| 25 Duas From The Holy Quran | for everyone |
1. Our Lord! Grant us good in this world and good in the life to come and keep us safe from the torment of the Fire (2:201)
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2. Our Lord! Bestow on us endurance and make our foothold sure and give us help against those who reject faith. (2:250)
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3. Our Lord! Take us not to task if we forget or fall into error. (2:286)
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4. Our Lord! Lay not upon us such a burden as You did lay upon those before us. (2:286)
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5. Our Lord! Impose not on us that which we have not the strength to bear, grant us forgiveness and have mercy on us. You are our Protector.
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6. Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate from the truth after You have guided us, and bestow upon us mercy from Your grace. Verily You are the Giver of bounties without measure. (3:8)
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7. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and the lack of moderation in our doings, and make firm our steps and succour us against those who deny the truth. (3:147)
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8. Our Lord! Whomsoever You shall commit to the Fire, truly You have brought [him] to disgrace, and never will wrongdoers find any helpers (3:192)
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9. Our Lord! Behold we have heard a voice calling us unto faith: "Believe in your Lord" and we have believed. (3:193)
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10. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and efface our bad deeds and take our souls in the company of the righteous. (3:193)
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11. Our Lord! And grant us that which you have promised to us by Your messengers and save us from shame on the Day of Judgement. Verily
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12. Our Lord! We have sinned against ourselves, and unless You grant us forgiveness and bestow Your mercy upon us, we shall most certainly
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13. Our Lord! Place us not among the people who have been guilty of evildoing. (7:47)
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14. Our Lord! Lay open the truth between us and our people, for You are the best of all to lay open the truth. (7:89)
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15. Our Lord! Pour out on us patience and constancy, and make us die as those who have surrendered themselves unto You. (7:126)
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16. Our Lord! Make us not a trial for the evildoing folk, and save as by Your mercy from people who deny the truth (10:85-86)
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17. Our Lord! You truly know all that we may hide [in our hearts] as well as all that we bring into the open, for nothing whatever, be it on earth
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18. Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Your presence and dispose of our affairs for us in the right way. (18:10)
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19. Our Lord! Grant that our spouses and our offspring be a comfort to our eyes, and give us the grace to lead those who are conscious of You
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20. Our Lord! You embrace all things within Your Grace and Knowledge, forgive those who repent and follow Your path, and ward off from them the punishment of Hell. (40:7)
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21. Our Lord! Make them enter the Garden of Eden which You have promised to them, and to the righteous from among their fathers, their wives and their offspring, for verily You are alone the Almighty and the truly Wise. (40:8)
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22. Our Lord! Relieve us of the torment, for we do really believe. (44:12)
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23. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins as well as those of our brethren who proceeded us in faith and let not our hearts entertain any unworthy thoughts or feelings against [any of] those who have believed. Our Lord! You are indeed full of kindness and Most Merciful (59:10)
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24. Our Lord! In You we have placed our trust, and to You do we turn in repentance, for unto You is the end of all journeys. (60:4)
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25. Our Lord! Perfect our light for us and forgive us our sins, for verily You have power over all things. (66:8)
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| HERBAL TIPS | for everyone |
1) Drink at least 8 glasses of water every day.
2) Cut some beet root into small pieces and grind them. Squeeze juice from beet
root and massage to your face for 5 minutes. Shower after 10 minutes with
mild soap or gram flour.
3) Mix sandalwood powder with rose water and add 4 to 5 drops of milk in it
and apply on to your face and body. Shower after 15 minutes with warm
water.
4) Mix honey in water and drink daily in the morning to keep your skin shiny
and smooth.
5) Warm honey and mix with lemon juice and apply on to face. Wash after it
dry.
6) Mix Turmeric, sandal powder and olive oil and apply to body. Shower after
10 minutes.
7) Massage your skin with milk. Milk has moisturizer, it will keep your skin
smooth.
8) Use humidifiers and keep room temperature moderate to keep your skin away
from dryness.
9) Hot water blushes your skin and you don't feel fresh unless you have bath
with little cold water. If you have shower for a longtime, dead skin will
be automatically be removed. Do not rub with towel, be gentle on your skin.
10) Take food which contains more A and C vitamin.
11) Grate carrot and boil. Massage that mixture to body to get fair and smooth
skin.
12) For natural bleaching: - mix milk and lemon juice. The milk will break as
soon as you mix the lemon juice in it. Use that mixture to massage on your
body. It works as natural bleaching.
13) Mix turmeric and cream on the top of milk, massage that mixture to body.
14) If you go into sun your skin will lost the fair ness. To get your skin
color to normal take equal quantities of cucumber juice and tomato juice
and apply on to skin. Shower after 10 minutes.
15) Massage mustard oil to your skin for 5 minutes and have shower with gram
flour or mild soap.
16) Mix cream on the top of milk and all-purpose flour and apply that paste on
to your skin avoid eyes, eyebrows and lips. Shower after 5 minutes. This
will make skin smooth.
17) Mix curds (yogurt) with wheat flour and apply to your skin and take shower
after 5 minutes.
18) Grind rose petals and mix with cream on the top of milk and apply to your
body. Shower after 10 minutes.
19) Scaly skin is a result of fluorine deficiency. Fluorine is the anti-
resistant element of the human body, the absence of which creates problems
in the blood and spleen. Since cooking and heating foods destroys
fluorine, it is better to eat uncooked raw fruits and vegetables. Other
foods rich in fluorine are goat milk and cheese, rye flour, avocados, sea
plants and cabbage, cream whey and cottage cheese.
20) Wrinkle skin is a result of Sodium deficiency and makes skin sticky.
Cucumbers are ideal for combating and preventing sodium deficiency because
they are not only high in sodium, but also help in keeping the body cool,
a great summer’s treat.
21) Skin rashes are the result of silicon deficiency. To avoid pus and rashes,
eat plenty of sprouts, alfalfa, barley, tomatoes, spinach, strawberries
and figs.
22) Skin eruptions are the result of Chlorophyll. And are found in wheat grass
and other green leafy vegetables.
2) Cut some beet root into small pieces and grind them. Squeeze juice from beet
root and massage to your face for 5 minutes. Shower after 10 minutes with
mild soap or gram flour.
3) Mix sandalwood powder with rose water and add 4 to 5 drops of milk in it
and apply on to your face and body. Shower after 15 minutes with warm
water.
4) Mix honey in water and drink daily in the morning to keep your skin shiny
and smooth.
5) Warm honey and mix with lemon juice and apply on to face. Wash after it
dry.
6) Mix Turmeric, sandal powder and olive oil and apply to body. Shower after
10 minutes.
7) Massage your skin with milk. Milk has moisturizer, it will keep your skin
smooth.
8) Use humidifiers and keep room temperature moderate to keep your skin away
from dryness.
9) Hot water blushes your skin and you don't feel fresh unless you have bath
with little cold water. If you have shower for a longtime, dead skin will
be automatically be removed. Do not rub with towel, be gentle on your skin.
10) Take food which contains more A and C vitamin.
11) Grate carrot and boil. Massage that mixture to body to get fair and smooth
skin.
12) For natural bleaching: - mix milk and lemon juice. The milk will break as
soon as you mix the lemon juice in it. Use that mixture to massage on your
body. It works as natural bleaching.
13) Mix turmeric and cream on the top of milk, massage that mixture to body.
14) If you go into sun your skin will lost the fair ness. To get your skin
color to normal take equal quantities of cucumber juice and tomato juice
and apply on to skin. Shower after 10 minutes.
15) Massage mustard oil to your skin for 5 minutes and have shower with gram
flour or mild soap.
16) Mix cream on the top of milk and all-purpose flour and apply that paste on
to your skin avoid eyes, eyebrows and lips. Shower after 5 minutes. This
will make skin smooth.
17) Mix curds (yogurt) with wheat flour and apply to your skin and take shower
after 5 minutes.
18) Grind rose petals and mix with cream on the top of milk and apply to your
body. Shower after 10 minutes.
19) Scaly skin is a result of fluorine deficiency. Fluorine is the anti-
resistant element of the human body, the absence of which creates problems
in the blood and spleen. Since cooking and heating foods destroys
fluorine, it is better to eat uncooked raw fruits and vegetables. Other
foods rich in fluorine are goat milk and cheese, rye flour, avocados, sea
plants and cabbage, cream whey and cottage cheese.
20) Wrinkle skin is a result of Sodium deficiency and makes skin sticky.
Cucumbers are ideal for combating and preventing sodium deficiency because
they are not only high in sodium, but also help in keeping the body cool,
a great summer’s treat.
21) Skin rashes are the result of silicon deficiency. To avoid pus and rashes,
eat plenty of sprouts, alfalfa, barley, tomatoes, spinach, strawberries
and figs.
22) Skin eruptions are the result of Chlorophyll. And are found in wheat grass
and other green leafy vegetables.
| DID YOU DO IT TODAY ??? | for everyone |
Have you read any part of the Qur'an today?
Did you do all your five prayers?
Did you do all your five prayers?
After every prayer do you recite Dhikr or praise Allah?
Did you thank Allah today for all your blessings?
Did you remember the Last Day and its terrors?
Have you read anything from the Hadith of the Prophet (SAAS)?
Have you wept today for fear of Allaah (SWT)?
Have you asked Allaah (SWT) for forgiveness for your sins today?
Have you asked Allaah (SWT) to make your heart strong in faith?
Have you made the most of the hours during which especially Allaah (SWT) will answer your prayers?
Have you bought a new Islamic book from which you will learn more about your religion?
Have you praised Allaah (SWT) for the blessing of being chosen as a Muslim?
Have you praised Allaah for the blessing of hearing, sight, reason and all his blessings?
Have you given charity today to the poor and needy?
Have you refrained from getting angry for your own sake, and only got angry for the sake of Allaah (SWT)?
Have you avoided being proud and arrogant?
Have you prayed to Allaah (SWT) for your Parents, brothers, sisters and neighbours, and anyone else you are in touch with?
Have you treated your parents with love and kindness?
Did you thank Allah today for all your blessings?
Did you remember the Last Day and its terrors?
Have you read anything from the Hadith of the Prophet (SAAS)?
Have you wept today for fear of Allaah (SWT)?
Have you asked Allaah (SWT) for forgiveness for your sins today?
Have you asked Allaah (SWT) to make your heart strong in faith?
Have you made the most of the hours during which especially Allaah (SWT) will answer your prayers?
Have you bought a new Islamic book from which you will learn more about your religion?
Have you praised Allaah (SWT) for the blessing of being chosen as a Muslim?
Have you praised Allaah for the blessing of hearing, sight, reason and all his blessings?
Have you given charity today to the poor and needy?
Have you refrained from getting angry for your own sake, and only got angry for the sake of Allaah (SWT)?
Have you avoided being proud and arrogant?
Have you prayed to Allaah (SWT) for your Parents, brothers, sisters and neighbours, and anyone else you are in touch with?
Have you treated your parents with love and kindness?
( copy from fwd mail )
~Strive Always To Excel In Virtue And Truth ~
"People will forget what you said
People will forget what you did
But people will never forget how you made them feel"
"It's better to be defeated on Principles than to win on lies.
| DIFFERENCE BETWEEN........ | for everyone |
Difference Between Drug and Medicine
From chemistry point of view, there is no distinction between the terms drugs and medicines, i.e., all drugs are medicines and all medicines are drugs. However, our society and law make a clear-cut distinction between these two terms as follow:
A medicine is a chemical substance which cures the disease, is safe to use, has negligible toxicity and does not addiction. In contrast, a drug is a chemical substance which also cures the disease but is habit forming, causes addiction and has serious side effects
Difference Between Ice and Snow
Though ice and snow are both made up of water, there is a difference between the two. Snow is nothing but the frozen atmospheric vapour which falls in winters on earth as light flakes whereas ice is simply frozen water. Another difference is that snow fall can be seen only in winters at areas of high altitudes and places near the Polar regions whereas ice can be seen in any season of the year in our refrigerator.
Difference Between Duty and Responsibility
Duty is a moral commitment to something or someone, whereas responsibility is a condition of being responsible.
According to Cicero, duties come from four sources. Duty is a result of human beings, one's particular place, one's character and one's own moral expectations. His philosophy of duty has been depicted in his famous work On duty.
As duty refers to moral commitment, it denotes an active feeling for doing something. Once a person engages himself with some duty or if he has been entrusted with a duty, then that person fully commits himself to it. In the case of duty, the person will be involved in activity without any self-interest. As a citizen of a country, a person has many duties to perform. It is his duty to adhere to the constitution.
Responsibility can be termed as an ability to act at one's own will, without any supervision. It is the obligation to successfully complete an assigned task. In responsibility, a person takes upon the duty to compete the task and to make the task a success.
In responsibility, a person is solely responsible for the entire task and its outcome. In case of responsibility, he takes the ownership of the entire task. Responsibility can also be explained as a set of instructions in life that one has to follow. It is the responsibility of the parents to give good education to their children.
| Islam in 60 Seconds and Email Fraud Alert | for everyone |
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| You are receiving this email because you opted to join the Islamic Information Center mailing list, visit our webpage to learn more at http://www.islamicinformationcenter.org Copyright (C) 2011 Islamic Information Center All rights reserved. | ||||
| Miracle Drink : Carrot, Beet Root and Apple | for everyone |
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| The Great Lesson | for everyone |
The Great Lesson
To encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took the small boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her.
Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked: "NO ADMITTANCE."
(sent by bro Najmuddin)
When the house lights dimmed, and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that her son was missing. Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressiveSteinway on stage.
In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” .
At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing."
Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obbligato.
Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was mesmerized.
That's the way it is with Allah. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't exactly graceful flowing music. But with the hand of the Master, our life's work truly can be beautiful.
Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing. "Feel His loving arms around you. Know that His strong hands are playing the concerto of your life ..
Remember, Allah doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called.
When the house lights dimmed, and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that her son was missing. Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressiveSteinway on stage.
In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” .
At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing."
Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obbligato.
Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was mesmerized.
That's the way it is with Allah. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't exactly graceful flowing music. But with the hand of the Master, our life's work truly can be beautiful.
Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing. "Feel His loving arms around you. Know that His strong hands are playing the concerto of your life ..
Remember, Allah doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called.
| SILENCE IS GOLDEN | for everyone |
He who speaks more commits more errors. He who commits more errors becomes shameless. He who is shameless will have less fear of Allah. He whose fear of Allah is less, his heart dies. He whose heart dies enters the fire. He who knows that his speech is also a part of his action speaks less except where he has some purpose." – Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him)
There are numerous authentic traditions attributed to the Holy Household of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them) on the importance of silence. In fact, silence was one of the very characteristic qualities of the companions of the Prophets and Imams as well as the Prophets and Imams themselves. It is one of the many important qualities one must acquire in his quest for the Divine. It is a sign of many virtues such as a strong intellect (Aql) and wisdom. Therefore, we should strive to make silence one of the defining qualities of our personality.
What is so good about silence that the Ahlul Bayt stressed its importance to the faithful? It must be more than a mere absence of noise. One might notice among friends that silence is avoided, even feared. So much so, in fact, that when there is a gap of silence during a conversation, someone will say something nonsensical just to escape the unbearable void of awkwardness. Still, what's the big deal about silence?
Silence cultivates one's spirituality and feeling of nearness to Allah. The more we adopt the practice of silence in our lives, the more beautiful we will find it to be. Let us elaborate on some of its benefits.
Tranquility
First and foremost, tranquility. Every morning, if one allocates even a quarter of an hour to the practice of silence before going to work or school, he will face the challenges of the day ahead in a positive manner. If one lets the silence permeate into every single part of his body, the feelings of anxiety and stress will disappear. Similarly, after a hard day's work, or just ten minutes before prayer time, if one devotes a few minutes to silence, he will find it easier to concentrate during his worship. He will feel closer to Allah.
Reflection
Simply put, shut your mouth and open your mind. Wherever you go, whatever you do, don't say a word. Just observe what you're doing and what others are doing. Observe everything. Don't judge, just watch quietly and absorb everything around you. Eventually, if you do this for long enough, you will find yourself organizing and sifting through all those thoughts in your head. You will discard the rubbish, and you will save the jewels. You will think about your experiences and the experiences of others, and you will extract valuable lessons that will help you in life. You will begin to see Allah's beauty in every single thing, be it your fingers on the keyboard or the waves in the sea. You begin – there is no other way to put this – to understand.
