By Imam Murtadha Gusau

 

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

 

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all worlds, Who says in His Ever Glorious Book (Qur’an):

 

“The hypocrites, both men and women, are all the same: they order what is wrong and forbid what is right; they are tight-fisted. They have ignored Allah, so He has ignored them. The hypocrites are the disobedient ones.’”

 

I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that our Master Prophet Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger; who said:

 

“There are three signs of a hypocrite: When he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is trusted, he betrays his trust.”

 

May Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon him, his Household, Companions and upon those who follow their path to the Day of Judgment.

 

Dear brothers and sisters! There is no doubt that hypocrisy and betrayal are serious diseases and a fatal problems that threatens individuals and nations. They are one of most serious inner diseases that destroys one’s faith and destroys its foundations. They are serious social and moral scourge that threatens security, safety and stability of the country. Therfore, their danger is greater than the danger of disbelief and shirk, because they spreads, in one nation, they will dismantle it and shatter its peace, unity and progress.

 

In addition, the weapon of treason is a critical danger that threatens countires and their existence as seen throughout history. Nations that have been destroyed, torn or even disappeared have experienced this because of inner elements of hypocrites, betrayers, traitors and agents who sold their nations. Wallahi, the dangers that threaten countries from inside are far greater and more serious than those from outside.

 

We should know, however, that hypocrisy is of two types: major and minor. The first is the major hypocrisy, which is the more dangerous. It is the hypocrisy in belief that is to show Islam and hide disbelief. A holder of this form of hypocrisy will be an eternal dweller in the Hellfire, and even will be in the lowest degree in it, as mentioned in the Qur’an. The second type is the minor hypocrisy. This is the practical hypocrisy, which means the devition from good manners. It means to show righteousness and hide otherwise. This type does not bring one out of Islam in total. However, it is a path to the major hypocrisy, if its holder does not stop it.

 

The Glorious Qur’an and the Prophetic Sunnah tell us about hypocrites and their descriptions, morals and intrigues. These matters have never changed over time, and nations. Among the most important signs of the hypocrites are:

 

1. Lying,

 

2. Breaking one’s promise,

 

3. Dishonesty,

 

4. And being abusive in enmity.

 

These are among the most henious qualities of hypocrites as described by the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and they are practical manifestations of hypocrisy. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

 

“Four are the qualities which, when found in a person, make him a sheer hypocrite, and one who possesses one of them, possesses one characteristic of hypocrisy until he abandons it. These are: When he is entrusted with something, he betrays trust; when he speaks, he lies; when he promises, he acts treacherously; and when he argues, he behaves in a very imprudent, insulting manner.”

 

Whoever meets these qualities, or one of them, becomes a hypocrite, and these qualities negatively affect the interests of the nation and destroy it.

 

It is often that we see hypocrites tell lies to decieve others, as Allah the Almighty said:

 

“There is [a kind of] man whose views on the life of this world may please you [Prophet], he even calls on Allah to witness what is in his heart, yet he is the bitterest of opponents.”

 

When the Qur’an speaks about hypocrisy, deception, and dishonesty, it mentions this in connection with lying. Allah the Almighty says:

 

“They seek to deceive Allah and the believers but they only deceive themselves, though they do not realise it. There is a disease in their hearts, to which Allah has added more: agonising torment awaits them for their persistent lying.”

 

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) has warned us againt lying, showing its consequences saying:

 

“Be aware from lying. Lying leads to transgression and transgression leads to the Hell-fire. A man continues to tell lies till he is recorded with Allah as a great liar.”

 

The Messenger of Allah once was asked:

 

“Can a believer be a coward?” He said, “Yes.” He was asked, “Can he be a miser?” He said, “Yes.” He was asked, “Can he be a liar?” He said, “No.”

 

Abubakar al-Siddiq described the lie as treason, saying:

 

“Truthfulness is honesty and lying is dishonesty….”

 

In addition, betrayal and treason severe the bonds of love, incite hatred and leads to conflict, discord and corruption in dealings. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) showed that treachery will incur regret on the Day of Judgment saying:

 

“For every betrayer, a flag will be raised on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be announced (publicly) ‘This is the betrayal of so-and-so, the son of so-and-so.”

 

He (Peace be upon him) also said:

 

“I will contend on the Day of Resurrection against three (types of) people: one who makes a covenant in My Name and then breaks it; one who sells a free man as a slave and devours his price; and one who hires a workman and having taken full work from him, does not pay him his wages.”

 

One of the most dangerous types of betrayal is to betray one’s country or homeland for a cheap price, as the case of some dangerous politicians, radical terrorist groups and their followers.

