Tradition

"لِمُنافِقِ ثَلاثُ عَلامات: يُخَالِفُ لِسانُهُ قَلْبَهُ وَ قَلْبُهُ فِعْلَهُ وَ عَلانِيَتُهُ سَرِيْرَتَهُ"

Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) is narrated to have said: “Luqman said to his son- ‘The hypocrites have three signs: Their tongues are not in concordance with their hearts, and their hearts are not in concordance with their actions, and their outer is not in concordance with their inner.’”1

Brief Commentary

Hypocrisy is a dangerous disease which arises from a deficiency of one’s personality and a weakness of willpower. People who attempt to show themselves as something they are not and whose inner aspects do not match up with their outer aspects are typically weak people devoid of courage and willpower. They behave treacherously with others, as well as with themselves. There is no one more dangerous than them in the society because they manifest something which is nonexistent within themselves. They show a very beautiful outer appearance, while their inner reality is corrupt and polluted.

• 1. Taken from the book: Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 15.