Five Traits of Hypocrisy: A Commentary on the Prophetic ﷺ Hadith

Five Traits of Hypocrisy: A Commentary on the Prophetic ﷺ Ḥadīth
Delivered by Shaykh Riyadh ul Haq on Friday 14th February 2020 at Al Kawthar Academy, Leicester

Various traits of hypocrisy are understood at face value. However, many of these traits stem deeper than their outward appearance. This talk aims to explore the roots of these traits and what believers should do to avoid them.

The talk starts by enumerating five traits of hypocrisy from two main ḥadīth on the topic. Lying, being the first of the traits of hypocrisy, is placed in the wider context of the person being false of character – of which speech is just a part. This, as opposed to ṣidq, which denotes the person being true, something praised in several verses of the Qur’ān. It is shown how lying can cause a person’s character to become false and the consequences of lying are described as being destructive. This includes destroying relationships, barakah and reducing ones blessings in trade. Worldly gain from lying is said to be short-term but with a graphic punishment described for it in the hereafter.

Falsehood is also identified as being the basis from which the remaining four traits of hypocrisy stem. When discussing these traits, differentiation is made between promises and pledges; the breaking of each forming a separate trait. The trait of betrayal of trust is described to include both material as well as non-material trusts, such as private conversations.

The last trait described is that of sinning in disputes. Disagreement is explained to be unavoidable, the importance being to disagree honourably; by not being foul-mouthed nor extending the disagreement to other things and people.

Find out in this talk how various traits of hypocrisy are mentioned in the Qurān and aḥādīth.

Below are some of the timecodes and topics for this talk:

0:00 – Intro: Two main ḥadīth on traits of hypocrisy
9:30 – First trait: Lying
18:28 – Religion is Naṣīḥah
25:40 – Meaning of aḥzāb and the Siege of Madīnah
31:58 – Meaning of kadhib (Lying)
35:52 – Story of Masjid al-Ḍirār
44:12 – Destructive Nature of Lying
50:54 – Truth Being Profitable in the Long Term
1:06:48 – Ṣaḥābah Narrating Dreams to the Prophet ﷺ
1:14:23 – Second Trait: Promises Broken
1:17:33 – Third Trait: Betrayal of Trust
1:30:40 – Fourth Trait: Betrayal of Pledges
1:32:44 – Fifth Trait: Sins in Disputes

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