 

Among the attributes that Islam has warned us from are: Abusiveness in enimitty. This is the source of every evilness, and the cause of deviation from the truth. Such a person who is abusive in his enitmy will turn the truth into falsehood and vise versa. Allah the Most High says:

 

“There is [a kind of] man whose views on the life of this world may please you [Prophet], he even calls on Allah to witness what is in his heart, yet he is the bitterest of opponents.”

 

The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:

 

“The most hated person in the sight of Allah is the most quarrelsome person.”

 

The most accurate description of the people of hypocrisy is that they are double-faced people. Even in our time we can say they are multiple-faced people. they are the most ficious persons. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:

 

“You will find the worst among the people a double-faced person who appears to some people with one face and to others with another face.”

 

Also among the signs of hypocrisy is: Corruption in the land while claiming reformation. Allah the Almighty says:

 

“When it is said to them, ‘Do not cause corruption in the land,’ they say, ‘We are only putting things right,’ but really they are causing corruption, though they do not realise it.”

 

Corruption has many forms: To spread fear in the land, to loot the public treasury, to cause hardships to the citizens, to implant weakness in the hearts of the honest people, to promote deviant ideas, misconceptions, and to spread sedition and disunity among people. Allah the Almighty says:

 

“They would only have given you trouble if they had gone out [to battle] with you: they would have scurried around, trying to sow discord among you, and some of you would willingly have listened to them- Allah knows exactly who does evil.”

 

He, the Most High, also says:

 

“They said to one another, ‘Do not go [to war] in this heat.’ Say, ‘Hellfire is hotter.’ If only they understood!” and says, “Allah knows exactly who among you hinder others, who [secretly] say to their brothers, ‘Come and join us,’ who hardly ever come out to fight.”

 

The list of corruption also includes deprivation of people from their due and degrading them. Allah the Almighty, says:

 

“And do not deprive people of their due and do not commit abuse on earth, spreading corruption.”

 

Corruption also includes looting the public treasury, applying harmful and dangerous policies to the citizens, destruction, vandalism, killing the innocent, terrifying the safe and the secure, delaying the fulfillment of people’s needs, not shouldering the due responsibility, bribery, nepotism, and the unlawful consumption of people’s money.

 

Laziness in offering acts of worship; and if done, their observation is not sincerely for the sake of Allah but for showing off, especially in prayer, which is the most sublime act of worship. Allah the Most High says:

 

“Indeed, the hypocrites [think to] deceive Allah, but He is deceiving them. And when they stand for prayer, they stand lazily, showing [themselves to] the people and not remembering Allah except a little” and “And what prevents their expenditures from being accepted from them but that they have disbelieved in Allah and in His Messenger and that they come not to prayer except while they are lazy and that they do not spend their wealth except while they are unwilling.”

 

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) also said:

 

“No prayer is more burdensome to the hypocrites than the Fajr (dawn) prayer and the Isha’ (night) prayer; and if they knew their merits, they would come to them even if they had to crawl to do so.”

 

Jabir Ibn Abdullah also narrated that he (Peace be upon him) said:

 

“O people! Beware of the hidden polytheism!” The companions replied, “O Messenger of Allah! What is the hidden polytheism?” He (Peace be upon him) replied, “The man observes his prayer in the best way ever because people watch him.”

 

Dear brothers and sisters! One of the signs of hypocrisy is to ally with the enemies of the nation, with the aim of causing harm to one’s own country. This may take place through espionage, treachery, transforming news and information and unveiling the secrets of the country. That is to say that the hypocrite is a person who allies with the enemies of his country, causing harm thereby to the interests of the citizens, his family, neighbours and relatives. Allah the Most High says:

 

“So you see those in whose hearts is disease hastening into [association with] them, saying, “We are afraid a misfortune may strike us. But perhaps Allah will bring conquest or a decision from Him, and they will become, over what they have been concealing within themselves, regretful.”

 

He, the Almighty also says:

 

“And indeed, there is among you he who lingers behind; and if disaster strikes you, he says, “Allah has favoured me in that I was not present with them.” But if bounty comes to you from Allah, he will surely say, as if there had never been between you and him any affection. “Oh, I wish I had been with them so I could have attained a great attainment.”

 

The hypocrite feels happiness if any evil, harm or hardship befalls the country or its citizens; or in case a trail afflicts them; or a disease spread among them; or if they are overtaken by a disaster. Allah the Almighty says:

 

“If good touches you, it distresses them; but if harm or hardship strikes you, they rejoice at it. And if you are patient and fear Allah, their plot will not harm you at all. Indeed, Allah is encompassing of what they do.”

