By: Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen (رحمه الله)

People are upon 4 levels regarding the circumstances of affliction

The First Level: Being angry, and this is in various ways:

The first type: That the anger is by the heart as if he is angry at his Lord. So he becomes angry with what Allaah, subhaanahu wa ta'ala, has decreed for him, and this (level) is haraam. And it is possible that this could lead to kufr(disbelief). Allaah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, said:

“And among mankind is he who worships Allaah as it were, upon the very edge (i.e. in doubt); if good befalls him, he is content therewith; but if a trial befalls him, he turns back on his face (i.e. reverts back to disbelief after embracing Islaam). He loses both this world and the Hereafter.” [soorah Al-Hajj, v:11]

The second type: That the anger is by the tongue like making duaa for destruction or ruin and what is similar to that, and this is haraam.

The third type: That the anger is by the limbs like slapping the cheeks, ripping the clothes, pulling out hair, and similar to that, and all of this is haraam in contradiction to patience which is waajib (obligatory).

The Second Level: Being patient, just as the poet said:

“Patience is like its name – bitter in taste, yet its outcomes are sweeter than honey.” So the person sees this thing (the affliction) weighs very heavy upon him, yet he bears it although he dislikes that it happened. Rather, his imaan bears it and restrains him from being angry.

So the time of affliction and the time of no affliction is not the same to him, and this (level) is waajib, because Allaah commanded the people to be patient, saying:

“…and be patient. Surely, Allaah is with those who are As-Saabireen (the patient ones).” [soorah Al-Anfaal, v:46]

The Third Level: Being pleased with the affliction in that the person is pleased with the affliction and whether it happened or not, it is the same to him so he it is not difficult upon him. He does not bear it as if it is something weighing heavy on him, and this (level) is mustahabb (preferred – between haraamand waajib) and it is not waajib according to the most correct opinion. The difference between this level and the one before it is apparent because the affliction happening or not happening is the same due to the pleasure of the one on this level. As for the level before it, the affliction is hard upon him, yet he remains patient over it.

The Fourth Level: Thanking/being grateful and this is the highest level. This is that the person thanks Allaah for the affliction which has struck him in that he knows that this affliction is an expiation for his sins and perhaps a cause for an increase in his good deeds. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said:

“There is no affliction which strikes the Muslim except that Allaah expiates with it (sins), even with a thorn that may poke him.” [Recorded by Bukhaari and Muslim]

Taken from: Fataawa Arkaan al-Islaam

Hasan Al-Basree advised some of his students admonishing them about avoiding the state of being proud. He said:

1. Do not deceive yourself into becoming too proud because you are in a good or righteous environment, for there is no place that is better than Paradise, and our father, Adam ‘alayhi salaam, experienced there what is known to all.


2. Do not become proud merely because you worship often, for consider what happened to Iblees after he spent a great deal of time worshipping.


3. Do not think yourself great because you have met with righteous people, for there is no man more righteous than the Prophet salAllaahu ‘alahi wasallam, yet the disbelievers and hypocrites did not benefit by simply knowing him.

Transcribed from: Gems and Jewels | Compiled by: Abdul-Malik Mujahid | DarusSalam

 Sheikh Salman al-Oadah

There are many reasons why people suffer from inordinate levels of fear. Some of these causes may be summarized as follows:

1. Genetic causes. People inherit some of their personality traits from their parents in the same way that they inherit many of their physical characteristics. Intellectual abilities and emotional tendencies can be passed on from parents to their children. If a parent is naturally high strung or emotional, the child has a higher likelihood of being so.

2. Upbringing. The family environment plays an important role in a child’s emotional development. A family that is harsh or overly stern or one that often resorts to threats can instill fear in the hearts of the children.

Family instability is also an important factor. Children who are orphaned and those who experience the divorce of their parents have a greater tendency to suffer from fear.

3. The school. Severity and harshness on the part of the school administration can turn students into people who are fearful and cowed.

