Chapter 7 of 314 min read

Chapter Four (cont.)

الفصل الرابع (تابع)

.r..;-4 / / / I.:.;/ 'You have stated a word, which if mixed with the water of the sea, it would surely stain it."'[231 At-Tirmidhee ~1 ........ .J said this hadith was Hasan sahih. I say that the word for staining (Mazaja) means: That it (her statement) would mix with the water with such a mixing that it would change its taste and smell due to the severity of its stench and [21] Muslim. [22] Bukhaaree. [23] Abu Dawood. Golden Advice Series 04 vileness. This hadith is one of the greatest proofs in showing the forbiddance of backbiting, if not the greatest. And I do not know of any other hadith that reaches this level with regard to condemning backbiting. A. ,..> J>,,.. jl ,...> , -:--t•\ ,.. ~L." ,,..,. Jo.. "('3"..Y. cfJ J ~ _y, ()~ 0 (>_ya if ~ 1.AJJ"' "And he (the Prophet) does not speak from his own desire. Rather, it is only Revelation revealed (to him).'' [An-Najm (53): 3-4] We ask Allaah ~ , the Most Generous, for His kindness and forgiveness from all detestable acts. Anas ~ reported that Allaah's Messenger ~ said: "" J, o J. _ ci / 0 i:,- o. ,,, / J, a ,,,. ,... ~ . ,. ~ ? V L,;j; I : ; I . " u O u ,. ,. l:j)) ~ ~ ~ .) ~ i JAi .)J° '-I; 'C.f' " :Jt; ~J~ ~ ~~~ ~ :cli; '~JJ~.J ~).-J ((~1;,t .j 0~_; ~81 fyd 0}5~ 0;Jjl ~~~ "When I was ascended (to the heavens}, I came across a People that had nails made of brass, with which they were scratching their faces and their chests. So I said: 'Who are these people, 0 Jibreel?' He said: 'They are the ones who eat the flesh of people[24l and dishonour them."1251 [24) Translator's Note: This is a reference to backbiting, since Allaah likens it to eating a human's flesh in His saying: ..,(.J » • « ,:: .,. " ~ :j -; ,;. ~r,. t • } _ _ v,;I > >,; l :,:;- ~ ~-·-: h ,. .:;,.}.. "(~r ~ ~, ,- u-=~ 0,>=..-1.>- ~' . . ~~ J.Jr "And do not backbite one another! Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would surely hate it!" [AI-Hujuraat (49): 12) [25) Ahmad. Guarding the Tongue It is also reported from Sa'eed bin Zayd ~ that the Prophet ~ said: (( ~~ o-; p> \ • • i}Lk:..:,~\ Cl\ ,of ~ 0\J) r..J>" ~ / ~ /: c..s9 / . .r d,.) ~ ~ ,,. ,,. ,,. ,,.. .. ,,, "Verily, one of the worst forms of Ribaa (interest) is being condescending with regard to a Muslim's honour, without due right.''f.26l Abu Hurayrah ~ reported that the Messenger of Allaah :i said: ,j~ 13 ,~~ 1.J ~~ 1 p1 _;.f pin / , d ,,.. > J, ,~;_J ~t;j ~-* )1? p1 ~ p1 J5 (( p· , I~ \;:. f / Golden Advice Series 04 for you to speak to others about the defects of a person, it is likewise forbidden for you to speak to yourself about that and to hold bad thoughts for him. Allaah ~ says: ,,(1:\ ~ l~I\ -:~-- -S,I ZrWI -:· tr i>.::·1 i~"C Z,.J1 (-!i:f~ ">'~ ~ ~ ~ -- ~ .,, ~ ~ ·-- '17. .r "O you who believe, avoid much (types) of suspicion. Verily some (forms) of suspicion is a sin." [AI-Hujuraat (49): 12] And Abu Hurayrah ~ reported that Allaah's Messenger ~ said: "Beware of suspicion, for indeed suspicion is the most untruthful form of speech."f.23l The Ahaadeeth[29l with this same understanding I have mentioned here are many. What the backbiting of the heart means, is: When the heart has firm conviction and holds bad thoughts about someone. But as for the notions that occasionally display in one's mind or when one talks to himself, then as long as these thoughts do not remain established and continuous in him, it is excused according to the consensus of the scholars. This is because he has no choice in the matter so as to stop it from occurring nor can he find any way to liberate himself from it when it does occur. This is the understanding of what has been authentically established (in the texts). The Messenger of Allaah ~ said: (28] Bukhaaree. (29] Plural of hadith. Guarding the Tongue 4,J ~~ :,i - ~~J ~ ~~ jJW :&, 0~11 ((~ Ji ~ J~ r-1 lo ~i "Indeed, Allaah has permitted for my Ummah that which their souls whisper to them, so long as they do not speak it out (audibly) or act upon it."(3oJ The scholars say: "This refers to the notions that form in one's mind, but do not become settled or established there." And they said: "This is regardless if the notion consists of backbiting, disbelief or so on (i.e. it is pardoned, so long as it does not settle).

