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The Prohibition Of Backbiting And The Commandment Of Guarding One’s Tongue by Nobody: 6:38am On Aug 19, 2015 |
Allah, the Exalted, says:
“And backbite not one another. Would one of
you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother?
You would hate it (so hate backbiting). And fear
Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who forgives and
accepts repentance, Most Merciful.” (49:12)
“And follow not (O man, i.e., say not or do not
or witness not) that of which you have no
knowledge. Verily, the hearing, and the sight,
and the heart, of each of those ones will be
questioned (by Allah).” (17:36)
“Not a word does he (or she) utter, but there is
a watcher by him ready (to record it).” (50:18)
1511. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with
him) reported: The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi
wa sallam) said, “He who believes in Allah and
the Last Day must either speak good or remain
silent.”
[Muslim].
1512. Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (May Allah be
pleased with him) reported: I asked the
Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa
sallam): “Who is the most excellent among the
Muslims?” He said, “One from whose tongue
and hands the other Muslims are secure.”
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
1513. Sahl bin Sa`d (May Allah be pleased with
him) reported: The Messenger of Allah
(sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Whosoever
gives me a guarantee to safeguard what is
between his jaws and what is between his legs,
I shall guarantee him Jannah.”
[Al-Bukhari].
Commentary: What is between the jaws and
what is between the legs refers to the tongue
and the sexual organs, respectively. The
Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) has given
the assurance of Jannah to every Muslim who
protects these two parts of the body.
Protection here means their use permitted by
the Islamic Shari`ah. They should be guarded
against every act that is prohibited by the
Shari`ah.
1514. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with
him) reported: I heard the Prophet (sallallaahu
alayhi wa sallam) saying, “A person utters a
word thoughtlessly (i.e., without thinking about
its being good or not) and, as a result of this, he
will fall down into the fire of Hell deeper than
the distance between the east and the west.”
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary: This Hadith shows the
disadvantages which can be caused by the
improper use of the tongue. It is, therefore,
essential that one should think before he
speaks.
1515. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with
him) reported: The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi
wa sallam) said, “A man utters a word pleasing
to Allah without considering it of any
significance for which Allah exalts his ranks (in
Jannah); another one speaks a word displeasing
to Allah without considering it of any
importance, and for this reason he will sink
down into Hell.”
[Al-Bukhari].
1516. Abu ‘Abdur-Rahman Bilal bin Al-Harith
Al-Muzani (May Allah be pleased with him)
reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu
alayhi wa sallam) said, “A man speaks a good
word without knowing its worth, Allah records
for him His Good Pleasure till the day he will
meet Him; and a man utters an evil word
without realizing its importance, Allah records
for him His displeasure till the day he will
meet Him.”
[Imam Malik and At-Tirmidhi].
Commentary: This Hadith tells us a fact which
can be observed in our everyday life.
Sometimes a person utters a good sentence
which pleases an individual and he reforms
himself or holds himself from doing something
wrong. Such a sentence or utterance is highly
rewarded by Allah. Similarly, sometime a
person utters a mischievous sentence, the
ruinous effects of which he does not realize.
This utterance hurts someone’s feelings and
leads him to sin and evil. Almighty Allah is
displeased with such a person. The lesson that
this Hadith has for us is that one should strictly
guard his speech and weigh his words to avoid
Allah’s Wrath.
1517. Sufyan bin `Abdullah (May Allah be
pleased with him) reported: I asked: “O
Messenger of Allah! Tell me, of something to
which I may remain steadfast.” He (sallallaahu
alayhi wa sallam) said, “Say: My Rubb is Allah
and then remain steadfast.” Then I said: “O
Messenger of Allah! What do you fear most
about me?” He took hold of his own tongue and
said: “This.”
[At-Tirmidhi].
Commentary: Faith in Allah and all His
Attributes is the basis of all virtuous deeds. No
act or deed is acceptable by Allah without this
faith, “and then remain steadfast” means to
comply with what Allah has ordained and to
keep away from what He has forbidden so that
one can win over His Pleasure. Every Muslim is
required to guard his speech strictly because
even the slightest carelessness on this account
can cause Allah’s displeasure.