This problem is aggravated when the school focuses only on the dissemination of information and ceases to be concerned with the moral and emotional development of the students. Quite often our schools are turned into information grind mills and cease to be places where children receive a share of their upbringing. They are not encouraged to participate in the learning process, to be creative, and to develop their talents. Their moral education is often neglected altogether.

4. High expectations. Parents can push too much for their children to achieve. Professors, teachers, and sheikhs do this as well. A person can have unreasonable expectations for himself. However, when these high expectations come from others, it instills fear in a person, particularly the fear of failure.

Sometimes, a child is placed in a perpetual state of suffering by the high expectations that he must live up to, especially when his parents are never satisfied with a small achievement or expect from their child things that are beyond his abilities.

5. Ridicule. When a small child or a pupil in school is met with ridicule from the people who surround him, it instills fear in his heart. The same can even be said for Islamic workers and other educated people when they meet with ridicule from society at large.

6. Unrestrained and undisciplined scaring. Children are exposed to unnecessary frights through their parents and through many other sources. Being scared in such a way can make a child frightened of everything around him, even the sound of wind, thunder, or rain. Unbalanced and uninformed fears such as these are often acquired by children through the stories and fables that they are told.

Television shows that the children watch, even children’s cartoons, can play a major role in instilling in our children these unreasonable fears. Many of these shows expose the children to images of horrible, ferocious creatures. Watching such things can instill within the minds of children – and even some adults – irrational and unnatural fears.

7. Disabilities. If a person suffers from a disability or deficiency – whether physical, mental, or in his appearance – that causes him to compete less effectively with others, it can cause him to suffer from fear.

8. Feelings of guilt and shame. Many people fall into a state of fear on account of past mistakes that they have made and that they feel have tainted them. Sometimes, what affects a person in this way took place against that person’s free will as the result of force or coercion. Nevertheless, the person continues to be haunted by the experience, feels unclean, and feels that because of it there is a deficiency in his moral character.

Sometimes a person only imagines the things that he is ashamed of and they burden him painfully though they have never really taken place.

Studies conducted in Britain and the United States have revealed that many adolescents in those countries suffer from serious fears, sometimes bordering on mental illness, on account of masturbation. This is in spite of their living in such permissive societies.

It may be possible that, in some cases, those adolescents fear what they perceive as the medical or psychological ramifications of their habit. However, in Muslim societies, these fears are compounded by the Islamic legal implications of masturbation and certain verdicts that have been issued about it by Islamic scholars.

Ironically, a young person might lie, disrespect his parents, or slander others and not feel the least discomfort or regret about doing so. However, when it comes to masturbation, he is wracked with guilt, though the sin is nowhere near as serious as the other misdeeds he so nonchalantly perpetrates on a daily basis.

A final reason. A person can have an inflated opinion of himself. He may feel that he is exceptional or better than others. If a person – whether a child or an adult – feels that he is better looking than others or that he is stronger, better placed socially, or more well endowed in his abilities, he may feel fear on account of it rather than have confidence.

Summary

In summary, we can say that fear is a natural human emotion. It is a necessary part of a person’s natural and healthy psychological makeup. Indeed, some degree of fear is something required from us by Islamic Law. However, the fear that is needed is a balanced fear that is moderate in degree, neither excessively strong nor weak. This balanced fear brings about two important results:

    1. Knowledge which gives a person a correct and proper perspective on things.

    2. Good works whereby a person deals with other people and things in a correct and proper manner.

A moderate degree of fear inspires us to acquire useful knowledge and to do what is right. In turn, beneficial knowledge and righteous deeds are the ingredients for success in the worldly life and in the Hereafter.

To the extent that the emotion of fear become imbalanced – whether too much or too little – it brings about a deficiency in the acquisition of knowledge and the performance of good deeds.

Sheikh Salman al-Oadah

Everything in existence is subject to Allah’s will and power. For Muslims, this goes without saying. It is an essential tenet of every Muslim's faith. Allah says: "Indeed, Allah has power over all things."