Wisdom
Imam Ali says that the wiser man is, the less he will speak. Think about this for a second. Wisdom will come about as you reflect on the nature of everything. You'll adopt silence because it's the smart thing to do: silence guards secrets, silence controls the tongue, silence gets rid of nonsense (in your head as well as in your speech), silence sharpens the wit, and silence increases the value of your words. Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said that one who knows the value of his speech will also know the value of silence. In fact, if one adopts silence, he will value his speech and therefore guard it like he guards his wealth.
Intellect
Finally, silence strengthens one's Aql. The carnal self (the Nafs) thrives on foolishness. It feeds on impulsive and thoughtless actions, and therefore, speech. Realize, as our holy Imam says, that your speech is a part of your action. If you think before you act, you will think before you speak. If you think before you speak, you will stop saying foolish things accidentally. You will stop unintentionally revealing your secrets (and the secrets of others). Furthermore, silence gives one control over his emotions, especially anger. It is said that anger is a type of madness. Subdue that anger with silence, and you will put an end to a great many detrimental things in your life.
Some ways to adopt silence in your life
I offer these tips as I have found them to help me out a lot:
- Ten minutes before beginning your prayer, sit on the prayer mat and just be silent whilst fixing your eyes on one spot.
- Before you say anything, plan exactly what you're going to say.
- Be quiet during "discussions" devoid of knowledge and facts. Also, if you see a discussion heading towards an argument, be silent.
- If you don't know, say you don't know.
- If you're getting angry, be silent. If someone else is getting angry at you, be silent. Imam Khomeini mentioned this piece of advice to his daughter and son in-law.
NADIR AMIRALI
| BIBI ZAINAB (S.A.)'S PATIENCE BECAME THE SAVIOR OF ISLAM | for everyone |
Lady Zainab is famous for her patience during the tragedy of Ashura. She watched her two sons, Aun and Muhammad, get butchered before her eyes on the day of Ashura. She also witnessed the brutal mutilation and slaughter of her brother Imam Hussain.
Before his martyrdom, Imam Hussain is said to have asked Lady Zainab to be patient in spite of all the calamities. Lady Zainab was afflicted with unspeakable tragedies, but as she was always steadfast, she came to known as Sabira (the Patient One).
In the aftermath of the massacre of Karbala, Lady Zainab led the women and children who were taken as prisoners by the tyrant Yazeed's army.
While Imam Hussain's mission ended on the plains of Karbala, Lady Zainab continued his struggle to be the voice of Imam Hussain. In one of Lady Zainab's famous speeches in the palace of the tyrant Yazeed, she condemned oppression and scorned Yazeed in his own court. With a heart filled with the fire of truth, she spoke her eternal words: "So scheme whatever you may scheme, and strive for whatever you may strive, and put forth your best efforts – but, by Allah, you will never erase our mention (the family of the Prophet). 'And are your days not numbered? And is your gang not dispersed – on that day when the caller shall call: Is not the damnation of God upon the oppressors?!'"
| ANGER DESTROYS FAITH AS VINEGAR SPOILS HONEY...... | for everyone |
Is it fine to be indifferent to the mass murder and suffering of the people of Palestine, Afghanistan, Sudan or Yemen, and Bahrain to community leaders behaving unjustly, to attacks on Islam, or to rights being usurped?
Such situations not only warrant our anger, they necessitate it. Imam Khomeini mentions in hisForty Hadith that it is the power of anger which plays a great role in the establishment and maintenance of social order and civic life. If it weren't for the power of anger, we would certainly be falling prey to continual subjugation and paving the way for destruction to disseminate.
Although a true believer's anger is fi sabeel Allah, we find our anger is not always purely for the sake of Allah, and this is where the selfish ego tends to dominate. It is this type of anger that our Prophets and Imams (peace be upon them) have taught us to be mindful of, because such anger (alongside overblown anger) can lead even the best of believers astray.
As Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) tells us, "Anger destroys faith as vinegar spoils honey." (Al-Kafi) We have all been angry at some point in our lives, but in order for us to determine whether or not it is justified, we must question: is the felt fury ego-inflated?
We can take a lesson from Imam Ali's (peace be upon him) fortitude in the Battle of Khandaq (Trench). When Amr bin Abduwad had fallen to the ground and Imam Ali was just about to kill him, Imam suddenly stood up and walked away. When he was later asked why he acted this way, he replied, "At that moment where I was just about to strike Amr with my sword, he spat on my face. Had I killed him in such a condition, it would be because he had angered me. I therefore waited for my anger to subside so that when I went back to strike him, I knew it would be purely for the sake of Allah." Such was the strength of this sublime personality; he was able to suppress his anger even on the battlefield.
Yet even if egos are unable to be kept aside, it is absolutely critical for anger to be kept within limits. Regardless of whether one is right or wrong, displaying aggressive and hostile behavior during feelings of enragement will help nobody, and more often than not, shouting and creating a furor over a mishandled situation will achieve little (if anything). The Dalai Lama once said, "It is not that I don't get angry, I do. But I control my anger, it doesn't control me." Granted, it takes much strength of mind to implement and maintain such levels of self-discipline, and although most people (including myself) have probably said or done things in the past in a state of anger that were later regretted, it is certainly possible to achieve and worth every ounce of effort.
Why is it that Imam Ali said anger begins with insanity and ends in remorse? In studying the physiology of uncontrolled anger, we find our body goes through a complex series of physiological changes including higher blood pressure, increases in heart rate and breathing, and a narrowing attention span such that one can soon take note of nothing else. Neurotransmitters and hormones in the brain trigger high levels of arousal that significantly decrease one's ability to concentrate, until one's judgment of reason and conscience is lost. Indeed, Imam Sadiq has said, "Anger destroys the heart of even the wise man; he who cannot control his anger cannot control his mind." (Al-Kafi) Effectively, such a person is no longer thinking straight, and his/her actions subsequently end in guilt and remorse. The scary thing? It is hard to imagine how quickly all this happens within us.
As a result of this unbalanced mind state, believers hurt their fellow believers, but the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his progeny) says, "One who aggrieves a believer but later decides to atone for it by offering the whole world, it will not compensate for the hurt he had caused, and he will also not be rewarded for it (the compensation)." (Mustadrak al-Wasael) Imam as-Sadiq also narrates that Allah says, "One who hurts My believing slave has actually declared war against Me, and one who honors My believing servant remains safe from My anger." (Al-Kafi)
Anger therefore cultivates major sins. It also leads to hatred and malice. In fact, Imam Khomeini states, "There seems to be no limit to such monstrous acts that man may commit at the time of outbreak of this faith-consuming fire [anger] that also destroys many homes. As such, it can be said that this habit is the mother of all spiritual maladies and the key to each and every evil action."
In order to cure or shield ourselves from this spiritual malady, we must learn how to control and restrain it by adhering to the teachings of the Prophets and Imams:
Imam Ali recommended patience as a tool for countering anger, as patience increases one's threshold for tolerance and endurance. He has said, "Anger is a raging fire – he who suppresses it extinguishes the fire, and he who sets it free is the first to burn in it." (Ghurar al-Hikam)
The Holy Prophet also commanded, "if one of you finds some of this [anger] in himself, if he is standing, he should sit, and if he is sitting, he should lie down. If he is still angry, he should perform ablution with cold water or bath, for fire can only be extinguished with water." (Ihya al-Ulum)
And Imam Baqir has further advised, "Whoever gets angry with his kinsman, let him approach him and pat him; for the feeling of consanguinity, when stimulated by touch, induces calmness." (Ibid.)
| Enemy fears Iran's Air Force | for everyone |
Enemy fears Iran's Air Force: Vahidi
Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:54AM
Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi
Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi says the continuous vigilance and preparedness of the Iranian Air Force has frightened the enemies.
“The sustainable security of Iran's air, marine and land borders is indebted to the readiness, vigilance and bravery of the Iranian Army,” IRNA quoted the minister as saying on Wednesday.
He added that the vigilance of Iran's Army has greatly contributed to the deterrent power of the Islamic Republic against enemies.
Vahidi praised the Air Force personnel for their relentless efforts and innovation in the maintenance of the country's combat aircraft.
“With your high spirits and vigilance you have taken away any chance for the enemy to act [against Iran],” the Iranian minister noted.
SF/HGH/MB
| ISLAMIC INFORMATION CENTER | for everyone |
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| You are receiving this email because you opted to join the Islamic Information Center mailing list, visit our webpage to learn more at http://www.islamicinformationcenter.org Copyright (C) 2011 Islamic Information Center All rights reserved. | ||||
| UNIVERSAL MUSLIM ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA (UMAA) | for everyone |
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Universal Muslim Association of America
Copyright (C) 2011 Universal Muslim Association of America. All rights reserved.
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| ARE WE READY FOR THE RE-APPEARANCE | for everyone |
The 12th Imam, Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance), who began the Major Occultation in 941 AD for the purpose of protecting the Imam from any potential attacks on his life. The aim of Imam Mahdi is to eradicate oppression and injustice throughout the world and establish a global government of peace and justice. In order for this to occur, the Awaited Savior must have the necessary support from the believers, which the first eleven Imams (perhaps with the exception of Imam Hussain) did not have. Yes, the Major Occultation served as a way of protecting Imam Mahdi but also as a message to the Muslims that if the believers wish to see the global government of peace and justice established, then the believers must themselves be the change they wish to see. The question now is about the role of the believers during the Major Occultation. The answer to this question is much simpler than one may expect. The answer lies in bettering ourselves as believers and the believers around us.
Bettering ourselves as believers in anticipation of the return of the 12th Imam begins with one thing and one thing only, which is Salat – the foundation of every Muslim. If a house is built with a weak foundation, it is bound to collapse. The same applies to Salat. If a Muslim is inconsistent with his/her daily prayers, then (s)he will collapse when the temptations of this world are presented. Establishing consistency with the five daily prayers includes not skipping any of them. This includes waking up on a daily basis for the Fajr prayer. The key to establishing consistency with the daily prayers begins with praying as soon as the time sets in and understanding why this is so important.
As Muslims, we have been blessed with so many bounties by Allah, yet we don't thank Allah enough. Praying on time is a way of thanking Allah for all that has been given to us. Does it make sense for believers to delay our Salat after all that Allah has given us?
Secondly, Salat is the means of communication between the believer and Allah. Strengthening the communication that the believer has with Allah by praying on time allows the believer to become more God conscious, which then leads to the advancement of the Muslim. The purpose of Salatwhen performed correctly is to instill God-consciousness in the believer that will prevent the believer from indulging in the actions that are prohibited by Islamic law. Becoming more God conscious as an individual is the first step in preparing for the reappearance and that is done by performing Salat properly, attentively, and on time.
Learning to control out worldly desires is essential. At the crux of the failures of the believers of the first eleven Imams were their worldly desires. At the time of Imam Ali (peace be upon him), Muawiya was able to pay supporters of the Imam top money to abandon their posts. Controlling worldly desires is not an easy task but one that takes time and understanding. Controlling worldly desires allows a Muslim to increase his/her God-consciousness. By increasing God-consciousness, a Muslim is then able to understand his/her roles and responsibilities to Allah and the 12th Imam. God-consciousness can be increased by praying on time, reading Qur'an, reciting supplications, fasting on recommended days, and increasing one's Islamic knowledge.
Intidhar (waiting) for the appearance of the Awaited Savior is an important role of the Muslims. This does not mean waiting idly for the reappearance; rather, it means to actively pursue the change that will pave the way for the reappearance. Intidhar is a state that requires efforts and actions to better ourselves as individuals our Muslim communities on a social level. On a personal level, we must be exemplary leaders that make people around us better as Muslims. As Muslims we must also cater to the needs of our Muslims communities by being more active on a social front.
At the end of the day, only praying and not actively pursuing the reappearance will not allow us to see the Twelfth Imam in our lifetime. We must actively pursue the change we wish to see by bettering ourselves and the believers around us.
| CAN WE CLAIM TO BE PROUD SHIAS? | for everyone |
It is very important to be proud, not arrogant, of belonging in the group of followers of our blessed Prophet and Imams (peace be upon them). In the past years, the media has shed some light on "Shi'ites", therefore making it more of a task on our part to practice our beliefs and be strong in our knowledge of our values. As Shias, we hear of – and many believe in – sayings or stories that claim no matter what sins we have done, as long as a Shia loves Imam Ali (peace be upon him), we will enter heaven. That's all good and dandy, but there is more to it. Islam is not like the Christian faith in the sense of "salvation". Yes, there are plenty of hadith, like: "The love for Ali bin Abi Talib consumes the evil deeds in the same way as fire consumes wood." (Fadhail al- Shia)
This does not mean that we are able to sin as much as we like, and not worry about our bad deeds being accounted for – they will be. "Love for Ali" is not a simple concept. If we love our Imam, then that means we protect them, we do not hurt them by discrediting their words or advice, and we are happy about things they are happy about. Unfortunately, as Shias we are nowhere near being the kind of followers as we should be. Many of us have heard the story of the follower who told Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) that he loved him more than anyone and would do anything he said to. The Imam asked him to jump into an oven-like structure, or a pit of fire. Put on the spot, the man hesitated and did not know how to react. In the meantime, another follower heard the order and acted upon it. The Imam lifted the lid and the inside was nothing but cool, without fire.
Can we claim to be proud Shias? Can some of us claim to be proud of stamping "Sayyid" in front of our name? Can we walk strongly in our processions, when our ladies are still not aware of the concept of Hijab? How about when our centers are full of youth who say they do not want to be Muslim? Or when our men are heads of organizations and are unjustly using their "positions"? Are these deeds simply going to be ignored and consumed like wood in fire?
Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq once said to some of his believers in passing: "…help us keep on so by means of your piety and diligence. You should know that the loyalty to us cannot be obtained except by means of piety and diligence. He who follows someone should imitate his deeds. You are the Shia of Allah, you are the supporters of Allah, and you are the foremost forerunners, the last forerunners, the foremost to the love for us in this world, and the foremost to win Paradise on the Last Day." (Ibid)
If we look at how our dear Imams have honored their followers, we would hang our heads in shame. As we sacrifice and compromise the status that has been given to us, we need to realize that we are slowly disconnecting ourselves from our blessings of following the path of the Ahlul Bayt. We need to imitate – as the Imam said to his believers – their deeds, their words, their way of life, in order to proudly call ourselves Shias.
| RIDDLE-CAN YOU SOLVE IT | for everyone |
Eighty percent of Kindergartners solved this riddle, but only 5% of
Stanford graduates figured it out!
Can you answer the following questions in one word?
*. The word has seven letters....
*. Preceded God...
*. Greater than God...
*. More Evil than the devil...
*. All poor people have it...
*. Wealthy people need it....
*. If you eat it, you will die.
Did you figure it out?** *
**
*
**Try hard before looking at the answers *
*
*
*
Did you get it yet?
*
*
*
*
*
**
*Give up? *
**
**
**
**
*Brace yourself for the answer.... *
*
The Answer is: **
*
*
**NOTHING!**
NOTHING has 7 letters.
NOTHING preceded God.
NOTHING is greater than God.
NOTHING is more Evil than the devil.
All poor people have NOTHING.
Wealthy people need NOTHING.
If you eat NOTHING, you will die.
Stanford graduates figured it out!
Can you answer the following questions in one word?
*. The word has seven letters....
*. Preceded God...
*. Greater than God...
*. More Evil than the devil...
*. All poor people have it...
*. Wealthy people need it....
*. If you eat it, you will die.
Did you figure it out?** *
**
*
**Try hard before looking at the answers *
*
*
*
Did you get it yet?
*
*
*
*
*
**
*Give up? *
**
**
**
**
*Brace yourself for the answer.... *
*
The Answer is: **
*
*
**NOTHING!**
NOTHING has 7 letters.
NOTHING preceded God.
NOTHING is greater than God.
NOTHING is more Evil than the devil.
All poor people have NOTHING.
Wealthy people need NOTHING.
