Two Parties Over the Hypocrites

Allah (swt) then speaks of a number of other matters: the need to be wary of enemies plotting against you — making plans behind your back, telling you one thing openly and then going behind you to plot against you, speaking ill of you, joining with your enemies, and the like. This is the situation today as well, and very telling for us. Allah (swt) says in verse 88:

The existence of the munāfiqīn was a very complicated matter — very confusing, very challenging. The reason is that here were people calling themselves Muslims. They were not aggressing every day; they were very clever. They hid their aggression; they smiled. Those who had not felt the brunt of it thought them decent people: why are you aggressing against them? They are our brothers. Others, who had felt it, who had experienced it, who knew the reality and had seen the deception, wanted to take measures. That created a problem, and today it creates the same problem. There are people abroad who are Islamophobes — or rather, Muslim Islamophobes. What a statement: a Muslim Islamophobe, in the sense that they write, in reports and in the media, things that go against Islam, yet say: I am a Muslim; how can I be against Islam? — and so it is justified. Most of the time it concerns the changing of laws, liberalisation, the turning of ḥarām into ḥalāl, and the like. For many people that creates confusion: he says he is a Muslim, so he must be called a Muslim. This is not to say that a person should be called kāfir here; and the situation of the munāfiq was of course different. But Allah makes it very clear. What is the problem? What is wrong with you, that you have become two parties with regard to the munāfiqīn, when Allah (swt) will take them to task for what they do? Do you think you can guide those whom Allah (swt) has allowed to stray? For whomever Allah has allowed to stray, you will find no path for him. Waddū law takfurūn — Allah, in His jalāl here, in His majesty — waddū law takfurūna kamā kafarū: they wish only that you disbelieve as they disbelieved, so that you become the same, all of you disbelievers. Take no friends from among such people.

This is why — and it happens a great deal — a person who cannot do something, who cannot fast in Ramadan for instance, will try to justify to others why fasting is not necessary, because it makes him feel a little better. One good thing is that such people seem at least to have one foot still in Islam; it is as though they wish to belong. Another says: I do not wear ḥijāb, but ḥijāb is not necessary. Why must you wear it? Why do you insist on it? Of course it is necessary. It belongs to the orthodox substratum of beliefs; there is no question. The ḥijāb is an axiomatic belief of Islam. No evidence is even needed for it — to ask for evidence — it is clear-cut, just as ṣalāh is. Yet there are people who say such things, simply because it makes them feel better. It is psychological: they feel better, and they want to justify a great many other things.

Looked at in this way, the simplest and the best advice to be found is this: we are not perfect. Fear Allah as much as you can, to the best of your ability. If a woman cannot wear the ḥijāb today — very well. Intend to wear it tomorrow. Know that you are doing wrong; know that it is a challenge for you. Do it tomorrow. At least leave the door open. But if it is justified — I cannot pray ṣalāh in the masjid. There is the case of a man who did not pray Jumuʿah — a lovely person, who helped the masjid in various ways. Why not? Oh, because I am very busy. But the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that whoever misses three Jumuʿahs while taking them lightly, Allah sets a seal upon his heart. Were the Ṣaḥābah not busy? Were the Ṣaḥābah not very busy? Come on. Do not justify. Justification of a wrong is the worst thing one can do, because then there is no chance. Say rather: I am weak right now, I cannot do it; tomorrow I am going to do it. And Allah will give you tawfīq; Allah will divinely enable you.