Part 1

CHARAGME aa ICS OFSDHE

~ By Shaykh al-Islam

~— bn Qayyim al-Jawziyy

with an appendix from the work of ash-Sha

There ts a sickness tn their hearts and Allah has increased their sickness. They will have a painful punishment on account of their lies.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HYPOCRITES

SHAKYHUL-ISLAM Ibn al-Qayyim

Translated from the original Arabic by Aba Rumaysah

The Statements of the Scholars about him 12

Hypocrisy is a deep rooted and all-pervading The characteristics of faith are not to be found in their They treat the texts of the Book and Sunnah like 20 Their capital is deception and scheming 20 The disease of desires and doubts has consumed their Spreading corruption in the land 23 Their making mockery of the religion and looking down

Each one of them has two faces 24

Their belittling the religion and those who follow it 24 They have turned away from the Book and Sunnah, making mockery of those who follow them and looking

They ply their trade in oceans of darkness 25 The fire of faith alights for them 25

‘The hearing of their hearts is burdened by a heavy load 26 They thrust their fingers in their ears and draw their

Their spiritual sight is too weak to bear what the rain They are a people prone to laziness and laxity 28 They are like a sheep that has strayed and finds itself They are on the lookout to see what happens to Silkiness and softness of their speech 30 ‘What they enjoin upon their followers entails corrupting They are all similar, enjoining the evil 31 They are miserly in giving their wealth 31 The vileness of doubts and suspicion cling firmly to

How distant they are from the reality of faith 34 You will find one of them taking oaths before They think they have found a good life and they sleep The best of men in physical appearance 36

They may think they are many but in reality they are few 37

Allah abhors their obeying Him 39 The texts of the revelation bore down heavily on them 40

They hide their disbelief and display their faith 41 The descriptions of these people are numerous 44 The plant of hypoctisy grows from two stems 45 Their hearts are heedless of performing good 46 APPENDIX 1 The Parable of the Hypocrites APPENDIX 2

initial: unexpressed medial and final:

Sb dh by Th O sh ue

Short: sa si +~u long: laa gta Gri diphthongs: j= aw

He is the Imam, the Hafiz, the exegete, the legal jurist, Shaykh al-Islam: Aba ‘Abdullah Shamsu-d-Din Muhammad Ibn Aba Bakr - better known as Ibn al-Qayyim.

His Birth and Education: He was born into a noble and knowledgeable family on 7* Safar 691H in the village of Zar’, near Damascus, Syria.

From an early age he set about acquiring knowledge of the Islamic sciences from the scholars of his time. Describing his desire for knowledge, al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab, Dhay/ Tabagat-/- Hanabilah [4/449] said, ‘He had an intense love for knowledge, for books, publications and writings.’

Ibn Kathir, a/-Bidayah wa-n-Nihdyah (14/235] said, ‘He acquired from such books what others could not acquire, and he developed a deep understanding of the books of the Salaf and of the Khalaf.”

His Teachers and Shaykhs:

They include Shihab an-Nablusi, Qadi Taqi ad-Din ibn Sulayman, from whom he studied hadith; Qadi Badr ad-Din ibn Jama‘ah; Safi ad-Din al-Hindi; Isma‘ll ibn Muhammad al-Harrani, from whom he studied figh and usil; and also his father, from

10 Characteristics Of The Hypocrites

whom he learnt the laws of inheritance.

However, the most notable of his teachers was Shaykh alIslam Ibn Taymiyyah, whom he accompanied and studied under for sixteen years. Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir (14/234) said, ‘He attained great proficiency in many branches of knowledge; particularly knowledge of tafsir, hadith, and usil. When shaykh Taqi adDin ibn Taymiyyah returned from Egypt in the year 712H, he stayed with the shaykh until he died; learning a great deal of knowledge from him, along with the knowledge that he had already occupied himself in attaining. So he became a unique scholar in many branches of knowledge.’

His Manners and Worship:

Many of his students and contemporaries have born witness to his excellent character and his manners of worship. Ibn Rajab

He - may Allah have mercy on him - was constant in worship and performing the night prayer, reaching the limits in lengthening his prayer and devotion. He was constantly in a state of dhikr and had an intense love for Allah. He also had a deep love for turning to Allah in repentance, humbling himself to Him with a deep sense of humility and helplessness. He would throw himself at the doors of Divine obedience and servitude. Indeed, 1 have not seen the likes of him with regards to such matters.

Ibn Kathir (14/234) said, He was constant in humbly entreating and calling

upon his Lord. He recited well and had fine manners. He had a great deal of love and did not harbour

Tbn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah 11

any envy or malice towards anyone, nor did he seek to harm or find fault with them. I was one of those who most often kept company with him and was one of the most beloved of people to him. I do not know of anyone in the world in this time, who is a greater worshipper than him. His prayer used to be very lengthy, with prolonged bowing and ptostrations. His colleagues would criticise him for this, yet he never retorted back, nor did he abandon this practice. May Allah bestow His mercy upon him,

His Students and Works:

Amongst his most prominent students were: Ibn Kathir (d.774H), adh-Dhahabi (d.748H), Ibn Rajab (d.751H) and Ibn ‘Abdu-I-Hadi (d.744H), as well as two of his sons, Ibrahim and Sharafu-d-Din ‘Abdullah.

Tbnu-l-Qayyim authored over sixty works. His books and writings are characterised by their touching address to the heart and soul, as well as their accuracy, precision, strength of argument and depth of research.

