Nifaq

Nifaq
Although the term nifaq is very clear there are some individuals who
use nifaq and munafq for people who never have hidden their kufr and
shirk.
There are two types of nifaq; Major or I’tiqadi (Hypocrisy in Belief) and
minor or Amali (Hypocrisy in Actions/Deeds).
Major hypocrisy is the hypocrisy of one who conceals disbelief whilst

making an outward show of being a Muslim. Al-Jarjaani said: The
hypocrite is the one who is a disbeliever in his heart but pays lip service
to faith outwardly. (At-Ta‘reefaat, p. 298)
The one who pretends outwardly to believe in Allah, His Angels, His
Books, His Messengers and the Last Day, whilst inwardly believing that
which is contrary to that or part of it, is the hypocrite in the sense of
major hypocrisy.
These are the ones who are referred to in the verse in which Allah, may
He be exalted, says: “Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths
(grade) of the Fire.” [an-Nisa’ 4:145]
Some of the most prominent of their characteristics are lying, treachery,

deceit and resorting to foul speech when disputing.
With regard to minor hypocrisy – which is also called hypocrisy of

actions – this refers to hypocrisy in deeds. That is when a person does
righteous actions but they do not truly represent what is in his heart, or
he behaves differently in private and in public, but that does not have to
do with the fundamentals of faith mentioned above. Such a person may
fall into one of the branches of hypocrisy of actions, or he may have
some of the characteristics of the hypocrites, such as lying, treachery
and breaking promises.
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with
him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: “There are four characteristics, whoever has them all is a pure
hypocrite, and whoever has one of them has one of the characteristics of
hypocrisy, until he gives it up: when he is entrusted with something he
betrays that trust, when he speaks he lies, when he makes a covenant he
breaks it, and when he disputes he resorts to obscene speech.” (al-
Bukhaari 54; Muslim 58)
If any of those who believe in Tawheed (the Oneness of Allah) has any
of these characteristics, he has fallen into minor hypocrisy to the extent
to which he has done such deeds or has that characteristic, because he
resembles the hypocrites in some of their actions, even if he is not
exactly like them.
Ibn Taymiyya said:

The word hypocrisy refers to major hypocrisy which means concealing
disbelief, or minor hypocrisy which means behaving differently in
private and in public with regard to obligatory duties. … This is well
known among the scholars and this is how they interpreted the words
of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “The signs of
the hypocrite are three: when he speaks he lies, when he makes a
promise he breaks it, and when he is entrusted with something he
betrays that trust. Narrated by at-Tirmidhi and others. More than one of
the early scholars said: A lesser form of kufr, a lesser form of hypocrisy,
a lesser form of shirk. (Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 11/140)
Ibn Rajab said:

The interpretation given by the respectable scholars is that hypocrisy in
the linguistic sense refers to a kind of treachery and betrayal, making an
outward display of goodness whilst inwardly concealing the opposite.
In Islamic terms it may be divided into two categories, the frst of which
is major hypocrisy, which is when a person makes an outward show of
believing in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers and the Last
Day, whilst inwardly concealing the opposite of that in whole or in part.
This is the kind of hypocrisy that existed at the time of the Messenger of
Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and Qur’an was
revealed condemning those hypocrites and describing them as
disbelievers, and stating that they would be in the lowest level of Hell.
The second type of hypocrisy is minor hypocrisy, which is hypocrisy of
deeds. That is when a person makes an outward show of being
righteous when inwardly he is the opposite of that.
To sum up, minor hypocrisy refers to behaving differently in private
and in public, as was stated by al-Hasan. Minor hypocrisy is a means
that may lead to major hypocrisy, just as sins are the harbinger of
disbelief. Just as there is the fear that the one who persists in sin may be
deprived of faith at the time of death, there is also the fear that the one
who persists in one of the characteristics of hypocrisy will be deprived
of faith and will become a pure hypocrite. Imam Ahmad was asked:
What do you say about one who does not fear hypocrisy for himself? He
said: Who can be sure that he is safe from hypocrisy? Al-Hasan used to
call the one who did deeds of hypocrisy a hypocrite, and something
similar was narrated from Hudhayfah. (Jaami‘ al-‘Uloom wa’l-Hukam,
p. 430-434)

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Nifaq

Major hypocrisy is the hypocrisy of one who conceals disbelief whilst

Some of the most prominent of their characteristics are lying, treachery,

With regard to minor hypocrisy – which is also called hypocrisy of

Ibn Taymiyya said:

Ibn Rajab said:

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