The Hypocrites Try to Deceive Allah and Sway Between Believers and Disbelievers
In the beginning of Surah Al-Baqarah we mentioned Allah's statement,
يُخَادِعُونَ اللّهَ وَالَّذِينَ امَنُوا
(They (think to) deceive Allah and those who believe). (2;8)
Here, Allah states,
إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ يُخَادِعُونَ اللّهَ وَهُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ
Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives them.
There is no doubt that Allah can never be deceived, for He has perfect knowledge of the secrets and what the hearts conceal. However, the hypocrites, due to their ignorance, scarce knowledge and weak minds, think that since they were successful in deceiving people, using Islamic Law as a cover of safety for themselves, they will acquire the same status with Allah on the Day of Resurrection and deceive Him too.
Allah states that on that Day, the hypocrites will swear to Him that they were on the path of righteousness and correctness thinking that such statement will benefit them with Allah.
For instance, Allah said,
يَوْمَ يَبْعَثُهُمُ اللَّهِ جَمِيعاً فَيَحْلِفُونَ لَهُ كَمَا يَحْلِفُونَ لَكُم
On the Day when Allah will resurrect them all together; then they will swear to Him as they swear to you. (58;18)
Allah's statement,
وَهُوَ خَادِعُهُمْ
(but it is He Who deceives them) means,
He lures them further into injustice and misguidance. He also prevents them from reaching the truth in this life and on the Day of Resurrection.
Allah said,
يَوْمَ يَقُولُ الْمُنَـفِقُونَ وَالْمُنَـفِقَـتُ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ انظُرُونَا نَقْتَبِسْ مِن نُّورِكُمْ
On the Day when the hypocrites ـ men and women ـ will say to the believers;"Wait for us! Let us get something from your light!" It will be said;"Go back to your rear! Then seek a light!" until,
وَبِيْسَ الْمَصِيرُ
(And worst indeed is that destination). (57;13-15)
A Hadith states;
مَن سَمَّعَ سَمَّعَ اللهُ بِهِ وَمَنْ رَاءَى رَاءَى اللهُ بِه
Whoever wants to be heard of, Allah will make him heard of, and whoever wants to be seen, Allah will show him.
Allah's statement,
وَإِذَا قَامُواْ إِلَى الصَّلَةِ قَامُواْ كُسَالَى
And when they stand up for Salah, they stand with laziness.
This is the characteristic of the hypocrites with the most honored, best and righteous act of worship, the prayer. When they stand for prayer, they stand in laziness because they neither truly intend to perform it nor do they believe in it, have humility in it, or understand it. This is the description of their outward attitude!
As for their hearts, Allah said,
يُرَاوُونَ النَّاسَ
to be seen of men,
meaning, they do not have sincerity when worshipping Allah. Rather, they show off to people so that they gain closeness to them. They are often absent from the prayers that they can hide away from, such as the Isha prayer and the Dawn prayer that are prayed in darkness.
In the Two Sahihs, it is recorded that the Messenger of Allah said,
أَثْقَلُ الصَّلَةِ عَلَى الْمُنَافِقِينَ صَلَةُ الْعِشَاءِ وَصَلَةُ الْفَجْرِ وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِيهِمَا لَاَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا وَلَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ امُرَ بِالصَّلَةِ فَتُقَامُ ثُمَّ امُرَ رَجُلً فَيُصَلِّي بِالنَّاسِ ثُمَّ أَنْطَلِقَ مَعِيَ بِرِجَالٍ مَعَهُمْ حُزَمٌ مِنْ حَطَبٍ إِلى قَوْمٍ لَا يَشْهَدُونَ الصَّلَةَ فَأُحَرِّقَ عَلَيْهِمْ بُيُوتَهُمْ بِالنَّار
The heaviest prayers on the hypocrites are the Isha and Dawn prayers. If they know their rewards, they will attend them even if they have to crawl.
I was about to order someone to pronounce the Adhan for the prayer, then order someone to lead the prayer for the people, then order some men to collect fire-wood (fuel); then I would burn the houses around men who did not attend the (compulsory congregational) prayer.
In another narration, the Prophet said,
وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَوْ عَلِمَ أَحَدُهُمْ أَنَّهُ يَجِدُ عَرْقًا سَمِينًا أَوْ مِرْمَاتَيْنِ حَسَنَتَيْنِ لَشَهِدَ الصَّلَاةَ وَلَوْلَاا مَا فِي الْبُيُوتِ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ وَالذُّرِّيَّـةِ لَحَرَّقْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ بُيُوتَهُمْ بِالنَّار
By Him, in Whose Hand my soul is, if anyone of them had known that he would get a bone covered with good meat or two (small) pieces of meat between two ribs, he would have turned up for the prayer, and had it not been that the houses have women and children in them, I would burn their homes around them.
Allah's statement,
وَلَا يَذْكُرُونَ اللّهَ إِلاَّ قَلِيلً
And they do not remember Allah but little.
means, during the prayer they do not feel humbleness or pay attention to what they are reciting. Rather, during their prayer, they are inattentive, jesting and avoid the good that they are meant to receive from prayer.
Imam Malik reported that Al-Ala' bin Abdur-Rahman said that Anas bin Malik said that the Messenger of Allah said,
تِلْكَ صَلَةُ الْمُنَافِقِ
تِلْكَ صَلَةُ الْمُنَافِقِ
تِلْكَ صَلَةُ الْمُنَافِقِ
يَجْلِسُ يَرْقُبُ الشَّمْسَ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَتْ بَيْنَ قَرْنَيِ الشَّيْطَانِ قَامَ فَنَقَرَ أَرْبَعًا لَا يَذْكُرُ اللهَ فِيهَا إِلاَّ قَلِيلً
This is the prayer of the hypocrite, this is the prayer of the hypocrite, this is the prayer of the hypocrite.
He sits watching the sun until when it goes down between the two horns of the devil, he stands up pecks out four Rak`ahs (for Asr) without remembering Allah during them except little.
Muslim, At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i also recorded it.
At-Tirmidhi said "Hasan Sahih".
Allah's statement