Seeds Of Realisation
Seeds Of Realisation
A World Short Sighted
I’ve now been a mummy for 38 weeks (Just over 8 months!), the time has flown, subhanAllah I don’t remember blogging about the pregnancy, well mostly due to the fact that when you’re constantly sick for 9 months that last thing you actually want to do is tell the world. I patiently waited for the first 3 months to be over and thought the vomittin would lessen then one more and so forth until the moment of birth.
Alhumdulillah upon all conditions though, as I was gifted with the most beautiful, little girl whom we named Zaynab (Fragrant flower), my grangmother also gifted her the name Salihah (pious), so we officially named her Zaynab As Salihah.
Motherhood is such an amazing gift, this one little person comes in to you life and takes over everything, you put her before everything and that includes basic neccessities such as eating and even going to the bathroom!
The first few months are hard work, especially with our little madam having colic, as one of friends (who isn’t a mamma yet) put it “Its seems like she always has wind!”, well I never thought babies could have such wind problems! After nights of screaming baby, boy can they!
It does get easier, well until they start teething, though the time no matter what is happening is so spcial, and unbeliveble, filled with so much love and so much learning, both as parents and as a couple, for husband and wife.
For example presently, we are all sitting at 5 am simply listening to Zaynab gurgling to the recitation of the Quran, and eating a tasbeeh! SubhanAllah! And All Praise is to Allah, who creates from within us the small seed that turns into a most beautiful creature, who fills lives with love, joy and happiness. (And sleepless nights – Its all worth it though!)
InshaAllah will blog more….
“To acquire knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim male and female” Tirmidhi
In a previous article we discussed the necessity for parents to take an interest in what children are learning at school, and how we should pay close attention to the tarbiyah and education of our children.
From birth onwards children look up to their parents and see them full of wisdom and understanding in all aspects of life, be it from simple matters such as reading and writing to the more complex matters of how we come into this world.
Indeed Islam has granted parents a certain rank above their children, and has taught children to respect and honour parents in all walks of life. Yet as children grow older and become more world wary, they learn new things everyday, often they will come to the parents to re-affirm this new piece of information that they have learnt.
If parents have no understanding or take no interest in what their children learn the child will think, ‘my parents don’t really know as much I thought they did’. They will become dejected, thinking their parents have no interest in what they have learnt. As a result of this children may begin to think of their parents as being backward and stuck in ways not relevant to modern times.
When this cross-road is reached in a child’s life it is a most vital and key point that parents need to consider. How they deal with this will most definitely have an impact on the future of their relationship with their children and how they are perceived in their children’s eyes for years to come.
As we know the education system is constantly changing, with children being taught to be more open-minded and given greater choice of what they can learn, from basic subjects such as literacy and numeracy to subjects like science and technology.
If parents have been out of education for some time, which is what most often occurs by the time they have children, they will not be fully aware about what is taught in schools. It is necessary for parents to look into the subjects taught to children when they enter school. This can be done by requesting a copy of the school curriculum from the teachers. From this parents can see what subjects will be taught and if they find that there are areas unfamiliar to them, they should pursue these areas and aim to become more informed.
Often when looking into the curriculum, parents will find subjects that seem to contradict Islam or Islamic values. It is not possible to put a bubble around children and refuse to let them learn these subjects because this will only make them more curious and they will ask friends who have taken the subject etc. Instead these subjects should be used in a positive light to teach children at home the Islamic view about matters such as evolution for example, this will make children stronger and help them to keep an open mind about everything they are taught, and if in the future they find something confusing or something they feel contradicts Islamic values they will ask their parents.
A simple example of this is the inclusion of sex education in the national curriculum for children from year five. Many parents consider these subjects taboo and something that children shouldn’t be exposed to. Yet Islamically children should be taught these issues by the age of nine as they can become mature (baaligh) anytime after that. Parents should have an open enough relationship that they can sit their children down and speak to them about these matters before they are taught in school, so that children would not feel embarrassed to approach their parents later about what they have learnt.
