Part 24

proportion and measure.} (AI-Qamar: 47-49)

'Umar Ibn al-Khattab said, "The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"On the Day of Judgment, Allah will gather the first and the last of people and then order a caller

to say with a clear voice, where are the enemies of Allah?" The fatalists would stand whereupon they would

be ordered to go to Hell."1

Allah says, {Taste ye the touch of Hell! Verily, all things have We created in proportion and measure.

} Those men are called the enemies of Allah because they dispute how Allah predetermines sins and then

Hisham Ibn Hassan commented, "By Allah if a fatalist observes continuous fasting until he becomes as

thin as thread, or observes continuous Prayer until he becomes as faint as string, Allah would order him to

be dragged through the Fire on his face and then say to him {taste the touch of Hell! "Verily all things Have

We created in proportion and measure.}" 2

Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) the Prophet said,

"Everything runs in accordance with Allah's Destiny even the inability and intelligence." 3

Ibn 'Abbas said, "All things have We created in proportion and measure and they are recorded in AI-

{But Allah has created you and your hadiwork! } (Al-saffat: 96)

ZaddAl-Muyasar, vol 8, p. 102

Ibn Jarir, in his commentary on this verse, said, "The verse is of two indications:

First, it may mean that Allah has created you and what you make, i.e., idols."

In Surah Ash-Shams, Allah Most High says,

{And its inspiration as to its wrong and its right.}

Sa'id Ibn Jubair explained the meaning of this verse saying,

{Allah implants in it the traits of good and the traits of evil.}

"Allah guides some people to the straight way and will grant them mercy. Whereas others go astray in

accordance with Allah's Destiny and therefore they will be decreed to Hell-fire with Allah's Justice."

Ibn Zaid stated, "Allah leads it to the way of righteousness or leaves it to go astray in the way of evil."

Mu'adh Ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"There was no prophet sent to people by Allah but amongst his people there were Qadariyyah (fatalists)

and Murji'ah (Postponers). Surely, Allah has cursed the Qadariyyah and Murji' ah on the tongues of

`Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"The Qadiriyyah (fatalists j are the Magians of this Ummah."2

Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"Each Ummah has Magians and the Magains of this Ummah are those who deny the Destiny of Allah." He

added, "If one of them spent an amount of gold equal to Mount Uhud the way of Allah, Allah will never

accept it from him until he believes in the divine Destiny, both the good and the evil thereof" Then he

(pbuh) mentioned the hadith, when Jabril asked about Iman (Faith), "It is to believe in Allah, His angels,

His books, His Messengers, and the Last Day, and to believe in the divine Destiny, both the good and the

"The belief in Allah" means to admit that He, Glorified and Exalted be He, is Existent and deserves

all attributes of perfection. He is the One and Only, the Eternal, the Creator Who does what He wills.

"Belief in the angels" means to admit that they are devoted servants of Allah as the Glorious Quran

{They are (but) servants raised to honor. They speak not before He speaks, and they act (in all things) by

His command. He knows what is before them, and what is behind them, and they offer no intercession

except for those with whom He is well-pleased and they stand in awe and reverence of His (glory).}

Reported by Ibn Ibi' Asim.

"Belief in the Messengers" means to admit that they were truthful men, and delivered what Allah

revealed to them in totality. Allah Most High has supported them with miracles as proof of their

truthfulness. We owe to them all reverence and make no distinction between them.

"Belief in the last Day" means to believe in the Day of Judgment, in the resurrection after death, is the

Hashr (Gathering), in Paradise, in Hell-fire,... etc.

"Belief in the divine Destiny" means to believe in the aforementioned principles and ideas such as the

{But Allah created you and your handiwork.} (As-Saffat: 96)

{All things have We created in proportion and measure.} (AI-Qamar: 49)

Belief in the divine Destiny comprises what was referred to in the Hadith of Ibn ' Abbas,

"Know that if the Nation were to gather together to benefit you with any thing, it would benefit you only

with something that Allah had already prescribed for you, and if they gather together to harm you with

anything, they would harm you only with something Allah has already prescribed for you. The pens have

been lifted and the pages have dried."1

Muslim scholars, in past and present, have agreed that whoever has unswerving faith in these principles, he

will be a true believer.

Seventy Muslim scholars have agreed that the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) includes: Belief in the divine

Destiny, submission to the commands of Allah, patience, adherence to the lawful and abstaining from the

unlawful, sincerity, the abhorrence of dispute in religion, Jihad, funeral Prayer, etc.

