Allah the Exalted forbids His faithful servants from being suspicious, which
includes having doubts and suspicions about the conduct of one's family,
relatives and other people in general. Therefore, Muslims are to avoid suspicion
without foundation. The Leader of the faithful `Umar bin Al-Khattab said, "Never
think ill of the word that comes out of your believing brother's mouth, as long
as you can find a good excuse for it.'' Malik recorded that Abu Hurayrah, may
Allah be pleased with him, said that Allah's Messenger said,
«إِيَّاكُمْ
وَالظَّنَّ فَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ أَكْذَبُ الْحَدِيثِ، وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا وَلَا
تَحَسَّسُوا، وَلَا تَنَافَسُوا وَلَا تَحَاسَدُوا، وَلَا تَبَاغَضُوا وَلَا
تَدَابَرُوا، وَكُونُوا عِبَادَ اللهِ إِخْوَانًا»
(Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the worst of false tales; do not spy
on one another; do not look for other's faults; do not be jealous of one
another; do not envy one another; do not hate one another; and do not desert
(shun) one another. And O Allah's servants! Be brothers!) The Two Sahihs and Abu
Dawud recorded this Hadith. Anas said that the Messenger of Allah said,
«لَا تَقَاطَعُوا
وَلَا تَدَابَرُوا وَلَا تَبَاغَضُوا وَلَا تَحَاسَدُوا، وَكُونُوا عِبَادَ اللهِ
إِخْوَانًا، وَلَا يَحِلُّ لِمُسْلِمٍ أَنْ يَهْجُرَ أَخَاهُ فَوْقَ ثَلَاثَةِ
أَيَّام»
(Do not shun each other; do not ignore one another; do not hate one another,
and do not envy one another, and be brothers, O servants of Allah. No Muslim is
allowed to shun his brother for more than three days.) Muslim and At-Tirmidhi
collected this Hadith, who considered it Sahih. Allah said,
[وَلاَ
تَجَسَّسُواْ]
(And spy not), on each other. Tajassus, usually harbors ill intentions, and
the spy is called a Jasus. As for Tahassus (inquiring) it is usually done for a
good reason. Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said that Prophet Ya`qub said,
[يبَنِىَّ اذْهَبُواْ
فَتَحَسَّسُواْ مِن يُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ وَلاَ تَايْـَسُواْ مِن رَّوْحِ
اللَّهِ]
("O my sons! Go you and inquire (Tahassasu) about Yusuf and his brother, and
never give up hope of Allah's mercy.'') (12:87) Both of these terms, `Tajassus'
and `Tahassus' could have evil connotations. In the Sahih it is recorded that
the Messenger of Allah said,
«لَا تَجَسَّسُوا
وَلَا تَحَسَّسُوا، وَلَا تَبَاغَضُوا وَلَا تَدَابَرُوا، وَكُونُوا عِبَادَ اللهِ
إِخْوَانًا»
(Neither commit Tajassus nor Tahassus nor hate each other nor commit Tadabur.
And be brothers, O servants of Allah.) Al-Awza`i said, "Tajassus means, to
search for something, while Tahassus means, listening to people when they are
talking without their permission, or eavesdropping at their doors. Tadabur
refers to shunning each other. '' Ibn Abi Hatim recorded this statement. Allah
the Exalted said about backbiting;
[وَلاَ يَغْتَب
بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضاً]
(neither backbite one another), thus prohibiting it, which was explained in a
Hadith collected by Abu Dawud that Abu Hurayrah said, "It was asked, `O Allah's
Messenger! What is backbiting' He said,
«ذِكْرُكَ أَخَاكَ
بِمَا يَكْرَه»
(Mentioning about your brother in a manner that he dislikes.) He was asked,
`What if my brother was as I mentioned' He said,
«إِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ
مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدِ اغْتَبْتَهُ، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدْ
بَهَتَّه»
(If he was as you mentioned, you will have committed backbiting. But if he
was not as you say about him, you will have falsely accused him.)'' At-Tirmidhi
collected this Hadith and said "Hasan Sahih.'' Backbiting was sternly warned
against, and this is why Allah the Exalted and Most Blessed compared it to
eating the flesh of a dead human being,
[أَيُحِبُّ
أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتاً فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ]
(Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother You would hate
it.) Just as you hate eating the flesh of a dead person, on account of your
nature; so hate backbiting, on account of your religion. The latter carries a
punishment that is worse than the former. This Ayah seeks to discourage people
from backbiting and warns against it. The Prophet used these words to discourage
taking back a gift that one gives to someone,
«كَالْكَلْبِ يَقِيءُ
ثُمَّ يَرْجِعُ فِي قَيْئِه»
(He is just like the dog that eats its vomit.) after saying,
«لَيْسَ لَنَا مَثَلُ
السَّوْء»
(Ours is not an evil parable.) Using various chains of narration, the Sahihs
and Musnads record that the Prophet said during the Farewell Hajj:
«إِنَّ دِمَاءَكُمْ
وَأَمْوَالَكُمْ وَأَعْرَاضَكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ حَرَامٌ كَحُرْمَةِ يَوْمِكُمْ هذَا،
فِي شَهْرِكُمْ هذَا، فِي بَلَدِكُمْ هذَا»
(Verily, your blood, wealth and honor are as sacred among you as the sanctity
of this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this town of yours.) Abu Dawud
recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said,
«كُلُّ الْمُسْلِمِ
عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِ حَرَامٌ مَالُهُ وَعِرْضُهُ وَدَمُهُ، حَسْبُ امْرِىءٍ مِنَ
الشَّرِّ أَنْ يَحْقِرَ أَخَاهُ الْمُسْلِم»
(All of the Muslim is sacred to the Muslim, his wealth, honor and his blood.
It is evil enough for someone to belittle his Muslim brother.) At-Tirmidhi
collected this Hadith and said "Hasan Gharib.'' Al-Hafiz Abu Ya`la recorded that
a cousin of Abu Hurayrah said, "Ma`iz came to the Messenger of Allah and said,
`O Allah's Messenger! I have committed adultery,' and the Messenger turned away
from him until Ma`iz repeated his statement four times. The fifth time, the
Prophet asked him,
«زَنَيْتَ؟»
(Have you committed adultery؟) Ma0 iz said, Yes. The Prophet asked,
«وَتَدْرِي مَا
الزِّنَا؟»
(Do you know what adultery means) Ma`iz said, `Yes. I have illegally done
with her what a husband legally does with his wife.' The Prophet said,
«مَا تُرِيدُ إِلَى
هذَا الْقَوْلِ؟»
(What do you seek to accomplish by this statement) Ma`iz said, `I intend that
you purify me.' The Prophet asked,
«أَدْخَلْتَ ذلِكَ
مِنْكَ فِي ذلِكَ مِنْهَا كَمَا يَغِيبُ الْمِيلُ فِي الْمُكْحُلَةِ وَالرِّشَا فِي
الْبِئْرِ؟»
(Have you gone into her just as the stick goes into the kohl container and
the rope goes into the well) Ma`iz said, `Yes, O Allah's Messenger!' The Prophet
commanded that Ma`iz be stoned to death and his order was carried out. The
Prophet heard two men saying to one another, `Have you not seen the man who had
Allah cover his secret, but his heart could not let him rest until he was stoned
to death, just as the dog is stoned' The Prophet continued on and when he passed
by the corpse of a donkey, he asked,
«أَيْنَ فُلَانٌ
وَفُلَانٌ؟ انْزِلَا فَكُلَا مِنْ جِيفَةِ هذَا الْحِمَار»
(Where are so-and-so Dismount and eat from this donkey.) They said, `May
Allah forgive you, O Allah's Messenger! Would anyone eat this meat' The Prophet
said;
«فَمَا نِلْتُمَا
مِنْ أَخِيكُمَا آنِفًا أَشَدُّ أَكْلًا مِنْهُ، وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ
إِنَّهُ الْانَ لَفِي أَنْهَارِ الْجَنَّةِ يَنْغَمِسُ فِيهَا»
(The backbiting you committed against your brother is worse as a meal than
this meal. By He in Whose Hand is my soul! He is now swimming in the rivers of
Paradise.)'' This Hadith has an authentic chain of narration. Imam Ahmad
recorded that Jabir bin `Abdullah said, "We were with the Messenger of Allah
when a rotten odor was carried by the wind. The Messenger of Allah said,
«أَتَدْرُونَ مَا
هذِهِ الرِّيحُ؟ هَذِهِ رِيحُ الَّذِينَ يَغْتَابُونَ النَّاس»
(Do you know what this odor is It is the odor of those who backbite
people.)''
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