An-Nawawi's Forty HadithHadith 48

The traits of hypocrisy

خصال النفاق

Betraying a trust, lying, breaking a pledge and wickedness in a dispute are traits of hypocrisy; whoever has one has a part of it until he leaves it.

Sahih

The hadith

أَرْبَعٌ مَنْ كُنَّ فِيهِ كَانَ مُنَافِقًا خَالِصًا، وَمَنْ كَانَتْ فِيهِ خَصْلَةٌ مِنْهُنَّ كَانَتْ فِيهِ خَصْلَةٌ مِنَ النِّفَاقِ حَتَّى يَدَعَهَا إِذَا اؤْتُمِنَ خَانَ وَإِذَا حَدَّثَ كَذَبَ وَإِذَا عَاهَدَ غَدَرَ، وَإِذَا خَاصَمَ فَجَرَ

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever has the following four (characteristics) will be a pure hypocrite and whoever has one of the following four characteristics will have one characteristic of hypocrisy unless and until he gives it up. 1. Whenever he is entrusted, he betrays. 2. Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie. 3. Whenever he makes a covenant, he proves treacherous. 4. Whenever he quarrels, he behaves in a very imprudent, evil and insulting manner

Reported by
al-Bukhari, Muslim
Added by
Ibn Rajab, completing the fifty of Jami' al-'Ulum wal-Hikam

Lessons

Ibn Rajab distinguishes two kinds of hypocrisy. The greater is to show faith while hiding disbelief, as the hypocrites of Madinah did; it takes one out of Islam. The lesser is hypocrisy in deeds: showing one thing and hiding its opposite, as in these traits. A believer can fall into the lesser, but persisting in it is a road towards the greater.

The Companions feared it for themselves: Ibn Abi Mulaykah met thirty of them, each afraid of hypocrisy, and al-Hasan said only a believer fears it and only a hypocrite feels safe from it. In practice: keep your word, return trusts, be truthful even in a quarrel, and examine yourself often.

Evidence

Sahih

Sahih al-Bukhari 34

Grades
GraderVerdict
al-BukhariSahih (included by al-Bukhari in his Sahih) (Sahih)
Full narration

حَدَّثَنَا قَبِيصَةُ بْنُ عُقْبَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُرَّةَ، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ أَرْبَعٌ مَنْ كُنَّ فِيهِ كَانَ مُنَافِقًا خَالِصًا، وَمَنْ كَانَتْ فِيهِ خَصْلَةٌ مِنْهُنَّ كَانَتْ فِيهِ خَصْلَةٌ مِنَ النِّفَاقِ حَتَّى يَدَعَهَا إِذَا اؤْتُمِنَ خَانَ وَإِذَا حَدَّثَ كَذَبَ وَإِذَا عَاهَدَ غَدَرَ، وَإِذَا خَاصَمَ فَجَرَ ‏"‏‏.‏ تَابَعَهُ شُعْبَةُ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ‏.‏

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever has the following four (characteristics) will be a pure hypocrite and whoever has one of the following four characteristics will have one characteristic of hypocrisy unless and until he gives it up. 1. Whenever he is entrusted, he betrays. 2. Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie. 3. Whenever he makes a covenant, he proves treacherous. 4. Whenever he quarrels, he behaves in a very imprudent, evil and insulting manner

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