However, this is no excuse for human beings to evade responsibility for their own decisions. No one can argue that it was their fate to sin. We know this from firsthand experience. We know instinctively that we make our own decisions. We choose to do some things and refrain from doing other things. We carry out intentional actions. We intend, for instance, to travel or stay at home, to eat or to sleep. When we carry out these and other intentional actions, we recognize that we are doing so of our own volition.

It is on the basis of these intentions of ours that Allah judges us. We are not judged for the involuntary actions of our bodies, nor for what we are forced to do under compulsion or duress.

This is why we see that Allah says: “Whoever disbelieves in Allah after having believed – save one who is coerced (to make an utterance of unbelief) but whose heart is still fully resolved upon faith – but whoever finds ease in unbelief: on them is Allah’s wrath, and they will have an awful punishment.” [Sūrah al-Nahl: 106]

Whoever is coerced into something to the point that he or she has no choice but to comply, then he or she is legally exempt for that action in this world and sinless for it in the Hereafter. We are taken to account for what we do of our own free choice.

Many people put forth questions about free will and predestination with the sole aim of justifying their sinful tendencies. Whenever someone admonishes them for their sins, they say: “What I did was fated for me. It was Allah’s will. I had no choice.”

When we consider what the Qur’an says about our actions, we see that Allah connects our free will to His permitting us to carry out actions by our own choice. Allah says: "But you do not exercise you will, except that Allah wills it; for Allah is full of Knowledge and Wisdom." [Sûrah al-Insân: 30]

We are furthermore told in the Qur’an that no one could believe or disbelieve except with Allah’s permission. Allah has permitted us to make the choice. If Allah had willed to subdue our wills, He could have compelled us to do one thing or another. Instead, He has permitted us to make our own choices and formulate our own intentions. This means we cannot avoid taking responsibility for the decisions we make.

Allah, in His wisdom, has given us an indisputable proof of our free will. This proof is our own unavoidable recognition that we make our own decisions. We can tell the difference between the involuntary movements of our body, like our heartbeats, and the free choices that we make. Therefore, those who wantonly goes about sinning, exercising their free choice all the way, cannot then turn around and say that Allah compelled them to sin.

Source: www.islamtoday.com

By Sheikh Salman al-Oadah

It might seem funny to devote an article to sleeping. But think about it. The average person spends around eight hours of a 24-hour day asleep. That is a third of a person’s lifetime.

Allah describes sleep as a blessing from Him. He says in the Qur’an:

“And We made your sleep a rest for you.” [Surah al-Naba’: 9]

“And remember when He made slumber fall upon you as a reassurance from Him.” [Surah al-Anfal: 11]

“It is Allah who has made the night for you, that you may rest therein, and the days as that which helps you to see. Verily Allah is full of grace and bounty to humanity, yet most people give no thanks.” [Surah Ghafir: 61]

Sleep is not only described as a blessing bestowed upon the people, but also as a testament to Allah’s creative ability. Consider where Allah says:

“He it is who gathers up your souls at night and knows all that you do by day. Then He raises you up again, so that the term appointed for you (on Earth) may be accomplished. And afterward unto Him is your return. Then He will proclaim to you what you used to do.” [Surah al-An`am: 60]

“Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, as well as (the souls of) those who die not, during their sleep. Then He withholds those on whom He has passed the decree of death and sends the others back until an appointed term. Most surely there are signs in this for a people who reflect.” [Surah al-Zumar: 42]

Yes, sleep is His creation, and it has its marvels. A sleeping person drifts away from his consciousness and reason, only to be fully restored to his rational faculties upon waking, refreshed and revitalized.

A sleeping person can see the strangest and most amazing things, things that a waking person could never possibly see. Our ability to dream is another of Allah’s blessings, and another sign of His greatness.

We can appreciate the importance of sleep if we consider that Allah guided His Messenger (peace be upon him) regarding the etiquettes of sleeping, like being in a state of purity and lying on his right side. (As for facing the qiblah, this is actually not established by the Sunnah.)

