagues them as they sail through waves of illusion. Strong winds play havoc with their boats and lead them to their destruction;
“Those are people who have sold guidance for misguidance. Their trade has brought no profit and they are not guided.” [Surah Al-Baqarah (2): 16] [7]
The fire of faith alights for them and in its light they perceive guidance and misguidance, then that fire is extinguished and is left as red hot ashes. With that fire are they punished and in that darkness do they wander blindly,
“Their example is that of people who light a fire, and then when it has lit up all round them, Allah removes their light and leaves them in darkness, unable to see.” [Surah Al-Baqarah (2): 17]
The hearing of their hearts is burdened by a heavy load and as such they are unable to hear the call to faith; the eyes of their spiritual sight are covered with a blinding wrapping such that they cannot see the realities of the Qur’an; and their tongues are mute to the truth such that they are unable to speak it,
“Deaf, dumb, blind. They will not return.” [Surah Al-Baqarah (2): 18]
The rain of revelation pours down upon them, it contains life for the hearts and souls, but all they can hear of it is the thunder strikes of its threats, promises, and ordinances. They thrust their fingers in their ears and draw their garments over them, trying to run in earnest and desperately seeking their footprints so as to retreat. However they are summoned in public, and their secrets are made plain for all who can see, and two parables are propounded for them, each parable unveiling one of the two parties amongst them: those who debate and those who blindly follow.
“Or that of a storm-cloud in the sky, full of darkness, thunder and lightning. They put their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps, fearful of death. Allah encompasses the disbelievers.” [Surah Al-Baqarah (2): 19]
(Continued)
[1] This verse describes the second characteristic of the hypocrites: their ignorance of Allah for they try to deceive One who cannot be deceived, One who knows what they manifest and what they hide! This verse also shows their deceptive qualities, their third characteristic as well as their making mockery of the religion and looking down on it. As-Sa’di said, “Deception is to show the one being deceived something and hide the reality in order to reach ones goal. The hypocrites tried to deal with Allah and the believers in this way but their deception came back on themselves. This is something extraordinary for normally a deceiver will either be successful and see the fruition of his goal, or at least be safe. These hypocrites did what they did, and plotted their plans, but all they succeeded in doing was seal their own destruction.”
At-Tabari mentions that Allah deceives them in this world, “The disbelievers should not imagine that the extra time We grant them is good for them. We only allow them more time so they will increase in evil doing. They will have a humiliating punishment.” [Surah Al-‘Imran (3): 178] and in the Hereafter, “That Day when the men and women of the hypocrites will say to those who have faith, ‘Wait for us so that we can borrow S()tnI1 of your light.’ They will be told; ‘Go back and look for light!’ And a wall will be erected between them with a gate in it; on the inside of which there will be mercy and before whose exterior lies punishment.” [Surah Al-Hadid (57): 13]
[2] This verse describes their fourth characteristic: they are plagued with the disease of doubts and desires. As-Sa’di said, “The sickness here is the sickness of doubts and desires. The heart is beset by two diseases that eject it from its state of balance and normalcy: the disease of false doubts and the disease of vile desires. Disbelief, hypocrisy, doubts, and innovations all arise from the disease of doubts. Fornication, the love of lewd deeds, and sins all arise from the disease of desire … This verse also shows that it is as a consequence of ones sins that Allah punishes him by afflicting him with more sins.”
At-Tabari gives an example of how this verse was actualised by stating that each time a surah was revealed of the Qur’an containing new injunctions, this increased them in their doubts and hence their disease increased, “Each time a Surah is revealed there are some among them who say, Which of you has this increased in faith?” As for those who believe, it increases their faith and they rejoice at it. But as for those with sickness in their hearts, it adds defilement to their defilement and they die as disbelievers.” [Surah At-Tawbah (9): 124-125]
[3] This verse describes their fifth characteristic: spreading corruption in the land, a direct consequence of the corruption of their hearts. As-Sa’di said, ”When these hypocrites are prohibited from spreading corruption on the earth: acting by and promoting disbelief and sins, disclosing the plans and secrets of the Muslims to their enemies, and befriending the disbelievers; “They say, ‘We are only putting things right.’” They combine spreading corruption on earth with making out that they are only putting things right, thereby altering reality and believing the falsehood they are on to be the truth. The crime of these is greater than the crime of one who just commits sills while believing them to be prohibited, for there is more hope that the latter person will retract and return. Now because their saying; ‘We are only putting things right,’ serves to constrain right deeds to them, implying thereby that the deeds of the believers are not right or corrective; Allah rebuts them by saying, ‘No indeed! They are/he corrupters, for there is no greater corruption than disbelieving in the verses and signs of Allah, preventing people from His Way, trying to deceive Allah and His friends, and befriending the enemies of Allah and His Messenger.”
[4] This verse describes their sixth characteristic: their belittling the religion and those who follow it, and their foolishness. As-Sa’di said, “Allah informs us that they are the true fools because foolishness is defined by a person not knowing what is good for himself and his pursuing that which would harm him. These qualities are applicable to them. They way of intelligence and insight is for a person to know what is good for him and to pursue it and to repress what would harm him. These qualities are applicable to the Companions and the believers. Consideration is given to reality and not to mere claims and empty words.”
[5] This is an example of their heinous lies, saying with their tongues what is not in their hearts, in order to acquire temporal gain.
Allah, Exalted is He says, “They try to conceal themselves from people, but they cannot conceal themselves from Allah. He is with them when they spend the night saying things which are not pleasing to Him. Allah encompasses everything they do.” [Surah An-Nisa’] (4): 108]
[6] Allah, Exalted is He says, “It has already been sent down to you in the Book that when you hear Allah’s Signs being rejected and mocked at try people, you must not sit with them till they start talking of other things. If you do not, you are just the same as them. Allah will gather the hypocrites and disbelievers in Hell altogether.” [Surah An-Nisa’ (4): 140]
[7] As-Sa’di said, ‘Meaning they desired that misguidance in the same way that a buyer desires a particular commodity so much so that he would give something precious as payment. This is an excellent similitude: misguidance, the worst evil, has been compared to the commodity; and guidance, the best of things, has been compared to the asking price. So they paid the price and gained what they desired, misguidance …what a wretched trade and what a disgraceful bargain! If someone gives a dinar to get back a dirham, he feels that he has lost out, so what of one who gives a diamond and gets in return a dirham?! And what of one who chooses misery and anguish in place of felicity and bliss!’
Allah, Exalted is He gives an example of such a trade by saying, “When the hypocrites and those with sickness in their hearts said, ‘These people have been deluded by their religion.’ But those who put their trust in Allah will find Allah to be Almighty, All-Wise.” [Surah Al-Anfal (8): 50]