We need to teach our children the Islamic perspective about many of the things they are taught at school. As we all know Islam is a complete way of life. Children should be taught about puberty and the Islamic teachings behind it, before they can be mislead by inaccurate accounts that might disagree with laws set down in Islam. They should be taught Islamic values and the importance of accepting what is Islamic rather than questioning it with regards to things they learn.
It is not only children’s secular education parents must take an interest in but also their Islamic education. Children often find it hard to sit in madrassah and concentrate due to having been at school all day, parents must make their children understand that both types of education (Secular and Islamic) are important, and that if they find going to madrassah hard they will be rewarded for it more. Parents should spend sufficient time with their children going through what they are learning in both madrassah and school and respectively paying extra attention to the parts children are finding more difficult.
As can be seen by the few simple points mentioned, it is crucial for parents to take an active interest in the education of their children. This not only affects the personal relationship between parents and children but also the entire society, whereby children who have trusting relationships with parents at home are better behaved and more understanding when in the society as a whole. It is when children lose respect for parents and feel they cannot trust parents that the downfall of society occurs, as children then go looking for others to trust and respect. A few extra hours spent early on for good tarbiyah will save many hours of distress over children later. Parents are the first educators of children, and they are concerned about their children’s well-being like no other teacher.
Finally, we must remember that we do not take interest in our children’s education and tarbiyah because we want perfect children, but because our children are our responsibility from Allah (swt). He will ask us how we bought them up. We raise our children first and foremost only for Him.
May Allah (swt) enable us to keep the trust and respect of our children, and enable us to do their tarbiyah in the light of the Quran and Sunnah so that they will be a source of peace for us in this world and the hereafter. Ameen
Assalamualaikum
So after months, a well needed update and inshaAllah a sincere intention to start posting useful items (and random thoughts!) again.
What has kept me so long? A long year that in hindsight seems extremely short!
Firstly in November last year there was a marriage, something that had been cooking up for a year or so prior to that, but getting a lovingly, protective fathers blessing and permission was a long wait, how does a parent decided if any man is good enough? Least of all a complete stranger, crazy enough to ask for a hand in marriage from afar as Jordan having never met the addressee. SubhanAllah as is the might of Allah, and whatever He wills comes to pass always, no matter how far conceived the thought may be from our minds, this was my fate, a newly enlightened (well relatively new – 5 years) Irish meanderer , studying in Jordan – whom you may find at the following spot : meanderised.blogspot.com/ . My father after a years deliberation then having finally met with the meanderer, agreed to a marriage (yay!) in 2 weeks! Now being a woman, 2 weeks to prepare for a wedding?! Alhumdulillah it went well a simple affair, a nikah on one day and a walimah the next. Though thinking back now it was utter chaos!
One of the most nerve wracking parts for myself was meeting the in laws, I must say they handled being thrown into the chaos of an Indian household, with tens of extended cousins introducing themselves, very well (though revenge was exacted upon my visit to Ireland a month later!). It was the first time I had met them, I had only met my husband for the first time 2 weeks prior to that. I can’t imagine what my mother in law must have thought when her son phoned and said he was getting married in two weeks, any indian mother would have almost had a heart attack! Funnily enough its something I keep forgetting to ask her. With the infinite blessings of Allah, I have been blessed with amazing in laws, many a woman can sit and complain, and many reverts to Islam lose their connection with family but Alhumdulillah we have been blessed, that though they are not muslim, they hold no enmity but live with me and treat me with the love and respect which is unfortunately missing in many muslim in laws.
