-
ArticlesOfTheIslamicFaithByGhazali, page : 277
something and I wanted to express my disapproval of it but feared
lest he order me to be killed. And although I did not
fear deathI
was afraid lest I became tempted to boast before men when my
spirit departs. For this reason I refrained from expressing
my disapproval of the governor's words.
This kind of hypocrisy strikes against the truth, perfection,
and purity of belief, rather than against its reality.
)7(CLASSIFICATION OF HYPOCRISY
For hypocrisy is of two kinds: The one results in parting with
Religion, pursuing infidels and joining the company of those
who are deemed eternally to Hell fire; the second leads the
person to Hell fire for a certain period of time and puts
him down from the high ranks of Paradise and demotes the people
who are close to Allah from their high ranks. It is a field
open to doubt and therefore it is desirable to resort to
the use of qualifications therein.
Tis kind of hypocrisy rises from the disparity and disagreement
between the concealed and the revealed, from feeling secure
from the deep counsel of Allah, and from conceit and other
things from which only the people who are close to Allah are
free.
The fourth reason for the use of these qualifications arises
also from doubt. It is the fear of the end, for no one knows
whether or not he will still have any belief at the hour of
death.
If he should end with unbelief all his previous deeds would come
to nothing and fail, because (the value of these deeds)
depend entirely upon their good ending. Thus if a fasting person
were asked early in the day concerning the validity of
his fast and replied, "I am surely fasting," but later in the
day he broke his fast, it would become evident that he was
lying since the validity of his fast depends upon the maintenance
of the fast until sunset at the end of the day. And just
as the day is the set period for the fulfillment of fasting,
so the lifetime is the set period for the fulfillment of
the validity of belief. To describe it as valid before its
conclusion simply because it has already been fulfilled in
part is very doubtful and its end is frightful.
It was because of the end that most of those who fear Allah have
wept. For the end is the outcome of a preordained event
and the result of the Eternal Will which does not become known
except when the preordained event itself takes place and
which no human being can ever tell.
The fear of the end is the result of the fear of that which was
preordained and there may appear in the present a thing which
will give the lie to the words, ("I am a believer"). And
who can be sure
lest he order me to be killed. And although I did not
fear deathI
was afraid lest I became tempted to boast before men when my
spirit departs. For this reason I refrained from expressing
my disapproval of the governor's words.
This kind of hypocrisy strikes against the truth, perfection,
and purity of belief, rather than against its reality.
)7(CLASSIFICATION OF HYPOCRISY
For hypocrisy is of two kinds: The one results in parting with
Religion, pursuing infidels and joining the company of those
who are deemed eternally to Hell fire; the second leads the
person to Hell fire for a certain period of time and puts
him down from the high ranks of Paradise and demotes the people
who are close to Allah from their high ranks. It is a field
open to doubt and therefore it is desirable to resort to
the use of qualifications therein.
Tis kind of hypocrisy rises from the disparity and disagreement
between the concealed and the revealed, from feeling secure
from the deep counsel of Allah, and from conceit and other
things from which only the people who are close to Allah are
free.
The fourth reason for the use of these qualifications arises
also from doubt. It is the fear of the end, for no one knows
whether or not he will still have any belief at the hour of
death.
If he should end with unbelief all his previous deeds would come
to nothing and fail, because (the value of these deeds)
depend entirely upon their good ending. Thus if a fasting person
were asked early in the day concerning the validity of
his fast and replied, "I am surely fasting," but later in the
day he broke his fast, it would become evident that he was
lying since the validity of his fast depends upon the maintenance
of the fast until sunset at the end of the day. And just
as the day is the set period for the fulfillment of fasting,
so the lifetime is the set period for the fulfillment of
the validity of belief. To describe it as valid before its
conclusion simply because it has already been fulfilled in
part is very doubtful and its end is frightful.
It was because of the end that most of those who fear Allah have
wept. For the end is the outcome of a preordained event
and the result of the Eternal Will which does not become known
except when the preordained event itself takes place and
which no human being can ever tell.
The fear of the end is the result of the fear of that which was
preordained and there may appear in the present a thing which
will give the lie to the words, ("I am a believer"). And
who can be sure