Munafiq – Meanings, traits and signs

Surah Munafiqoon

Surah Munafiqoon is the 63^rd Surah of the Holy Quran and it was revealed in Madina and hence it is called as Madani Surah. It was revealed during the battle of Mureesah also called as Bani Mustaleeq in the fifth year of the migration. This Surah outlines the behavior of the hypocrites.

The meaning of the word منافقون:

The word منافقون is a noun i.e it is an اسم and it is in the condition of رفع. i.e it is an اسمِ مرفوع. It is مرفوع  because the hypocrites are the doers of the action i.e. they come to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a) and falsely testify to the Oneness of Allah and the message of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a).  The word منافقون  is also جمع مذکر  as we find the alphabets و  and ن at the end of the word.

Literal meaning of a Hypocrite:

In dictionary the meaning of the word منافق is as follows:

The hypocrite, the double dealer, the double tongued, deceitful, double faced, insincere, two faced, dishonest, foxy, fraud, fraudulent , trickster, tricky.

In the light of the above meanings it is clear that  منافق is a person who is exhibiting faith and disbelief while he is on the contrary. This makes him very dangerous for Islam and Muslims as he is a hidden enemy.

Terminological Meaning:

In Islamic terminology Munafiq is the one who makes an outward show of faith while he infact does not believe in what he says.

Origin of the Word:

The word نفاق has originated from the habit of certain animals like rabbit that dig two or more holes for them in the earth so that if they are attacked by an enemy from one hole they can escape from the other.

Let us see this surah in brief:

The hypocrites came to the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) showing themselves as believers whereas they were not. They used to make their (false) faith as a shelter and turned away from the path of Allah. Their outward appearance was very awe-inspiring and they were always very afraid (lest they be exposed). They are our enemies we should be very careful. When they were called towards the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a) they turn away with pride. They stop people from spending in the way of Islam.

It is the approach of the hypocrite that they come to us in the garb of Islam and attempt to weaken our roots. They also stop people from the path of Allah as the surah says:

فَصَدُّوا عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّه‏

It is narrated thus by Allamah Sayyad Hashim al Husaini al Bahraani (a.r) in Tafseer al Burhaan:

The path which the hypocrites stop people from is the path of the Successor of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a) i.e. the path of Ameerul Momeneen, Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s). Surely evil is what they do, they believe in the messengership of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a) and disbelieve in the mastership of his successor, therefore Allah has put a seal on their heart and they will not understand...

And when it is said to them come and believe in the Imamat of Ameerul Momeneen (a.s) so that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a) seeks forgiveness for you they turn away their heads in pride.

The rejection of the Wilayat of Ahlebait (a.s) is such a sin which will never be forgiven.

Allamah Hashim Bahraani (a.r) further continues while explaining the 22^nd  verse of Surah al-Mulk:

أَ فَمَنْ يَمْشِي مُكِبًّا عَلى‏ وَجْهِهِ أَهْدى‏ أَمَّنْ يَمْشِي سَوِيًّا عَلى‏ صِراطٍ مُسْتَقِيم‏

What, is he who walks on his face better guided or he who walks upright upon a straight path?

Surely Allah has struck an example for those who reject the mastership of Ameerul Momeneen (a.s). They are like the one who walks on his face and is not guided. The right path i.e صراط مستقیم is Ameerul Momeneen (a.s).

They further accuse the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a) and say:

إِنَّ مُحَمَّداً كَذَّابٌ عَلَى رَبِّهِ وَ مَا أَمَرَهُ اللَّهُ بِهَذَا فِي عَلِي‏ًّّ

Surely Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) has forged a big lie upon his lord and Allah has not ordered this (Wilayat) of Ali.

Allah has given them a fitting reply saying:

إِنَّ وَلَايَةَ عَلِيٍ‏ تَنْزِيلٌ‏ مِنْ رَبِّ الْعالَمِينَ. وَ لَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيْنا مُحَمَّدٌ بَعْضَ الْأَقاوِيلِ. لَأَخَذْنا مِنْهُ بِالْيَمِينِ. ثُمَّ لَقَطَعْنا مِنْهُ الْوَتِين‏

Surely the Wilayat of Ameerul Momeneen Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s) is a revelation from the lord of the worlds . And if Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) was to say anything from his whims we surely would take him (cut) by his jugular vein.

Then Allah orders the messenger to be grateful to Him for this great bounty of the Wilayat of Ameerul Momeneen (a.s.).

Signs of a Munafiq:

There are certain signs of a hypocrite. We should be aware of these and make a sincere attempt to save ourselves from these lest we fall in the abyss of hypocrisy.

We quote the tradition of Imam Sadiq (a.s) regarding the bad qualities of a Hypocrite:

الْمُنَافِقُ قَدْ رَضِيَ بِبُعْدِهِ عَنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى لِأَنَّهُ يَأْتِي بِأَعْمَالِهِ الظَّاهِرَةِ شَبِيهاً بِالشَّرِيعَةِ وَ هُوَ لَاهٍ وَ لَاغٍ وَ بَاغٍ بِالْقَلْبِ عَنْ حَقِّهَا مُسْتَهْزِئٌ فِيهَا وَ عَلَامَةُ النِّفَاقِ قِلَّةُ الْمُبَالاةِ بِالْكَذِبِ وَ الْخِيَانَةُ وَ الْوَقَاحَةُ وَ الدَّعْوَى بِلَا مَعْنًى وَ اسْتِخَانَةُ الْعَيْنِ وَ السَّفَهُ وَ الْغَلَطُ وَ قِلَّةُ الْحَيَاءِ وَ اسْتِصْغَارُ الْمَعَاصِي وَ اسْتِيضَاعُ أَرْبَابِ الدِّينِ وَ اسْتِخْفَافُ الْمَصَائِبِ فِي الدِّينِ وَ الْكِبْرُ وَ حُبُّ الْمَدْحِ وَ الْحَسَدُ وَ إِيثَارُ الدُّنْيَا عَلَى الْآخِرَةِ وَ الشَّرِّ عَلَى الْخَيْرِ وَ الْحَثُّ عَلَى النَّمِيمَةِ وَ حُبُّ اللَّهْوِ وَ مَعُونَةُ أَهْلِ الْفِسْقِ وَ الْبَغْيِ وَ التَّخَلُّفُ عَنِ الْخَيْرَاتِ وَ تَنَقُّصُ أَهْلِهَا وَ اسْتِحْسَانُ مَا يَفْعَلُهُ مِنْ سُوءٍ وَ اسْتِقْبَاحُ مَا يَفْعَلُهُ غَيْرُهُ مِنْ حَسَنٍ وَ أَمْثَالُ ذَلِكَ كَثِيرَةٌ وَ قَدْ وَصَفَ اللَّهُ الْمُنَافِقِينَ فِي غَيْرِ مَوْضِعٍ قَالَ تَعَالَى‏ وَ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ عَلى‏ حَرْفٍ‏ فِي التَّفْسِيرِ أَيْ‏ فَإِنْ أَصابَهُ خَيْرٌ اطْمَأَنَّ بِهِ وَ إِنْ أَصابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ انْقَلَبَ عَلى‏ وَجْهِهِ خَسِرَ الدُّنْيا وَ الْآخِرَةَ ذلِكَ هُوَ الْخُسْرانُ الْمُبِينُ‏ قَالَ تَعَالَى فِي وَصْفِهِمْ- وَ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَقُولُ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَ بِالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَ ما هُمْ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ. يُخادِعُونَ اللَّهَ وَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَ ما يَخْدَعُونَ إِلَّا أَنْفُسَهُمْ وَ ما يَشْعُرُونَ. فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ فَزادَهُمُ اللَّهُ مَرَضاً قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص الْمُنَافِقُ مَنْ إِذَا وَعَدَ أَخْلَفَ وَ إِذَا  فَعَلhَ أَسَاءَ وَ إِذَا قَالَ كَذَبَ وَ إِذَا ائْتُمِنَ خَانَ وَ إِذَا رُزِقَ طَاشَ وَ إِذَا مُنِعَ عَاشَ وَ قَالَ أَيْضاً مَنْ خَالَفَتْ سَرِيرَتُهُ عَلَانِيَتَهُ فَهُوَ مُنَافِقٌ‏ كَائِناً مَنْ كَانَ وَ حَيْثُ كَانَ وَ فِي أَيِّ زَمَنٍ كَانَ وَ عَلَى أَيِّ رُتْبَةٍ كَانَ‏

The hypocrite is the one who is satisfied with being away from the mercy of Allah the High (i.e. he is not eager to attain the mercy of Allah), he brings with him the actions which are like the Shariat (prayers, fasting, etc) while in his heart he is a rebel, a mocker at the right of the action, making a joke of it, and the sign of a hypocrite is indifference to (speaking a ) lie (i.e. a hypocrite is not truthful in his speech) and the trust i.e. amaanat that is kept with him, and he claims without meaning it, and his eyes are untrustworthy (i.e look at prohibited things) , he is extravagant and erroneous, he has very less of shame, and he considers the disobedience of Allah as small and insignificant, and he wastes the pillars of religion, and considers the calamity

on the religion as light, and pride, and love of appreciation, and envy, and preferring of world over the hereafter, and preferring evil over goodness, and rushes to gossip and slandering, and loves vain and useless things, and helps the corrupt and rebellious people and opposes the goodness, and seeks to find fault of the good doers, and praises what he does of the evil, and accuses the good that others do and many other qualities like it. And Allah has described the hypocrites thus:

And among men is he who serves Allah (standing) on the verge, so that if good befalls him he is satisfied therewith but if a trial afflicts him he turns back headlong , he loses the world as well as the hereafter , that is a manifest loss.

And Allah, the Almighty describes them as thus:

“And there are some people who say: We believe in Allah and the last day; and they are not at all believers.They desire to deceive Allah and those who believe, and they deceive only themselves and they do not perceive.There is a disease in their hearts, so Allah added to their disease and they shall have a painful chastisement because they lied.” Surah Baqarah (2): 8 – 10

Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a):

Surely the hypocrite is the one when he promises he violates, and when he acts he does evil, and when he speaks he says a lie, and when he is trusted he breaches the trust, when he is given sustenance he splurges, and when he is deprived he persists.

Then Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a) while explaining the general rule to identify hypocrites says:

And the one whose external appearance goes against his internal state is a hypocrite whoever he is, wherever he is, in whatever place he is and on whatever position he is.  (Misbaah ash Shariyah pg 146)          

Let us pray to Allah to keep us steadfast on the Wilayat of Ahle Bait (a.s) and keep us safe from hypocrisy and disbelief.

Here we enumerate some benefits of reciting this blessed Surah – Surah al Munafiqoon:

It is narrated from Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a): “One who recites this Surah he will be saved from hypocrisy and doubt in religion and if it is recited upon the sick or one in pain Allah the high will cure him. Insha Allah.”

Imam Sadiq (a.s): “It is obligatory upon every believer, when he is our Shia that he recites on the Friday morning, Surah Jumuah and the Surah of سبح اسم ربک الاعلیٰ and in the prayer of Zuhr, Surah Jumuah and Munafiqoon , then when he does it is like he has acted like the messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a) and his reward upon Allah is paradise.”  (Tafseer al Burhaan under the Tafseer of Surah Munafiqoon)