They are known and clear to Allah, but as for people and society, it is not possible to distinguish a hypocrite from a non-hypocrite, although there are certain characteristics and criteria that apply to hypocrisy, but it may not be clear and a person cannot discover who is the hypocrite from the truthful, and who is the honest from the traitor. The Prophet (saws) said:

“There will come to the people years of treachery, when the liar will be regarded as honest, and the honest man will be regarded as a liar; the traitor will be regarded as faithful, and the faithful man will be regarded as a traitor; and the Ruwaibidah will decide matters.’ It was said: ‘Who are the Ruwaibidah?’ He said: ‘Vile and base men who control the affairs of the people.’”[1]

Hypocrisy is a permanent danger in the social structure in any country, but when did the hypocrisy movement begin in the community of Islam?

Hypocrisy did not exist when the Prophet (saws) and his companions were persecuted by the polytheists in Mecca, but it began when the Prophet (saws) and Muslims became strong in Medina. When a calamity struck them or their interests were harmed as a result of their hypocrisy and lies, the hypocrites would come to the Prophet (saws), swearing by Allah and claiming something other than the truth.

Nevertheless, no one has the right to say so-and-so is a hypocrite and so-and-so is not, because Allah (swt) did not command His Messenger to tell about the hypocrites, otherwise the people would follow this Sunnah, and would doubt each other and accuse some of them of hypocrisy.

(… فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ وَعِظْهُمْ…) (…so turn away from them but admonish them…): Meaning, leave them and do not reveal their names since the Prophet (saws) had known them all, the head of them was Abdullah Ibn Ubai Ibn Salool.  

On the other hand, Allah (swt) tells the Prophet to advise them instead, and to and speak to them an effective word to reach their inner selves.

 فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُذَكِّرٌ

(So remind, [O Muhammad]; you are only a reminder.) (Al-Ghashiyah: 21)

However, the Prophet (saws) used to preach in general without revealing, for example he used to say “Why some people do so and so..!”. Hence, hypocrisy can only be cured by faith and morals. There is are laws that control corruption, the economic movement in society, and some social relations, but there is no man-made law that controls hypocrisy and its movement in society, even though it is the most dangerous social disease and is the cause of most manifestations of corruption in any society. Therefore, the matter was left to the Prophet (saws) and its treatment is only by faith.

( وَقُل لَّهُمْ فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ قَوْلًا بَلِيغًا… ) (…and speak to them a far-reaching word): Allah (swt) mentions the hypocrisy in thirteen verses at the beginning of Surah Al-Baqara, by which He (swt) describes them and their desires, moreover, there is a complete surah – surah Al-Munafiqoon- about the hypocrisy and its danger in a society, then, how to deal with this phenomenon? This verse gives the answer; it is by an effective word.

[1] Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musnad the companions, Musnad Abo Horayrah, Hadith No. 7899.