SubhanAllah after the marriage Allah had even bigger and better plans for us, Yunus was chosen to go Hajj, as part of a Hajj for New-Muslims Group organsied by The Islamic Foundation, and I was able to also go along. So after a week of marriage, we prepared to go to hajj in a week. I really wish I had, had more time to prepare for going hajj, spiritually and knowledge wise. Alhumdulillah having studied the fiqh and theory of it whilst in madrasah helped immensely. Hajj was the most amazing experience! SubhanAllah , I had been thrown in the pretty deep end, going to hajj with my husband whom I had to that time ,had 2 weeks to get to know, then upon arriving in Makkah to realise that we would not be sharing a room but be sharing with 3 other sisters whom I didn’t know at all (I knew no one in the entire hajj group and through most of the journey besides my husband!). But Alhumdulillah times a million for this as I got to know some amazing sisters, how my heart is filled with joy and love by simply thinking about them. I had kept a short diary of my time at hajj, but unfortunately at the present moment the said diary is resting in Jordan, inshaAllah when I get it back I will write in more detail about this amazing trip.
After hajj, I went over to Ireland for the first time, my first impression? FREEZING COLD! Yes, I live in England, its cold 90% of the time, but this was something else cold, especially after coming back from hot Saudi Arabia! Second impression it’s beautiful, looking out of a window and seeing only fields and greenery, reminiscent of a holiday brochure cottage get away. SubhanAllah , when having lived 21 years looking out at concrete and bricks this is the most amazing feeling! It was an amazing time, my first time ever, away from an all Indian, all muslim environment, amazingly though it wasn’t as awkward or weird as I thought it might be. I had to take my fair share of questions, on hijab and Niqab, then there was the matter of the halal turkey, which probably had my MIL wishing we had never come home over the christmas period, then there were a few chaotic road trips (this is where you really get to know a family!), but all in all alhumdulillah!
Will continue soon inshaAllah…
Ma’assalam
Assalamualaikum
These are the first two issues of An Nisaa Bi-monthly magazine/newsletter produced by our madrassah.
Alhumdulillah we’ve come a long way since these issues and are currently working on our second volume.
I will add the PDF’s as they are converted inshaAllah.
Feel free to circulate.
Any questions email me: seedsofrealisation@googlemail.com
or the madrassah : aljameatq@hotmail.com
Ma’assalam
Ibn ‘Umar reported the saying of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace);
“All of you are shepherds and each of you is responsible for his flock. A man is the shepherd of the people of his house and he is responsible. A woman is the shepherd of the house of her husband and she is responsible. Each of you is a shepherd and each is responsible for his flock.” (narrated by Imam Bukhari)
Our children are thus our responsibility, and we will be questioned about the means by which we raised them when we come before our Lord (Exalted is He).
Imam Ghazali says,
‘A child is a trust in the care of his parents, for his pure heart is a precious uncut jewel devoid of any form or carving, which will accept being cut into any shape, and will be disposed according to the guidance it receives from others. If it is habituated to and instructed in goodness then this will be its practice when it grows up, and it will attain to felicity in this world and the next; its parents too, and all its teachers and preceptors, will share in its reward. Similarly, should it be habituated to evil and neglected as though it were an animal, then misery and perdition will be its lot, and the responsibility for this will be borne by its guardian and supervisor. For God (Exalted is He!) has said, “Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire.” [Quran, 66:6]
(From Book XXI of Ihya’ `Ulum al-Din, translated by Abdul Hakim Murad)
We can see how precious our children are, and that it is wajib (obligatory) upon us to take responsibility for their tarbiyah (upbringing). In this day and age, many parents need to work in order to pay the bills, and unfortunately presume that their children will be adequately raised by their teachers, both in secular schools and in madrassa also. There is no problem in providing for your family, as it is a part of taking responsibility – but that is only the economic side. What about your child’s spiritual upbringing?
Since we live in the UK, often our children are exposed to non-Islamic teachings, to children of other faiths and to so many outside influences that it is easy for a child to be affected by these things. If their parents haven’t taken care to teach them about their faith, and given them a good example of what it is to be a Muslim, they can easily be led astray, and perhaps even leave Islam (May Allah protect us!).
