Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Picking Faults is Prohibited

(Verse 11)

... وَلاٌ تَلْمِزُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ

“Do not find faults in yourselves…”

One of the pillars of perfection of a person’s soul and spirit is that he has the ability to examine his own spiritual state, through looking at his own defects and ethical weaknesses. He looks at his own inner self through self-recognition so that he is able to cut all of the roots of the destructive traits that are within his soul and spirit that have taken shape and materialized over time.

From the point of view of the scholars, the discussion of self-recognition is so important that they say,“The person who wishes to remove the chains of impurity from himself and wishes to save himself from the negative effects that the spiritual defects cause, must not only think of these issues during certain times in his life, rather, he must ponder over these every day during his hectic schedule.

Thus when he finds some quiet and peaceful time, he must sit down, take out a piece of paper and write down all of the actions that he has performed that day and without being biased, must review all of his deeds. If he finds something that was done which is not commendable, then he must resolve not to repeat that act.”

Amir al-Mu’minin `Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) has said:

عَلى الْعٌاقِلِ أَنْ يُحْصى مِنْ نَفْسِهِ مُسٌاوِيهٌا فِي الدِّيْنِ وَ الرَأْى وَ الأَخْلاٌقَ وَ الآدٌابَ فَيَجْمَعْ ذٌلِكَ فِي صَدْرِهِ أَوْ ِفي كِتٌابٍ وَ يَعْمَلُ فِي إِزٌالَتِهٌا

“It is incumbent upon every person of intelligence that he carefully look over his weaknesses in regards to (following his) religion, his thoughts, etiquette and that of his interaction with other people and he should either record these in his heart or write them down and then he should strive to remove all of these (bad traits) from himself.” 1

However, there are a group of people who incessantly try to pick faults in people and due to the lack of insight of the (negative) traits within their own selves and being unaware of the (spiritual) status of others, are constantly looking to find faults in people and constantly strive to lift the curtains that cover the defects and shortcomings of others.

These are individuals who derive pleasure and enjoyment from finding and picking faults of others, since they feel some sort of inferiority and inadequacy within themselves. Thus, through picking the weak points of others and making these known to people and trying to take away their worth and status within the society, they feel that they can put their own inferiority at ease.

At this point in time, it is not our goal to discuss the reasons why people start picking faults in others - rather, that which is important for us to realize is that we must stop and think a little bit about the wickedness and immorality of such an act.

The effects of speaking bad and criticizing the actions of other people plays a role in the friendship and affinity between two people, such that this closeness is removed (from them). The friendship and trust is converted into animosity and sometimes hatred - whereas praising a person for his good deeds and flattering him for his righteous acts results in the roots of friendship being made even stronger.

In relation to people who always look at the weaknesses and faults of other people, Imam Muhammad ibn `Ali al-Baqir (peace be upon him) has said:

كَفى بِالْمَرْءِ عَيْـباً أَنْ يُبْصِرَ مِنَ النٌّاسِ مٌا يَعْمى عَنْهُ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ

“Sufficient is a person’s own defect (in himself) that he tries to pick and look for faults in other people when he himself has those same faults in himself (and does not recognize them)!” 2

If those who pick faults of others would spend the same energy that they use in looking at the bad in others and through which they reproach other people, on correcting themselves and looking at their own defects and trying to recognize their own souls, imagine what level of happiness they would be able to reach to! It is here that the value and worth of the hadith which has come to us from one of the leaders of our faith is made clear when it has been said:

مَنْ بَحَثَ عَنْ عُيُوبِ النٌّاسِ فَلْيَبْدَأْ بِنَفْسِهِ

“The person who busies himself looking into the faults of others should start by looking into the faults of his own self (first).” 3

The greatest defect of such people is that they can never live around people in a community since they will make known the inner secrets (of others) and thus, nobody would be safe from being in their company.

It is because of this reason that Amir al-Mu’minin `Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) has forbidden us from associating ourselves with such people and has said that:

إِيٌّاكَ وَ مَعٌاشِرَةَ مُتَتَبِّعِي عُيُوبِ النٌّاسِ! فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَسْلَمْ مُصٌاحِبُهُمْ مِنْهِمْ

“I warn you about keeping relations with people who look for faults in others, since surely there is not a single person who will be safe from such people.” 4

Pointing Out One’s Defects with Sincerity is Not the Same as Fault Finding

A point of interest which a great majority of people are uninformed about is that picking faults of others and insulting them in the presence of other people is one thing, whereas guiding them and pointing out the proper way to do things and showing them their errors is another thing.

