At the time of the Prophet (S) there were many people who said they believed in Allah but didn't show it by supporting him. Surah 63 is titled the hypocrites but the last three verses talk about and give warning to the opposite group of people, those who have Eimaan, the people who believe.
Imam Ali (as) has explained what it means to believe. “Eimaan is belief with the heart, acknowledgement with the tongue and action with the limbs.” This makes it clear that a believer must practice what he says and believes in. When you are out of sync in one area, your words, faith or actions, belief becomes replaced by hypocrisy. We must always ask Allah to help us remain a believer and not become a hypocrite.
Verses 9-10 warn us that we must let anything distract and keep us away from the remembrance of Allah. One of the key ways to keep us away from hypocrisy, nifaaq is infaaq, spending and sharing your blessings. The two words share the same Arabic root! Charity makes you remember that everything you have is from Allah and humbles your heart towards Him.
Surah Munafiqoon has been made wajib to be recited in Salatul Jum'uah. At least once a week, we are reminded to reflect on our behaviour and make sure that the belief in our heart is firm and that our body and speech is being used to do what is right.
Activity: Brainstorm scenarios that display hypocrisy. Use each component heart, body and speech to demonstrate your example.
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