Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … There is no doubt that speech possesses an effect akin to magic, and some people, by the force of their oratory style, gain such popularity among the people that every word of theirs begins to be regarded as authoritative. In such circumstances, a believer should rely on evidence. Allah Ta‘ala, mentioning the evil trait of the hypocrites, said: {وَ اِذَا لَقُوا الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا قَالُوْٓا اٰمَنَّا وَ اِذَا خَلَوْا اِلٰی شَیٰطِیْنِہِمْ قَالُوْٓا اِنَّا مَعَکُمْ اِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُسْتَہْزِئُ وْنَ۔} (Surah al-Baqarah: 14) … And when (these hypocrites) meet the believers, they say, “We are believers (too),” but when they go to their leaders, they say, “We are with you; we are only mocking (the Muslims).”

Now, the more a hypocrite is eloquent, smooth-tongued, loquacious, flattering, skilled in the tricks of speech, and able to prove black as white, the more he will present himself as a loyalist before the Muslims, thereby harming them and conveying their confidential matters to their enemies.