Picking the faults of others is one of the negative ethical traits, whereas guiding people and informing them of their own shortcomings by advising and giving them good council is one of the religious and humanistic responsibilities.

Therefore, it is incumbent upon every spiritually conscious person to save his fellow human beings from a terrible end and that dark day (when everyone will have to answer for their actions).

Informing people of the shortcomings in their own lives is so important and valuable that Imam Ja`far ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) classified this as the greatest gift that a person can give to another and has said:

رَحِمَ اللٌّهُ امْرَأً أَهْدى إِلَيَّ عُيُوبِـي

“May Allah’s mercy be upon that person who offers a gift to me by pointing out my own mistakes and shortcomings.” 5

In addition, Amir al-Mu’minin `Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) has said:

لِيَكُنْ آثَرُ النٌّاسِ عِنْدَكَ مَنْ أَهْدى إِلَيْكَ عَيْـبَكَ

“Let the best person in your estimation be that person who points out to you your faults and shortcomings and presents them to you as a gift.” 6

Principally, the first step that a person can take to cure his physical and spiritual sicknesses and to remove the societal evils is that one becomes precisely aware of the sources of these diseases and their various types. As long as this is not carried out, then whatever sort of cure or remedy that is applied will be of no benefit or use.

The person who is scared of straight talk finds the truth being brought out into the open as being something bitter to accept. He finds it hard to acknowledge and accept any sort of open dialogue about the problems in the society. Such a person wants the spiritual and societal shortcomings of a community to be swept under the rug and kept quiet and desires that people should not speak about such things.

These people are never content that the writers and speakers of the community bring up the problems of the people and anytime these things are brought up, then those who do not like this done try to destroy and refute what has been written or said. Therefore, we must say to such a person:“May you be destroyed! Not bringing up these issues (the problems of a community) is an error in itself!”

It is not only in the instance of this negative ethical trait (speaking bad and picking the faults of others) and the natural human disposition (of guiding people and showing them their short comings and faults) that are confused with one another.

Rather, it is possible that in many of the other natural human dispositions and ethical principles, a series of other detested spiritual and ethical traits can also be confused with one another. However with careful research, we are able to discern the limits of each of these from one another and keep them separated.

Stirring Up a Person’s Emotions

In bringing up this ethical principle, the Qur’an has appealed to the emotions of humanity and thus when it wants to instruct its’ adherents that they should not pick the faults of others it says:

... وَلاٌ تَلْمِزُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ

“Do not find faults in yourselves.”

The aim of expressing it in this form (that we must not find faults in ourselves) is to stir up the sentiment of the person - since spiritual fraternity and religious brotherhood bring about such a bond of friendship and love amongst the believers that they are like one organ and one collective body. Thus, if a person picks faults with one Muslim, it is equivalent to picking faults with the entire Muslim body.

Notes

1. Ghurur al-Hikm, Page 559.

2. al-Kafi, Volume 2, Page 459.

3. Ghurur al-Hikm, Page 659.

4. Ghurur al-Hikm, Page 148.

5. Tuhaf al-`Uqul, Page 366.

6. Ghurur al-Hikm, Page 558.

A Bad Name and Family

(Verse 11)

... وَلاٌ تَنٌابَزُوا بِالأَلْقٌابِ بِئْسَ الإِسْمُ الْفُسُوقُ بَعْدَ الإِيـمٌانِ وَمَنْ لَّمْ يَتُبْ فَأُوْلٌئِكَ هُمُ الظٌّالِمُونَ

“…and do not defame one another by using bad names. How bad it is after having true faith that a person (does these acts) but does not turn in repentance (to Allah) so then surely it is these people who are the oppressors.”

Bad Names and Titles

The name and title of a person are the manifestation of the character of that individual. It is because of this fact that a good name and title are classified as being the value and goodness of a person, just like a bad name and title that a person possess are unpleasant things. Not only is this something that leads to one being made fun of, but it also takes away one’s status and character and leads one to being self-conscious while amongst friends and within the society in general.

When the Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny) was officially appointed as a Messenger, a large number of cities and villages had very bad names. A lot of the tribes (of `Arabia) were also renowned for their obscene and repulsive titles and epitaphs. The `Arabs would choose names and titles for their children that were rude, repulsive and symbolized fierceness, plunder and pillaging!