We cannot blame the teachers, the schools, or even the religious scholars in the madrassas if our children are moving away from deen – rather it is our responsibility and Allah (Exalted is He) will ask us about it…
So what can we do? The first thing is to take an active interest in what our child is learning in school. We need to divide our time between our work and our chores for what should be our most important concern, which is the development of our children. It would not be difficult to spend forty minutes every day going over what our children have learnt in school and to advise if there is anything contrary to Islamic teachings.
Secondly, parents can become acquainted with the school’s Board of Governors, in order to make changes to the school’s curriculum if needed – because if Muslims do not make it known that they are opposed to certain elements in the curriculum they will stay there and countless Muslim children will be exposed to them.
Also, if we send our children to madrassa, we should sit with them and help them learn how to read Qur’an and the important daily du’as which they learn there. We can thereby create an Islamic environment at home. Our children will be able to face any outside problems with ease, because they have been nurtured Islamically.
Remember, ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan narrated that our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:
“The best of you is whoever learns Qur’an and then teaches it.” (narrated by Bukhari)
So what better thing can we do than to make sure our children gain a true respect and understanding of Islam? This will not only benefit them in this life when they face opposition to their faith, but will also benefit them and us in the Akhira insha Allah.
May Allah grant us the ability to raise our children upon the truth.
Rabbana hab lana min azwajina wa dhurriyatina qurrata a’yun, wa j’alna lil muttaqina imama
O Allah grant us from our spouses and children such who are a source of the coolness of our eyes, and make us Imams for the righteous. Ameen.
Written For An Nisaa Volume 2 Issue 1.
Assalamualaykum
Having made many an intention to get back to blogging, things just coming up in the way. Alhumdulillah getting used to life back in the UK and getting into the flow of things has taken up much time, as has finally settling down into a home and married life.
Something which I forgot to mention before was a magazine which we had started up at Jamia Tahfeezul Quran, named An Nisaa – The Women. It is a small newsletter/magazine aimed at women for women, addressing currant issues and answering questions they may have.
I have attached images of the latest issue, feel free to download. InshaAllah I am going to try hosting the PDF versions online also so that people may benefit.
If you can think of any relvant issues you would like us to write about please feel free to comment here or email, aljameatq@hotmail.com.
Ma’assalam
Alhumdulillah I now have a chance to get back to blogging, I’m back in the UK, InshaAllah for a good length of time!
Keep us in your dua.
Ma’assalam
Its amazing subhanAllah, how fast life moves, some would say “duh! thats a given”, but I don’t think one realises how fast it does move and how quickly things change until you’re in the midst of it all.
The past few months especially the past 3, have taught that when things don’t move they just don’t and when Allah decides the time is right for you to get it moving, boy do you get movin’ !
Alhumdulillah getting married was maybe the catapult for it all, in three months so much has happened. Marriage, Hajj, Travelling and Moving to the middle east! Looking back at the months prior to that, and at the comfort of what life was, the everyday routine rota of things, it brings one to realise the true essence of this life, any moment any one of us could have the dust of the earth kicked in our faces (death), then what utter chaos and turmoil will we be thrown in if we haven’t prepared?
The true reality of emaan, and the value of it is only shown to those of us sat in our comfortable lives, when shown what life is like out of this comfort, how used to we are to the people around us, to the area, to the stores, to the masjids to the ready available knowledge. How we take for granted all that our forefathers have set up for us, the quaint little muslim community hubs where all is readily available, yet forgetting how they set these hubs up. They weren’t set up seeking comfort or an easy life (though an easier life for their progeny would be a by product not the aim), they set these hubs up with eman, for Allah, to protect the deen of their beloved children and children to come, yet it seems now that it is the by product (that of comfort) which is the aim and no longer the true goal of preserving emaan, and excelling in the eyes of Allah.
How attached we have become to the comfort to the dunya (world) and all that is in it, ask me, there is nothing more of a reality shock at how we collate things in this world than trying to emigrate with only bare essentials, how suddenly everything becomes an essential, how we attach our hearts to the items of this world when we all know most definitely we will soon enough be leaving it all behind on a permanent basis.