If you eat NOTHING, you will die.
| "I Am Willing To Give My Life": Bahraini Human Rights Activists Risk Lives To Protest U.S./Saudi-Backed Repression | for everyone |
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/4/12/i_am_willing_to_give_my
"I Am Willing to Give My Life": Bahraini Human Rights Activists Risk Lives to Protest U.S./Saudi-Backed Repression
| NAMAZ TO BE PRAYED FOR ALL SHIAS WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM TORTURES | for everyone |
Salaam.
This Namaz can be prayed for our all shias who are suffeirng form Enemies' tortures as Prayer has power to be used for all purpose and being our best weapon.
Niyyat: NAMAZE KIFAAYAT ZULM SE MEHFUZ REHNE KE LIYE (to be safe from oppression)
Method: PRAY TWO RAKAAT (as subh) AND FINISH THE NAMAZ. NOW GO TO SAJDA AND PRAISE ALLAH AND SEND SALAWAT TO HOLY PROPHET AND HIS PROGENY AND THEN SAY
100 TIMES:
"YA MOHAMMED, YA JIBRAEEL, YA JIBRAEEL, YA MOHAMED"
AND ASK ALLAH s.w.t TO PLEASE RELEASE ALL THE SHIA FRoM TORTURES AS HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN RELEASE THEM; NO ONE ELSE CAN DO ANYTHING.
WE CAN CRY AND KEEP ALLAH IN MIND AND THE MASSACCRE OF OUR SHIAS IN OUR EYES AND AS TEARS WILL FALL DOWN, INSHALLAH ALLAH WILL LISTEN and DEFINITELY THERE WILL BE THE WAY FOR COMING OUT OF THIS PROBLEM WITH THE HELP OF 12th IMAM, INSHALLAH.
~THIS NAMAZ IS BY OUR 6TH IMAM RIWAYAT.
(sent by sis Mariam R. Jiwa)
| BACKBITING - BE AWARE OF ITS CONSEQUENCES | for everyone |
A famous tradition cites the Prophet (ص) asking his companions, “Do you know what backbiting is?” They said, “Alla-h and His Messenger know best.” He said, “It is when you say something about your brother which he hates.” It was said to him, “Suppose what I say about my brother is true.” He said, “If what you say is true, it is backbiting, and if it is not, it is slandering.” This is recorded in Tanbi-h al-Khwatir, Vol. 1, p. 118. It is also recorded in Al-Targheeb wal Tarheeb, Vol. 3, p. 515.
Some people mentioned the name of a man in the presence of the Prophet (ص), saying, “How weak he is!” He (ص) said, “You have backbitten your fellow.” They said, “O Messenger of Alla-h! What we have said about him is true!” He (ص) said, “If you wrongfully attribute something to him, you will be slandering him.” This is stated in Ad-Durr Al-Manthoor, Vol. 6, p. 96.
There is consensus about prohibiting backbiting. It is a major sin due to both the Book of Alla-h and the Sunnah warning against it.
Alla-h Almighty clearly holds it in contempt in His Book, making a similitude between one who is guilty of it to one who eats the flesh of his dead brother. He says, “O you who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible), for suspicion in some cases is a sin, and do not spy on each other, nor speak ill of others by way of backbiting. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay! You would abhor it... but fear Alla-h, for Alla-h is oft-Returning, Most Merciful” (Qur'a-n, 49:12).
The Messenger of Alla-h (ص) has said, “A Muslim, all of him, is prohibited from harming another Muslim, whether shedding his blood, or robbing him of his possessions, or harming his honor” (Vol. 1, p. 115 of Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir).
Ja-bir [ibn Abdulla-h al-Ansa-ri] and Abu- Sa`i-d al-Khudri have said, “He (ص) has said, ‘Beware of backbiting, for backbiting is worse than adultery. An adulterer repents, so Alla-h accepts his repentance, but one who backbites is not forgiven unless his fellow [whom he had backbitten] forgives him’” (Vol. 1, p. 115 of Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir; p. 116 of Irsha-d al-Qulu-b).
In a famous lengthy narrative, the Prophet (ص) is quoted as having said, “The recording angels report the deeds of a servant of Alla-h, and he has a light like the rays of the sun which stays on till it reaches the lower heavens as the recording angels think greatly of his deeds and testify for him. But when it reaches the gate, the angel in charge of the gate says, ‘Smite the face of the doer of this deed! I am in charge of monitoring backbiting; my Lord ordered me not to let any good deed of one who backbites people reach my Lord’” (see p. 74, Vol. 1 of Al-Targhib wal Tarhib).
Anas is said as having quoted the Prophet (ص) saying, “During the night of isra-', I passed by people who were scratching their noses with their nails. I asked Gabriel about them. Gabriel said, ‘These are the people who backbite others and speak ill of their honor’” (p. 115, Vol. 1 of Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir; p. 116 of Irsha-d al-Qulu-b).
Al-Bara-' [ibn `A-zib] has said, “The Messenger of Alla-h delivered a sermon to us once till the free ladies in their own homes heard him. He said, ‘O folks who have believed in tongue but not in heart! Do not backbite the Muslims, and do not trace their shortcomings, for if one keeps track of the shortcoming of his brother, Alla-h will track his shortcoming, and if Alla-h tracks his shortcoming, He will expose him even in the deepest depth of his home’” (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 115).
Sulayma-n ibn Ja-bir has said, “I went to see the Messenger of Alla-h, peace and blessings of Alla-h be with him and his progeny, and said to him, ‘Teach me something good whereby Alla-h benefits me.’ He said, ‘Do not underestimate any good deed even if it is an act of pouring from your bucket into a cup of one seeking a drink, and when you meet your brother, meet him with a smile. When he goes away, do not backbite him’” (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 115).
Anas [ibn Ma-lik] has said, “The Messenger of Alla-h (ص) delivered a sermon to us once and mentioned usury, touching upon its magnanimity. He said, ‘One dirham is won by a man through usury is looked upon by Alla-h as greater than thirty-six acts of adultery a man commits. The most serious type of usury is when one speaks ill of a Muslim’s honor’” (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 116).
Ja-bir has said, “We were in the company of the Messenger of Alla-h (ص) when he approached two graves of persons being tormented. He said, ‘They are not being tormented because of having committed a major sin. One of them used to backbite people. The other was too careless to cleanse himself after urinating.’ He (ص) called for a fresh palm leaf or two which he broke, planting one on each grave. He (ص) said, ‘This will lighten their torment as long as they are not dry’” (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 116).
Anas has said, “The Messenger of Alla-h (ص) ordered people once to fast then said, ‘Nobody should break his fast till I give him permission.’ People fasted. When it was evening, a man would come and say, ‘O Messenger of Alla-h! I have kept my fast; so, please grant me permission to break my fast,’ and he would give him permission. A man came and said, ‘O Messenger of Alla-h! Two young women from among your folks have kept fasting, but they are too shy to come to you; so, please give them permission to break their fast.’ The Prophet (ص) turned away from him. The man repeated his request, whereupon the Prophet said to him, ‘They did not uphold their fast. How can one fast while eating people’s flesh? Go and tell them that if they were fasting, they should vomit.’ The man returned to the young women and narrated the above to them. They vomited. Each of them vomited a clot of blood. The man returned to the Prophet (ص) and told him about it. He (ص) said to him, ‘I swear by the One Who holds the soul of Muhammad in His hand that had they (clots) remained in their stomachs, they would have consumed them like fire.’” Another version of this incident says that when the Prophet turned away from the man, the latter returned and said, “O Messenger of Alla-h! They, by Alla-h, have almost died [of hunger and thirst].” The Prophet (ص) told the man to bring him the two women whom he ordered to vomit. Each vomited blood, filling a whole container. He (ص) then said, “These women abstained from what Alla-h had permitted them and broke their fast on what Alla-h had prohibited them. Each sat with the other and both kept eating people’s flesh” (Ihya- Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 134. Ad-Durr al-Manthu-r, Vol. 6, p. 96).
It has also been reported that “One who eats his brother’s flesh in the short life will have the flesh brought near to him in the Hereafter and it will be said to him, ‘Eat it dead as you ate it alive.’ He will eat it and will cry out and frown indignantly” (Ihya-' Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 135).
The Messenger of Alla-h (ص) stoned a man once on account of having committed adultery. Someone said to his fellow, “This man used to squirt like dogs.” The Messenger of Alla-h (ص) brought them a carcass and said to them, “Eat it.” They said, “O Messenger of Alla-h! Must we really eat a stinking carcass?!” He (ص) said, “What you have just eaten of the flesh of your brother is more stinking than it” (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 116).
Ima-m al-Sa-diq (ع) has said, “Backbiting is prohibited on every Muslim. It consumes good deeds as the fire consumes firewood” (Musba-h al-Shari-`a, pp. 204-205).
Al-Sadu-q has cited his forefathers citing Ali (ع) saying that the Messenger of Alla-h (ص) said, “Four persons shall add harm to the residents of the fire to the harm from which they already suffer: They shall be given to drink of the boiling water in hell. They shall lament, so much so that the people of the fire shall say to each other, ‘What is wrong with these four harming us in addition to the harm from which we already suffer?’ One of them will be dangling from a coffin made of burning timbers and a man runs with him. A man’s mouth will be dripping blood and pus. And a man will be eating his own flesh. It will be said to the man of the coffin, ‘What is wrong with the furthermost man, for he has added to our harm?’ He will say, ‘The furthermost man died owing people money; he did not feel like paying them back or fulfilling his obligations to them.’ Then it will be said to the man running with him, ‘What is wrong with the furthermost man who has added harm to our harm?’ He will say, ‘The furthermost man used not to care where his urine fell on his body.’ Then it will be said to the man whose mouth drips blood and pus, ‘What is wrong with the furthermost man, for he has added to our harm?’ He will say, ‘The furthermost man used to mimic people: He would look at every foul word, praise then repeat it.’ Then it will be said to the one who eats his own flesh, ‘What is wrong with the furthermost man, for he has added to our harm?’ He will say, ‘The furthermost man used to eat of people’s flesh through backbiting, slandering others’” (`Iqba-l-A`ma-l, p. 294).
Through tracking the isna-d back to the Prophet (ص), the Messenger of Alla-h (ص) said once, “One who delves into backbiting his brother, revealing his shortcomings, will have placed his first step in hell, and Alla-h will reveal his shortcoming to all creation” (`Iqa-b al-A`ma-l, p. 337).
One who backbites a Muslim will have his fast nullified, and his ablution will be void; so, if he dies in such a state, he will be regarded as having permitted what Alla-h prohibits (`Iqa-b al-A`ma-l, p. 332).
Abu- Abdulla-h (ع) has said that the Messenger of Alla-h (ص) said, “Backbiting is more swift in undermining a Muslim’s creed than the food in his stomach” (Al-Ka-fi, Vol. 2, p. 357; see also Al-Ikhtisa-s, p. 228).
The Messenger of Alla-h (ص) has said, “Sitting in a mosque waiting for the prayer is adoration as long as one does not do something awful.” It was said to him, “O Messenger of Alla-h! What is this awful thing?” He said, “Backbiting” (Rawdat al-Wa-izeen, p. 470; see also Al-Ka-fi, Vol. 2, p. 257).
The son of Abu- Omer has cited Abu- Abdulla-h (ع) saying, “One who mentions what he sees in a believer with his own eyes and hears with his own ears is included among those about whom Alla-h has said, “Those who love (to see) scandal publicized widely among the believers will have a grievous penalty in this life and in the hereafter” (Qur'a-n, 24:19); Al-Ka-fi, Vol. 2, p. 357.
Al-Mufaddal quotes [Abdulla-h] ibn Omer saying that Abu- Abdulla-h has said, “One who tells a tale about a believer whereby he intends to dishonor him, undermine his prestige and make people think lowly of him, Alla-h gets him out of His protection to the protection of Satan, and even Satan will not accept to protect him” (Al-Ka-fi, Vol. 2, p. 358; see also Al-Ikhtisa-s, p. 32).
Alla-h Almighty has inspired to Moses son of Imran [Amram] that if a backbiter repents, he will be the last to enter Paradise, and if he does not, he will be the first to enter hell (Masa-bih al-Shari-’a, p. 205).
It has been narrated that Jesus, peace be with him, and his disciples passed once by the carcass of a dog. The disciples said, “How foul its stink is!” Jesus, peace be with him, said, “How white his teeth are!” (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 117). It is as though the prophet was prohibiting them from speaking ill of the dog, attracting their attention to mentioning only what is best of Alla-h’s creations.
It has been indicated with regard to the interpretation of this verse of the Almighty: “Woe unto every (kind of) scandal-monger and backbiter” (Qur'a-n, 104:1) that the scandal-monger is one who slanders people, while the backbiter is the one who eats people’s live flesh (Ihya- `Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 135).
Al-Hassan has said, “By Alla-h! Backbiting is faster in [bearing an impact on] the faith of a believer than what he eats bears on his body” (Ihya- `Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 135).
Be informed that the reason which requires emphasizing the issue of backbiting and making it look greater than many major transgressions is its inclusion of all what contradicts the goal of the Wise One, Praised is He, unlike the rest of transgressions, for these cause partial harms.
The explanation of the above is this: The important goal of the legislator is to unite the souls on one concern, one way, which is: treading the path of Alla-h in all its provisions, what it allows or prohibits, and this cannot materialize except through cooperation and solidarity among humankinds. The latter depends on their determination being united, on their innermost becoming pure, and on their collective fellowship and love so they may be like one single slave obeying his Master. This, too, will never materialize except by getting rid of grudge, hatred, envy and the like. One who backbites his brother incurs his grudge and prompts a similar reaction. This surely is the opposite of what the legislator ultimately seeks. It is an overwhelming harm; therefore, Alla-h and His Messenger (ص) have emphasized its prohibition, warning against it, and surely success comes only from Alla-h.
Having completed what the Introduction requires, let us start delving into this book's Chapters:
Types of Gheeba
Since you have come to know that gheeba means mentioning something which displeases your brother if he comes to know about it, or if he is informed of it or his attention is brought to it, including anything relevant to a shortcoming in his physique, lineage, conduct, or anything he says or does about his creed or worldly affairs, even if it is about what he wears or rides.
Ima-m al-Sa-diq (ع) has pointed to this saying, “The facets of backbiting is that you mention a defect in form [or conduct], deeds, treatment, sect, ignorance or the like” (Musbah al-Sharee’a, p. 205).
Regarding one's physique, you may refer to his being blear-eyed, cross-eyed, one-eyed, bald, short, tall, black, yellow and anything one can imagine as being "defective" or deforming.
As for lineage, one may say that someone’s father is a debauchee, mean, low, a shoe-mender, merchant, weaver, ignorant or the like, anything which one may dislike no matter what it is, period.
As for conduct, one may say that someone is bad-mannered, tricky, haughty, bragging, irritable, coward, weak-hearted, etc.
As regarding his creed-related deeds, you may say that he is a thief, liar, wine drinker, betrayer, oppressor, does not take his daily prayers seriously, his bowing and prostrating are not good, he takes no precautions with regard to cleansiness, unkind to his parents, does not safeguard himself from backbiting or speaking ill of people’s honor, etc.
As regarding his worldly deeds, it is like your saying that he is impolite, does not take people seriously, feels no obligation towards anyone, talkative, glutton, sleeps too much or sits where he does not belong, etc.
With regard to dressing himself, you may say that his sleeves are too wide, his robe drags behind him, his clothes are not clean, and the like.
Be informed that backbiting is not confined to articulation. Rather, it is prohibited because it conveys to others a shortcoming in/about your brother, identifying him in a way which he hates. Exposing him is similar to scandalizing him about anything relevant to any action such as speech, signal, gesture, beckon, defamation, censure, motion… and everything which lets the other person form a bad impression. All these fall in the category of backbiting and are equivalent to articulation of a thought the pronouncement of which is prohibitive.
An example for this is narrated about `Aisha having said, “A woman came to us once. When she left, I signaled with my hand that she was short. The Prophet (ص) told me that I had thus backbitten her” (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 118).