One of the positive steps that the Noble Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny) adopted on this path was to command his followers to change the names of many of the cities, villages and other parts of the town (that had bad names). He also ordered the tribes or people that had obscene or repulsive names to replace them (with something better).1

This noble personality went to such an extreme that he even commanded parents to choose beautiful names for their children and considered this as one of the rights and obligations that a father must fulfil in respect to his children.

The Qur’an al-Majid considers calling one another by rude or obscene names or titles as a form of violation of the rights of another human being and has referred to a person who performs this act as being an oppressor and tyrant and by saying:

... وَمَنْ لَّمْ يَتُبْ فَأُوْلٌئِكَ هُمُ الظٌّالِمُونَ

“…and whoever does not turn in repentance (back to Allah) is surely of those who are the oppressors.”

The Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny) was pleased and overjoyed whenever he heard a good name and would say,“Whenever you want to send a person to me, send one who has a good name.”

1) One day, one of the workers in a temple of idol worshippers (in `Arabia) saw a fox urinating on top of one of the idols. This person thought to himself:“What sort of a thing do we worship that cannot even defend himself such that he does not even have the ability to get a fox to move away from itself?” This thought of his affected his soul to such an extent, that he composed this line of poetry in relation to what he saw:

أَرَبٌّ يَـبُولُ الثَّعْلَبَانُ بِرَأْسِهِ لَقَدْ ذَلَّ مَنْ بَالَتْ عَلَيهِ الثَّعَالِبُ

“Is a stone idol who is being urinated upon by a fox one to be worshipped?

Anything that a fox is able to urinate upon is surely despised and infirm.”

After witnessing this scene, he arrived in the company of the Prophet of Allah (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny) and described what he had seen. The Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny) asked this man what his name was and the man replied,“My name is Ghawi ibn Dhalim” 2 The Noble Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny) immediately changed his name and said,“Rather (from today) your name will be Rashid ibn `Abdullah.”

2) During the battle of Dhi Qard, the Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny) asked what the name of a particular body of water was - which was extremely sour - and the people replied that it was called Bisan. The Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny) immediately replied that it is now changed to Nu`man.3

3) A man once came to the Noble Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny) and when the Prophet met him, he asked him his name. The man replied,“My name is Baghidh (the hated or despised).” The Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny) replied,“Your name is now Habib (the beloved)” which was the exact opposite of Baghidh.4

4) The same thing can be seen in relation to another person that had met the Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny). When asked his name, the man replied,“My name is `Abdus Sharr’ (the Servant of Evil).” The Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny) replied to him,“Rather, your name (now) is `Abdul Khair’ (the Servant of Good).” 5

5) In the same way, once a woman came to the Messenger of Allah (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny) and when she was asked what her name was, she replied,“`Asiyah” (one who commits sins). The Prophet changed her name and said,“From today onwards, you will be known as ‘Jamilah’ (beautiful).” 6

6) A man whose name was `Abdul Jan (Servant of the Jinn) came to the Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny) and by the command of the Messenger of Allah (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny) his name was changed to `Abdullah (Servant of Allah).7

7) Some people who had names such as Jabbar or Qayyum which are names reserved for Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) were commanded by the Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny) to add `Abd to the beginning of them. Therefore, their names were changed to `Abdul Jabbar and `Abdul Qayyum.8

8) Those people who had names such as `Abdul `Izzah (Servant of Respect), `Abdul Shams (Servant of the Sun), `Abdul Lat (Servant of the Stone Idol named Lat) or even Shaitan (Satan) where all told to change their names and the new name of `Abdullah (Servant of Allah) was given to all of them.9

There are also other examples in these same instances which in order to keep our discussion short, we will not narrate here. The historian, Ibn Athir is his work, Asadul Ghabah, which is a commentary on the lives of the people around the Prophet of Allah (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny) during the days of Ignorance (pre-Islam), has narrated many more examples of people who had repulsive names and by the commandment of the Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny), their names were changed.

The manifesto of human rights has mentioned that a child’s right to have a name is the same as his right to possess a nationality - however it has never been mentioned that the child must possess a decent, righteous name. Islam has a very precise attitude and view point in relation to the life of a child - whether it is before his birth or even after birth - such that even while the child is in the womb of his mother, he is given the right to have his own character. In addition, the individual and societal rights have also been designated for him.