Though a lesson to be learnt which indeed I have many a time over the past learnt, and a lesson the many founders of our muslim communities here in England have tried to pass on to us, is have tawakkul (trust) in Allah, He is the provider, He will give, all we need in the end is our eman, and all else will come to be as destined until the one day when we all stand in front of him with nothing but our book of deeds.
May Allah enable us to leave the love for the dunya from our hearts, may He fill it with love of Him and His Rasool.
May He increase us in emaan and the knowledge of how we may please Him, and enable us to act upon it.
Ma’assalam
Backbiting
from “Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Qasideen” (being Ibn Qudamah’s abridgement of Ibn al-Jawzi’s summary of al-Ghazzali’s “Ihya’ `Ulum al-Deen“)
NOTE: This text is copyrighted.
Permission is granted to include it on web sites, and to make hard copies for the SOLE PURPOSE of da`wah (propagation) or educational efforts. Due acknowledgement should be given. (c) Suheil Laher
“O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion, for some suspicions are a sin. Do not spy on one another, nor backbite one another. Would one of you love to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, you would abhor it, [so similarly, avoid backbiting]. And fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.” Qur’an, [49:12]
“And do not follow that of which you do not have knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart – [you] will be asked about all of those.” Qur’an, [17:36]
“He does not utter a [single] word, except that there is, with him, [an angel] ready and waiting [to record it].” Qur’an, [50:18]
Imam Nawawi says “It is obligatory for every sane adult to guard his tongue against talking, except when it contains a clear benefit. If talking and remaining silent are of equal benefit, it is sunnah to abstain, for permissible talking might lead to something undesirable or forbidden, as in fact is very often the case, and nothing matches safety.”
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah :
“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should say [something] good, or he should keep silent.” [Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah]
Nawawi says, “This hadith is quite explicit that it is imperative to not talk unless the speech is good, which is that wherein there is some benefit. If a person is in doubt as to whether there will be any benefit, then he should remain silent.”
On the authority of Sahl ibn Sa`d :
“Whoever guarantees for me what is between his two jaws and what is between his two legs, I guarantee Heaven for him.” [Bukhari, Muslim]
On the authority of `Uqbah ibn `Amir : I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! What is salvation?”
He said, “Hold your tongue, let your house contain you, and weep over your sins.” [Bukhari, Muslim]
Mu`adh ibn Jabal said, “Are we even going to be held accountable for what we say?!”
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “May your mother be bereaved of you! Is there anything which drags people into the Fire on their faces other than the harvest of their tongues?!” [Tirmidhi (hasan sahih)]
On the authority of Abu Bakrah, from the Farewell Pilgrimage:
“Indeed, your blood, property and honor are sacred to [one another], like the sanctity of this day of yours in this city of yours.” [Bukhari, Muslim]
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah :
“All of a Muslim is prohibited to another Muslim : his blood, his honor and his property.” [Muslim]
“O assembly of those who have believed with their tongues, but into whose hearts faith has not yet reached! Do not backbite the Muslims, nor seek out their secrets! For, whoever seeks out the faults of his brother, Allah will seek out his secrets. And, whoever has his secrets sought out by Allah, Allah will disgrace him, even [if he hides] in the depths of his house. [Abu Dawud in al-Adab, 4/271, #4880]
“Beware of backbiting, for backbiting is more serious than adultery. A man may commit adultery, and drink [wine], and then repent, and Allah will forgive him. But, the backbiter will not be forgiven by Allah until his [backbited] companion forgives him.” [Suyuti, Al-Jami` as-Saghir, 1/174, #2919, from Ibn Abid-Dunya, and Abush-Shaykh, Al-Tawbikh.]
Meaning of ghibah
It has been defined precisely by the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) as, “Your mentioning your brother with something about him that he dislikes [being spoken about].”
Someone asked, “How about if my brother contains that [characteristic which I am mentioning]?”
