let's learn about Quran and Islam this Ramadan
Gems extracted by Aida Msr - Aida is a fellow sister and friend from Malaysia. She aspires to continuously learn, improve and be a better Muslimah. Today's media age, in which we are constantly exposed...
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Bismillah
Backbiting – The Most Graphic Scene in the Qur’an
“O you who believe! Avoid (ٱجۡتَنِبُواْ) much suspicion, indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting). And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who forgives & accepts repentance, Most Merciful.” {Surat Al-Hujurat 49: Verse 12}
♦ The aayat begins: “O those who have claimed to have faith”. Interestingly, each time Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’alaa) says this, a command to do something or to forbid from doing something comes afterwards. You’ve claimed to believe; now here’s an opportunity to prove whether you’re a sincere believer by doing what is about to be commanded.
♦ (aujtanibu) ٱجۡتَنِبُواْ means to stay away/ abstain from something. We find the same word in the Qur’an in regard to the prohibition of alcohol & gambling {Surat Al-Maeda 5: Verse 90}. This word association shows the gravity of the command that is about to be mentioned in this aayat – it’s so bad, it’s completely forbidden to do.
♦ Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’alaa) says abstain from suspicion, do not spy & do not backbite. What is backbiting?
In sahih Muslim, RasulAllah (SalAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) said that backbiting is when we say something about someone in a manner that he / she doesn’t appreciate it, even though it is true. If what we say is untrue, then that is slandering, which is an even bigger crime.
♦ In this aayat, Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’alaa) presents to us a very graphic parable: Would any of us love (‘yuhibbu’) to eat the flesh of his brother that is dead? Imagine a family member dies (may Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’alaa protect our families) & we’re sitting near the body, sad & mourning. And all of a sudden, we reach down & take a bite from the flesh of that corpse. How graphic, disgusting, & crazy that imagery is! Would *any* of us love to do this? Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’alaa) continues: ‘Of course you’d hate it.’ We hate just hearing or talking about it. This is the imagery when we backbite about someone. ♦ But in the end, none of us are perfect & we may all have fallen into this sin. Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta’alaa ends this aayat by telling us that He is extremely forgiving & Extremely Merciful
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From “Backbiting – Most Graphic Scene in the Quran” by Sheikh Abdul Nasir Jangda.