Another example is mimicking. One walks as though he is lame or imitating someone's gait. It is backbiting. It is even more so; it is greater in conveying a picture and thus getting an idea across. It also includes backbiting by writing. A book, it is said, is one of the two tongues. Also included is one who mentions a particular classifier and misrepresents his statements in his own book unless he mentions excuses requiring it such as ijtiha-d issues without which the goal behind a fatwa is not reached, or producing evidence for the point he drives unless he labels as "wrong" someone else's statements and the like.
Still included is one saying something like this: "One of those who passed by us, etc.," or "Someone we saw today looks like such-and-such, etc." Thus, a particular individual is understood to be implied by the statement. What one should avoid is getting others to identify who exactly he means. If such an individual is not thus identified, understood to be the one spoken about, it is alright. The Messenger of Alla-h (ص), whenever he saw someone doing something which he hated would say, "What is wrong with people who do such-and-such?" (Ihya- Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 137). He would not specify.
Among the most harmful types of backbiting is one done by pretenders who would like others to characterize them as being men of understanding. They convey their thoughts in the method employed by true righteous and pious people so they may pretend to be above backbiting while transmitting their thought. Due to their ignorance, they thus combine two sins: pretension and backbiting.
An example for it is that one hears someone mentioning the name of someone else, so he says, "Praise be to Alla-h Who did not afflict us with love for authority" or for love for this world, or to seem in a particular way similar to the individual mentioned. Or one may say, "We seek refuge with Alla-h against immodesty" or against ill luck, or "We plead to Alla-h to protect us from such-and-such." Actually, one merely praising Alla-h for not making him the opposite of what another person is characterized is regarded as backbiting in the form of supplication while hiding under the cloak of men of righteousness. His intention is actually to mention that person's fault by saying something which includes both backbiting and pretension even as he supplicates to Alla-h to rid him of sins, not knowing that he already has committed these sins; in fact, he has committed the worst of these sins.
An example for the above is when one starts by praising someone whom he wants to backbite, so he says, "How good the condition of so-and so! He never fell short of performing his acts of adoration, but lately he has slackened and has been afflicted with that whereby we all are afflicted: impatience." Thus, he speaks ill of himself while in reality he intends to speak ill of someone else. He praises himself by comparing himself with the righteous as the latter condemn their evil-insinuating selves.
Thus, he backbites; he is being a pretender. He praises himself, combining three sins while, due to his ignorance, he thinks he is among the righteous who are above backbiting others. Thus does Satan play havoc with ignorant folks if they seek knowledge but act without having become fully acquainted with the paths of such knowledge. Satan follows them and surrounds their deeds with his schemes, laughing at them and making fun of them.
Also included is one who mentions someone's shortcoming, but nobody among his audience notices it, so he says, "Praise be to Alla-h! How strange it is!" The backbiter indicates so in the hope the inattentive person may listen to him carefully and get to understand his hint. He mentions the Name of Alla-h, Praise to Him, using His Name as a means to achieve his own meanness and falsehood. Due to his ignorance and conceit, he thinks he is doing Alla-h a favor by mentioning His Name.
Also included is one who says that someone did such-and-such or has been afflicted with such-and-such. He may even say, "Our fellow, friend, may Alla-h grant him and our own selves acceptance of repentance…, etc." Thus, he pretends to supplicate for him, feeling pain on his account, being a friend and a fellow, while Alla-h is acquainted with the meanness of his inner self and the corruption of his conscience. Due to his ignorance, he does not know that he has exposed himself to a greater contempt than that to which the ignorant ones are exposed when they openly backbite.
Among its hidden types is listening to backbiting in the way of expressing amazement. One demonstrates amazement in order to energize the backbiter as the latter is at it, encouraging him to continue backbiting, as if he is extracting backbiting out of him in such a way. He may say, "I have been amazed at what you have just stated. Till now, I never knew it! I did not know that that individual is like that!" He wants to testify to the backbiter being truthful, asking him in a nice way to provide him with more. Testifying to the truth of backbiting, actually even listening to it, even remaining silent about it, is by itself an act of backbiting.
The Messenger of Alla-h (ص) has said, "One who listens (to backbiting) is one of the two backbiters" (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 119). Ima-m Ali (ع) has said, "One who listens to backbiting is one of those who backbite" (Ghurar al-Hikam, p. 74).
He (ع) means that if one listens to backbiting with enjoyment, not (necessarily) agreeing, or who can deny what he hears but does not do so, is included in the sin. Since both individuals, the one who listens to, or who hears in such a way of enjoyment, actually backbite, this is due to his sharing the pleasure which the backbiter feels when he backbites. It is due to their minds, both of them, being conditioned with contemptible images which should not be there even when they differ in the fact that one of them is articulating and the other is being receptive. But each of them is using a mechanism that helps him backbite: One of them uses his tongue to express a soul that has been polluted by drawing images of lies, prohibitions and the determination to be involved in them. The other listens as his soul accepts such effects due to taking such a bad option, becoming used to them, accustomed to it, enabling the poisoning of the subconscious mind with falsehood.
An example for the above is the wise saying that the listener is the speaker's partner. In the previous example, there is an indication that when the Prophet (ص) said to one of the men who said about another that the latter squirted like dogs, "Eat of this carcass!", thus putting them both in the same box although one of them was a speaker and the other a listener. The listener does not get out of the sin of backbiting except if he rejects it by his tongue, but if he fears, he rejects it by his heart. If he can stand and leave or interrupt such talk with something else but does not, the sin will be attached to him. Had he said with his tongue, "Shut your mouth!" while inwardly he liked to hear, it would have been hypocrisy, another sin added. Nothing gets him out of the sin (of backbiting) unless he sincerely hates it with his heart.
The Prophet (ص) is reported as having said, "One who witnesses a believer being humiliated without supporting him, while being able to do so, will be humiliated by Alla-h on the Day of Judgment as the creation looks on" (Ihya- Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 138).
Abu- al-Darda-' is quoted as having said that the Messenger of Alla-h (ص) had said, "One who protects his brother's honor as it is charged with backbiting, Alla-h will protect his honor on the Judgment Day" (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 119).
He (ص) has also said, "One who defends his brother's honor with regard to backbiting, Alla-h will set him free from the fire" (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 119).
Through his isna-d to the Messenger of Alla-h (ص), al-Sadu-q has stated that the Prophet (ص) said, "One who defends on behalf of his brother, because of backbiting which he had heard in a gathering and which he refutes, Alla-h will close a thousand gates of evil in his face in the life of this world and in the hereafter. But if he does not refute it while being able to do so, his burden will be seventy times as much as that of the person who had backbitten him" (Al-Sadu-q's A`ma-li, p. 350).
Through isna-d to Ima-m al-Ba-qir (ع), the Ima-m said, "One who listens to his believing brother being backbitten, so he defends and supports him, Alla-h will support him in the life of this world and in the hereafter. Alla-h will abandon one who does not defend such a brother, while being able to defend and help him, in the life of this world and in the hereafter" (Al-Maha-sin, p. 103, tradition No. 81).
Be informed that one is prohibited from speaking ill of a believer, and he is prohibited from mentioning the wrongdoings of others. He also is prohibited from thinking ill and from contemplating it inwardly. What is meant by the inwardly evil thought, which is prohibited, is judging one as being a wrongdoer without making sure about it.
As regarding illicit thoughts, and since its insinuations are forgiven, doubt in this sense is also forgiven; Alla-h Almighty has said, "O you who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible), for suspicion in some cases is a sin, and do not spy on each other, nor speak ill of others by way of backbiting. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay! You would abhor it... but fear Alla-h, for Alla-h is oft-Returning, Most Merciful" (Qur'a-n, 49:12).
You have no right to think ill of someone unless you see with your own eyes what has no room for interpretation. If you do not know something, yet it finds its place in your heart, Satan places it there, and you ought to belie it, for it is the worst type of sin. Alla-h Almighty has said, "O you who believe! If a wicked person comes to you with any news, ascertain the truth lest you should harm people unwittingly and afterwards become full of repentance for what you have done" (Qur'a-n, 49:6). Eblis must not be believed.
In such a situation, the Shari-`a says that if you detect the smell of wine in someone, you cannot judge that he has drunk wine, and he is not to be penalized on its account, for it is possible he gargled it and detested it, or he was forced to drink it, and both are possible; so, a Muslim must not be the object of our suspicion.
The Prophet (ص) has said, "Alla-h Almighty prohibits a Muslim from having a free hand in another Muslim's life or possession even if he thinks ill of him" (Ihya-' Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 142). Hence, ill thoughts are not permitted unless the shedding of blood and the confiscation of wealth become permissible: One is sure by seeing or due to fair evidence, or their equivalent among matters which bring about conviction, or whatever the Shari-`a deems as being certain.
The father of Abdulla-h (ع) is quoted as having said, "If a believer accuses his believing brother of something, conviction (ima-n) melts in his heart just as salt melts in water" (Al-Ka-fi, Vol. 2, p. 361).
He (ع) has also said, "If one charges his brother about his creed, the sanctity between them will be violated" (Al-Ka-fi, Vol. 2, p. 361). He (ع) has also said, "The Commander of the Faithful (ع) has said, 'Think best of your brother till something convinces you of the contrary, and do not think ill of something which your brother says if you can at all find a good justification for it" (Al-Ka-fi, Vol. 2, p. 362), that is, think well of what your brother says or does even if it can be interpreted differently without having to spy on him till you come to know about something which has no room for interpretation, for ill thoughts can be wrong whereas spying is prohibitive.
The way whereby one can get to know what the heart contemplates, whether it is an ill thought or an insinuation, is that you subject yourself to a test. If you change and your heart is displeased with him, or if you belittle him, or if you are reluctant to look after him, to find out how he is doing, to honor him, to care about his condition and feel sad because his condition has changed…, it is a sign that doubt has entertained your mind.
The Ima-m (ع) has said, "Three things in a believer for which there is a way out: One's exit out of an ill thought is not to think of it as being certain (Ihya-' Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 143), that is, do not carry out an investigation through thoughts or actions, neither in the heart nor in the senses. As regarding the heart, it is through turning it towards revulsion and contempt. Regarding the senses, it is acting upon them. What ought to be done when an illicit thought about a believer is entertained is that one increases paying good attention to him and supplicating for him, for this angers Satan and it thus is pushed away from you. Satan will then avoid casting an illicit thought in your mind out of his fear you would supplicate for your brother and look after him, which is the opposite of his goal.
No matter how many faults about a believer you come to know, advise him inwardly, and do not let Satan deceive you and call upon you to backbite him. If you admonish him, do not do so while you are pleased you came to know about his shortcoming so he may think highly of you while you think lowly of him, while you see yourself as being higher in status than him by token of your admonishment of him. Rather, let your objective be ridding him of the sin, and you feel sorry for him just as you would feel sorry for yourself if a shortcoming is attached to you.
You ought to think inwardly that leaving him without advising him is dearer to you than leaving him on account of an advice with which you admonished him. If you do so, you will have combined the rewards of admonishment with the rewards of feeling sad about your brother's misfortune as well as the reward for helping him keep his faith strong.
One of the fruits of ill thoughts is spying. The heart is not convinced with doubts. It demands an investigation. Thus, one occupies himself by spying, something which is prohibitive.
Alla-h Almighty says, "… And do not spy (on each other)" (Qur'a-n, 49:12). Alla-h, praise belongs to Him, has prohibited in this verse backbiting, ill thoughts and spying. The meaning of spying is that you do not leave the servants of Alla-h being shielded by Alla-h's covering, so you seek to familiarize yourself (with what they try to hide or conceal), thus tearing apart this covering. Had you kept that covering as it is, it would have been better for your heart and creed; so, think about it, may you be guided rightly, and surely success comes from Alla-h.
Preventive Treatment of Gheeba
Be informed that all ill manners are treated with a mixture of knowledge and the acting upon such knowledge. The treatment of an ailment is done with the opposite of its cause, its antidote. So, let us look first for the cause behind backbiting, we will then state how a tongue is restrained from articulating it in a way that suits the treatment of these causes.
We are stating below some of the causes that have been indicated as resulting in backbiting, and they are ten in number. Ima-m al-Sa-diq (ع) has drawn attention to it by saying that the root of backbiting is of ten types: 1. seeking satisfaction for one's anger, 2. agreeing with some people, 3. believing a report without verifying it, 4. an accusation, 5. ill thinking, 6. jealousy, 7. ridicule, 8. conceit, 9. displeasure, and 10. bragging (Misbah al-Shari'a, p. 205).
Now we point out to them in detail:
First: One seeks to satisfy his anger. If one has a reason to be angry, and when his anger rages, he seeks to quell it by mentioning the faults of the individual who caused him to grow angry, and he would first do so by his tongue unless he is pious, God-fearing. One may avoid having to satisfy his anger, so his anger is stored inwardly, turning into a fixed grudge. This will become a permanent cause for mentioning those faults.
Grudge and anger are major causes for backbiting.
Second: Agreeing with some companions and being nice to fellows by assisting them with such talk. If they have fun speaking ill of some people's honor, one may see that if he disagrees or terminates a gathering, he will be belittled by the others who will avoid him, so he agrees with them, seeing that doing so is indicative of good companionship, and he thinks he is just being nice to his companions. His companions may get angry, so he, too, feels he should be angry, too, seeing it as a sign of good companionship when sharing with his fellows their sentiments openly as well as inwardly. He, therefore, takes part in mentioning others' faults and shortcomings.
Third: One may sense that someone targets him and speaks ill of him or of his condition in front of a good person, or he may testify against him, so he takes the initiative and speaks ill of him in order to foil the impact of his testimony and action. Or he may start by mentioning how one truly is so after that he may tell lies about him. Thus, he circulates his lies by first being truthful. He seeks support from facts saying, "It is not my habit to tell a lie, for I have told you such-and-such about his conditions, and he has been just as I had said."
Fourth: Something may be attributed to someone, so the latter wants to clear himself of it. He, hence, speaks ill of the person who had done so. He had the right to clear himself of the charge without mentioning the name of the person who charged him. He does not have to make a connection between the charge and the person who made it. He does not have to tell others that he was a partner in an action in order to pave the way for finding for himself an excuse for his deed.
Fifth: Affectation and bragging: One may try to raise his status above that of others, so he labels someone as ignorant, weak of understanding, weak in stating something with the goal being to prove that he is better than him. He wants to show others that he is better than that person, or he may thus take a precaution against people honoring someone as much as they honor that person, so he belittles him.
Sixth: Jealousy: One may feel jealous of someone praised, loved or honored by others, so he wants these blessings to be removed from that individual. He finds no way to do so except by speaking ill of him. He wants to discredit that person to people so they may stop honoring and praising him because it is heavy on his heart to see people praising him, honoring him. Such is jealousy, and it is anger and grudge. One may be jealous of a benevolent friend or a relative who is in harmony with him.
Seventh: Sporting, jesting, agreeing with others and having fun laughing at others: One may mention someone else in a way that prompts the listeners to laugh when he imitates him or seeks to show that he is better than him.
Eighth: Ridiculing, making fun of someone in order to downgrade him: This may take place in the presence of someone or behind someone's back as well, and it originates in one being arrogant and desiring to belittle one whom he ridicules.
Ninth: This is difficult to detect and may cause even the elite or cautious persons to fall into speaking ill of others: One may feel sad because of something with which someone is afflicted, so he says, "Poor so-and-so, I am really sad about what has happened to him and about his affliction." He would then mention the cause of his sadness. He will then be truthful if it comes to the reason behind his grief, but his grief distracts him from taking precaution, so he mentions his name and says something which that person hates. He will in that case be backbiting him. His grief and his seeking Alla-h's mercy for him are acts of righteousness, but they led him to evil without being aware of it. Seeking Alla-h's mercy for someone and feeling sad about someone are both possible without one having to mention the name of an individual then attributing to him what he dislikes. Satan stirs him to mention his name in order to void the rewards of his grief and his pleading to Alla-h to have mercy on him.
Tenth: Feeling angry for the sake of Alla-h Almighty: One may feel angry because of something wrong which someone did, so he shows his anger and mentions that person's wrongdoing, thus committing a wrongdoing himself without prohibiting a wrong deed. What he should have done is to show his anger specifically in that manner. This is a pitfall in which even the elite may fall. They think that feeling angry for the sake of Alla-h Almighty is an excuse no matter how it is expressed, but it is not so.
