We have to constantly search our behaviour to ensure its consistency with that of the believers.

While walking in the market not so long ago, I happened to see a group of foreign Muslim sisters heading my way. Needless to say I was very happy, because it is not often that I run across other Muslim women when out and about. From the manners of giving the salams, I greeted them first. To my dismay, they all looked at me from the top of my khimar-clad head to where my Abaya (outer garment) pooled around my feet with a look of total disgust, and walked away without uttering a word in response. I was so hurt and shocked that all I could do was stand there with my mouth wide open behind my niqab.

It never ceases to amaze me how many of us claim to follow the Qur'an and Sunnah, yet our actions are in total contradiction to what we say we believe. It was part of the manners of those who lived with the Prophet, sal-lallahu alayhe wasallam, that they would constantly search their thoughts, hearts and behaviours; to make sure they were consistent with those of the believers, and to discard those things which were characteristic of the hypocrites.

For Allah says, "They say, 'We believe in Allah and in the apostle, and we obey:' but even after that, some of them turn away: they are not (really) believers." [24:47] Along with this, Allah paints for us a complete picture of the believers when He says, "Those who turn (to Allah) in repentance; that serve Him, and praise Him; that wander in devotion to the cause of Allah; that bow down and prostrate themselves (in salah); that enjoin good and forbid evil; and observe the limits set by Allah – so proclaim the good tidings to the believers." [9:112] (Sister in Islam)

How many of us possess these qualities? How many of us are striving to cultivate these characteristics within ourselves? How can we profess to be true believers when we don't even spread the salams, and protect each other from harm and hurt? We're not, for the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wasallam, said, "By Allah, he does not believe. By Allah, he does not believe. By Allah, he does not believe." He was asked, "Whom, O Messenger of Allah?" He said, "The one who does not safeguard his neighbour from his harms." (Bukhari)

Allah also says about the believers that, "The Believers, men and women, are protectors one of another: they enjoin what is just and forbid what is evil: they observe regular salah, practices regular charity, and obey Allah and His Messenger. On them will Allah pour His Mercy: for Allah is exalted in power, Wise. [9:71}

As Muslims, we must remember that Islam is not a religion based on theories, but it is something that is alive and practical, and must be implemented into practice in every aspect of our lives. Since we are striving to achieve true success, our attitudes should be as Allah SWT says, "The answer of the believers when summoned to Allah and His Messenger, in order that He may judge between them, is no other than this: they say, 'We hear and we obey;' it is such as these that will attain felicity." [24:51]

As it was the practice of those who came before us, let us then too search our hearts, souls, thoughts and actions on a daily basis in order to cultivate the character of a believer, and stamp out any weeds of hypocrisy before they can gain root. Let us remember what Fudayl ibn Iyadh, rahimahullah, said, "A believer plants a palm tree and fears that thorns will grow. The hypocrites plant thorns expecting ripe dates to grow."