Likewise, a number of remembrances and supplications are prescribed for sleeping. The Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed `Ali b. Abi Talib and Fatimah to say“Subhan Allah” 33 times, “al-Hamdu Lillah” 33 times, and “Allah Akbar” 33 times. He informed them that doing so will remove their fatigue and revitalize them, and said: “It is better than having a servant.” [Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim]

Our generation is sometimes accused of being “the sleeping generation”. Most of us certainly do not need to sleep more than we already do. Nevertheless, we must respect our need to sleep by observing the etiquettes and approaches to sleep that will maximise the benefit that we get from it. This, in turn, helps us manage stress and makes our waking hours more productive.

It is a mistake to dismiss the importance of sleep. We all need it, and we all get our daily quota of sleep. Therefore, it is wrong that we make light of the subject of sleep and disdain reading or speaking about it, as if it were something superfluous.

In order to sleep better, we should first relax a bit. We need to unwind from the pressures, worries, and distresses of the day. We need to end the day on a note of forgiveness and with a few moments of tenderness with our families. We need to recite our remembrances of Allah and rid our hearts of all our animosities. We should not lay our heads down on our pillows with resentfulness in our hearts and angry thoughts in our minds. We should make our last thoughts of the day positive ones.

Source: www.islamtoday.com

By Harun Yahya

All things are created with wisdom and with an ulterior purpose. In consort with this ulterior purpose, there are benefits for the believers in all happenings. Because Allah is on the believers' side and does not let them down.

Encounters in life may at first seem unfavorable for the believers. However, one should understand that even seemingly events, for example, a plot hatched against them by the others, will ultimately turn out well for them. Allah will sooner or later let them savor His beneficence so, believers should be completely sure that there is goodness in all.

There are many examples of this kind of situation in the Qur'an; the life of Yusuf (Joseph) is one of the most remarkable. In his childhood, Yusuf had been thrown down to the bottom of a well by his brothers. He was later rescued and then accused and imprisoned, even though he was innocent. For a person without faith, these incidents may be thought of as the greatest misfortunes. Nevertheless, Yusuf always kept in mind that these could only happen under Allah's will and that all would certainly turn out for the better. And this proved to be true. Allah turned the "disasters" to good account; Yusuf was released from prison and in time became one of the governors of that land.

The situation with Yunus (Jonah) was no different. He fled to a laden ship, where, to retain his place, he drew lots. When the draw proved unfavorable, he was thrown into the sea where he was swallowed by a gigantic fish. The Qur'an informs us that he was rescued and was sent to a "nation a hundred thousand men or more," only because he had glorified Allah.

"Had he not been of them who glorify Allah, He would have indeed remained inside its belly (the fish) till the Day of Resurrection. But We cast him forth on the naked shore while he was sick, And We caused a plant of gourd to grow over him. And We sent him to a hundred thousand (people) or even more. And they believed; so We gave them enjoyment for a while." (Surat as-Saaffat, 37:143-148)

All these examples given in the Qur'an teach us that the events which seems to be a "misfortune" are not really so for the believer. If he puts his trust in Allah, seeks refuge in Him and asks help only from Him, then nothing will be a matter of regret for him. Allah does create certain difficulties, but they are only to put man to the test and to strengthen believers' loyalty and faith.

The opposite holds true for the unbelievers. Nothing in this life can be good for them. Things that strike them as delightful or pleasant are indeed "misfortunes", and these will increase their torment in the Hereafter. Anything that they achieve unjustly is entered in their record, and for this they will ultimately be responsible. On this score the Qur'an records Allah's commandments:

"And let not those who covetously withhold of that which Allah has bestowed on them of His Bounty think that it is good for them. Nay, it will be worse for them; the things which they covetously withheld shall be tied to their necks like a collar on the Day of Resurrection. And to Allah belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is Well Acquainted with all that you do." (Surat Aal-e-Imran, 3:180)

Harun Yahya is a pen name used by Mr. Adnan Oktar. Born in Ankara in 1956, Adnan Oktar is a prominent Turkish intellectual. Completely devoted to moral values and dedicated to communicating the sacred values he cherishes to other people, Oktar started his intellectual struggle in 1979 during his education at Mimar Sinan University's Academy of Fine Arts.