1518. Ibn `Umar (May Allah be pleased with
them) reported: The Messenger of Allah
(sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Do not
indulge in excessive talk except when
remembering Allah. Excessive talking without
the Remembrance of Allah hardens the heart;
and those who are the farthest from Allah are
those whose hearts are hard.”
[At-Tirmidhi]
Commentary: The hardening of the heart is a
condition where one neither learns any lesson
from Allah’s Signs nor does one accept anyone’s
good advice and religious preaching. If one
indulges in idle talk rather than the
remembrance of Allah, his heart becomes
hardened, which is a sign of being far from
Allah’s Mercy. One should therefore occupy
himself with the remembrance of Allah.
1519. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with
him) reported: The Messenger of Allah
(sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “He whom
Allah saves from the evil of that which is
between his jaws and the evil of that which is
between his legs will enter Jannah.”
[At-Tirmidhi].
1520. ‘Uqbah bin `Amir (May Allah be pleased
with him) said: I asked the Messenger of Allah
(sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam), “How can
salvation be achieved?” He replied, “Control
your tongue, keep to your house, and weep
over your sins.”
[At-Tirmidhi].
Commentary: It is better for one to spends his
surplus time at home in the remembrance of
Allah, the recitation of the Qur’an and the
performance of acts of obedience, if one feels
unable to benefit others or if one fears that he,
as well as his religion will not be safe if one
mixes with others. Allah greatly likes it that
one repents of his own sins and weeps over
them.
1521. Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (May Allah be
pleased with him) said: The Prophet (sallallaahu
alayhi wa sallam) said, “When the son of Adam
gets up in the morning, all the limbs humble
themselves before the tongue and say: `Fear
Allah for our sake because we are with you:
(i.e., we will be rewarded or punished as a
result of what you do) if you are straight, we
will be straight; and if you are crooked, we will
become crooked.”’
[At-Tirmidhi].
Commentary: This Hadith shows the
importance of guarding one’s tongue against
that which is prohibited. Even the slightest
carelessness on the part of the tongue can
make all the organs suffer for it.
Crookedness of the tongue means the careless
use of the tongue which lands the whole body
in trouble; and keeping the tongue straight
means keeping oneself safe from all kinds of
troubles and ordeals.
1522. Mu`adh bin Jabal (May Allah be pleased
with him) reported: I asked the Messenger of
Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam): “Inform me
of an act which will cause me to enter Jannah
and keep me far from Hell.” He (sallallaahu
alayhi wa sallam) replied, “You have asked me
about a matter of great importance, but it is
easy for one for whom Allah makes it easy.” He
added, “Worship Allah, associate nothing with
Him in worship, offer As-Salat (the prayer), pay
the Zakat, observe Saum (fasting) during
Ramadan and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) to the
House of Allah, if you can afford it.” He
(sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) further said, “Shall
I not guide you to the gates of goodness?
Fasting is a screen (from Hell), charity
extinguishes (i.e., removes) the sins as water
extinguishes fire, and standing in prayers by a
slave of Allah during the last third part of the
night.” Then he recited: “Their sides forsake
their beds, to invoke their Rubb in fear and
hope, and they spend (in charity in Allah’s
Cause) out of what We have bestowed on them.
No person knows what is kept hidden for them
of joy as a reward for what they used to
do.” (32:17,18) Then he added, “Shall I tell you
of the root of the matter, its pillar and its
highest point?” I replied: “Yes! Certainly, O
Prophet of Allah.” He said, “The root of this
matter (foundation) is Islam, its pillar (mainstay
is) As-Salat (the prayer) and its highest point is
Jihad (fighting in the Cause of Allah).” Then he
asked, “Shall I tell you of that which holds all
these things?” I said: “Yes, O Messenger of
Allah.” So he took hold of his tongue and said,
“Keep this in control.” I asked: “O Messenger of
Allah! Shall we really be accounted for what we
talk about?” He replied, “May your mother lose
you! People will be thrown on their faces into
the Hell on account of their tongues.”
