Ghurar Al-Hikam Wa Durar Al-Kalim, Exalted Aphorisms And Pearls Of Speech

The Hypocrite

The Hypocrite-المنافق

1. A hypocrite’s tongue pleases but his heart causes harm.

1ـ اَلمُنافِقُ لِسانُهُ يَسُرُّ وقَلْبُهُ يَضُرُّ.

2. A hypocrite’s words are beautiful but his actions are a painful malady.

2ـ اَلمُنافِقُ قَوْلُهُ جَمِيلٌ وفِعْلُهُ الدّاءُ الدّخِيلُ.

3. The hypocrite is a shameless, foolish, wretched sycophant.

3ـ اَلمُنافِقُ وَقِحٌ غَبِيٌّ مُتَمَلِّقٌ شَقِيٌّ.

4. The hypocrite flatters himself but maligns others.

4ـ اَلمُنافِقُ لِنَفْسِهِ مُداهِنٌ وَعَلَى النّاسِ طاعِنٌ.

5. The most obvious of hypocrite among the people is one who enjoins obedience [to Allah] but does not act upon it himself, and forbids sin but does not refrain from it himself.

5ـ أظْهَرُ النّاسِ نِفاقاً مَنْ أمَرَ بِالطّاعَةِ ولَمْ يَعْمَلْ بِها،

6. Be cautious of the hypocrites for indeed they are misguided and misguide others, they have erred and make others err, their hearts are diseased while their outward appearance looks pure.

6ـ اِحْذَرُوا أهْلَ النِّفاقِ، فَإنَّهُمْ الضَّالُّونَ المُضِلُّونَ،

7. The hypocrite is sceptical [and puts others in doubt].

7ـ اَلمُنافِقُ مُريبٌ.

8. The hypocrite is sly, harmful and suspicious.

8ـ اَلمُنافِقُ مَكُورٌ مُضِرٌّ، مُرْتابٌ.

9. I fear for you from every eloquent speaker who is a hypocrite at heart, he says what you know [to be good] but does what you dislike [and know to be bad].

9ـ إنّي أخافُ عَلَيْكُمْ كُلَّ عَليمِ اللِّسانِ مُنافِقِ الجِنانِ،

10. He (‘a) described the hypocrites thus: they are jealous of [those in] comfort, intensify [the] distress [of the distressed] and destroy hopes [of the hopeful]. Their fallen victims are lying on every path, they have means to approach every heart and they have false tears for every [occasion of] grief.

10ـ وقالَ ـ عَلَيْهِ السّلامُ ـ في وَصْفِ المنافِقينَ: حَسَدُ

11. It is the habit of hypocrites to change their character [depending on their circumstances].

11ـ عادَةُ المُنافِقينَ تَهْزيعُ الأخْلاقِ.

12. He (‘a) said about the hypocrites: They have indeed prepared for every truth a falsehood, and for every straight thing something crooked, and for every living thing a killer, and for every [closed] door a key, and for every night a lamp.

12ـ وقالََ ـ عَلَيْهِ السّلامُ ـ في ذِكْرِ المُنافِقينَ: قَدْ أعَدُّوا

13. Every hypocrite is a sceptic [who puts doubts in the minds of the people].

13ـ كُلُّ مُنافِق مُريبٌ.

14. One whose hypocrisy abounds, his sincerity will not be recognized.

14ـ مَنْ كَثُرَ نِفاقُهُ لَمْ يُعْرَفْ وِفاقُهُ.

15. How repulsive is it for a human being to agree externally while being hypocritical internally.

15ـ ما أقْبَحَ بِالإنْسانِ ظاهِراً مُوافِقاً وباطِناً مُنافِقاً.

16. How repulsive it is for a human being to be two-faced.

16ـ ما أقْبَحَ بِالإنْسانِ أنْ يَكُونَ ذا وَجْهَيْنِ.

17. The example of the hypocrite is that of a colocynth, its leaves are green but its taste is bitter.

17ـ مَثَلُ المُنافِقِ كَالحَنْظَلَةِ الخَضِرَةِ أوْراقُها اَلمُرِّ

18. The hypocrisy of a person stems from the inferiority [and humiliation] he finds within himself.

18ـ نِفاقُ المَرْءِ مِنْ ذُلّ يَجِدُهُ في نَفْسِهِ.

19. About the hypocrites [he (’a) said]: They are the congregation of Satan and the dwellers of hellfire. These are the party of Satan, and indeed it is the party of Satan who are the losers.

19ـ في ذِكْرِ المُنافِقينَ: هُمْ لُمَّةُ الشَّيْطانِ وحُمَّةُ

20. They walk stealthily and tread slowly, hiding behind trees. Their words are [like] a cure but their actions are incurable diseases. They exchange praise [with each other] and come near each other through (or are careful of) reward. They obtain what they covet by means of despair. When they talk they create doubts, they dissemble in their speech and when they speak they delude (or distort).

20ـ يَمْشُونَ الخِفاءَ ويَدُبُّونَ الضَّرّاءَ قَوْلُهُمُ الدَّواءُ

21. The [person who is] most severe in his hypocrisy is one who enjoins obedience but does not act upon it himself, and forbids sin but does not refrain from it himself.

21ـ أشَدُّ النّاسِ نِفاقاً مَنْ أمَرَ بِالطّاعَةِ ولَمْ يَعْمَلْ بِها،