It has been affirmed from the Prophet Sallalahu Alaihi Wassallam that he said,
“The Majority of the hypocrites of my nation are its recitors”
Shaykh Albani has authenticated it in Silsilah As Saheehah and Imam Al Firyaabi has gathered some of its routes in his book صفة النفاق و ذم المنافقين
Ibn Abdul Barr Said in al Istithkaar 8/91
وحسبك بما ترى من تضييع حدود القرآن وكثرة تلاوته في زماننا هذا بالأمصار وغيرها مع فسق أهلها
It suffices you with that which you see from the neglecting of the limits of the Qur’an, its much recitation in this time of ours in the cities and other than it, along with the sinfulness of its people.
Ibnul Atheer in An Nihaaya 4/31 mentions
أي أنهم يحفظون القرآن نفياً للتهمة عن أنفسهم وهم معتقدون تضييعه، وكان المنافقون في عهد النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بهذه الصفة
Meaning they memorize the Qur’an to negate the accusations regarding themselves whilst they believe in neglecting it, the hypocrites in the time of the prophet sallallahu alaihi wassallam were upon this characteristic.
Al Khataabi mentioned in Ghareebul Hadeeth 2/278
لم يرد بهذا أن القراءة نفاق وأن القارىء منافق وإنما أراد أن الرياء في القراء كثير والإخلاص فيهم قليل والرياء من صفة المنافقين قال الله تعالى يراؤون الناس ولا يذكرون الله إلا قليلا
It is not intended by this that reciting is hypocrisy, and that the recitor is a hypocrite It is only intended that the showing off is alot in regards to the recitors, sincerity in them is little, and showing off is from the attributes of the hypocrites.
Allah says
يراؤون الناس ولا يذكرون الله إلا قليلا
“to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little” (Surah an-Nisaa 4:142)
Muath Ibn Jabal Radiallahu Anhu said one day:
“Indeed after you is a tribulation: the money will become abundant in it, the Qur’an will become opened in it until the believer, the hypocrite, the man, the woman, the young one, the old one, the free person, and the slave will take it, and it is as if a sayer is about to say, ‘Why is it that the people don’t follow me and I have read the Qur’an? They will not follow me until I innovate for them other than it.’ So beware of that which is innovated for indeed that which is innovated is misguidance, and I warn you from the misguidance of the wise one, for indeed the devil may say a word of misguidance upon the tongue of the wise one, and a hypocrite may say a word of truth.”
Narrated by Imam Al Firyaabi in صفة النفاق page 48 declared autnentic by Shaykh Abduraqeeb Al Ibbi in his checking and he is from the students of Imam Muqbil.
Allah knows best
Translated by Majid Jawed