In the field of figh and usil, his writings include: /alimu-/- Muawagqibin; Turugu-l-Hukmiyyah; Ighathatu-l-Lahfan; Tubfatu-lMawlitd; Abkam Ablu-l-Dhimmah;, and al-Funisiyyah.

In the field of hadith and seerah they include: Tabdhib Sunan Abi Dwitd; al Mandru--Munif Faw@id al-Hadithiyyab; Jali’y-LAfbim; and Zadu-l-Ma‘ad.

In the field of beliefs: [timah al-Juyish al-lslamiyyah; as-SawabiquLMursalah;

Shifabu-l‘Alil; Hadiyn-l-Arwah; al-Kafiyatu-sh-Shafiyah;, and Kitab ar-

12 Characteristics Of The Hypocrites

In the field of akhlaq (morals) and tazkiyah (purification): Madanju-s-Salikin; ad-Da’ wa-d-Dawa’, al-Wabilu-s-Sayyib; al-Fawabid; Risdlatu-t-Tabikiyyah; Miftah Dar as-Sahadah; and Uddatu-s-Sabirin.

In the sciences of the Qur’an: at-Tibyan fi Agsami-l-Quran; and Awthal al-Quran.

In language and miscellaneous issues: Bada’ al-Fawa’id.

Two books have also been written collating the exegetical comments of ibn al-Qayyim from his various works: Tafsir alQayyim and Tafsir al-Munir.

A few of his works have also been translated into the English language: the Magnificent Journey; The Invocation of God; Healing with the Medicine of the Prophet, Zad al-Ma‘ad; The Dispraise of Al-Hawa; and ....

Statments of the Scholars about him: Ibn Rajab (4/44) said,

He had deep knowledge concerning tafsir and the fundamentals of the religion, reaching the highest degree concerning them both. Similar was the case in the field of hadith, with regards to understanding its meanings, subtleties and deducing rulings from them. Likewise was the case in the field of fiqh and its usiil, as well as the Arabic language. He did a great service to these sciences. He was also knowledgeable about rhetoric, grammar, and su/#k as well as the subtleties and details that occur in the speech of the people of tasanwuf.

Ibn al-Qayyim 13

Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar, ad-Duraru-l-Kaminah (4/21),

He possessed a courageous spirit as well as vast and comprehensive knowledge. He had deep knowledge concerning the differences of opinions of the Scholars and about the ways of the Salaf.

Ibn Hajar also said in his commendation to at-Raddu-l-Wafir,

And if there were no virtues of shaykh Taqi ad-Din [Ibn Taymiyyah], except for his famous student, shaykh Shamsu-d-Din Ibn al-Qayyim - the author of many works, which both his opponents and supporters benefited from - this would be a sufficient indication of his [Ibn ‘Taymiyyah’s] great position.

al-Hafiz Tbn Nasi ad-Dimishqj, ar-Raddu-lWaafir [p. 69] said,

He possessed knowledge of the sciences, especially tafsir and usil.

Aba Bakr Muhammad Ibn al-Muhib said, as found in his letter, “I said in front of our Shaykh, al-Mizzi, ‘Is Tbnu-l-Qayyim at the same level as Ibn Khuzaymah?” He replied, ‘He is in this time, what Ibn Khuzaymah was in his time.”

As-Suyati, Baghyatu-L Wi'at [1/62] said, His books had no equal and he strove and became

one of the great Imams in [the field of] tafsir, hadith, the Book, the Sunnah, furti‘, and the Arabic language.

14 Characteristics Of The Hypocrites

‘Ali al-Qari, a/-Mirgat [8/251],

It will be clear to whoever aspires to read the explanation of Manazilu-s-S@irin [ie. Madarij asSalikin], that they [Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibnu-lQayyim] are from the great ones of Ahlu-s-Sunnah wa-l-Jama‘ah, and from the aw/iya’ of this Ummah.

Qadi Burhan ad-Din az-Zur‘ said as quoted from him in Dhayl Tabaqat al-Hanabilah,

‘There is none under the heavens who has greater knowledge than he.

Imam Tbnu-l-Qayyim passed away at the age of sixty, on the 13th night of Rajab, 751H, may Allah shower His Mercy upon him.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, we praise Him, ask His aid, and ask His forgiveness. We take refuge with Allah from the evil of our souls and the evil of our deeds. Whoever Allah guides, none can misguide; and whoever Allah leaves to stray, none can guide. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped save Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.

You who have faith! Fear Allah as is truly due Him and do not die except as Muslims.

O mankind! Fear your Lord who created you from a single soul and created its mate from it and then disseminated many men and women from the two of them. Fear Allah in whose name you make demands of one another and also in respect of your families. Allah watches over you

16 Characteristics Of The Hypocrites

COL isaac asiey Uwe hpiils

You who have faith! Fear Allah and speak words that hit the mark. He will put your actions right for you and forgive you your wrong deeds. All who obey Allah and His Messenger have won a mighty victory.

Hypocrisy is a deep rooted and all-pervading spiritual disease. AA person’s heart could be overflowing with it yet be oblivious of it due to its hidden and subtle nature; frequently does it lead a person to think he is acting rightly when in reality he is spreading corruption. It is of two types: major and minor; major hypocrisy leads to eternal punishment in the lowest depths of Hell;’ it is to outwardly display faith in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers and the Last Day whereas inwardly one is devoid of such belief, indeed disbelieving in it. He does not believe that Allah spoke to a man amongst men who He appointed to be a Messenger: guiding them by His permission and warning them of His punishment.