 

Yet, the new hypocrites have acquired new traits including lying, treachery, betrayal, breaking covenants and promises, stirring the public opinion, betraying religion, and the new kind of deception topped by the exploitation of religion to achieve the interests of those dangerous politicians, bad leaders or terrorist groups that want to exploit religion to reach positions of authority disguising in different forms of superficial and political religiousness, to the extent that they believe they are the only true and sincere Muslims while others are not. They do so in order to provide legal coverage for their works and actions. In addition to all of this, those new hypocrites are characterised with betraying the country, degrading it and selling it for a cheap price.

 

Allah the Almighty has promised to punish this kind of people, affirming that His Anger will befall them in His worldly life and the hereafter. Allah the Almighty says:

 

“…But the evil plot does not encompass except its own people.”

 

He the Most High even punished the greater hypocrisy with being hesitated, unstable and frightening. Allah the Almighty says:

 

“Wavering between them, [belonging] neither to the believers nor to the disbelievers. And whoever Allah leaves astray – never will you find for him a way.”

 

He, Glorified is He also says:

 

“…They think that every shout is against them. They are the enemy, so beware of them. May Allah destroy them; how are they deluded?”

 

Not only that, but Allah has driven their hearts away from understanding His and His Messenger’s teachings, thus guidance will not penetrate into their hearts. He, the Almighty says:

 

“That is because they believed, and then they disbelieved; so their hearts were sealed over, and they do not understand.”

 

As for their punishment in the hereafter, He, the Almighty Allah says:

 

“And among those around you of the Bedouins are hypocrites, and [also] from the people of Madinah. They have become accustomed to hypocrisy. You, [O Muhammad], do not know them, [but] We know them. We will punish them twice [in this world]; then they will be returned to a great punishment.”

 

The first punishment is thus in this life while the second will be in the grave. As for the greater one, it will be in the hereafter when Allah the Most High, will gather the hypocrites with other wrong-doers in the Hell-fire. He, the Almighty says:

 

“Indeed Allah will gather the hypocrites and disbelievers in Hell all together.”

 

He, the Almighty also says:

 

“Indeed, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire – and never will you find for them a helper – Except for those who repent, correct themselves, hold fast to Allah, and are sincere in their religion for Allah, for those will be with the believers. And Allah is going to give the believers a great reward.”

 

Respected servants of Allah! For the sake of protecting our country, its being, its peace, unity, cohesion and safety, the watchful eyes of its sincere sons and daughters should be alert. Also, the efforts of all the noble people should be promoted to eradicate the treacherous, the spies and those who convey secrets to the criminal enemies; the enemies of our country; they should be defeated and disgraced before all people, so that they would be an admonition for anyone who thinks of following the path of hypocrisy, treachery and betrayal, to protect our country, our honours, our souls and our children’s future, as well as to please Allah and protect our country from being afflicted with such atrocities that afflicted those countries that neglected facing the treacherous and spies thinking this is an easy matter while it is not, as shown clearly in many countries’ history.

 

Respected brothers and sisters! The following are the main reasons why do people betray their country or behave hypocritically against their own nation:

 

Yes, people may betray their country due to factors such as personal gain, ideological differences, tribalism, regionalism, coercion, disillusionment, or perceived injustice. These motivations can drive individuals to act against their nation’s interests for personal or political reasons.

 

People betray their country for a variety of reasons, including:

 

1. Material motives: Money and other desired objects can be incentives for betrayal.

 

2. Psychological motives: These include ideology, revenge, self-esteem, sympathy for the underdog, need for thrills, and lack of patriotism.

 

3. Personal crises: People may betray their country due to personal crises, such as financial pressure.

 

4. Desire for information: People may betray their country to use information as a bargaining chip.

 

5. Hope for government downfall: People may betray their country in the hope that their actions will bring about the government’s downfall.

 

6. Divided loyalty: A Defense Department contractor study I read found that divided loyalty is the primary motive for spying against the United States, for example.

 

7. Espionage: Developments in information technology have increased the opportunities for espionage.

 

8. Personal interests: Since the end of the Cold War, personal interests are more likely to take precedence over national interests.

 

9. Corruption: Involvement in illegal or unethical activities that benefit from betraying national interests.

 

10. Manipulation: Influence from foreign entities or groups promising rewards or power.

 

11. Ideological Conflict: Strong disagreements with national policies or government actions.

 

12. Personal Grievances: Feelings of betrayal or mistreatment by the country or its leaders.

 

Lastly, I pray, may the Almighty Allah remove all our tears, all our worries, all our sorrows and all our pains and replace them with complete happiness, complete smiles and complete good health, ameen Ya Mujib!

 

All perfect praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad (Peace be upon him), and upon his family, his Companions and his true followers.

 

Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of: Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah Mosque; and Late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene Mosque, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com; or +2348038289761.

 

This Friday sermon (Jumu’ah Khutbah) was prepared for delivery today Friday, 03 Rajab, 1446 AH (January 03, 2024).