Commentary: Besides describing Articles of
Islam, this Hadith mentions the dangers which
lie in the careless use of the tongue. All good
actions can go waste if one does not guard his
speech. One should, therefore, guard his
tongue against that which Allah has made
prohibited.
1523. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with
him) said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu
alayhi wa sallam) said, “Do you know what is
backbiting?” The Companions said: “Allah and
His Messenger know better.” Thereupon he
said, “Backbiting is talking about your (Muslim)
brother in a manner which he dislikes.” It was
said to him: “What if my (Muslim) brother is as
I say.” He said, “If he is actually as you say, then
that is backbiting; but if that is not in him, that
is slandering.”
[Muslim].
Commentary: This Hadith elaborates the
meaning of backbiting and calumny and points
out the difference between the two along with
the evils of each one of them. Both these evils
are mischief of the tongue and entail great
troubles. May Allah save us from both.
1524. Abu Bakrah (May Allah be pleased with
him) said: Delivering the sermon during the
Farewell Pilgrimage on the day of Sacrifice at
Mina, the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi
wa sallam) said, “Verily your blood, your
property and your honour are as sacred and
inviolable as the sanctity of this day of yours, in
this month of yours and in this town of yours.
Verily! I have conveyed this message to you.”
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Commentary: This Hadith tells us that the tenth
day of the month of Dhul-Hijjah, and the city of
Makkah are sacred. Similar is the case of blood,
property and honour of a Muslim to another
Muslim. In other words, a Muslim should
neither kill another without any lawful reason
nor should he usurp his property nor should he
disgrace him. Since backbiting is also a kind of
tyranny which defames a person, it should be
strictly avoided.
1525. `Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her)
said: I said to the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa
sallam): “Such and such thing of Safiyyah (May
Allah be pleased with her) is sufficient for
you.” (She means to say that she was a woman
with a short stature). He said, “You have indeed
uttered a word which would pollute the sea if it
were mixed in it.” She further said: I imitated a
person before him and he said, “I do not like
that I should imitate someone even (if I am
paid) in return such and such.”
[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi].
Commentary: In Arabic, the word “Muhakat” is
often used for imitating someone’s defect or
deformity, etc. Every imitation of this kind also
amounts to backbiting. This is the reason the
Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) used the
analogy stated in this Hadith when `Aishah
(May Allah be pleased with her) said that
Safiyyah (May Allah be pleased with her) was
short-statured. Imam An-Nawawi regarded this
analogy as based on Wahy and supported his
contention by the Verse of the Qur’an: “Nor
does he speak of (his own) desire. It is only a
Revelation revealed.”
Thus, it is evident from this Hadith that to
speak of somebody in a scornful manner, or
ridicule someone’s physical defect, or to
imitate someone’s deformity, or talk
disparagingly about someone, is a great offense
which should be avoided by every Muslim.
1526. Anas (May Allah be pleased with him)
said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi
wa sallam) said, “During the Mi`raj (the Night
of Ascension), I saw a group of people who
were scratching their chests and faces with
their copper nails. I asked, `Who are these
people, O Jibril?’ Jibril replied: `These are the
people who ate flesh of others (by backbiting)
and trampled people’s honour.”’
[Abu Dawud].
Commentary: “These are the people who ate
flesh of others” is a metaphor for backbiting.
“To trample people’s honour” is akin to harming
their goodwill and honour. The punishment for
these things mentioned in Hadith makes their
seriousness obvious.
1527. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with
him) reported: The Messenger of Allah
(sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “The blood,
honour and property of a Muslim is inviolable
for another Muslim.”
[Muslim].
Commentary: This Hadith also makes it clear
that a Muslim is bound to protect his blood,
wealth and honour and it is not lawful for any
Muslim to attack another Muslim’s honour and
property. Nor is it lawful for him to kill another
Muslim without a valid reason. |
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