Hypocrite like Senseless Camel

The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “When a hypocrite gets ill and then recovers from his illness, his example is like that of a camel, whose master ties it to a stake and then frees it, but it does not know why it was tied and why it was freed.” [Abu Dawud]

A hypocrite (Munafiq) is worse than a disbeliever (Kaafir) because he doesn’t declare his position. In fact, he deceives people, claiming to be a Muslim but harbouring resentment against Islam. He is like a snake in one’s sleeve.

When Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) subjects a hypocrite to illness, it is to remind him of the inevitable end to his life in the world. It should coax him to give up his rebellious ways and become obedient to Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). In his condition of weakness and helplessness, realizing how dependent he is on Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) for recovery, he should seek Allah’s forgiveness for the sins he committed and resolve to turn over a new leaf.

He who does not take a lesson from his illness is like a senseless animal who does not gain any insights from the accidents and events of his life. Nothing in life happens without cause; we should think about the events of our life and draw lessons for ourselves.