If you come to know that these are the causes of backbiting, be informed that the path towards preventing the tongue from backbiting is of two types: One of them is general, whereas the other is particular: Regarding generality, one must know that he exposes himself to the wrath of Alla-h Almighty when he backbites, as you have already come to know from the previous reports. And he must be informed that such wrath voids his good deeds, his acts of righteousness. On the Day of Judgment, backbiting shifts his good deeds to the scales of those whom he had backbitten. If he has no good deeds, the backbitten person's wrongdoings will then be shifted to the backbiter's scales, and he remains the object of the wrath of Alla-h Almighty and will be like one eating dead flesh.
It has been narrated about the Prophet (ص) that he said, "Fire burning what is dry is not faster than backbiting as it burns the good deeds of a servant of Alla-h" (Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 140).
It has been narrated that a man said to a man of virtue, "It has come to my knowledge that you speak ill of me behind my back." The virtuous man said, "Your status in my eyes does not permit me to let you fare thus with my own good deeds!"
No matter how much one believes in reports coming to him, his tongue must not articulate backbiting. He must fear for his good deeds being thus burnt. It also avails him if he looks at his own self. If he finds fault with himself, he ought to feel ashamed lest he should leave himself out while speaking ill of others. Rather, he ought to know that if others are unable to rise above committing backbiting, whether it is relevant to something which he did by choice or because of a deformity or shortcoming in him, he likewise is unable to rise to admit his own defects and shortcomings.
If the matter is relevant to his physique, speaking ill of it is actually speaking ill of its Creator, for when one faults something, he faults its maker. Someone once said to a wise man, "How ugly your face is!" The wise man said, "I had no choice in creating my face so I would make it very good." If one does not find fault with himself, let him thank Alla-h and not pollute himself with the greatest of faults, for finding fault with people and eating their dead flesh is surely the greatest of all faults. He will then be faulty. Had he been fair to himself, he would have realized that his belief that he is faultless proves the extent of his ignorance of himself, which is one of the greatest of all faults.
It behooves him to know that when others suffer because he backbites them, he likewise suffers when others backbite him. If he does not like others to backbite him, he ought not accept others to be backbitten.
Such are general remedies.
As regarding delving into the details, one ought to look into the reason that prompts him to backbite and deal with it, for an ailment is treated by eradicating its cause. And you have already come to know the causes behind backbiting:
o Regarding anger, he can treat it by saying, "If I overlook my anger with him, perhaps Alla-h Almighty will overlook His wrath against me because of speaking ill of others behind their backs, for He has prohibited me from doing it, yet I dared to defy his prohibition, taking His prohibition lightly." He (ع) has said, "There is a gate to hell which is entered only by those who satisfied their personal anger by angering Alla-h Almighty through committing a transgression" (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 121). In one of the Books which Alla-h Almighty has revealed, it is stated: "O son of Adam! Remember Me when you are angry so I may remember you when I am angry, perhaps I will not include you among those whom I obliterate" (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 121)
o Regarding agreeing with others, you must come to know that Alla-h Almighty is angry with you if you seek to anger Him by thus pleasing others. So, how can you honor others while dishonoring your Lord? How can you avoid pleasing Him by seeking to please them, unless your anger is solely for the sake of pleasing Alla-h Almighty, and this requires you not to speak ill of one with whom you are angry? Rather, you ought to feel angry for the sake of Alla-h: If your fellows speak ill of Him, they commit the most foul of all sins: backbiting.
o Regarding one trying to raise his status at the expense of that of others, without mentioning the name of those others, this situation is treated by knowing that if you expose yourself to the wrath of the Creator, it is much more severe than being exposed to the contempt of His creation. If you backbite, you are for sure exposing yourself to the wrath of Alla-h Almighty while not knowing if you will get rid of people's wrath or not. So, you save yourself in this life by your whim while permitting yourself to perish in the hereafter. Or you for sure lose the rewards of your good deeds while earning the contempt of the Almighty, expecting people to remove their speaking ill of you, which is the utmost ignorance and loss of all.
o Regarding your statement that you consume what is prohibitive because so-and-so does it, and if you do such-and-such, someone else is doing the same, or if you fall short in an act of obedience to the Almighty, someone else is likewise guilty of the same…, it is an indication of your ignorance because you are seeking to emulate those whom you are not supposed to emulate. Anyone who violates the command of Alla-h is not to be emulated whoever he may be.
If someone else is hurled into the fire while you are able not to avoid entering it, you should not be in agreement with that person. Had you agreed with him, you would have lost your wits. What you state is backbiting and an additional transgression which you piled up on that from which you sought an excuse for yourself. The Almighty will then have recorded your name as having combined two sins due to your ignorance and stupidity. You were like a she-camel looking at a goat that fell from the mountain, so it, too, throws itself from up high. Had she had a tongue and articulated an excuse, she would have said, "The goat was wiser, yet she perished, and so did I." You would then have laughed on account of her ignorance. But your condition is similar to hers, yet you do not wonder, nor do you laugh at yourself.
o When it comes to your objective behind bragging and praising yourself in order to gain more recognition by speaking ill of others, you ought to know that due to what you stated, you lost your status with Alla-h while jeopardizing your status among the public: People may think less of you if they come to know that you speak ill of others. You will then have sold what the Creator has for sure in store with Him, trading it for what people have with them due to your own whim. If people think well of you, it will not help you win favor with the Almighty at all.
o Backbiting someone because of envy combines two types of penalties: You have envied him for a worldly blessing while your envy torments you. Yet you were not satisfied with all of this till you added to it a torment in the hereafter, thus losing in the short life as well as in the hereafter; hence, you combine two punishments. You targeted the one whom you envied while harming your own self. You have given him by way of a gift the rewards of your own good deeds; thus, you are his friend and the enemy of your own self! Your act of backbiting him does not harm him but harms you while benefiting him! It shifts your own good deeds to him or shifts to you his wrongdoings which do not benefit you at all. You thus combine the ugliness of envy with foolish ignorance. Your envy and speaking ill of him may become the reason for the individual whom you envy gaining more prestige. It has been said that if Alla-h wants a forgotten virtue to be disseminated, He permits an envious tongue to propagate it.
o You mean by ridiculing someone to demean him by actually demeaning your own self in the sight of Alla-h, His angels and prophets. Had you contemplated upon your shame, infamy, sigh and sorrow on the Day when you bear the sins of the person whom you ridiculed and when you are led to the fire, this would have shocked you and distracted you from shaming your fellow. Had you come to know your condition, you would have preferred to laugh at its account, for you ridiculed him before a small number of people while exposing yourself to your hands being taken on the Judgment Day and led away before a huge crowd of people. You will be led away under the burden of that person's own sins like a donkey led to the fire, while he ridicules you and is pleased at you being thus shamed, happy because Alla-h supports him against you and seeks revenge against you for his own benefit.
o As regarding pleading to Alla-h to have mercy on him on account of his own sin, it is something good, but Eblis envied you and made you articulate something because of which the rewards of your good deeds are shifted to someone else. And it is more so than the rewards which you gain for having pleaded to Alla-h to have mercy on him. Thus, the one for whom mercy is sought gets out of the category of one in need of mercy while you yourself become worthy of being stoned: Your [hypocritical] plea foiled your rewards and diminished your good deeds.
o Feeling angry for the sake of Alla-h does not necessitate backbiting. Satan made backbiting look good to you so the rewards for your anger are voided, and you become the target of the wrath of Alla-h Almighty because of being guilty of backbiting.
As a whole, the treatment for all of this comes through knowledge which is achieved by considering these matters that are among the divisions of conviction (ima-n). One whose conviction is strong through combining all of the above prevents himself from committing the sin of backbiting, that is for sure.
Permissible Backbiting
Be informed that mentioning one's wrongdoing is a sound objective according to the Shari-`a in order to achieve one's objective for the removal of such wrongdoing. Thus, the sin of backbiting is voided, but this is limited to ten situations:
First: One seeks redress. If someone mentions the name of a judge as being unjust, treacherous and accepting bribes, he is one who backbites while being a transgressor. As far as a judge is concerned, one can complain about him to someone who he hopes can remove his injustice. He will be attributing injustice to such a judge who is the only person who can grant him what rightfully belongs to him.
The Messenger of Alla-h (ص) has said, "One with a [usurped] right has the right to complain about it" (Ihya- Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 144).
H (ص) has also said, "A rich person commits injustice if he looks down at others" (Al-`Awa-li, Vol. 4, p. 45).
Second: One seeks help to correct a wrongdoing. One has the right to seek help to correct a wrongdoing and bring an aggressor back to the path of righteousness. In the achievement of this sound objective, the matter is alright but is prohibitive otherwise.
Third: One seeks someone's opinion, such as you may say this to someone: "My father—or brother—has been unfair to me; so, what is the way out of it?" In this regard, it is safest if one refrains from identifying the oppressor. For example, one may say, "What would you say about a man whose father or brother has oppressed him?"
It has been narrated that Hind said to the Prophet (ص), "Abu- Sufya-n is a miser man; he does not give me money to meet my needs and those of my children. Should I take some of his money without his knowledge?" He said, "Take only what suffices you and your children fairly" (Ihya- Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 144). She complained about not having enough to spend on herself and her children, so the Messenger of Alla-h (ص) did not rebuke her since her objective was to seek his opinion.
Fourth: One warns another Muslim against falling in danger, in evil, and how one seeking counsel is to be advised. If you see someone pretending to be a faqi-h (jurist), pretending to be someone whom he is not, you have to attract people's attention to his shortcoming and inability to rightfully qualify himself. You must alert them about the danger that may fall upon them if they obey him. Also, if you see a man making too frequent visits to the house of a debauchee who is covering up for him, and if you are concerned about this man falling down on account of such companionship in a way which violates the Shari-`a, you have the right to attract his attention to this person being a sinner no matter what motive you have, whether it may be concern about the dissemination of an innovation in the creed or the spread of corruption.
This may be prompted by conceit and Satan's foolhardiness, for your motive may be envy of that man because of the status which he enjoys. Satan will then confuse you when you pretend to have compassion for people. Also, if you see a man buying a slave, and if you know that this slave has defects, you can mention these defects to the buyer, for if you remain silent, you will be harming the buyer. Your stating these faults harms the slave, but the interest of the buyer ought first to be taken into consideration.
And you have to mention only the defect which is relevant to the matter and not mention anything relevant to anything else that may undermine the partnership, the contract, or one's trip. Rather, you must mention in each situation what is relevant to it and not go beyond it aiming at advising rather than harming. If a man shies away from getting married when you advise him that marriage will not be good for him, you will be doing what you ought to be doing. But if one is not dissuaded except when explicitly told about something, let it be so.
The Prophet (ص) has said, "Do you hesitate to name a corrupt person before people find it out? Say that against which people ought to guard themselves" (Ihuya- Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 144).
He (ص) has also said to Fa-tima daughter of Qays when she consulted him about men seeking her for marriage, "As regarding Mu'a-wiyah, he is a penniless pauper. Regarding Abu- Jahm, he never lets the [whipping] baton descend from his shoulder" (Al-`Awa-li, Vol. 1, p. 155).
Fifth: Slandering and making amends for both an eyewitness and a narrator: Scholars have written about narrators of traditions, dividing them into "trustworthy" and "doubted", often mentioning the reasons behind their being doubted. A sincere advice is shared in this situation, as we have stated above, when it is meant to protect the Muslims' wealth, control over what they say and protect them all from telling lies.
And it is conditional upon one having neither animosity nor fanaticism nor stating anything that violates his testimony and narrative, and he does not stand hostile to others such as being a man of taunting or casting doubts except, perhaps, when he openly commits transgression as we will state later.
Sixth: The object of the statement must deserve it because he is a pretender on its account such as a sinner who openly shows his sin, so much so that he does not hesitate to talk about the sin which he commits. He must be referred to with regard to what he admits and nothing more.
The Messenger of Alla-h (ص) has said, "One who puts down the covering of modesty from his face, to backbite him is not a sin at all" (Al-`Awa-li, Vol. 1, p. 105). From this, it is quite obvious that to backbite him is permissible even if the sin is not mentioned. Regarding the permission to absolutely backbite the debauchee, the possibility stems from this statement of the Prophet (ص): "A debauchee is not backbitten" (Al-`Awa-li, Vol. 1, p. 438, tradition No. 153).
It is stated that the tradition must be understood as applicable to a particular debauchee or to [backbite him in order to] force him to stop his committing sins. Such is better except when the matter is attached to a religious objective and a sound goal which goes back to the backbiter who hopes the individual will on its account stop committing his sin. It will then enter the category of preventing a wrongdoing.
Seventh: One must be widely known by a name whereby his defect is identified, such as "the lame" or "the blear-eyed", etc. There is no sin if one identifies him by it. Scholars have done so due to the need for identification and because it has become so common, the individual himself no longer hates it, having come to know that he has become famous on its account.
In fact, what the reliable scholars have indicated can be relied upon with regard to their narrative.
As regarding identifying those who are still living, it is conditional on the acceptance of the individual to whom it is attributed as a general criterion for prohibition. In that case, it is not categorized as backbiting. How can it be since when one can be identified by some other way, it would have been better?
Eighth: If the number of individuals, according to whom a penalty is to be exacted for a sin, are eyewitnesses to the committing of that sin, it can be mentioned to the rulers as a testimony even in the presence of the doer or in his absence. It must not be mentioned in any other situation except if it meets other criteria.
Ninth: It has been said that if two persons witness a transgression committed, and one of them stated it in the absence of that transgressor, it is permissible because mentioning it has no impact on the listener although he ought to protect himself and his tongue from mentioning it for any other purpose especially with the possibility of forgetting the statement or out of concern it will be disseminated because of them.
Tenth: If someone listened to someone else backbiting another without knowing the rights of the person being backbitten or whether what is being said does not actually exist, the speaker cannot be prevented from articulating it due to the possibility it could be true, and the speaker may be accepted as factual unless he is known to be otherwise.
Deterring him from such talk requires the violation of his own sanctity, being one of the individuals involved. It is better to draw attention to such a situation unless general evidences surface that have no room for rebuttal. It is evident that the general will is to be cautious about ignorant folks being tempted in its regard. If this is done to those whom you know, the general evidences would not have surfaced, and they would not have been taken into consideration with regard to the listener due to the speaker perhaps knowing how to make his statement plausible, and it undermines the principle of prohibiting backbiting.
This individual is held as exceptional with regard to hearing backbiting, and it has already been stated that he is one of those who take part in backbiting.
Generally speaking, a virtuous soul takes precaution against backbiting although sometimes it is preferred that one tells what he knows so others may take their own precaution against a particular individual or action.
The testimony for its absolute prohibition, as has already been stated, is this statement of the Prophet (ص): "Do you know what backbiting is?" They said, "Alla-h and His Messenger know best." He (ص) said, "It is saying something about your brother which he does not like" (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 118).
As regarding its permissibility, such as the response to innovations and the shaming of the debauchees from among them, getting people to stay away from them and taking precautions against following them, this is described as obligatory: It is possible and is preferable, and it is relied upon to achieve all these objectives. So, a vigilant person must not overlook the objective and the reform it contains, and surely Alla-h is the One Who grants success.
Some people mentioned the name of a man in the presence of the Prophet (ص), saying, “How weak he is!” He (ص) said, “You have backbitten your fellow.” They said, “O Messenger of Alla-h! What we have said about him is true!” He (ص) said, “If you wrongfully attribute something to him, you will be slandering him.” This is stated in Ad-Durr Al-Manthoor, Vol. 6, p. 96.
There is consensus about prohibiting backbiting. It is a major sin due to both the Book of Alla-h and the Sunnah warning against it.
Alla-h Almighty clearly holds it in contempt in His Book, making a similitude between one who is guilty of it to one who eats the flesh of his dead brother. He says, “O you who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible), for suspicion in some cases is a sin, and do not spy on each other, nor speak ill of others by way of backbiting. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay! You would abhor it... but fear Alla-h, for Alla-h is oft-Returning, Most Merciful” (Qur'a-n, 49:12).