The strict attention that the teachings (of Islam) lay down in relation to the child are to such an extreme that the father and mother have been commanded to name their child even before it is born and if they do not know if the child is a boy or a girl, then they are advised to choose a name that is acceptable to either sex.10

What is important is the name that is chosen for a child. Keeping in mind the love that the father and mother feel for their child, they will strive to choose a good name for him/her. However, how unfortunate it is that sometimes they make a mistake in choosing a name for their children and give them a name that in the opinion of others is not a praiseworthy name, even though from the view point of the father and mother, they feel that they have given their child a good name.

From the point of view of Islam, when choosing a name for one’s child, the parents must keep in mind the various points of upbringing and nurturing and must not opt for a bad name that will resemble the child or will always stay with him. A bad name will act as an impediment (for the person) and every time the person who has been given a repulsive name hears his name called out, he will be put through pain and suffering.

Due to this, in the history of the Noble Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny) we read that whenever he came across an area or a person who had a repulsive or bad name, he changed it.

A man once asked the Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny),“What is the child’s right upon me?” The Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny) replied,“You must give him a good name and bring him up in a good way. His right on you is also that you keep a good job or profession in mind for him.” 11

How good it truly is that a name is chosen for the child which indicates the servitude of Allah!12

Notes

1. Qurb al-Isnad, Page 45.

2. Ghawi is in the meaning of one who has been deluded or lead astray, while Dhalim means an oppressor or tyrant. (Asadul Ghabah, Volume 2, Page 149).

3. Sirah Halabi, Volume 3, Page 377.

4. Asad al-Ghabah, volume 1, Page 202.

5. Ibid., Volume 2, Page 63.

6. Ibid., Volume 2, Page 76.

7. Ibid., Volume 3, Page 174.

8. Ibid., Volume 4, Page 362 and Volume 5, Page 250.

9. Ibid., Volume 3, Page 232, 240, 271 and Volume 4, Page 362.

10. In a tradition from the Prophet, it is mentioned that he has said:

سَمُّوا أَوْلاٌدَكُمْ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُوْلَدُوا! فَإِنْ لَمْ تَدْرُوا أَذَكَرٌ أَمْ أُنْـثـى فَسَمُّوهُمْ بِالأَسْمٌاءِ الَّتِي تَكُونُ لِلْذَّكَرِ وَ الأُنْـثَـى

“Name your children before they are even born! So then if you do not know if you will have a boy or a girl, then name them with a name that is appropriate for both a boy and girl.” (Al-Kafi, Volume 6, Page 18).

11. The hadith states:

قٌالَ رَجُلٌ: يٌا رَسُولَ 9للٌّهِ! مٌا حَقٌّ ابْنِي هٌذَا؟ قٌالَ: تُحَسِّنُ اسْمَهُ وَ أَدَبَهُ و تَضَعُهُ مَوْضِعاً حَسَناً .

“A man said, ‘O’ Messenger of Allah! What is the right of my son?’ The Prophet replied, ‘Give him a good name and train him well and choose a good job or profession for him.”

12. The hadith states:

سَمِّهْ بِأَسْمٌاءِ مِنَ الْعُبُودِيَّةِ! فَقٌالَ: أَيِّ الأَسْمٌاءِ هُوَ؟ قٌالَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمٌنِ

“Name (your children) with the name of servitude and worship (to Allah). They said, “And what name is this?” He said, “`Abdul Rahman.”

Being Pessimistic About Others

(Verse 12)

يٌا أَيُّهٌا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيـراً مِّنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ وَلاٌ تَجَسَّسُوا وَلاٌ يَغْتَبْ بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضاً أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتاً فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ وَاتَّقُوا اللٌّهَ إِنَّ اللٌّهَ تَوٌّابٌ رَّحِيمٌ

“O’ you who have true faith! Keep away from all sorts of conjecture since surely some types of conjecture may lead to sin. In addition, do not spy on and do not back-bite one another. Do any of you (who back-bite) love to eat the flesh of your dead brother? Rather, you detest this act, therefore have consciousness of Allah. Certainly Allah is the One who is Oft-Turning to you in Repentance, Merciful.”

In this verse, Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has made it incumbent upon the Muslim community to observe three ethical principles which are classified as the necessary rights (of Islam) and are the essentials of Islamic brotherhood and religious fellowship.

These three principles in summary are:

1. It is prohibited to have bad thoughts or be cynical of another Muslim.

2. A Muslim is not permitted to spy into the life of another Muslim.

3. It is forbidden to back-bite and talk bad about other Muslims behind their back.

Seeing as to how the principles that have been mentioned, form the primary ethical traits of Islam and play an important role in the improvement of society, and since we have beautiful and interesting explanations from the leaders of our religion in relation to these traits, it would be fitting to discuss each of these separately on their own with their independent analysis. At this point, we begin by discussing the first principle - spying on others.