Source: www.islamicity.com

By Sadullah Khan

Cars carry a message, "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear". We need a message on our personal mirrors that says, "Your image may not be as it appears; look within yourself for true reflection".

Who am l?

When I look in the mirror, who is that looking back? Am I who I appear to be? Do I try to mask the interior of my personhood by decorating the exterior with designer labels. Have I become so accustomed to give an impression of other than my true self that I have begun to believe and accept the false image I portray? Each one of us should seriously reflect on this.

The need for maturity and integrity

Integrity is about being yourself at your best, being honest, being honorable and being true to the noblest of universal values. Maturity entails taking responsibility for your own life, taking rational decisions that reflect the best that you can offer. The touchstone of maturity, however, is personal integrity; applying basic values to the decision-making process and thus living in a way that allows your personality to be consistently good. In reality, integrity is about moral maturity; what it is to think and act in a way that reflects the full stature of a rational human being.

Life shaped by choices

Our lives are continually being shaped by the choices we make and the convictions and values that underlie them. In this sense, our lives are like works of art, in progress. We can take the material of life and either react to it in a passive way, always remaining life's victim, (hiding behind a mask); or take it and use it creatively, becoming the architect of one's life and a participant in shaping one's destiny and in designing one's true personality.

Reach your full potential The holy Prophet is reported to have said that Allah has prescribed goodness and excellence in all that you do. In relation to evolving human potential and developing personality, this statement motivates a person to utilize one's life skills in the most progressive and pro-active manner; demanding the demonstration of dignity with pride, courage with conviction, patience with perseverance, power with mercy, authority with justice, duty with commitment, principle with wisdom, freedom with discipline and honor with compassion.

Let your imprint be a heart-print

We may try to impress people by leaving behind a particular impression of our self or imprinting an image of some kind. We leave behind various kinds of imprints throughout our lives, imprints that makes distinct our uniqueness. Each one of us have swirly lines on the tips of our fingers that provide a map of our individuality called fingerprints. The footprints we leave behind temporarily indicate the direction from which we have come or in which we are going. Voiceprints are somewhat unique to individuals and can even be identified by little babies if the voice belongs to one close to the child.

All these prints are some form of physical manifestations of who you are. These can be obscured, wiped away or smudged; but there is another kind of print that is never wiped away; it is the imprint you leave when you positively affect the life of another person: heart-prints. Unlike your fingerprints, footprints and voiceprints, with heart-prints there are no lines, no sole marks and no sound wave peaks. What you witness is the impact and effect you can have on the lives of those you touch. You might see a smile in return for a greeting or a tear when sharing an emotion or feel the warmth of a hug in return for your consolation. Heart-prints leave indelible imprints, ones that sustain and enrich life for years to come.

True You

The only way to leave true heart-prints is to be uniquely you and to share with others the essence of who you are at your best; no masks, no charades; just the bona fide you, uniquely you, you-nique.

Sadullah Khan is the Director of Islamic Center of Irvine. He has presented lectures on Islamic Civilization at California State University at Dominguez Hills. He is a frequent lecturer for the Academy of Judaic, Christian and Islamic Studies at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles). He is also an advisor to the Chancellor's Committee on Religion Ethics and Values at UCLA and serves as Director of Muslim Affairs at USC (University of Southern California).

Source: www.islamicity.com

Among all traditions Envy is considered evil. People define it as unreasonable, irrational, imprudent, vicious, or wrong to feel. Following is a collection of Islamic traditions on how to avoid Envy by Imam Zaid Shakir.

Definition of Envy

Envy (Hasad) is desiring the removal of a blessing from one truly deserving it. Al-Munawi, al-Tawqif

A. The Relationship Between Envy and Miserliness

Envy and miserliness are related in that their possessor desires to deny a blessing to someone else. The miser is distinguished by not wanting to share a blessing with someone else, and the envious person desires that no one other than himself is given a blessing. Al-Kafawi, al-Kulliyyat

B. Ten Cures for Envy

   1. Seeking refuge with Allah from its evil. (Verse 5 Shura 113 - Quran 113:1-5)

   2. Being conscious of Allah (Taqwa).

   3. Patience with one's social enemy [by not retaliating against him].

   4. Relying on Allah, for whosoever relies on Allah, He suffices him.

   5. Emptying the heart of being preoccupied with or thinking about her [the object of one's envy].

   6. Orienting oneself towards Allah, being sincere with Him, placing His love, pleasure and penitence to Him in the place of fleeting thoughts of the soul and its baseless aspirations.

