30 SIGNS OF HYPOCRISY SIGN FOUR: BREAKING ONE’S PROMISES 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 (PBUH) 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 (PBUH) 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 (PBUH) 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 Allaah 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 Allaah! 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 self-centered 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 Allaah 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 Allaah, thereby making the image, this Religion repugnant and repulsive in the eyes of the Muslims. On the authority of Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (sas) 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) 1. Other wordings of this same hadith: The signs of the hypocrite are three: when he speaks he lies, when he promises he breaks his promise and when he is entrusted he betrays the trust. (Bukhari and Muslim) …even if he prays and fasts and imagines that he is a Muslim (Muslim) Among the signs of the hypocrite are three… (Muslim) 2. Nifaaq (hypocrisy) in the Arabic language means the general category of deception, scheming and presenting an outward appearance of good while concealing its opposite. 3. In the Shari’a, nifaaq is of two types: a) Greater (An-Nifaaq Al-Akbar): To present an outward appearance of belief in Allah, his Angels, his books, his messengers, the last day, etc. while concealing within that which negates all or some of that. This is the hypocrisy which the Prophet (PBUH) confronted during his life and the ones who Allah said in the Qur’an that they are in the lowest depth of hell-fire. b) Lesser (An-Nifaaq Al-Asghar) or hypocrisy of action: To present an outward appearance of good and good deeds while concealing within that which negates that. This form of hypocrisy is built on the 5 things mentioned in the hadith at hand. 4. The actions in this hadith are all part of lesser hypocrisy. One who has these character traits in interaction with other people is most likely to have them with regard to Allah and his Prophet (PBUH). That is why the existence of them is a ‘sign’ of the existence of greater nifaaq. 5. Lying, Al-Hassan Al-Basri said: Nifaaq 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 nifaaq upon which it is built is lying. 6. Breaking Promises. This falls into two categories: a) Making a promise with no intention of keeping it. Al-Awzaa’iy said that one who says I will do such-and-such insha Allah without intending to do it has committed both lying and breaking a promise. b) Making a promise intending to keep it and then later deciding to break it. May Allah protect us from hypocrites. Ameen
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 17:19:19 +0000
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