The Messenger of Alla-h (ص) has said, “A Muslim, all of him, is prohibited from harming another Muslim, whether shedding his blood, or robbing him of his possessions, or harming his honor” (Vol. 1, p. 115 of Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir).
Ja-bir [ibn Abdulla-h al-Ansa-ri] and Abu- Sa`i-d al-Khudri have said, “He (ص) has said, ‘Beware of backbiting, for backbiting is worse than adultery. An adulterer repents, so Alla-h accepts his repentance, but one who backbites is not forgiven unless his fellow [whom he had backbitten] forgives him’” (Vol. 1, p. 115 of Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir; p. 116 of Irsha-d al-Qulu-b).
In a famous lengthy narrative, the Prophet (ص) is quoted as having said, “The recording angels report the deeds of a servant of Alla-h, and he has a light like the rays of the sun which stays on till it reaches the lower heavens as the recording angels think greatly of his deeds and testify for him. But when it reaches the gate, the angel in charge of the gate says, ‘Smite the face of the doer of this deed! I am in charge of monitoring backbiting; my Lord ordered me not to let any good deed of one who backbites people reach my Lord’” (see p. 74, Vol. 1 of Al-Targhib wal Tarhib).
Anas is said as having quoted the Prophet (ص) saying, “During the night of isra-', I passed by people who were scratching their noses with their nails. I asked Gabriel about them. Gabriel said, ‘These are the people who backbite others and speak ill of their honor’” (p. 115, Vol. 1 of Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir; p. 116 of Irsha-d al-Qulu-b).
Al-Bara-' [ibn `A-zib] has said, “The Messenger of Alla-h delivered a sermon to us once till the free ladies in their own homes heard him. He said, ‘O folks who have believed in tongue but not in heart! Do not backbite the Muslims, and do not trace their shortcomings, for if one keeps track of the shortcoming of his brother, Alla-h will track his shortcoming, and if Alla-h tracks his shortcoming, He will expose him even in the deepest depth of his home’” (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 115).
Sulayma-n ibn Ja-bir has said, “I went to see the Messenger of Alla-h, peace and blessings of Alla-h be with him and his progeny, and said to him, ‘Teach me something good whereby Alla-h benefits me.’ He said, ‘Do not underestimate any good deed even if it is an act of pouring from your bucket into a cup of one seeking a drink, and when you meet your brother, meet him with a smile. When he goes away, do not backbite him’” (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 115).
Anas [ibn Ma-lik] has said, “The Messenger of Alla-h (ص) delivered a sermon to us once and mentioned usury, touching upon its magnanimity. He said, ‘One dirham is won by a man through usury is looked upon by Alla-h as greater than thirty-six acts of adultery a man commits. The most serious type of usury is when one speaks ill of a Muslim’s honor’” (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 116).
Ja-bir has said, “We were in the company of the Messenger of Alla-h (ص) when he approached two graves of persons being tormented. He said, ‘They are not being tormented because of having committed a major sin. One of them used to backbite people. The other was too careless to cleanse himself after urinating.’ He (ص) called for a fresh palm leaf or two which he broke, planting one on each grave. He (ص) said, ‘This will lighten their torment as long as they are not dry’” (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 116).
Anas has said, “The Messenger of Alla-h (ص) ordered people once to fast then said, ‘Nobody should break his fast till I give him permission.’ People fasted. When it was evening, a man would come and say, ‘O Messenger of Alla-h! I have kept my fast; so, please grant me permission to break my fast,’ and he would give him permission. A man came and said, ‘O Messenger of Alla-h! Two young women from among your folks have kept fasting, but they are too shy to come to you; so, please give them permission to break their fast.’ The Prophet (ص) turned away from him. The man repeated his request, whereupon the Prophet said to him, ‘They did not uphold their fast. How can one fast while eating people’s flesh? Go and tell them that if they were fasting, they should vomit.’ The man returned to the young women and narrated the above to them. They vomited. Each of them vomited a clot of blood. The man returned to the Prophet (ص) and told him about it. He (ص) said to him, ‘I swear by the One Who holds the soul of Muhammad in His hand that had they (clots) remained in their stomachs, they would have consumed them like fire.’” Another version of this incident says that when the Prophet turned away from the man, the latter returned and said, “O Messenger of Alla-h! They, by Alla-h, have almost died [of hunger and thirst].” The Prophet (ص) told the man to bring him the two women whom he ordered to vomit. Each vomited blood, filling a whole container. He (ص) then said, “These women abstained from what Alla-h had permitted them and broke their fast on what Alla-h had prohibited them. Each sat with the other and both kept eating people’s flesh” (Ihya- Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 134. Ad-Durr al-Manthu-r, Vol. 6, p. 96).
It has also been reported that “One who eats his brother’s flesh in the short life will have the flesh brought near to him in the Hereafter and it will be said to him, ‘Eat it dead as you ate it alive.’ He will eat it and will cry out and frown indignantly” (Ihya-' Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 135).
The Messenger of Alla-h (ص) stoned a man once on account of having committed adultery. Someone said to his fellow, “This man used to squirt like dogs.” The Messenger of Alla-h (ص) brought them a carcass and said to them, “Eat it.” They said, “O Messenger of Alla-h! Must we really eat a stinking carcass?!” He (ص) said, “What you have just eaten of the flesh of your brother is more stinking than it” (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 116).
Ima-m al-Sa-diq (ع) has said, “Backbiting is prohibited on every Muslim. It consumes good deeds as the fire consumes firewood” (Musba-h al-Shari-`a, pp. 204-205).
Al-Sadu-q has cited his forefathers citing Ali (ع) saying that the Messenger of Alla-h (ص) said, “Four persons shall add harm to the residents of the fire to the harm from which they already suffer: They shall be given to drink of the boiling water in hell. They shall lament, so much so that the people of the fire shall say to each other, ‘What is wrong with these four harming us in addition to the harm from which we already suffer?’ One of them will be dangling from a coffin made of burning timbers and a man runs with him. A man’s mouth will be dripping blood and pus. And a man will be eating his own flesh. It will be said to the man of the coffin, ‘What is wrong with the furthermost man, for he has added to our harm?’ He will say, ‘The furthermost man died owing people money; he did not feel like paying them back or fulfilling his obligations to them.’ Then it will be said to the man running with him, ‘What is wrong with the furthermost man who has added harm to our harm?’ He will say, ‘The furthermost man used not to care where his urine fell on his body.’ Then it will be said to the man whose mouth drips blood and pus, ‘What is wrong with the furthermost man, for he has added to our harm?’ He will say, ‘The furthermost man used to mimic people: He would look at every foul word, praise then repeat it.’ Then it will be said to the one who eats his own flesh, ‘What is wrong with the furthermost man, for he has added to our harm?’ He will say, ‘The furthermost man used to eat of people’s flesh through backbiting, slandering others’” (`Iqba-l-A`ma-l, p. 294).
Through tracking the isna-d back to the Prophet (ص), the Messenger of Alla-h (ص) said once, “One who delves into backbiting his brother, revealing his shortcomings, will have placed his first step in hell, and Alla-h will reveal his shortcoming to all creation” (`Iqa-b al-A`ma-l, p. 337).
One who backbites a Muslim will have his fast nullified, and his ablution will be void; so, if he dies in such a state, he will be regarded as having permitted what Alla-h prohibits (`Iqa-b al-A`ma-l, p. 332).
Abu- Abdulla-h (ع) has said that the Messenger of Alla-h (ص) said, “Backbiting is more swift in undermining a Muslim’s creed than the food in his stomach” (Al-Ka-fi, Vol. 2, p. 357; see also Al-Ikhtisa-s, p. 228).
The Messenger of Alla-h (ص) has said, “Sitting in a mosque waiting for the prayer is adoration as long as one does not do something awful.” It was said to him, “O Messenger of Alla-h! What is this awful thing?” He said, “Backbiting” (Rawdat al-Wa-izeen, p. 470; see also Al-Ka-fi, Vol. 2, p. 257).
The son of Abu- Omer has cited Abu- Abdulla-h (ع) saying, “One who mentions what he sees in a believer with his own eyes and hears with his own ears is included among those about whom Alla-h has said, “Those who love (to see) scandal publicized widely among the believers will have a grievous penalty in this life and in the hereafter” (Qur'a-n, 24:19); Al-Ka-fi, Vol. 2, p. 357.
Al-Mufaddal quotes [Abdulla-h] ibn Omer saying that Abu- Abdulla-h has said, “One who tells a tale about a believer whereby he intends to dishonor him, undermine his prestige and make people think lowly of him, Alla-h gets him out of His protection to the protection of Satan, and even Satan will not accept to protect him” (Al-Ka-fi, Vol. 2, p. 358; see also Al-Ikhtisa-s, p. 32).
Alla-h Almighty has inspired to Moses son of Imran [Amram] that if a backbiter repents, he will be the last to enter Paradise, and if he does not, he will be the first to enter hell (Masa-bih al-Shari-’a, p. 205).
It has been narrated that Jesus, peace be with him, and his disciples passed once by the carcass of a dog. The disciples said, “How foul its stink is!” Jesus, peace be with him, said, “How white his teeth are!” (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 117). It is as though the prophet was prohibiting them from speaking ill of the dog, attracting their attention to mentioning only what is best of Alla-h’s creations.
It has been indicated with regard to the interpretation of this verse of the Almighty: “Woe unto every (kind of) scandal-monger and backbiter” (Qur'a-n, 104:1) that the scandal-monger is one who slanders people, while the backbiter is the one who eats people’s live flesh (Ihya- `Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 135).
Al-Hassan has said, “By Alla-h! Backbiting is faster in [bearing an impact on] the faith of a believer than what he eats bears on his body” (Ihya- `Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 135).
Be informed that the reason which requires emphasizing the issue of backbiting and making it look greater than many major transgressions is its inclusion of all what contradicts the goal of the Wise One, Praised is He, unlike the rest of transgressions, for these cause partial harms.
The explanation of the above is this: The important goal of the legislator is to unite the souls on one concern, one way, which is: treading the path of Alla-h in all its provisions, what it allows or prohibits, and this cannot materialize except through cooperation and solidarity among humankinds. The latter depends on their determination being united, on their innermost becoming pure, and on their collective fellowship and love so they may be like one single slave obeying his Master. This, too, will never materialize except by getting rid of grudge, hatred, envy and the like. One who backbites his brother incurs his grudge and prompts a similar reaction. This surely is the opposite of what the legislator ultimately seeks. It is an overwhelming harm; therefore, Alla-h and His Messenger (ص) have emphasized its prohibition, warning against it, and surely success comes only from Alla-h.
Having completed what the Introduction requires, let us start delving into this book's Chapters:
Types of Gheeba
Since you have come to know that gheeba means mentioning something which displeases your brother if he comes to know about it, or if he is informed of it or his attention is brought to it, including anything relevant to a shortcoming in his physique, lineage, conduct, or anything he says or does about his creed or worldly affairs, even if it is about what he wears or rides.
Ima-m al-Sa-diq (ع) has pointed to this saying, “The facets of backbiting is that you mention a defect in form [or conduct], deeds, treatment, sect, ignorance or the like” (Musbah al-Sharee’a, p. 205).
Regarding one's physique, you may refer to his being blear-eyed, cross-eyed, one-eyed, bald, short, tall, black, yellow and anything one can imagine as being "defective" or deforming.
As for lineage, one may say that someone’s father is a debauchee, mean, low, a shoe-mender, merchant, weaver, ignorant or the like, anything which one may dislike no matter what it is, period.
As for conduct, one may say that someone is bad-mannered, tricky, haughty, bragging, irritable, coward, weak-hearted, etc.
As regarding his creed-related deeds, you may say that he is a thief, liar, wine drinker, betrayer, oppressor, does not take his daily prayers seriously, his bowing and prostrating are not good, he takes no precautions with regard to cleansiness, unkind to his parents, does not safeguard himself from backbiting or speaking ill of people’s honor, etc.
As regarding his worldly deeds, it is like your saying that he is impolite, does not take people seriously, feels no obligation towards anyone, talkative, glutton, sleeps too much or sits where he does not belong, etc.
With regard to dressing himself, you may say that his sleeves are too wide, his robe drags behind him, his clothes are not clean, and the like.
Be informed that backbiting is not confined to articulation. Rather, it is prohibited because it conveys to others a shortcoming in/about your brother, identifying him in a way which he hates. Exposing him is similar to scandalizing him about anything relevant to any action such as speech, signal, gesture, beckon, defamation, censure, motion… and everything which lets the other person form a bad impression. All these fall in the category of backbiting and are equivalent to articulation of a thought the pronouncement of which is prohibitive.
An example for this is narrated about `Aisha having said, “A woman came to us once. When she left, I signaled with my hand that she was short. The Prophet (ص) told me that I had thus backbitten her” (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 118).
Another example is mimicking. One walks as though he is lame or imitating someone's gait. It is backbiting. It is even more so; it is greater in conveying a picture and thus getting an idea across. It also includes backbiting by writing. A book, it is said, is one of the two tongues. Also included is one who mentions a particular classifier and misrepresents his statements in his own book unless he mentions excuses requiring it such as ijtiha-d issues without which the goal behind a fatwa is not reached, or producing evidence for the point he drives unless he labels as "wrong" someone else's statements and the like.
Still included is one saying something like this: "One of those who passed by us, etc.," or "Someone we saw today looks like such-and-such, etc." Thus, a particular individual is understood to be implied by the statement. What one should avoid is getting others to identify who exactly he means. If such an individual is not thus identified, understood to be the one spoken about, it is alright. The Messenger of Alla-h (ص), whenever he saw someone doing something which he hated would say, "What is wrong with people who do such-and-such?" (Ihya- Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 137). He would not specify.
Among the most harmful types of backbiting is one done by pretenders who would like others to characterize them as being men of understanding. They convey their thoughts in the method employed by true righteous and pious people so they may pretend to be above backbiting while transmitting their thought. Due to their ignorance, they thus combine two sins: pretension and backbiting.
An example for it is that one hears someone mentioning the name of someone else, so he says, "Praise be to Alla-h Who did not afflict us with love for authority" or for love for this world, or to seem in a particular way similar to the individual mentioned. Or one may say, "We seek refuge with Alla-h against immodesty" or against ill luck, or "We plead to Alla-h to protect us from such-and-such." Actually, one merely praising Alla-h for not making him the opposite of what another person is characterized is regarded as backbiting in the form of supplication while hiding under the cloak of men of righteousness. His intention is actually to mention that person's fault by saying something which includes both backbiting and pretension even as he supplicates to Alla-h to rid him of sins, not knowing that he already has committed these sins; in fact, he has committed the worst of these sins.
An example for the above is when one starts by praising someone whom he wants to backbite, so he says, "How good the condition of so-and so! He never fell short of performing his acts of adoration, but lately he has slackened and has been afflicted with that whereby we all are afflicted: impatience." Thus, he speaks ill of himself while in reality he intends to speak ill of someone else. He praises himself by comparing himself with the righteous as the latter condemn their evil-insinuating selves.
Thus, he backbites; he is being a pretender. He praises himself, combining three sins while, due to his ignorance, he thinks he is among the righteous who are above backbiting others. Thus does Satan play havoc with ignorant folks if they seek knowledge but act without having become fully acquainted with the paths of such knowledge. Satan follows them and surrounds their deeds with his schemes, laughing at them and making fun of them.
Also included is one who mentions someone's shortcoming, but nobody among his audience notices it, so he says, "Praise be to Alla-h! How strange it is!" The backbiter indicates so in the hope the inattentive person may listen to him carefully and get to understand his hint. He mentions the Name of Alla-h, Praise to Him, using His Name as a means to achieve his own meanness and falsehood. Due to his ignorance and conceit, he thinks he is doing Alla-h a favor by mentioning His Name.
Also included is one who says that someone did such-and-such or has been afflicted with such-and-such. He may even say, "Our fellow, friend, may Alla-h grant him and our own selves acceptance of repentance…, etc." Thus, he pretends to supplicate for him, feeling pain on his account, being a friend and a fellow, while Alla-h is acquainted with the meanness of his inner self and the corruption of his conscience. Due to his ignorance, he does not know that he has exposed himself to a greater contempt than that to which the ignorant ones are exposed when they openly backbite.
