Sins of the Tongue.

Sins of the Tongue by: Sheikh Saad Tasleem.

One of the reasons Allah sent Islam to mankind is to solve and rectify society so that humans can live in harmony. So many regulations have come and protected Islamic society and its people.Your, blood, property and honor are Haram upon you, that is, the honor and property of your brothers in Islam. Islam holds us accountable for every single thing that we say. Allah says that all our words are written. The sins of the tongue are considered enormously in Islam. We don’t make a big deal of them but we don’t realize. For example: backbiting.Some people don’t understand what the sins of the tongue are. The prophet (S.A.W) described backbiting as

“To mention something about your brother which they dislike.”

The Prophet (S.A.W) further said if you say something about them which are true, that is backbiting and if you say something which is untrue that is slander. You have to judge you speech by thinking if this person will like it or not.

According to Imam Hassan Al-Basri, what you say bad about someone will fall into any of the three categories.

·       Backbiting

·       Slander

·       Ifk: rumor-mongering.

Human beings have a desire to seek revenge to those who backbite or slander with them. The prophet (S.A.W) emphasized that the bankrupt person is one who comes with lots of good deeds on that day but he will be bankrupt because of his backbiting or slander against someone. His A’amaal will be handed out to the others whom he spoke about. The good deeds will be the currency for that day. When we speak badly about someone out of revenge, we are harming ourselves.

Adults can also fall into peer-pressure. To feel like being a part of conversation, they join in the backbiting session although they may not know the person.

When someone is being talked about, a Muslim only has three options.

·       Come out and defend the person who is being talked about.

·       Stop the people who are talking bad.

·       Get up and leave. A believer will not sit there and listen to the sin happening.

That is not okay for a Muslim to be an active participant of such bad deed.

Sometimes, people become a participant in these gatherings where backbiting is being done; they want to make people laugh. They are committing the sin of ‘Aza’ giving pain and hurting someone’s feelings.

Suspicion in the hearts also leads people to such acts. They are always in search to seek the faults of others. So many families have been ruined by such acts. Allah will seek out our faults in return.

And the last thing we want is to have Allah, the All-Hearing expose us.