ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Taqwa (Piety) Advice of Hypocrisy ============= One of the factors that make people drive away and dislike someone is hypocrisy which, due to religion and reason, is forbidden. It is reproached both by God and people. Hypocrisy has been strictly prohibited by the Holy Quran and the Sunnah.

Hypocrisy has been blamed in several verses in the Holy Quran: “So woe to the praying ones, who are unmindful of their prayers, who do good to be seen and withhold the necessaries of life.” [^1] In describing the hypocrites, God says: “…and when they stand up to prayer, they stand up sluggishly; they do it only to be seen of men and do not remember Allah save a little.” [^2] In relation to charity, God says: “O you who believe!

Do not make your charity worthless by reproach and injury, like him who spends his property to be seen of men and does not believe in Allah and the last day.” [^3] In relation to hypocrisy in Jihad, God says: “Be not as those who came forth from their dwellings boastfully and to be seen of men, and debar (men) from the way of Allah, while Allah is surrounding all they do.” [^4] As it can be inferred from these verses, hypocrisy is of different kinds.

The late Naraghi has classified it into two categories; either in faith or in religious duties. Hypocrisy in religious duties is classified into three kinds; 1- In the origin of worships 2- In recommendable worships 3- In the description of worships.

Nevertheless, hypocrisy can be classified into other divisions as follows: 1- Physical hypocrisy, like those who pretend not to pay attention to their own physical appearance; to deceive people, they leave their hair disheveled, put a sign of prostration on their forehead, and undergo a diet to lose weight to show that they do not care for the worldly affairs. 2- Hypocrisy in the way they are dressed; they wear ragged and shabby clothes to show their sanctity to people.

3- Hypocrisy in speech; they give lectures on morality, recite verses from the Quran and remember Allah pretentiously to show that they are religious. They show their anger on prohibited act and express regret for people’s sins.

4- Hypocrisy in action; performing long prostration and genuflection, putting their hands on their thighs in prayer and doing pretentious act in the Hajj, fasting, charity, Jihad, feeding the poor, and meeting with the Islamic scholars are some of the examples of this kind of hypocrisy.