Among its hidden types is listening to backbiting in the way of expressing amazement. One demonstrates amazement in order to energize the backbiter as the latter is at it, encouraging him to continue backbiting, as if he is extracting backbiting out of him in such a way. He may say, "I have been amazed at what you have just stated. Till now, I never knew it! I did not know that that individual is like that!" He wants to testify to the backbiter being truthful, asking him in a nice way to provide him with more. Testifying to the truth of backbiting, actually even listening to it, even remaining silent about it, is by itself an act of backbiting.
The Messenger of Alla-h (ص) has said, "One who listens (to backbiting) is one of the two backbiters" (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 119). Ima-m Ali (ع) has said, "One who listens to backbiting is one of those who backbite" (Ghurar al-Hikam, p. 74).
He (ع) means that if one listens to backbiting with enjoyment, not (necessarily) agreeing, or who can deny what he hears but does not do so, is included in the sin. Since both individuals, the one who listens to, or who hears in such a way of enjoyment, actually backbite, this is due to his sharing the pleasure which the backbiter feels when he backbites. It is due to their minds, both of them, being conditioned with contemptible images which should not be there even when they differ in the fact that one of them is articulating and the other is being receptive. But each of them is using a mechanism that helps him backbite: One of them uses his tongue to express a soul that has been polluted by drawing images of lies, prohibitions and the determination to be involved in them. The other listens as his soul accepts such effects due to taking such a bad option, becoming used to them, accustomed to it, enabling the poisoning of the subconscious mind with falsehood.
An example for the above is the wise saying that the listener is the speaker's partner. In the previous example, there is an indication that when the Prophet (ص) said to one of the men who said about another that the latter squirted like dogs, "Eat of this carcass!", thus putting them both in the same box although one of them was a speaker and the other a listener. The listener does not get out of the sin of backbiting except if he rejects it by his tongue, but if he fears, he rejects it by his heart. If he can stand and leave or interrupt such talk with something else but does not, the sin will be attached to him. Had he said with his tongue, "Shut your mouth!" while inwardly he liked to hear, it would have been hypocrisy, another sin added. Nothing gets him out of the sin (of backbiting) unless he sincerely hates it with his heart.
The Prophet (ص) is reported as having said, "One who witnesses a believer being humiliated without supporting him, while being able to do so, will be humiliated by Alla-h on the Day of Judgment as the creation looks on" (Ihya- Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 138).
Abu- al-Darda-' is quoted as having said that the Messenger of Alla-h (ص) had said, "One who protects his brother's honor as it is charged with backbiting, Alla-h will protect his honor on the Judgment Day" (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 119).
He (ص) has also said, "One who defends his brother's honor with regard to backbiting, Alla-h will set him free from the fire" (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 119).
Through his isna-d to the Messenger of Alla-h (ص), al-Sadu-q has stated that the Prophet (ص) said, "One who defends on behalf of his brother, because of backbiting which he had heard in a gathering and which he refutes, Alla-h will close a thousand gates of evil in his face in the life of this world and in the hereafter. But if he does not refute it while being able to do so, his burden will be seventy times as much as that of the person who had backbitten him" (Al-Sadu-q's A`ma-li, p. 350).
Through isna-d to Ima-m al-Ba-qir (ع), the Ima-m said, "One who listens to his believing brother being backbitten, so he defends and supports him, Alla-h will support him in the life of this world and in the hereafter. Alla-h will abandon one who does not defend such a brother, while being able to defend and help him, in the life of this world and in the hereafter" (Al-Maha-sin, p. 103, tradition No. 81).
Be informed that one is prohibited from speaking ill of a believer, and he is prohibited from mentioning the wrongdoings of others. He also is prohibited from thinking ill and from contemplating it inwardly. What is meant by the inwardly evil thought, which is prohibited, is judging one as being a wrongdoer without making sure about it.
As regarding illicit thoughts, and since its insinuations are forgiven, doubt in this sense is also forgiven; Alla-h Almighty has said, "O you who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible), for suspicion in some cases is a sin, and do not spy on each other, nor speak ill of others by way of backbiting. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay! You would abhor it... but fear Alla-h, for Alla-h is oft-Returning, Most Merciful" (Qur'a-n, 49:12).
You have no right to think ill of someone unless you see with your own eyes what has no room for interpretation. If you do not know something, yet it finds its place in your heart, Satan places it there, and you ought to belie it, for it is the worst type of sin. Alla-h Almighty has said, "O you who believe! If a wicked person comes to you with any news, ascertain the truth lest you should harm people unwittingly and afterwards become full of repentance for what you have done" (Qur'a-n, 49:6). Eblis must not be believed.
In such a situation, the Shari-`a says that if you detect the smell of wine in someone, you cannot judge that he has drunk wine, and he is not to be penalized on its account, for it is possible he gargled it and detested it, or he was forced to drink it, and both are possible; so, a Muslim must not be the object of our suspicion.
The Prophet (ص) has said, "Alla-h Almighty prohibits a Muslim from having a free hand in another Muslim's life or possession even if he thinks ill of him" (Ihya-' Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 142). Hence, ill thoughts are not permitted unless the shedding of blood and the confiscation of wealth become permissible: One is sure by seeing or due to fair evidence, or their equivalent among matters which bring about conviction, or whatever the Shari-`a deems as being certain.
The father of Abdulla-h (ع) is quoted as having said, "If a believer accuses his believing brother of something, conviction (ima-n) melts in his heart just as salt melts in water" (Al-Ka-fi, Vol. 2, p. 361).
He (ع) has also said, "If one charges his brother about his creed, the sanctity between them will be violated" (Al-Ka-fi, Vol. 2, p. 361). He (ع) has also said, "The Commander of the Faithful (ع) has said, 'Think best of your brother till something convinces you of the contrary, and do not think ill of something which your brother says if you can at all find a good justification for it" (Al-Ka-fi, Vol. 2, p. 362), that is, think well of what your brother says or does even if it can be interpreted differently without having to spy on him till you come to know about something which has no room for interpretation, for ill thoughts can be wrong whereas spying is prohibitive.
The way whereby one can get to know what the heart contemplates, whether it is an ill thought or an insinuation, is that you subject yourself to a test. If you change and your heart is displeased with him, or if you belittle him, or if you are reluctant to look after him, to find out how he is doing, to honor him, to care about his condition and feel sad because his condition has changed…, it is a sign that doubt has entertained your mind.
The Ima-m (ع) has said, "Three things in a believer for which there is a way out: One's exit out of an ill thought is not to think of it as being certain (Ihya-' Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 143), that is, do not carry out an investigation through thoughts or actions, neither in the heart nor in the senses. As regarding the heart, it is through turning it towards revulsion and contempt. Regarding the senses, it is acting upon them. What ought to be done when an illicit thought about a believer is entertained is that one increases paying good attention to him and supplicating for him, for this angers Satan and it thus is pushed away from you. Satan will then avoid casting an illicit thought in your mind out of his fear you would supplicate for your brother and look after him, which is the opposite of his goal.
No matter how many faults about a believer you come to know, advise him inwardly, and do not let Satan deceive you and call upon you to backbite him. If you admonish him, do not do so while you are pleased you came to know about his shortcoming so he may think highly of you while you think lowly of him, while you see yourself as being higher in status than him by token of your admonishment of him. Rather, let your objective be ridding him of the sin, and you feel sorry for him just as you would feel sorry for yourself if a shortcoming is attached to you.
You ought to think inwardly that leaving him without advising him is dearer to you than leaving him on account of an advice with which you admonished him. If you do so, you will have combined the rewards of admonishment with the rewards of feeling sad about your brother's misfortune as well as the reward for helping him keep his faith strong.
One of the fruits of ill thoughts is spying. The heart is not convinced with doubts. It demands an investigation. Thus, one occupies himself by spying, something which is prohibitive.
Alla-h Almighty says, "… And do not spy (on each other)" (Qur'a-n, 49:12). Alla-h, praise belongs to Him, has prohibited in this verse backbiting, ill thoughts and spying. The meaning of spying is that you do not leave the servants of Alla-h being shielded by Alla-h's covering, so you seek to familiarize yourself (with what they try to hide or conceal), thus tearing apart this covering. Had you kept that covering as it is, it would have been better for your heart and creed; so, think about it, may you be guided rightly, and surely success comes from Alla-h.
Preventive Treatment of Gheeba
Be informed that all ill manners are treated with a mixture of knowledge and the acting upon such knowledge. The treatment of an ailment is done with the opposite of its cause, its antidote. So, let us look first for the cause behind backbiting, we will then state how a tongue is restrained from articulating it in a way that suits the treatment of these causes.
We are stating below some of the causes that have been indicated as resulting in backbiting, and they are ten in number. Ima-m al-Sa-diq (ع) has drawn attention to it by saying that the root of backbiting is of ten types: 1. seeking satisfaction for one's anger, 2. agreeing with some people, 3. believing a report without verifying it, 4. an accusation, 5. ill thinking, 6. jealousy, 7. ridicule, 8. conceit, 9. displeasure, and 10. bragging (Misbah al-Shari'a, p. 205).
Now we point out to them in detail:
First: One seeks to satisfy his anger. If one has a reason to be angry, and when his anger rages, he seeks to quell it by mentioning the faults of the individual who caused him to grow angry, and he would first do so by his tongue unless he is pious, God-fearing. One may avoid having to satisfy his anger, so his anger is stored inwardly, turning into a fixed grudge. This will become a permanent cause for mentioning those faults.
Grudge and anger are major causes for backbiting.
Second: Agreeing with some companions and being nice to fellows by assisting them with such talk. If they have fun speaking ill of some people's honor, one may see that if he disagrees or terminates a gathering, he will be belittled by the others who will avoid him, so he agrees with them, seeing that doing so is indicative of good companionship, and he thinks he is just being nice to his companions. His companions may get angry, so he, too, feels he should be angry, too, seeing it as a sign of good companionship when sharing with his fellows their sentiments openly as well as inwardly. He, therefore, takes part in mentioning others' faults and shortcomings.
Third: One may sense that someone targets him and speaks ill of him or of his condition in front of a good person, or he may testify against him, so he takes the initiative and speaks ill of him in order to foil the impact of his testimony and action. Or he may start by mentioning how one truly is so after that he may tell lies about him. Thus, he circulates his lies by first being truthful. He seeks support from facts saying, "It is not my habit to tell a lie, for I have told you such-and-such about his conditions, and he has been just as I had said."
Fourth: Something may be attributed to someone, so the latter wants to clear himself of it. He, hence, speaks ill of the person who had done so. He had the right to clear himself of the charge without mentioning the name of the person who charged him. He does not have to make a connection between the charge and the person who made it. He does not have to tell others that he was a partner in an action in order to pave the way for finding for himself an excuse for his deed.
Fifth: Affectation and bragging: One may try to raise his status above that of others, so he labels someone as ignorant, weak of understanding, weak in stating something with the goal being to prove that he is better than him. He wants to show others that he is better than that person, or he may thus take a precaution against people honoring someone as much as they honor that person, so he belittles him.
Sixth: Jealousy: One may feel jealous of someone praised, loved or honored by others, so he wants these blessings to be removed from that individual. He finds no way to do so except by speaking ill of him. He wants to discredit that person to people so they may stop honoring and praising him because it is heavy on his heart to see people praising him, honoring him. Such is jealousy, and it is anger and grudge. One may be jealous of a benevolent friend or a relative who is in harmony with him.
Seventh: Sporting, jesting, agreeing with others and having fun laughing at others: One may mention someone else in a way that prompts the listeners to laugh when he imitates him or seeks to show that he is better than him.
Eighth: Ridiculing, making fun of someone in order to downgrade him: This may take place in the presence of someone or behind someone's back as well, and it originates in one being arrogant and desiring to belittle one whom he ridicules.
Ninth: This is difficult to detect and may cause even the elite or cautious persons to fall into speaking ill of others: One may feel sad because of something with which someone is afflicted, so he says, "Poor so-and-so, I am really sad about what has happened to him and about his affliction." He would then mention the cause of his sadness. He will then be truthful if it comes to the reason behind his grief, but his grief distracts him from taking precaution, so he mentions his name and says something which that person hates. He will in that case be backbiting him. His grief and his seeking Alla-h's mercy for him are acts of righteousness, but they led him to evil without being aware of it. Seeking Alla-h's mercy for someone and feeling sad about someone are both possible without one having to mention the name of an individual then attributing to him what he dislikes. Satan stirs him to mention his name in order to void the rewards of his grief and his pleading to Alla-h to have mercy on him.
Tenth: Feeling angry for the sake of Alla-h Almighty: One may feel angry because of something wrong which someone did, so he shows his anger and mentions that person's wrongdoing, thus committing a wrongdoing himself without prohibiting a wrong deed. What he should have done is to show his anger specifically in that manner. This is a pitfall in which even the elite may fall. They think that feeling angry for the sake of Alla-h Almighty is an excuse no matter how it is expressed, but it is not so.
If you come to know that these are the causes of backbiting, be informed that the path towards preventing the tongue from backbiting is of two types: One of them is general, whereas the other is particular: Regarding generality, one must know that he exposes himself to the wrath of Alla-h Almighty when he backbites, as you have already come to know from the previous reports. And he must be informed that such wrath voids his good deeds, his acts of righteousness. On the Day of Judgment, backbiting shifts his good deeds to the scales of those whom he had backbitten. If he has no good deeds, the backbitten person's wrongdoings will then be shifted to the backbiter's scales, and he remains the object of the wrath of Alla-h Almighty and will be like one eating dead flesh.
It has been narrated about the Prophet (ص) that he said, "Fire burning what is dry is not faster than backbiting as it burns the good deeds of a servant of Alla-h" (Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 140).
It has been narrated that a man said to a man of virtue, "It has come to my knowledge that you speak ill of me behind my back." The virtuous man said, "Your status in my eyes does not permit me to let you fare thus with my own good deeds!"
No matter how much one believes in reports coming to him, his tongue must not articulate backbiting. He must fear for his good deeds being thus burnt. It also avails him if he looks at his own self. If he finds fault with himself, he ought to feel ashamed lest he should leave himself out while speaking ill of others. Rather, he ought to know that if others are unable to rise above committing backbiting, whether it is relevant to something which he did by choice or because of a deformity or shortcoming in him, he likewise is unable to rise to admit his own defects and shortcomings.
If the matter is relevant to his physique, speaking ill of it is actually speaking ill of its Creator, for when one faults something, he faults its maker. Someone once said to a wise man, "How ugly your face is!" The wise man said, "I had no choice in creating my face so I would make it very good." If one does not find fault with himself, let him thank Alla-h and not pollute himself with the greatest of faults, for finding fault with people and eating their dead flesh is surely the greatest of all faults. He will then be faulty. Had he been fair to himself, he would have realized that his belief that he is faultless proves the extent of his ignorance of himself, which is one of the greatest of all faults.
It behooves him to know that when others suffer because he backbites them, he likewise suffers when others backbite him. If he does not like others to backbite him, he ought not accept others to be backbitten.
Such are general remedies.
As regarding delving into the details, one ought to look into the reason that prompts him to backbite and deal with it, for an ailment is treated by eradicating its cause. And you have already come to know the causes behind backbiting:
o Regarding anger, he can treat it by saying, "If I overlook my anger with him, perhaps Alla-h Almighty will overlook His wrath against me because of speaking ill of others behind their backs, for He has prohibited me from doing it, yet I dared to defy his prohibition, taking His prohibition lightly." He (ع) has said, "There is a gate to hell which is entered only by those who satisfied their personal anger by angering Alla-h Almighty through committing a transgression" (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 121). In one of the Books which Alla-h Almighty has revealed, it is stated: "O son of Adam! Remember Me when you are angry so I may remember you when I am angry, perhaps I will not include you among those whom I obliterate" (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 121)
o Regarding agreeing with others, you must come to know that Alla-h Almighty is angry with you if you seek to anger Him by thus pleasing others. So, how can you honor others while dishonoring your Lord? How can you avoid pleasing Him by seeking to please them, unless your anger is solely for the sake of pleasing Alla-h Almighty, and this requires you not to speak ill of one with whom you are angry? Rather, you ought to feel angry for the sake of Alla-h: If your fellows speak ill of Him, they commit the most foul of all sins: backbiting.
o Regarding one trying to raise his status at the expense of that of others, without mentioning the name of those others, this situation is treated by knowing that if you expose yourself to the wrath of the Creator, it is much more severe than being exposed to the contempt of His creation. If you backbite, you are for sure exposing yourself to the wrath of Alla-h Almighty while not knowing if you will get rid of people's wrath or not. So, you save yourself in this life by your whim while permitting yourself to perish in the hereafter. Or you for sure lose the rewards of your good deeds while earning the contempt of the Almighty, expecting people to remove their speaking ill of you, which is the utmost ignorance and loss of all.
o Regarding your statement that you consume what is prohibitive because so-and-so does it, and if you do such-and-such, someone else is doing the same, or if you fall short in an act of obedience to the Almighty, someone else is likewise guilty of the same…, it is an indication of your ignorance because you are seeking to emulate those whom you are not supposed to emulate. Anyone who violates the command of Alla-h is not to be emulated whoever he may be.
