Sifat al-Nifaq wa Dhamm al-Munafiqin lil-Firyabi
- Author died
- 301 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Ṣaḥābah lil-Turāth
Sifat al-Nifaq wa Dhamm al-Munafiqin (The Description of Hypocrisy and Condemnation of Hypocrites), also cited as Sifat al-Munafiq, is a thematic hadith monograph by the traditionist and judge Abu Bakr al-Firyabi (207–301 AH / 822–913 CE) devoted to compiling prophetic traditions and early transmitted reports regarding hypocrisy and the characteristics of hypocrites.
Author and Context
The author, Abu Bakr Ja‘far ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Mustafad al-Firyabi, was a hadith scholar and judge of Dinawar who traveled extensively across Khurasan, Transoxiana, Iraq, the Hijaz, Egypt, Sham, and the Jazira before settling in Baghdad, where he died in 301 AH (913 CE). Compiled during the third century AH, the work belongs to the early genre of thematic hadith collections dedicated to specific theological and ethical topics.
Subject Matter and Scope
The treatise gathers prophetic hadiths and transmitted narrations (athar) from the Companions and early Successors detailing the signs, inward reality, and dangers of hypocrisy (nifaq):
- The Fear of Hypocrisy Among Early Muslims: The work includes numerous accounts showing the vigilance of the Companions and early generations over their own intentions. It transmits reports such as that of Ibn Abi Mulaykah, who encountered thirty Companions of the Prophet ﷺ who all feared hypocrisy for themselves, as well as statements by Abu al-Darda', Abu Raja' al-'Utaridi, and al-Hasan al-Basri emphasizing that only a hypocrite feels completely secure from hypocrisy.
- Characteristics and Warning Signs: The text records traditions illustrating hypocritical traits, including loquacity unaccompanied by righteous deeds, eloquently speaking about religion while acting contrary to it, and duplicity in speech. It also conveys statements warning against fleeting slips of hypocrisy in actions and words, such as narrations from Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, and Khalid ibn Ma'dan.
- Scholarly Reflections: The collection documents statements by early scholars, such as al-Awza'i, contrasting the true believer—who speaks little and acts much—with the hypocrite, who speaks abundantly and acts little.
Reception and Scholarly Utilization
Al-Firyabi's collection served as an early source for subsequent scholars writing on hadith commentary, ethics, and theology. It is cited and referenced by later traditionists and commentators, including Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali in his commentary Jami‘ al-‘Ulum wa-l-Hikam and Najm al-Din al-Ghazzi in Husn al-Tanabbuh lima Warada fi al-Tashabbuh.
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