Beware of Hypocrisy

*Beware of Hypocrisy*  

BE TRUTHFUL INWARDLY and that shall reflect on what pleases you, outwardly. Use the feathers of sincerity in the arrow of your deeds, and you shall certainly hit the target that you aspire for. I wonder at you, how will you ever achieve your goal, when your bow is broken because of your sins, and its string is cut due to your laziness? If you want to climb up to reach the high ranks, then you should take the stairs of piety, and if you  want to achieve glory, then you ought to prostrate the forehead  of humility, and if you desire authority then you should build up  the pillars of sincerity, because - by Allah - you can never achieve  any of that just by idly wishing!

If you step off the mount of sincerity, you will walk on a bumpy road that will hurt your feet, and worse, it shall never take you to your final destination. Indeed, flaunting [one's deeds] is the origin of hypocrisy, the hypocrisy of the hypocrites is what made a place  of worship [i.e. MasJid al-Dirar] turn into a filthy place; therefore  ALLĀH عَزَّوَجَلٌَ ordered [His Prophet(Sal Allaahu 'alaihi wa Sallam)]

"Do not stand [for prayer] within it - ever"  [al-Taubah 9: 108]

Whereas, on the other hand, the sincerity of the truly devoted can elevate the status of one whose outer appearance might be dirty and disheveled [as long as he is sincere]; as the Prophet Sal Allaahu 'alaihi wa Sallam said "Perhaps there is a person with unkempt, dusty hair who  people will hold in low esteem, but if he were to swear by ALLĀH, ALLĀH عَزَّوَجَلٌَ would fulfill his oath"

The stormy winds of hypocrisy cannot dislodge the tree of sincerity, because its root is deeply established in the ground, whereas  the tree of ostentation is completely uprooted, upon the arrival  of the breeze of 

"And We will regard what they have done of deeds  and make them as dust dispersed."  [al-Furqdn 25: 23]  

Do not look at the ascendancy of falsehood because it is only temporary; instead, await the establishment of the sovereign state  of the truth. If you see a hypocrite having followers, then remember that in the time to come there shall be a Dajjal [i.e. False  Messiah] who too will have amassed followers, just as in the past  there was the Samiri who also had a following. The latter therefore was punished with

"It is [decreed] for you in [this] life to say, 'No contact."'  [Taha 20: 97]  

While the former shall suffer a worse fate.  

The pine tree takes thirty years to grow while it takes the pumpkin only two weeks to grow. ''You need thirty years to do what I succeed to do in just two weeks, yet people still put us on the  same footing, calling us both "trees!" the pumpkin plant said to  the pine tree sarcastically. The pine tree replies: "Do not be hasty in your pronouncement; wait till the wind of autumn arrives [ then  let's see who shall survive]."

How many are those who simulate the righteous in their clothing and humility while, in fact, the mouths of hearts are repulsed  by their bitter taste. They are those about whom ALLĀH عَزَّوَجَلٌَ has said,

"[They are] those whose effort is lost in worldly life,  while they think that they are doing well in work."  [al-Kahf 18: 104]  

Upon the fall of darkness, during late night, men and trees look  like each other, and cannot be distinguished [as men stand still all  night praying without moving] but as drawn breaks the difference  between them can be made out. At noon time, the mirage looks  like water, but as soon as one gets closer to it, he finds nothing!

How unfortunate it is to find plenty of imposters! They outwardly  appear [sturdy] like palm trees, but are fragile and empty on the  inside.  

0 pretentious one, the heart of one for whose sake you pretend  is in the Hand of Who you disobey. Do not engrave the name of  the King on a spurious coin; you should know that not every black  piece is a date, nor is the fat better when the meat is swollen.

*{Seeds of Admonishment and reform p.159}*