Hadith #10655

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all worlds. May peace and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), his pure progeny, and his noble companions.

In this profound Hadith of Imam Ali (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ), he highlights the severity of hypocrisy in individuals who command others to do good deeds but fail to act upon them themselves. Similarly, he emphasizes the hypocrisy of those who forbid others from committing sins while they themselves engage in those very sins. This Hadith serves as a reminder for all Muslims to be sincere in their actions and to avoid the trap of hypocrisy.

Let us delve deeper into the words used in this Hadith to gain a better understanding. The word (nifāqan) "نِفَاقًا" refers to hypocrisy, which is the act of pretending to have beliefs or virtues that one does not truly possess. It is a grave sin in Islam and is condemned by the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).

Imam Ali (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) describes the severity of hypocrisy by stating that the person who enforces obedience to Allah's commands but fails to act upon them themselves is the most severe in their hypocrisy. This highlights the importance of practicing what one preaches and being a role model for others. It is not enough to simply instruct others to do good; one must embody those teachings in their own actions.

To support this exegesis, we can turn to the Quran. In Surah Al-Baqarah, Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ) says: (Quran 61:2-3)

O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do? Great is hatred in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do.

This verse emphasizes the importance of aligning one's words with their actions and warns against the hypocrisy of saying one thing and doing another.

Imam Ali (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) further highlights the hypocrisy of those who forbid others from committing sins while they themselves engage in those very sins. This type of hypocrisy is equally condemned and serves as a reminder that one should not be quick to judge others while neglecting their own faults.

The Quran also addresses this issue in Surah Al-Baqarah, where Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ) says: (Quran 2:44)

Do you order righteousness of the people and forget yourselves while you recite the Scripture? Then will you not reason?

This verse admonishes those who command others to do good but neglect their own self-improvement. It reminds us to reflect upon our own actions before advising others.

Imam Ali's (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) enlightening words in this Hadith serve as a wake-up call for all Muslims. It reminds us to be sincere in our actions, to practice what we preach, and to avoid the trap of hypocrisy. We should strive to align our words with our deeds and to continuously work on our own self-improvement before advising others. By doing so, we can attain true sincerity and righteousness in the sight of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ).

May Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ) guide us all to be sincere in our actions, to avoid hypocrisy, and to continuously strive for self-improvement. Ameen.