   7. Having pure repentance to Allah from the sins his enemies have led him to commit.

   8. Giving charity and engaging in acts of goodness to the extent possible, because that has an amazing effect in repulsing tribulations, the evil eye, and the wickedness of the envious person.

   9. This is the most difficult cure for the ego, and the weightiest upon it. No one is given the providence to undertake it except one whose portion [of spiritual strength] from Allah is great. It is
   extinguishing the fire of envy, iniquity, and harm by extending good to the envious person.

  10. This is the compendium of all of the other cures; they all revolve around it. Namely, pure divine unity, and elevating your thought from the effects manifested in creation [something envy     revolves around] to the mighty, wise cause of those effects.  Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, al-Tafsir al-Qayyam

C. Texts from The Qur'an Concerning Envy

Many of the People of Scripture would love if they were able to turn you back to disbelief after your faith, out of the envy they harbor in their souls; after the truth has been made clear to them. Pardon, and overlook [their faults] until Allah brings about His command. Surely, Allah has power over all things. Qur'an 3:109

Do they envy people over what Allah has given them from His bounty? We have given the Family of Abraham the Scripture and Wisdom; We have given them a great dominion. Qur'an 4:54

D. Hadith Concerning Envy

The Prophet, peace upon him, has said, "Surely, the disease of the nations will afflict my community." They said, "What is the disease of the nations?" He said, "Arrogance, iniquity, consumerism, evying over the world, mutual alienation, and envy; until there is rebellion and then widespread murder." Ibn Abi al-Dunya

The Prophet, peace upon him, said, "Beware of suspicion, for surely suspicion is the worst form of lying; do not eavesdrop on one another, do not spy on one another, do not vie with one another, do not envy one another, do not hate one another, do not break relations with one another, be you servants of Allah, brothers." Bukhari, #6066

The Prophet, peace upon him, mentioned, "The people will be in good shape as long as they do not envy one another." Mundhari, al-Targhib wa'l Tarhib, 3:574

E. Sayings of the Islamic Scholars Concerning Envy

"There is no vile characteristic more just than envy. It destroys the envious person before his harm reaches the object of his envy." Mu'awiya, Adab al-Dunya wa'l Din

"No servant remembers death frequently except that his gaiety and envy are drastically reduced." Abu al-Darda', al-Ihya'

"Why are you envying your brother? If what he has been given is because of his nobility, why are you envying one Allah has ennobled? If [what he possesses] is for some base reason, why are you envying one whose destination is Hell?" Al-Hasan, al-Ihya'

"Envy is the first sin committed against Allah in heaven; that is Iblis envying Adam. And it is the first sin committed against Allah on earth; that is the son of Adam envying his brother until he murdered him." Anonymous, Adab al-Dunya wa'l Din

"People are of two types, enviers and the object of their envy; and every blessing has an envier." Anonymous, Adab al-Dunya wa'l Din

Imam Zaid Shakir is amongst the most respected and influential Islamic scholars in the West. As an American Muslim who came of age during the civil rights struggles, he has brought both sensitivity about race and poverty issues and scholarly discipline to his faith-based work.

Source: New Islamic Directions
Source: www.islamicity.com

By Sadaf Farooqi

Just as our body gives us signals when we tax it too much physically or mentally, with migraine headaches, aching bones, low immunity to seasonal viruses, and muscular strains symbolizing the need for us to slow down, relax and give ourselves some stress-free time to unwind.

So too, our actions and dealings with people give us some telltale signs about the state of our spiritual well-being and health.

A healthy soul is serene when it is at the peak of faith. Imagine how it felt after spending a part of the night of “Al-Qadr” in prayer during Ramadan, or after consciously forgiving someone who had wronged you, or after sincerely repenting of and giving up a sin.

