CONDEMNATION OF DOUBLE-FACED PEOPLE
ALLAH, the Exalted, says:
"They may hide (their crimes) from men, but they cannot hide (them) from ALLAH; for He is with them (by His Knowledge), when they plot by night in words that He does not approve. And ALLAH ever encompasses what they do.'' (4:108)
Hadith:
Abu Hurairah (r.a) said: The Messenger of ALLAH (PBUH) said, "People are like ores. Those who were excellent in the Days of Ignorance are excellent in Islam provided they acquire the knowledge and understanding of the religion. You will find the best people in it (Islam) those who had a deep hatred (for leadership). 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.'' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary:
A "double-faced person'' is one who makes a group believe that he is their supporter and well-wisher, but when he goes to the opposite group, he tries to make them believe that he is entirely with them. The best among people is one who goes to every group and earnestly tries to reform it.
Muhammad bin Zaid reported: Some people said to my grandfather, 'Abdullah bin 'Umar (r.a): We visit our rulers and tell them things contrary to what we say when we leave them. `Abdullah bin `Umar (r.a) replied: "In the days of the Messenger of ALLAH (PBUH), we counted this act as an act of hypocrisy.'' [Al-Bukhari].
Commentary: This Hadith points out that to praise the rulers in their presence and to condemn them in their absence amounts to practical hypocrisy because what one has in his heart does not find expression in his speech, and what one expresses in his words does not agree with what one has in his heart. The conduct of a true Muslim should be that if a ruler is noble, just and pious, he should admire him even in his presence (when there arises a need for it, and not for the sake of flattering him) and he should also praise him in his absence. If the ruler is bad, he should warn him of the evil consequences of his bad conduct to his face, and the same attitude should be maintained when he is not present because this is the well-meaning attitude which has been ordained to every Muslim. Against this, the attitude of the first kind is a mark of hypocrisy which has been strongly condemned in the preceding Hadith. [Riyad us Saliheen]
ALLAH the Exalted, says:
"So ascribe not purity to yourselves. He knows best him who fears ALLAH and keeps his duty to Him [i.e., those who are Al-Muttaqun (the pious)].'' (53:32)
"The way (of blame) is only against those who oppress men and wrongly rebel in the earth without justification; for such there will be a painful torment.'' (42:42)
Hadith:
`Iyad bin Himar (r.a) said: The Messenger of ALLAH (PBUH) said, "Verily, ALLAH has revealed to me that you should adopt humility. So that no one may wrong another and no one may be disdainful and haughty towards another.'' [Muslim].
Commentary: Anyone whom ALLAH has granted wealth or authority, beauty or splendour, should take it as ALLAH's Gift. He should take to adopt humility and humbleness and express his gratitude for it to ALLAH. He should benefit people with the gifts bestowed upon him by ALLAH and not make them a means of pride and oppression.
Abu Hurairah (r.a) said: The Messenger of ALLAH (PBUH) said, "When a person says: `People have been ruined, he is the one to be ruined the most.''' [Muslim]
In another version: "He himself is the most ruined among them.''
Commentary: This Hadith prohibits a Muslim from saying the statement in the Hadith or something similar to it out of arrogance and pride. There is no harm, however, if one says it in view of the bad state of affairs to which Muslims have been reduced as a result of, for example, neglecting the teachings of Islam. Of the religious scholars, who hold this view, are Imam Malik bin Anas, Imam Al-Khattabi, Al-Humaidi and others. This point has been made clear in Imam An-Nawawi's Al-Adhkar. [Riyad as Saliheen]
By:Aisha Ahsam