He replied, “If he possesses that which you mention, then you have [indeed] backbited him. And, if he does not contain that which you say, then you have slandered him.” [Muslim in al-Birr, 4/2001, #70; Ahmad in Al-Musnad, 2/230,384]
Body.
Lineage.
Character.
Clothing.
Ghibah in the guise of religiousity
“Praise be to Allah who has saved us from such evil.”
“We ask Allah for protection.”
“That poor fellow! Allah has afflicted him with a great calamity. May Allah forgive him and us.”
Listening to Ghibah
Someone who listens to backbiting is a partner to it. He is not absolved of the sin of listening unless he remonstrates verbally, or in his heart if he is afraid. If he is able to start talking about something else, or to change the subject of the conversation, then it is imperative for him to do so.
“And, when they hear vain talk, they turn away from it.” [Qur'an, 28:55]
“[Successful are] those who shun vain talk.” [Qur'an, al-Mu'minun: 3]
“Whoever is present while a Muslim is humiliated before him, and is able to assist him [and yet does not], Allah will humiliate him before [all of] creation.” [Ahmad in al-Musnad, 3/487; Suyuti in Al-Jami` As-Saghir, 2/510, #8375]
“Whoever protects a believer from a hypocrite, Allah will send to him an angel to protect him from the Fire of Hell on the Day of Arising. [Abu Dawud in al-Adab, 4/272, #4883]
“Whoever averts [an attack] from the honor of his brother, Allah will avert the fire from his face on the Day of Arising.” [Tirmidhi (hasan)]
Causes of ghibah
Cure for ghibah
Realize that it exposes you to the displeasure of Allah, the Exalted. Remind yourself that your good deeds will go to the person whom you are backbiting, and his sins will be borne by you. Ponder over your own faults, and occupy yourself with correcting them. Feel ashamed to discuss the faults of others when you yourself have so many faults. If you are rally free from fault, then occupy yourself with thanking Allah for His favor. Just as you would dislike someone else backbiting you, out yourself in the place of the one whom you are inclined to backbite.
“Indeed, truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Heaven. And, a man [continues to] tell the truth, until he is recorded before Allah as a truthful one. And, indeed, lying leads to evil, and evil leads to Hell. And, a man [continues to] lie until he is recorded before Allah as a liar. [Bukhari, Muslim]
“Insulting a Muslim is impiety, and killing him is [a form of] unbelief.” [Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad, Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, Tirmidhi, Tabarani, Daraqutni.]
Ghibah of the heart
To think the worst of Muslims. You may not think badly of a Muslim unless you have definite knowledge of his having done something evil, and there is no possible excuse or justification for him. You should try to make 70 excuses for your brother, and if you cannot find an excuse for him, look for some flaw in your perception. If someone informs you of something bad about someone else, it is obligatory upon you to investigate the matter. Is there some enmity between the informer and the one he is telling you about? You are obliged to think the best of your Muslim brother/sister. Thwart Satan by making du`a for the person. Do not spy on your brother, under the pretext of trying to find out the truth. If it does turn out that he has done something wrong, then advise him in secret.
Cases in which ghibah is permissible
However, it is more precautionary to avoid mention of names, for example by asking instead, “What is the verdict regarding a person who has done such-and-such?”
Expiation for ghibah
The backbiter has committed two infringements; one upon the limits of Allah, and this must be expiated by repentance and regret. The second is on the rights of his brothers/sisters. If news of the backbiting has reached the person, the backbiter must apologize to him/her, and express regret at having said it.
“Whoever has wronged his brother, in the way of property or honor, let him go to him and repair it, before it is taken [from him on a day] when he has no dirhams or dinars, such thatif he has any good deeds, some of the good deeds will be taken and given to [the wronged one], otherwise [if he has no good deeds], some of the other’s evil deeds will be taken and cast upon him.” [Bukhari, Al-Mazalim, 5/121, #2449. Ahmad, Al-Musnad, 2/435]
If the person has not learned that he has been backbited, then the backbiter
need not tell him, but he should ask Allah to forgive him.
