One who has two faces: this is hypocrisy. It was reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that the signs of hypocrisy are three. This person did not come with anything but lying, so why is he called a hypocrite?

The questioner : The one who has two faces: this is hypocrisy. It was reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that the characteristics of hypocrisy are three. This person did not come with anything but lying; he did not break his promise and did not betray a trust, and... he only came with lying. Why do we not say that he has one of the characteristics of hypocrisy, and why do we not say that he is a hypocrite?

The Shaykh : The hypocrite, according to the scholars, is one who displays good and conceals evil, in general. The saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): does not mean that all three must be present together; rather, one of them is a sign of hypocrisy. For this reason, Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) called that hypocrisy; he named it hypocrisy, and he was correct.