Chapter 7 of 314 min read

Chapter Four (cont.)

الفصل الرابع (تابع)

.r..;-4 / / / I.:.;/ 'You have stated a word, which if mixed with the water of the sea, it would surely stain it."'[231 At-Tirmidhee ~1 ........ .J said this hadith was Hasan sahih. I say that the word for staining (Mazaja) means: That it (her statement) would mix with the water with such a mixing that it would change its taste and smell due to the severity of its stench and [21] Muslim. [22] Bukhaaree. [23] Abu Dawood. Golden Advice Series 04 vileness. This hadith is one of the greatest proofs in showing the forbiddance of backbiting, if not the greatest. And I do not know of any other hadith that reaches this level with regard to condemning backbiting. A. ,..> J>,,.. jl ,...> , -:--t•\ ,.. ~L." ,,..,. Jo.. "('3"..Y. cfJ J ~ _y, ()~ 0 (>_ya if ~ 1.AJJ"' "And he (the Prophet) does not speak from his own desire. Rather, it is only Revelation revealed (to him).'' [An-Najm (53): 3-4] We ask Allaah ~ , the Most Generous, for His kindness and forgiveness from all detestable acts. Anas ~ reported that Allaah's Messenger ~ said: "" J, o J. _ ci / 0 i:,- o. ,,, / J, a ,,,. ,... ~ . ,. ~ ? V L,;j; I : ; I . " u O u ,. ,. l:j)) ~ ~ ~ .) ~ i JAi .)J° '-I; 'C.f' " :Jt; ~J~ ~ ~~~ ~ :cli; '~JJ~.J ~).-J ((~1;,t .j 0~_; ~81 fyd 0}5~ 0;Jjl ~~~ "When I was ascended (to the heavens}, I came across a People that had nails made of brass, with which they were scratching their faces and their chests. So I said: 'Who are these people, 0 Jibreel?' He said: 'They are the ones who eat the flesh of people[24l and dishonour them."1251 [24) Translator's Note: This is a reference to backbiting, since Allaah likens it to eating a human's flesh in His saying: ..,(.J » • « ,:: .,. " ~ :j -; ,;. ~r,. t • } _ _ v,;I > >,; l :,:;- ~ ~-·-: h ,. .:;,.}.. "(~r ~ ~, ,- u-=~ 0,>=..-1.>- ~' . . ~~ J.Jr "And do not backbite one another! Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would surely hate it!" [AI-Hujuraat (49): 12) [25) Ahmad. Guarding the Tongue It is also reported from Sa'eed bin Zayd ~ that the Prophet ~ said: (( ~~ o-; p> \ • • i}Lk:..:,~\ Cl\ ,of ~ 0\J) r..J>" ~ / ~ /: c..s9 / . .r d,.) ~ ~ ,,. ,,. ,,. ,,.. .. ,,, "Verily, one of the worst forms of Ribaa (interest) is being condescending with regard to a Muslim's honour, without due right.''f.26l Abu Hurayrah ~ reported that the Messenger of Allaah :i said: ,j~ 13 ,~~ 1.J ~~ 1 p1 _;.f pin / , d ,,.. > J, ,~;_J ~t;j ~-* )1? p1 ~ p1 J5 (( p· , I~ \;:. f / Golden Advice Series 04 for you to speak to others about the defects of a person, it is likewise forbidden for you to speak to yourself about that and to hold bad thoughts for him. Allaah ~ says: ,,(1:\ ~ l~I\ -:~-- -S,I ZrWI -:· tr i>.::·1 i~"C Z,.J1 (-!i:f~ ">'~ ~ ~ ~ -- ~ .,, ~ ~ ·-- '17. .r "O you who believe, avoid much (types) of suspicion. Verily some (forms) of suspicion is a sin." [AI-Hujuraat (49): 12] And Abu Hurayrah ~ reported that Allaah's Messenger ~ said: "Beware of suspicion, for indeed suspicion is the most untruthful form of speech."f.23l The Ahaadeeth[29l with this same understanding I have mentioned here are many. What the backbiting of the heart means, is: When the heart has firm conviction and holds bad thoughts about someone. But as for the notions that occasionally display in one's mind or when one talks to himself, then as long as these thoughts do not remain established and continuous in him, it is excused according to the consensus of the scholars. This is because he has no choice in the matter so as to stop it from occurring nor can he find any way to liberate himself from it when it does occur. This is the understanding of what has been authentically established (in the texts). The Messenger of Allaah ~ said: (28] Bukhaaree. (29] Plural of hadith. Guarding the Tongue 4,J ~~ :,i - ~~J ~ ~~ jJW :&, 0~11 ((~ Ji ~ J~ r-1 lo ~i "Indeed, Allaah has permitted for my Ummah that which their souls whisper to them, so long as they do not speak it out (audibly) or act upon it."(3oJ The scholars say: "This refers to the notions that form in one's mind, but do not become settled or established there." And they said: "This is regardless if the notion consists of backbiting, disbelief or so on (i.e. it is pardoned, so long as it does not settle).