Spying on others is a negative, psychological trait which can cause damage and injury to the character, respect, piety and spiritual purity of a person whom one is busy in thought about. A person who is pessimistic about others will forget about the thousands of good deeds and righteous actions that the person performs in his life and will only pay attention to those few vague, dark and murky actions of the person.

We all know that the life, wealth and honour of a Muslim is sacred and any sort of encroachment to these are prohibited in Islam. However in this verse, another form of injustice upon the rights of a Muslim has been alluded to and it is says that:“The respect, honour and character of every Muslim - even in our thoughts and imagination and in making judgements in our mind (about that Muslim) must also be respected and revered.” A Muslim is not permitted to cross the boundaries even in his mind in relation to the purity of another Muslim by harbouring bad thoughts or beliefs about him or her.

In the words of one of our present day Scholars,“The limits of security that Islam has brought forth for the Muslim society is not limited to just the life, wealth and character of another person. Rather, in addition to these three securities, there is also a fourth security which is required and that is the safety of being judged by others. By this, we mean that within one’s thoughts, one must not launch attacks or think bad and unpleasant thoughts about other people.

The respect and character of a Muslim, in addition to being practically adopted, is one that must also be protected in ones’ mind and thoughts.”

From the point of view of Islam, any sort of bad thoughts or misgiving in ones’ mind which would lead to tainting the character of another person is prohibited. Thus, we have been commanded that a society of people who have true faith will keep away from any sort of bad thoughts in relation to others.

In one of his most eloquent sayings in relation to the safety and security of a Muslim in relation to the four traits mentioned above, the Noble Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny) has stated:

إِنَّ اللٌّهَ حَرَّمَ عَلى الْمُسْلِمِ دَمَهُ وَ مٌالَهُ وَ عِرْضَهُ وَ أَنْ يَظُنَّ بِهِ سُوءَ الظَّنِ

“Certainly Allah has made sacred the blood, property and respect of a Muslim (from another Muslim) and he must not even entertain bad thoughts (about the other Muslim).” 1

If we see that the first three types of safety and sanctity that have been mentioned in the ahadith are enacted in the physical world and in the various global organizations, but the fourth - namely the safety of a person in relation to the thoughts that others entertain about him - is not acted upon except under the shadow of true faith in Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), then it is because the limits of governance of the material (non-religious) world are limited to the apparent aspects of life only and preventing any sort of trespassing of the inner thoughts are out of the limits and boundaries of the powers mentioned.

Thus, it is only true faith in Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) which can prevent a person from this sort of trespassing (through his thoughts), since a Muslim has firm conviction that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) sees all of the actions that he performs and is even aware of his inner thoughts.

The Dangers of Being Pessimistic About Others

1. The first result of distrusting others will return back to the person who himself possess this trait, since a person who does not trust others will never be able to imagine that others can do things without any (hidden) motive. Therefore, in addition to causing himself spiritual difficulties and putting his soul through troubles, one will lead a difficult life. Also, the burning and passion that are brought about through one’s imagination and thoughts will only increase the (mental) torture of a person.

2. Being pessimistic and not trusting other people also destroys the roots of friendship and harmony amongst people. The person who thinks bad about others will always imagine such people as being treacherous and will feel that their friendship is something that is not stable or is not built upon faithfulness (to one another). Thus, such people will be compelled to cut off relations with those around them and it is for this reason that the A’immah (peace be upon them all) have told us:

مَنْ غَلَبَ عَلَيْهِ سُوءُ الظَّنِّ لَمْ يَتْرُكْ بَيْنَهُ وَ بَيْنَ خَلِيلٍ صُلْحاً

“The person whose pessimism about others takes control over him will destroy any sort of peace or harmony that exists between himself and his friend.” 2

3. The person who is pessimistic and distrusts others will always be reclusive and will withdraw himself from others. Due to the fear and apprehension that he has for other people, he will never be able to be sociable with others and it is for this reason that we have been told in the ahadith:

مَنْ لَمْ يَحْسُنْ ظَنُّهُ إِسْتَوْحَشَ مِنْ كُلِّ أَحَدٍ

“A person who does not correct his thoughts about other people, will always be frightened of every single person.” 3

4. Being pessimistic and distrustful of others is a major calamity and will affect a person’s reason and ability to judge others, since this sickness is a type of disorder that affects the thought pattern and discernment of a person. Thus, he would never be able to judge a situation based upon his logical reasoning or by what reality is.

