Allah is the One who taught us the Qur'an, and He is the One who created us, and He is the One who taught us speech and eloquence. We have to attribute all these actions to Allah. In (55:1-4):
Most Muslims recite the Quran, but not in the way pleasing to Allah. They don't read it, while pondering over the verses, with تدبّر (reflecting over the verse until you reach the end objective - What Allah wants from us), and action. Mere recitation or memorization of the Qur'an is not the purpose of its revelation. Allah revealed it in order to be pondered over and acted upon.
What is the goal I want to reach through Tadabbur?
1) Purification of the Soul -> To purify my soul from sins and sicknesses of the heart.
2) To increase in faith and good deeds.
We need to ask ourselves, every time we ponder about verses, if it increased us in faith, in good deeds, if it purified our hearts from evil deeds, what it taught us about Allah, etc.
This is what Allah wants from us. In this way we'll be المتقين, and deserve to enter Paradise.
Hypocrisy
One of the most seriousness sicknesses is hypocrisy, and it's an umbrella which covers all the other sicknesses. The hypocrites have all the sicknesses of the heart like arrogance, envy, etc.
Learning about the description of the hypocrites isn't something that we do once and leave. We need to constantly repeat it to ourselves, because we're humans, and humans forget.
But hypocrisy is one of the most serious sicknesses of the heart, because those who suffer from it don't perceive it. They don't feel like they're hypocrites. People don't like to be called hypocrites, and pass the verses of the hypocrites as if it doesn't concern them.
In (2:12):
This should put fear in our hearts. We could be hypocrites and not even realize it. That's why no one should ascribe purity to themselves.
Out of Allah's mercy, He doesn't leave us having sicknesses in our hearts without revealing them to us. He decrees situations in which we accordingly behave with arrogance, envy, such-and-such sickness, etc. When we react with wrong utterances or behaviour, it indicates that there's a sickness in my heart.
We need to open our eyes, focus on ourselves. Ask yourself: Why did I think like this? Why did I behave in that way?
If the event passes and you don't pause and put your finger on that sickness, and realize and admit what you have, the situation will be repeated again and again until the end of your life. If you ignore these messages from Allah, the sickness may appear at the end of your life, and you'll die with a bad end.
What is the solution for these sicknesses?
1) Truthfulness.
At the end سورة التوبة, after Allah mentions the descriptions of the hypocrites, He calls the believers. In (9:119):
Because the hypocrites are liars.
2) Inspect your heart for sicknesses
Sometimes you may not be able to diagnose the sickness. This is where you need to seek knowledge. Find out the symptoms of every sickness of the heart, as well as its remedy. Most people don't purify their hearts because they don't have knowledge.
3) Check your motivations.
With every action you take in your life - ask yourself. What made you do that matter?
Why did I come to attend the lecture? Why did I help that person? Why did I give a gift to that person?
E.g. A person is brought up in a family which honours and takes care of learning the Qur'an. The children are brought up reading and memorizing the Qur'an, until they begin to teach the Qur'an themselves. But they don't know why they should be doing it. They just teach as a job, or because everyone else in her family is doing it and she doesn't want to be different, etc. She apparently looks good, but her intention isn't.
That's why you can hear Qur'an teachers complaining that they are fed up of teaching. Imagine - they're teaching the Qur'an and saying such words.
We need to ask ourselves what motivated us to take every action.
E.g. A person claims he's humble, helps the poor, shares food with them. Allah puts him through a situation where a poor person offends him. Then his true reality shows. He starts saying things like don't they know who I am? How could they do this to me? - all of which indicate his arrogance. Where is the humility that you claimed earlier?
The situations we go through are revelations which expose our own reality to ourselves. We need to be truthful to ourselves and ask Allah to reform our hearts.
Don't ignore the feelings and thoughts which pass by your heart and indicate that there's something wrong. Don't have confidence in yourself.
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Some of the Characteristics of the Hypocrites mentioned in the Qur'an
In (2:204-206):
Their speech is eloquent, appealing, nice. The person apparently looks good, and makes Allah a witness over his heart. It's as if he's saying, "Allah knows that I love Islam, I love reformation, I hate mischief and evil. Allah is a witness over me"
And what does Allah say about him? He is the most quarrelsome of opponents.
Whenever any dispute happens, he is the worst and most quarrelsome person. He argues and argues in order to prove that he's right, and rejects the truth.
He makes mischief in the land through committing different kinds of sins - with his tongue, hand, etc.
And the result of his mischief is that even the crops and plants are destroyed. This is the effect of the sins on the land - it destroys it.
Allah mentions when this characteristic of hypocrisy appears:
When he is told to fear Allah, to leave the sin because it's حرام, his arrogance and pride leads him to more crime.
