The Hypocrites

Continuation of the book by Harun Yahya, The Secrets of the Hypocrites.

They Immediately Fall Prey to Despair

One of the most superior attributes of believers is that when confronted by difficulty or trouble, they never despair but behave with submission, interpreting everything in a positive way. In fact, believers have grasped a most important truth: that Allah is the Creator of everything, every event and every moment. Therefore, everything that befalls them must be under Allah’s control. That being so, believers regard the difficulties that befall them not as troubles, but as auspicious events:

Those who, when disaster strikes them, say, “We belong to Allah and to Him we will return.”

Al-Baqara: 156

In contrast to the believer, the hypocrite regards everything that befalls him as working against him. He is never happy, but always looks pessimistically on events. He has no idea of how to behave with submission or display patience in the face of any event that appears to be against his interests, and immediately falls into despair. That is because he expects nothing from Allah; he is unable to appreciate our Lord’s infinite might. The people from whom he seeks help and the gains he hopes to make in this world are also unable to meet his expectations. Therefore, the despairing state of mind that holds sway is a most natural result of the hypocrite’s false expectations.

The hypocrite always wants those things he regards as beautiful to be his and everything to happen as he wants it to. So long as this is the case, he will behave “normally.” However, the things he wants won’t always happen, in which case he despairs and exhibits manifest ingratitude. This feature of those who lack faith in Allah with true submission and who have sickness in their hearts is noted in the following verse:

When We bless man, he turns away and draws aside. When evil touches him, he despairs.

Al-Isra’: 83

They are Arrogant

When they are told, “Come, and the messenger of Allah will ask forgiveness for you,” they turn their heads and you see them turn away in haughty arrogance.

Al-Munafiqun: 5

Arrogance is the consequence of going along with satan, and modesty and humility are the result of faith. As related at the beginning of this book, the hypocrite is undeservedly proud and arrogant.

With reason and faith, the believer has understood that all things belong to Allah alone and that in the presence of Allah, he is a helpless “servant” for which reason he never becomes proud. However, the hypocrite, weak in terms of his faith, reason and understanding, is conceited and unable to see his own flaws.

The fact is, however, that man is a helpless being, easily vanquished by a virus millions of times smaller than him, who falls ill and takes to his bed on account of a microbe he can neither see nor withstand, and whose hands and legs shake and who is unable to walk properly as he gets older. Since this is so apparent, he really should be submissive. Yet hypocrites, unable to comprehend and reason, behave as if none of this applied to them and live in a state of totally undeserved pride and arrogance. They are therefore belittled both in the sight of Allah and of those able to think clearly. Allah reveals the situation of these people in another verse:

. . . So today you are being repaid with the punishment of humiliation for being arrogant in the earth without any right and for being deviators.

Al-Ahqaf: 20

They are Envious

Or do they in fact envy other people for the bounty Allah has granted them? . . .

An-Nisa’: 54

Another devilish feature of hypocrites is that they are envious. They are unable to accept the superior features possessed by others. They imagine that only they are worthy of all good things, for which reason they envy blessings of all kinds. The people of whom they are envious are generally believers. Heading the list of the things they covet are believers’ intelligence, grandeur and wealth. This envy makes the hatred within them to increase still further, for which reason they genuinely wish to see believers stray into denial.

They are Argumentative and Aggressive

. . . They are indeed a disputatious people.

Az-Zukhruf: 58

Hypocrites are as argumentative as deniers, and do not understand pleasant speech. They enjoy only conflict and argument, and imagine that they can resolve all issues by means of aggression. This aspect of hypocrites is also revealed in the Qur’an:

But do not obey any vile swearer of oaths, any backbiter, slandermonger, impeder of good, evil aggressor, gross, coarse and furthermore, despicable.

Al-Qalam: 10-13

They Engage in Excess and Know no Bounds

Anyone who fears Allah is most careful to abide by the bounds He has set. He will be unwilling to have the slightest flaw in His sight. Hypocrites, on the other hand, have no such scruples. They harbor doubts about the Hereafter and, since they do not expect they will have to account for themselves, they exceed the bounds set by Allah. The Qur’an tells us about these people who forget about the Day of Judgment:

Those who deny the Day of Reckoning. No one denies it except for every evil aggressor.

Al-Mutaffifin: 11-12

People who have no fear of Allah and who fail to live by His bounds open themselves to all forms of sin and moral degeneration. Even if some of them do attempt to set certain bounds for themselves, these are still incompatible with the truth.

Hypocrites, displaying this feature can easily adopt the most degenerate lifestyles. Their master, satan, is easily able to turn them from their path and lead them to extremes. Since they deny Allah, fear of His punishment has no deterrent effect on them. The order established by these people who know no bounds is doubtless doomed to be destroyed in the face of Allah’s.

They are Ungrateful

The greatest indication of their ingratitude is how they join forces against believers, with great anger and hatred. Yet those believers always look positively on them so long as they remain with them, endeavor to help them, call on them to have faith in Allah, and give them advice so that they may be spared endless suffering in the Hereafter. The way they join forces with deniers and set traps for believers puts their ingratitude into practice. Of course they will reap no reward for their deeds, but on the contrary, will be recompensed with eternal suffering in the Hereafter. Allah reveals that He will never forgive ingratitude towards His messengers who try to give them advice and call them to His religion:

You can ask forgiveness for them, or not ask forgiveness for them. Even if you asked forgiveness for them seventy times, Allah still would not forgive them. That is because they have rejected Allah and His messenger. . . .

At-Tawba: 80

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