يُظْهِرُ شيمَةَ المُحْسِنينَ، ويُبْطِنُ عَمَلَ المُسيئينَ، يَكْرَهُ المَوْتَ لِكَثْرَةِ ذُنُوبِهِ، ولا يَتْرُكُها في حَياتِهِِ، يُسْلِفُ الذَّنْبَ ويُسَوِّفُ بِالتَّوْبَةِ، يُحِبُّ الصّالِحينَ، ولايَعْمَلُ أعْمالَهُمْ، ويُبْغِضُ المُسيئينَ وهُوَ مِنْهُمْ، يَقُولُ لِمَ أعْمَلُ فَأَتَعَنّى، بَلْ أجْلِسُ فَأَتَمَنّى، يُبادِرُ دائِباً ما يَفْنى، ويَدَعُ ما يَبْقى، يَعْجِزُ عَنْ شُكْرِ ما أُوتيَ، وَيَبْتَغِى الزِّيادَةَ فيما بَقِيَ يُرشِدُ غَيْرَهُ ويُغْوي نَفْسَهُ، وَيَنْهَى النّاسَ بِما لا يَنْتَهي، ويَأمُرُهُمْ بِما لا يَأتي يَتَكَلَّفُ مِنَ النّاسِ ما لَم۔
He manifests the traits of the virtuous yet secretly performs the actions of the wicked. He hates death because of his numerous sins yet does not abandon them in his lifetime. He expedites sins but delays repentance. He loves the righteous ones but does not follow their actions. He hates the sinful yet he is one of them. He says: ‘Why should I act and become weary, instead I will sit and aspire.’ He always hastens towards what perishes and leaves aside that which remains. He is incapable of being thankful for what he is given yet always seeks more in what remains. He guides others to the right but deceives himself. He forbids the people from that which he does not forbid himself from and enjoins them to perform that which he does not perform. He takes upon himself more responsibility from people than what is required yet he neglects from his own soul what is more important [and necessary]. He commands the people but does not follow the commandments [himself] and he warns them but does not heed the warnings. He hopes for the reward of an act which he has not performed and feels secure from the punishment of an act which is undoubtedly a sin. He attracts the attention of people through his religiousness yet he conceals within himself the opposite of what he displays. He knows the right that he has on others but does not recognize the right that others have on him. He fears for others more than [he fears about] his sins and hopes for himself more than [he deserves by] his actions. For big things he puts his hope in Allah but for small things he puts his hope in the people, so he gives the servant that which he does not give the Lord. He fears the servants with regards to [the commandments of] his Lord yet does not fear his Lord with regards to the servants.
 He manifests the traits of the virtuous yet.png?v=0.19 "He manifests the traits of the virtuous yet secretly performs the actions...")
— Imam Ali a.s.
(Ghurar al-Hikam: Admonition)
Personal Reflection
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon Muhammad, his pure progeny, and his noble companions.
The Hadith of Imam Ali (a.s) describes a person who outwardly displays the traits of the virtuous, but secretly engages in wicked actions. This individual hates death due to the abundance of their sins, yet they do not make an effort to abandon these sins during their lifetime. They rush towards committing sins, but delay repentance. They claim to love the righteous, yet do not follow their actions. They despise the sinful, yet they themselves are among them.
This Hadith highlights the hypocrisy and deceitfulness of such an individual. They say,
Why should I act and become weary, instead I will sit and aspire.
This shows their laziness and lack of motivation to engage in righteous deeds. They constantly pursue temporary and perishable things, neglecting that which is everlasting and beneficial.
The person described in this Hadith is ungrateful for the blessings they have been given and constantly seeks more, even though they are incapable of truly appreciating what they already have. They guide others towards the right path, but deceive themselves by not following it. They forbid others from certain actions, while indulging in those very same actions themselves. They take on more responsibilities from people than necessary, yet neglect their own self-improvement.
This individual commands others but does not follow the commandments themselves. They warn others but do not heed their own warnings. They hope for rewards for actions they have not performed, and feel secure from punishment for sins they have undoubtedly committed. They attract attention through their religiousness, but internally conceal the opposite of what they display.
Furthermore, this person recognizes the rights they have over others, but fails to acknowledge the rights others have over them. They fear the judgment and opinions of others more than they fear the consequences of their own sins. They place their hope in Allah for major matters, but rely on people for minor matters, giving more importance to the opinions and judgments of others than to the commandments of Allah.
In conclusion, this Hadith serves as a warning against hypocrisy and insincerity in one's actions and intentions. It reminds us of the importance of aligning our outward behavior with our inner beliefs and values. It teaches us to be sincere in our worship, to strive for self-improvement, and to fear Allah's judgment more than the opinions of others. May Allah protect us from falling into the trap of hypocrisy and guide us to sincerity in all aspects of our lives.
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