He doesn't accept النصيحة. And this is one of the characteristic of the hypocrites. They don't accept advice, rather they think things like who is he to advise me, he's advising me because he's jealous of me, etc. His arrogance caused him to commit more sins.
This is also one of the characteristics of the disbelievers. In سورة الاعراف, Allah mentioned that every Prophet gave النصيحة their nation:
According to Ibn Uthaymeen, there's no one that practices arguing but he will be deprived of the بركة of knowledge. Because most people who argue want to prove they are right and others are wrong; they aren't seeking the truth. And this frequently occurs amongst students of knowledge.
Whoever is seeking the truth - the truth can be easily attained and doesn't require any arguing.
The People of Innovation are the argumentative ones. They want to convince people that they are right, that's why there's no بركة in their knowledge. They argue and dispute and end up to nothing. Because any person that argues to support his opinion or idea will not find بركة nor will be guided by Allah. This is a serious warning to students of knowledge.
If you notice, these verses came after verses in which Allah talks about the Hajj. People divided into two categories regarding asking Allah - One group only asking Allah for the good of this world. These are the hypocrites. In (2:200):
Another characteristic of the hypocrites: They love the Dunya. Their hearts are attached to this world, and turn away from the hereafter. This is one of the deceptions of the Shaytan; He makes one forget the next life.
Never think that the love of the Dunya will stop at a certain age.
People often leave young people alone to indulge in the Dunya with the belief that they'll detach themselves from it when they're older. This is contrary to what the Prophet ﷺ mentioned in a Hadith:
Narrated Abu Huraira, "I heard Allah's Messenger ﷺ saying, "The heart of an old man remains young in two respects, i.e., his love for the world (its wealth, amusements and luxuries) and his incessant hope." [Bukhari]
And he said:
Narrated Anas bin Malik that Allah's Messenger ﷺ said, "The son of Adam (i.e. man) grows old and so also two (desires) grow old with him, i.e., love for wealth and (a wish for) a long life." [Bukhari]
As you grow older, so will the love of worldly things. You'll get more attached to this world, and your hopes in it will increase. It'll continue like this unless a persons faith makes it stop.
When we're 30 we compare ourselves to those who are 40 and believe we're still young, when we're 40 we compare ourselves to those who are 50, and think we're still young, when we're 50 we compare ourselves to those who are 60 and 70 and believe we're still young. And this happens until death strikes us.
You find old people still planning investments and projects, still having hopes of enjoying and amusing themselves with this world.
You may say I don't love the Dunya, but we do.
E.g. I go to a shopping center and buy a dress. As I come out, I pass by another shop, see another dress I like, and convince myself to buy it for another occasion. And people buy and buy and don't even wear half the clothes in the end.
And Allah says:
We just increase and increase until death strikes us. This is the journey of the human being.
We memorize these verses and know them very well but act contrary to it.
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Another characteristic with the hypocrites is that they have a problem with their belief in Allah and the Day of Judgement. They have a problem in their Aqeedah.
So I have to examine the roots of my faith.
What do I know about Allah? How many names of Allah do I know? How much do I act upon the names and attributes of Allah? How much do I see its impact in my life? How much do I know about the dealings of Allah with the believing and disbelieving people?
If you don't know, you should learn. The knowledge you know should enter your heart such that it affects your behaviour.
E.g. Your belief regarding the ولي الأمر. You ask a person what our belief should be regarding him, and he says, "My belief is just as Allah told me in the Qur'an - to obey them" In (4:59):
This means I should neither defame him nor rebel against him.
Allah makes you go through a situation where the head oppresses you. He wrongs you in one way or another. All kinds of insults and defamation appear on your tongue.
Where is the belief you claimed earlier? This indicates that it's shaky; not firmly fixed in the heart.
Apply this to every belief you have.
Generally: As soon as you go through a situation and you feel a characteristic of the hypocrite in you, you have to put your finger on it and try to cure it by Allah's help.
Make دعاء. Ask Allah to reform your heart, to help you overcome the sickness.
E.g. My thoughts about Allah.
Allah makes me go through a situation I dislike. One of the characteristic of the hypocrites is that they think evil of Allah.
In (48:6):
They believe that Allah will not give them support, not respond to their supplications, not cure them, etc. Whenever a bad thought comes about Allah, you need to repel it with knowledge.
E.g. She claims she doesn't love the Dunya. A visitor came her with her children and broke her vase. She remains upset throughout the entire week. This being upset indicates something - that your heart is attached to this worldly thing.
We have to check our hearts, because these sicknesses may cause the evil ending of a person.
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