A part of a Hadith Reported by At-Tarmithi.

42) Listening to People's Private Conversations

{And spy not on each other.}

The meaning of this command is that a Muslim should avoid searching about his brother's faults that

Once a man said to Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), "This man, Al-Walid Ibn 'Uqbah,

seems to be drunk for the traces of wine appears on his beard." Ibn Mas'ud replied, "We are commanded to

avoid spying but when something ascertained to us we judge accordingly."

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) declared,

"Whoever listens to people who are averse to his listening shall have molten lead poured into his ears on

43) The Talebearer Who Stirs up Enmity between People

Here, the reference is to a person who passes on to others what he hears from someone in such a

manner that will cause dissension among people. It is unanimously unlawful according to the opinions of

the Muslim scholars. There are many proofs that maintain the prohibition of that abhorred action. The

following are some of them:

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"He who stirs up enmity among people by quoting their words to each other will not enter paradise."1

Once the Messengers of Allah (pbuh) passed by two graves and said,

"The two are being tormented, and not for anything excessive: one of them did not free himself of traces of

urine, while the other was a talebearer."2

On the authority of Abu Hurairh (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah said,

"You find that among the worst people is someone who is two-faced, showing one face to some and

another face to the others."3

"Who he stirs up enmity among people by quoting their words in this world, Allah will severely torment

Imam Abu Hamid AI-Ghazali highlighted the fact that this heinous sin is not confined to transforming the

speech of others only but it includes unveiling what one does not like to be unveiled even if it is done

through speech, writing, gestures etc. One should, however, keep silent concerning what he discovers of the

affairs of others except incase when publicizing it would benefit the Muslims or prevent them from

committing a sin. Moreover, the one to whom talebearer told news of others, should abide by the following:

a) Disbelieving what this person told him for such a man is of no piety,

b) Advising the talebearer to abstain from this heinous sin,

c) Detesting the sinner for the sake of Allah,

d) A voiding suspicion as the Glorious Quran instructs, {O ye who believe! A void suspicion as much (as

possible): for suspicion in some cases is a sin.} (AI-Hurjurat: 12)

Reported by AI-Bukari and Muslim.

Reported by AI-Bukari and Muslim.

Reported by AI-Bukari and Muslim.

Reported by Ibn Hibban and Abu Dawud

e) Avoiding spying and searching out the other people's faults as the Glorious Quran commands, {And spy

not on each other.} (AI-Hujurat: 12)

f) Abhorring this sin: A man came to 'Umar Ibn 'Abd AI-'Aziz and told him something about another

person which the latter would have disliked being mentioned. Thereupon 'Umar said to him, "Let us

examine your case: If you are lying, you are one of those who mentioned in the verse, ~If a sinner comes to

you with any news, ascertain the truth. t (AI-Hujurat: 6), and if you are telling the truth, you are one of

those mentioned in the verse, {A slanderer; going about with calumnies.} (Al-Qalam: 1) But if you wish we

mayforgive you." The man replied, please forgive me, O Commander of the Believers. I shall never do it

A man wrote a letter to As-Sahib Ibn 'Abad (may Allah bestow mercy on him) calling him to

unlawfully consume a property of an orphan. When As-Sahib Ibn 'Abad, replied to his letter he said,

"Slander is abhorred, the dead is in Allah's mercy, the orphan is in Allah's support, the property is Allah's

gift and the one who intercedes to consume unlawfully the property of others is cursed by Allah."

AI-Hasan AI-Basri, said, "Assuredly, the one who tells you about the speech of others would also tell

Referring to the verse, {Violent (and cruel) with all that of a doubtful birth.} (AI-Qalam: 13), Ibn AI-

Mubark said, the illegitimate child does not keep in secret the speech of people."

Once a righteous man visited one of his friends who told him something about another person that the

latter would have disliked being mentioned. Thereupon, the righteous man said, 'O brother! You have

committed backbiting and caused me to commit three crimes:

a) The abhorrence of that brother,

b) Anxiety in my heart,

c) Suspicion about your truthfulness.

A man came to 'Ali Ibn AI-Husain (may Allah be pleased with him) saying, "So and so of people

insulted you." Thereupon, 'Ali Ibn AI-Husain said, "Let's go to such man." Having reached the latter man,

'Ali Ibn AI-Husain said, "If what you have said is true, I ask Allah then to forgive me. While if it is untrue,

I ask Allah to forgive you."