Gossip
Many Muslims show a great deal of piety by refraining from eating imported meats, especially tinned meat; they are very cautious about this matter for fear that it may have been slaughtered in a manner that goes against sharee?ah. This is a commendable effort, but there are other kinds of meat which are so subtle that even the pious do not detect them and the cautious do not spot them. The reason for that is that the meat which they want to avoid is visible and tangible, nothing is hidden from those who keep watch because the one who eats it will be seen doing so, whilst this is not the case with regard to the other, but both of them are described as eating. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
?Would one of you like to
eat the flesh of his dead brother?? [al-Hujuraat 49:12] (referring to human flesh, i.e., gossip).
Yes, this is what Allaah calls it: ?Would one of you like to
eat the flesh of his dead brother?? There is a great deal of evidence to show
that it is haraam, to point out how dangerous it is and to demonstrate the
abhorrence of being caught indulging in this sin. It was narrated that Ibn Mas?ood said: ?We were with the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) when a man got up and left. Immediately another man spoke
disparagingly of him. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to him: ?Clean between your teeth.? He
asked, ?Why do I need to clean between my teeth? I have not eaten any meat.? He
said, ?You have eaten your brother?s flesh.?? (Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani).
Note:
People are indulging in this sin, and there is
no greater proof of that than the day-to day reality that we see. When one of
those who feels protective jealousy with regard to the sacred limits of Allaah
and does not want them to be violated, is denounced for this sin which may
condemn them to Hell, he responds with the words that are on so many people?s
lips: ?Don?t you want us to talk at
all?? Subhaan Allaah, is their
talk limited only to that which Allaah has forbidden to His slaves? Whoever
thinks about this response will see the extent to which the Muslim community is
split apart instead of supporting one another. It is as if we have not heard the
words of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him): ?Whoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day,
let him say something good or else let him keep silent.? (Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, hadeeth 6135)
This is the response to what they say: it is not good to commit this major sin, so keep silent if you have nothing good to say. Whoever keeps quiet will be saved.
Question:
You may ask me how come the righteous in
particular fall into this sin despite the fact that they of all people should be
furthest removed from it? I say: there are reasons why they fall into this sin,
which they share in common with the rest of the people. These
include:
1-
Being friendly and going along
with one?s companions. He thinks that if he denounces them they will start to
dislike him.
2-
Wanting to get back to someone.
The more angry one is with a person, the more he enjoys gossip about him.
3-
Wanting to raise one?s own
position by bringing others down and attacking their position.
4-
Playing and joking; he may want
to make others laugh by doing impressions of people.
5-
Hasad (envy). If people are
praising a man, he says, ?There is such and such wrong with him, and I know him
better than you do.? He has no other way of getting at the person whom he envies
apart from slandering and criticizing him.
6-
Having too much free time and
feeling bored, so that one can find nothing else to occupy one's time apart from
mentioning people?s faults. This is because he is not using his time to worship
Allaah. There are more obligatory duties than there is time to do them. The
salaf used to say, ?If you do not keep your nafs (self) busy, it will keep you
busy.?
7-
Trying to go along with one?s
boss or manager in finding fault with an employee whom he does not like, in
order to gain favour with him.
Think about it:
You mix with innumerable people, including
relatives and friends, teachers and neighbours. Beware lest tomorrow you see
them standing with you before Allaah, and you see your friends and loved ones
seeking redress for the slandering of their honour to which you subjected
them.
By: Badr al-Suhayl
Al-Bayaan magazine, issue #152, p.
138