“The expiation with regard to one who has been backbited is that forgiveness be asked for him.” [Suyuti, Al-Jami` As-Saghir, 2/390, #6259]
Mujahid said : the expiation for eating the flesh of your brother is that you praise him and pray for good for him, and similar is the case if he has died.
On Backbiting non-Muslims
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, Who sent His messenger with the Guidance and the religion of truth, in order that He might make it prevail over all religions, though the pagans may be averse. Blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, who was sent to perfect the noble traits of character.
To proceed : May Allah guide you to felicity! You have asked about the permissibility of a Muslim’s backbiting a non-Muslim. A possible source of confusion here is that the Qur’anic verse prohibiting backbiting is addressed to the believers, and says, in translation,
‘O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion; indeed, some suspicions are a sin. And do not spy, nor backbite one another.’ [Qur’an, 49:12]
Hence, one may mistakenly conclude that backbiting non-Muslims is permissible. However, one should beware of relying on first impressions, and especially in matters related to the Sacred Law, one should refrain from pronouncing one’s own, unlearned opinion on a matter based on one’s own impressions. The Qur’anic and hadith texts prohibiting speaking without knowledge, and censuring those who pronounce verdicts (fatwa) rashly, are numerous, and we will not mention them here. The verdict here requires consideration of the evidence and texts in their totality, for only such can yield a full picture of the situation.
Firstly, the fact that the address is made to the Muslims, rather than to mankind in general, is understandable when one takes into consideration that the unbelievers, although also subject to all of Allah’s commands, and technically obligated to follow them, (as evidenced by the clear texts of the Qur’an, and backed by the consensus of Muslim scholars) are first and foremost called upon to believe. This is because rectitude of doctrine is a prerequisite for the acceptability of a good deed, and without belief in Allah and all His Messengers, deeds are rendered worthless, like floating dust or scattered ashes, not earning their doer any reward in the Hereafter. It is only by accepting the message of Allah, and all his Prophets, that one can ‘validate’ one’s good deeds so as to earn reward for them in the Hereafter. This includes those who followed the message of a previous Prophet, and they shall receive a double reward upon embracing the Final Message.
`Those to whom We gave the book before it, they believe in it. And, when it is recited to them, they say, ‘We believe in it. Indeed, it is the truth from our Lord. Indeed, we were, [even] before it, Muslims’. They will be given their reward twofold, because they persevered.’ [Qur’an, 28:52-54]
Furthermore, there are some orders and prohibitions (or all, according to the epistemology of the Ash`aris) whose goodness or baseness can be known only through scriptural communication, such that an unbeliever would not be likely to obey them without first embracing faith.
That the address is made to the believers does not rule out its applicability to unbelievers; i.e. the command, `Do not backbite one another,’ does not, logically, imply a permission to backbite others. For example, Allah says, (translated),
‘O you who believe! Devour not your wealth amongst yourselves by falsehood, except if it be by trade, by mutual consent amongst yourselves.’ [Qur’an, 4:29]
This verse does not give permission to consume the wealth of the Dhimmis (non-Muslim subjects of the Islamic state). It is reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said,
‘Does any of you, while reclining on his couch, imagine that Allah has prohibited only that which is to be found in this Qur’an? By Allah, I have preached, commanded and prohibited various matters as numerous as that which is found in the Qur’an, or more numerous. Allah has not permitted you to enter the houses of the people of the Book without permission, nor to beat their women, nor to eat their fruits when they give you that [tax] which is imposed on them.’ [Narrated by Abu Dawud]
And it is reported in another narration that he (peace and blessings be upon him and his Household) said: ‘Indeed, whoever wrongs a person of the contract (i.e. a Jew or a Christian), or deprecates him, or imposes upon him [something] beyond his capability, or takes anything from him without his consent, I shall be his adversary on the Day of Arising.’ [Narrated by Abu Dawud; al-Mundhiri said : it contains unknown narrators.]
