Hypocrisy is a deep rooted and all-pervading spiritual disease. A person’s heart could be overflowing with it yet be oblivious of it due to its hidden and subtle nature; frequently does it lead a person to think he is acting rightly when in reality he is spreading corruption. It is two types: major and minor; major hypocrisy leads to eternal punishment in the lowest depths of Hell; it is to outwardly one is devoid of such belief, indeed disbelieving in it. He does not believe that Allah spoke to a man amongst men who appointed to be a Messenger: guiding them by His permission and warning of His punishment.

In the Qur’an, Allah has revealed the machinations of the hypocrites; He has unveiled their beliefs, their qualities, and made their goals clear so that the believers can be aware of them. He divided mankind into three groups in the beginning of Surah al-Baqarah: the believer, the disbeliever, and the hypocrite. He mentioned four verses concerning the believers, two verses concerning the disbelievers, and thirteen verses concerning the hypocrites due to their plenitude and the great harm and tribulation they bring to Islam and the Muslims. The harm they cause to Islam is truly severe for they claim to be Muslims, they claim to aid and support Islam, whereas in reality they are its enemies seeking to destroy it from within, covertly spreading their corruption and ignorance such that the unwary thinks that what they are upon is knowledge and right action.

By Allah! How many strongholds of Islam have they destroyed; how many fortresses have they rendered to ruin how many signposts of Islam have they effaced; how many raised flags have they lowered; and how many seeds of doubt have they attempted to sow in order to uproot the religion!