Such moments became turning points in your life that made you feel as if you were freed from shackles when you rushed back to Allah. During such times, the heart is spiritually charged, healthy, and resonating with faith. On the flip side are some warning signs in our actions that we should watch out for, because they indicate that we are gravitating towards the worst disease of the heart: Nifaq or hypocrisy. Just as a bodily disease requires immediate prescription of an appropriate remedy for timely cure, a disease of the heart also necessitates immediate diagnosis of symptoms and prescription of a remedy.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “There are four (characteristics), whoever has all of them is a complete hypocrite, and whoever has some of them, has some element of hypocrisy, unless he gives it up: When he speaks, he lies; when he makes a covenant, he betrays it; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; when he quarrels, he resorts to insults.” (Sahih Muslim, no. 53)

The Munafiq or hypocrite is someone who possesses all of the above traits. He makes an outward show of piety, but is inwardly different from his deliberately put-on, outer facade.
There are varying degrees of Nifaq, but the important thing to remember is that it is the opposite of Ikhlas – sincerity of intention towards Allah and His Deen, Islam.
If anyone wants to know how sincere his heart is towards Allah, he should analyze his behavior and actions honestly and if he detects any of these four traits:

Lying

Lying is a major sin that the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) would stay far away from. We, however, lie regularly to save face before people. If we cannot visit someone just because we do not feel like going, we lie that we have to go somewhere else. We fear people and value their opinion about us more than we fear
Allah, His wrath, and our standing before Him. We are weak in faith and hence, we lie. Remember that each time you lie, you move further down the levels of faith, further away from Allah and righteousness, until you repent.

Betraying trusts

The agreements and contracts we sign with organizations, institutions, authorities or countries are covenants or trusts. We must obey the laws and rules of these contracts and not intentionally defy them. Anything belonging to someone else is also a trust that we must take care of.

If you find yourself betraying other people’s trusts, such as secretly disobeying office or school rules, deceiving your spouse (with whom you have the Nikah contract), borrowing and misusing other’s belongings, or forging marriage documents for immigration to another country, you should remind yourself that treachery or treason is the trait of a hypocrite.

Breaking promises

The tongue of a believer is cautious and on guard. A kind of carelessness of the tongue is to say to others that you will do something, only to make them pleased with you, and then not actually do it. For example, a husband might say to his wife, “I will buy you shoes next month,” or a woman might say to her friend, “I will not tell anyone your secret” – and then not keep up the word. Breaking promises leaves the other person feeling disappointed and betrayed.

A believer never makes a promise he does not intend to fulfill, and always fulfills a promise once he makes it. Making a promise and then breaking it, is a sign of hypocrisy. A sincere believer always takes his word seriously; once he says he will do something, he considers it a binding oath that remains on his mind until he duly discharges it.

Insulting another person during a dispute

Disputes, disagreements and quarrels are bound to crop up in human relationships, especially with people to whom we are close. One only fights with those whom he meets regularly, or has some business with, or is biologically related to. Consequently, fights erupt most often between siblings, spouses, neighbors, parents and children, employers and subordinates, colleagues, buyers and sellers, and close friends.

How do you behave when you get angry during a quarrel? Do you start shouting, screaming, hurling profanities and dishing out insults? Do you abuse the other person verbally or physically?

If you do, you should try to control and rectify this behavior. A sincere believer leaves the scene of the quarrel or maintains his composed demeanor even when furious.

As Muslims, we must constantly check ourselves to see whether our hearts have Nifaq or not. Ponder this wise saying of Hasan Al-Basri: “It is only a believer who fears hypocrisy (for himself), and it is only a hypocrite who feels safe from it.” (Al-Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Iman, ch. 36)

The most effective means of ridding one’s heart of the disease of Nifaq is to adhere to the Qur’an by studying it, memorizing it, and acting upon it; fulfilling all the obligations of Islam, abstaining from its prohibitions, and constantly engaging in remembrance of Allah.

Source:http://www.saudigazette.com