This latter hadith is explicit regarding the prohibition of deprecating a Dhimmi, but its isnad contains weakness, and so it cannot be used as a proof. However, the evidences to follow establish the prohibition of backbiting, and in their light, the above hadith can serve as supporting evidence.
The human being should realize that all his/her words are witnessed by Allah, and recorded by the angelic scribes.
‘He does not utter a [single] word, except that there is, with him, [an angel] watching and waiting [to record it].’ [Qur’an, 50:18]
Imam al-Nawawi says, ‘It is obligatory for every sane adult to guard his tongue against talking, except when it contains a clear benefit. If talking and remaining silent are of equal benefit, it is sunnah to abstain, for permissible talking might lead to something undesirable or forbidden, as in fact is very often the case, and nothing matches safety.’
Allah does not love the loud utterance of harsh/hurtful words, except by one who has been wronged. And Allah is Seeing, Hearing.’ [Qur’an, 4:148]
The Prophet (may Allah bless him and his Household and grant them peace), has said,
‘Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should say something good, or should remain silent.’ [Narrated by Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah]
Al-Nawawi says, ‘This hadith is quite explicit that it is imperative to not talk unless the speech is good, which is that wherein there is some benefit. If a person is in doubt as to whether there will be any benefit, then he should remain silent.’
And, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and his Household and grant them peace) said,
‘Treat people with good character.’ [Narrated by Tirmidhi, who said it is a good hadith; Nawawi quoted it in his ‘Forty Hadith.’]
The Muslim is not insulting, nor cursing, nor obscene, nor shameless. [Riyad al-Salihin]
From the above Qur’anic and hadith texts, it becomes clear that a Muslim should only speak if there is some benefit in his words, and in particular, it does not become him to engage in harsh or hurtful speech. This forms a basis for not engaging in backbiting, even if it be against a non-Muslim. If we consider the underlying reasons and implications of this, our idea is reinforced. The motive for backbiting is often anger and a thirst for revenge, whereas the believer is supposed to control his anger. Or, it may be intended to degrade the one being backbited and to thereby exalt oneself, which tends to indicate a feeling of arrogance, and arrogance is prohibited by clear scriptural texts. Furthermore, the enmity and other such bad consequences of backbiting are detrimental to society and its smooth functioning. In general, a Muslim is supposed to deal well with people, except if there is some justifying misconduct from the opposite party.
‘Allah does not prohibit you from being kind and equitable to those who have not fought you on account of your religion, nor driven you from your homes. And Allah loves those who are equitable.’ [Qur’an, 60:8]
Al-Haskafi, the Hanafi jurist, says in “al-Durr al-Mukhtar,” about the dhimmi, “Backbiting him is prohibited, just like [backbiting a Muslim].” Ibn `Abidin remarks in his marginal annotations “Hashiyat Radd al-Muhtar,” And, it has been said : Backbiting a dhimmi is more severe [than backbiting a Muslim].”
All this having been said, it should be pointed out that although backbiting in general is prohibited, there are certain circumstances which make it permissible. At this point, it is useful to distinguish between two types of misdemeanors and sins of unbelievers :
Backbiting a non-Muslim is also permissible in the other cases where backbiting a Muslim is justified, viz. To redress an injustice, to seek help to change an evil, asking for a fatwa, accepted nicknames, and warning people against evil.
We conclude with the following hadith, which mentions the punishment for backbiting people (without distinguishing between believers and unbelievers; it therefore serves as support for the verdict we have mentioned).
Abu Dawud has reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘When I was taken up to heaven (i.e. during the Mi`raj) I passed by people who had nails of copper with which they were scratching their faces and their breasts. I said, ‘Who are these [people], O Gabriel?’ He replied: ‘They are those who consumed the flesh of people [i.e. backbite them] and aspersed their honor.’
And Allah, the Exalted knows best.
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