If someone else is hurled into the fire while you are able not to avoid entering it, you should not be in agreement with that person. Had you agreed with him, you would have lost your wits. What you state is backbiting and an additional transgression which you piled up on that from which you sought an excuse for yourself. The Almighty will then have recorded your name as having combined two sins due to your ignorance and stupidity. You were like a she-camel looking at a goat that fell from the mountain, so it, too, throws itself from up high. Had she had a tongue and articulated an excuse, she would have said, "The goat was wiser, yet she perished, and so did I." You would then have laughed on account of her ignorance. But your condition is similar to hers, yet you do not wonder, nor do you laugh at yourself.
o When it comes to your objective behind bragging and praising yourself in order to gain more recognition by speaking ill of others, you ought to know that due to what you stated, you lost your status with Alla-h while jeopardizing your status among the public: People may think less of you if they come to know that you speak ill of others. You will then have sold what the Creator has for sure in store with Him, trading it for what people have with them due to your own whim. If people think well of you, it will not help you win favor with the Almighty at all.
o Backbiting someone because of envy combines two types of penalties: You have envied him for a worldly blessing while your envy torments you. Yet you were not satisfied with all of this till you added to it a torment in the hereafter, thus losing in the short life as well as in the hereafter; hence, you combine two punishments. You targeted the one whom you envied while harming your own self. You have given him by way of a gift the rewards of your own good deeds; thus, you are his friend and the enemy of your own self! Your act of backbiting him does not harm him but harms you while benefiting him! It shifts your own good deeds to him or shifts to you his wrongdoings which do not benefit you at all. You thus combine the ugliness of envy with foolish ignorance. Your envy and speaking ill of him may become the reason for the individual whom you envy gaining more prestige. It has been said that if Alla-h wants a forgotten virtue to be disseminated, He permits an envious tongue to propagate it.
o You mean by ridiculing someone to demean him by actually demeaning your own self in the sight of Alla-h, His angels and prophets. Had you contemplated upon your shame, infamy, sigh and sorrow on the Day when you bear the sins of the person whom you ridiculed and when you are led to the fire, this would have shocked you and distracted you from shaming your fellow. Had you come to know your condition, you would have preferred to laugh at its account, for you ridiculed him before a small number of people while exposing yourself to your hands being taken on the Judgment Day and led away before a huge crowd of people. You will be led away under the burden of that person's own sins like a donkey led to the fire, while he ridicules you and is pleased at you being thus shamed, happy because Alla-h supports him against you and seeks revenge against you for his own benefit.
o As regarding pleading to Alla-h to have mercy on him on account of his own sin, it is something good, but Eblis envied you and made you articulate something because of which the rewards of your good deeds are shifted to someone else. And it is more so than the rewards which you gain for having pleaded to Alla-h to have mercy on him. Thus, the one for whom mercy is sought gets out of the category of one in need of mercy while you yourself become worthy of being stoned: Your [hypocritical] plea foiled your rewards and diminished your good deeds.
o Feeling angry for the sake of Alla-h does not necessitate backbiting. Satan made backbiting look good to you so the rewards for your anger are voided, and you become the target of the wrath of Alla-h Almighty because of being guilty of backbiting.
As a whole, the treatment for all of this comes through knowledge which is achieved by considering these matters that are among the divisions of conviction (ima-n). One whose conviction is strong through combining all of the above prevents himself from committing the sin of backbiting, that is for sure.
Permissible Backbiting
Be informed that mentioning one's wrongdoing is a sound objective according to the Shari-`a in order to achieve one's objective for the removal of such wrongdoing. Thus, the sin of backbiting is voided, but this is limited to ten situations:
First: One seeks redress. If someone mentions the name of a judge as being unjust, treacherous and accepting bribes, he is one who backbites while being a transgressor. As far as a judge is concerned, one can complain about him to someone who he hopes can remove his injustice. He will be attributing injustice to such a judge who is the only person who can grant him what rightfully belongs to him.
The Messenger of Alla-h (ص) has said, "One with a [usurped] right has the right to complain about it" (Ihya- Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 144).
H (ص) has also said, "A rich person commits injustice if he looks down at others" (Al-`Awa-li, Vol. 4, p. 45).
Second: One seeks help to correct a wrongdoing. One has the right to seek help to correct a wrongdoing and bring an aggressor back to the path of righteousness. In the achievement of this sound objective, the matter is alright but is prohibitive otherwise.
Third: One seeks someone's opinion, such as you may say this to someone: "My father—or brother—has been unfair to me; so, what is the way out of it?" In this regard, it is safest if one refrains from identifying the oppressor. For example, one may say, "What would you say about a man whose father or brother has oppressed him?"
It has been narrated that Hind said to the Prophet (ص), "Abu- Sufya-n is a miser man; he does not give me money to meet my needs and those of my children. Should I take some of his money without his knowledge?" He said, "Take only what suffices you and your children fairly" (Ihya- Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 144). She complained about not having enough to spend on herself and her children, so the Messenger of Alla-h (ص) did not rebuke her since her objective was to seek his opinion.
Fourth: One warns another Muslim against falling in danger, in evil, and how one seeking counsel is to be advised. If you see someone pretending to be a faqi-h (jurist), pretending to be someone whom he is not, you have to attract people's attention to his shortcoming and inability to rightfully qualify himself. You must alert them about the danger that may fall upon them if they obey him. Also, if you see a man making too frequent visits to the house of a debauchee who is covering up for him, and if you are concerned about this man falling down on account of such companionship in a way which violates the Shari-`a, you have the right to attract his attention to this person being a sinner no matter what motive you have, whether it may be concern about the dissemination of an innovation in the creed or the spread of corruption.
This may be prompted by conceit and Satan's foolhardiness, for your motive may be envy of that man because of the status which he enjoys. Satan will then confuse you when you pretend to have compassion for people. Also, if you see a man buying a slave, and if you know that this slave has defects, you can mention these defects to the buyer, for if you remain silent, you will be harming the buyer. Your stating these faults harms the slave, but the interest of the buyer ought first to be taken into consideration.
And you have to mention only the defect which is relevant to the matter and not mention anything relevant to anything else that may undermine the partnership, the contract, or one's trip. Rather, you must mention in each situation what is relevant to it and not go beyond it aiming at advising rather than harming. If a man shies away from getting married when you advise him that marriage will not be good for him, you will be doing what you ought to be doing. But if one is not dissuaded except when explicitly told about something, let it be so.
The Prophet (ص) has said, "Do you hesitate to name a corrupt person before people find it out? Say that against which people ought to guard themselves" (Ihuya- Ulu-m ad-Di-n, Vol. 3, p. 144).
He (ص) has also said to Fa-tima daughter of Qays when she consulted him about men seeking her for marriage, "As regarding Mu'a-wiyah, he is a penniless pauper. Regarding Abu- Jahm, he never lets the [whipping] baton descend from his shoulder" (Al-`Awa-li, Vol. 1, p. 155).
Fifth: Slandering and making amends for both an eyewitness and a narrator: Scholars have written about narrators of traditions, dividing them into "trustworthy" and "doubted", often mentioning the reasons behind their being doubted. A sincere advice is shared in this situation, as we have stated above, when it is meant to protect the Muslims' wealth, control over what they say and protect them all from telling lies.
And it is conditional upon one having neither animosity nor fanaticism nor stating anything that violates his testimony and narrative, and he does not stand hostile to others such as being a man of taunting or casting doubts except, perhaps, when he openly commits transgression as we will state later.
Sixth: The object of the statement must deserve it because he is a pretender on its account such as a sinner who openly shows his sin, so much so that he does not hesitate to talk about the sin which he commits. He must be referred to with regard to what he admits and nothing more.
The Messenger of Alla-h (ص) has said, "One who puts down the covering of modesty from his face, to backbite him is not a sin at all" (Al-`Awa-li, Vol. 1, p. 105). From this, it is quite obvious that to backbite him is permissible even if the sin is not mentioned. Regarding the permission to absolutely backbite the debauchee, the possibility stems from this statement of the Prophet (ص): "A debauchee is not backbitten" (Al-`Awa-li, Vol. 1, p. 438, tradition No. 153).
It is stated that the tradition must be understood as applicable to a particular debauchee or to [backbite him in order to] force him to stop his committing sins. Such is better except when the matter is attached to a religious objective and a sound goal which goes back to the backbiter who hopes the individual will on its account stop committing his sin. It will then enter the category of preventing a wrongdoing.
Seventh: One must be widely known by a name whereby his defect is identified, such as "the lame" or "the blear-eyed", etc. There is no sin if one identifies him by it. Scholars have done so due to the need for identification and because it has become so common, the individual himself no longer hates it, having come to know that he has become famous on its account.
In fact, what the reliable scholars have indicated can be relied upon with regard to their narrative.
As regarding identifying those who are still living, it is conditional on the acceptance of the individual to whom it is attributed as a general criterion for prohibition. In that case, it is not categorized as backbiting. How can it be since when one can be identified by some other way, it would have been better?
Eighth: If the number of individuals, according to whom a penalty is to be exacted for a sin, are eyewitnesses to the committing of that sin, it can be mentioned to the rulers as a testimony even in the presence of the doer or in his absence. It must not be mentioned in any other situation except if it meets other criteria.
Ninth: It has been said that if two persons witness a transgression committed, and one of them stated it in the absence of that transgressor, it is permissible because mentioning it has no impact on the listener although he ought to protect himself and his tongue from mentioning it for any other purpose especially with the possibility of forgetting the statement or out of concern it will be disseminated because of them.
Tenth: If someone listened to someone else backbiting another without knowing the rights of the person being backbitten or whether what is being said does not actually exist, the speaker cannot be prevented from articulating it due to the possibility it could be true, and the speaker may be accepted as factual unless he is known to be otherwise.
Deterring him from such talk requires the violation of his own sanctity, being one of the individuals involved. It is better to draw attention to such a situation unless general evidences surface that have no room for rebuttal. It is evident that the general will is to be cautious about ignorant folks being tempted in its regard. If this is done to those whom you know, the general evidences would not have surfaced, and they would not have been taken into consideration with regard to the listener due to the speaker perhaps knowing how to make his statement plausible, and it undermines the principle of prohibiting backbiting.
This individual is held as exceptional with regard to hearing backbiting, and it has already been stated that he is one of those who take part in backbiting.
Generally speaking, a virtuous soul takes precaution against backbiting although sometimes it is preferred that one tells what he knows so others may take their own precaution against a particular individual or action.
The testimony for its absolute prohibition, as has already been stated, is this statement of the Prophet (ص): "Do you know what backbiting is?" They said, "Alla-h and His Messenger know best." He (ص) said, "It is saying something about your brother which he does not like" (Tanbi-h al-Khawa-tir, Vol. 1, p. 118).
As regarding its permissibility, such as the response to innovations and the shaming of the debauchees from among them, getting people to stay away from them and taking precautions against following them, this is described as obligatory: It is possible and is preferable, and it is relied upon to achieve all these objectives. So, a vigilant person must not overlook the objective and the reform it contains, and surely Alla-h is the One Who grants success.
Sheikh Taqi ad-Din Ibraim, son of Ali al-`Amili
| EAT AND DRINK, BUT WAST NOT IN EXTRAVAGANCE- THE HOLY QURAN | for everyone |
"And eat and drink, but waste not in extravagance. Certainly He (Allah) likes not those who waste in extravagance." (7:31)
Extravagance (Israaf) is one of those types of sins that most of us often indulge in without really realizing. And that's because there is no uniform reason or way of spending "excessively". Some of us are extravagant in the attempt to achieve self-satisfaction and temporary happiness in this world, while for others, the drive is unconstrained greed and pride. Whatever the justification, one scary vibe which the aforementioned Qur'anic verse gives off is that our Lord possibly dislikes a vast range of practicing Muslims, particularly in the West.
Israaf is a major problem in the Muslim community, and honestly speaking, I'm probably just as guilty as everyone else when it comes to it. The generalization is that we have two types of people in our communities:
- The "loaded" ones who constantly overspend and are extravagant and
- The "stingy" ones who constantly "under-spend" and are nowhere near extravagant.
But a closer look at both categories will reveal that both are equally extravagant, yet in slightly different ways. Families who eat and dress modestly may have large mansions and more cars then they have family members, while families who have more than a dozen people willingly cramped under the one roof find it necessary to go on vacation several times a year and own 100 outfits each to wear at mosque. Down to the core of the matter, the Muslim community is either in denial or facing some sort of an extravagance identification crisis. To define overspending, Imam Ali (peace be upon him) has said, "To consume more than needed is extravagance."
Before everyone starts the "it is our God-given right to enjoy all the pleasures of Allah" tirade, it's best to understand that obviously, this rule has its limitations. As often assumed when someone raises the issue of Israaf, I'm in no way suggesting the extreme that everyone should move into cardboard houses and adapt to a vegetarian diet with the most exciting thing on the menu being lentils. Of course, according to Islam it is highly recommended that we provide our families with a pleasant and comfortable lifestyle. We are more than welcome to enjoy the pleasures which Allah has provided us. While being modest, we are permitted to eat and wear what pleases us and live in houses and have luxuries which we enjoy.
However, one of the main reasons why Allah has warned us of spending extravagantly is that we undoubtedly become excessively attached to the materialistic pleasures and satisfactions of this world to the extent that it tampers with our faith. Imam Ali al-Hadi (peace be upon him) has warned us that people are respected in this world for possessing wealth and in the Hereafter for possessing righteous deeds.
In the midst of those shopping sprees, we often lose track of or sadly rearrange our Islamic priorities in life. This becomes a problem when we own several houses but as a community we fail to generate enough funds for a proper place of worship, we've got houses with home theaters at the expense of prayer rooms, we go for vacation around the world instead of going for Hajj even once, we've got women who own more gold than their ears can carry and literally enough Bollywood outfits to dress all the women in a poor village somewhere in South Asia. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) has said, "The destruction of my female followers lies in two things – gold and immodest clothes. And the destruction of my male followers is in abandoning knowledge and compiling wealth." This is exactly what Israaf is doing to so many of us today.
When overspending, we need to ask ourselves: what will this wastefulness earn me in terms of rewards from our Lord? Am I being extravagant at the expense of depriving my less fortunate Muslim brothers and sisters of their right to financial support? Forget the additional charity donations, if everyone in the community paid their obligatory Islamic dues in the form ofKaffara, Khums, Zakat, and Fitra and took out the occasional Sadqa, not only will we have better established Islamic centers and communities in the West, we will also be able to provide the neglected and not-so-well-off Muslim families in our communities with the support they need to maintain a bare minimum comfortable lifestyle.
We've been encouraged to enjoy the pleasures which Allah has blessed us with while maintaining a balance. We must not be overwhelmed by the beauty and elegance of such materialistic luxuries of this world that it even partly consumes us and our faith. Imam Kadhim (peace be upon him) has said, "The likeness of this world is as a snake which is soft to the touch, while there is killing poison in its inside. Possessors of wisdom avoid it, but naive children are fond of it and like to catch it with their hands." Being cautious of extravagance is a way for us to gain nearness to our Lord, the ultimate Nourisher, and subsequently nourish our worldly desires also.
posted by ABBAS ALAM @ 06:54
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