5. Pessimism is a sickness that is also contagious such that even those people that a pessimist sits and associates with, will fall into the filth of this negative trait.

6. Not only does pessimism and distrust affect the soul of a person, rather since there is a direct correlation between the body and the soul, the body too will remain un-healthy. In the words of the famous thinker of our time, Dr. Alexis Carol says,“Being pessimistic and always finding faults in things also takes away from the life span of a person since this harmful habit affects the nerves of the body known as the sympatic nerves and the internal glands as well. This can be the commencement of other physical disorders including affecting the limbs and organs of the body.”

7. Having bad thoughts about people without any reason will also drag ones’ spouse, employees, workers and helpers around the house into committing treachery and crimes. This is true since when the leader of the house or the husband continuously pries into the lives of others, then due to his associating thoughts to other people, an untrue picture or representation and despicable act will be made manifest to those around him and these untrue thoughts and feelings will get placed in the hearts of his close ones. In the words of some of the scholars, ‘The worker who is at the whims of the bad thoughts of his boss who is constantly thinking that his worker is stealing things from his house will slowly push his servant into actually stealing his property.’

Due to this, in the sacred teachings of Islam, pretending to be very zealous or passionate when the situation does not call for it, or to be extravagant in relation to one’s spouse has been highly discouraged. How many times has it occurred that an innocent, chaste person is pulled towards impurity and people who usually perform good deeds are tempted and encouraged to do bad deeds, just as Amir al-Mu’minin `Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) has said:

إِيٌّاكَ وَالتَّغٌايُرَ فِي غَيْرِ مَوْضِعِهِ فَإِنَّ ذٌلِكَ يَدْعُوا الصَّحِيحَةِ إِلـى السُّقْمِ وَ الْبَرِيئَةِ إِلـى الْرَيْبِ

“I warn you about being overzealous and obsessive in improper occasions since unquestionably this act will tempt and encourage chaste women to go towards (spiritually) dirtied and fouled traits and would drag women who do not commit sin towards committing wicked deeds.” 4

Notes

1. Al-Mahajjat al-Baydha, Volume 5, Page 268.

2. Ghurur al-Hikm, Page 697.

3. Ibid.

4. Ibid., Page 152.

Prying Into the Secrets of People

(Verse 12)

... وَلاٌ تَجَسَّسُوا

“…and do not spy on one another…”

In the previous pages, it was mentioned that verse number 12 of Surah al-Hujurat discusses three different negative ethical traits in the following order:

(1) Pessimism or not having trust in others;

(2) Prying into the secrets of other people;

(3) Speaking bad behind someone else’s back.

The reason why the Qur’an has mentioned these three despised traits in this order is that the first trait (distrusting others) leads to one developing the second negative quality - prying into their private lives. Once a person has bad thoughts of another person, he would naturally begin to spy and scrutinize that person in regards to his actions.

Obviously, when one starts to spy and pry into others’ personal lives, he would not be able to prevent himself from speaking to others about what he has seen - in fact, he would openly and frankly discuss with others what he knows and thus, he would have no choice but to speak bad and back-bite them. It is because of this reason that the Qur’an mentions these three negative traits in the order that it has, so that the natural relationship between them is made clear.

In the previous discussions, more or less, the damage that being pessimistic in relation to others was discussed and at this point, we will discuss inquisitiveness or as the Qur’an calls it, spying on others. Being inquisitive about the affairs of other people is a negative trait that brings about both ethical and societal harm which can be summarized in the following points:

1. It was mentioned in our previous discussion that Islam has provided four types of security for the community of believers:

a. Security of one’s life.

b. Security of one’s property.

c. Security of one’s honour and dignity.

d. Security of one’s character and personality within the thoughts and minds of other people.

In addition, in one of his most comprehensive lectures on these four types of security, we see that the Noble Prophet of Islam (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny) had discussed these in detail.1

Societal Dangers Brought About by Prying into Others’ Lives

1. Ruining the Reputation of Others

One of the major dangers that is brought about by prying into the lives of others is that the third security (that of one’s honour and dignity) is put into danger and an irreversible damage is done to one’s dignity and status within the society. This is especially true when after a person has spied on another person’s actions, and then he goes forth and spreads the secrets and private actions of that person to others.

A very small number of people that pry into the lives of others and come to know the inner state of other people are able to keep the secrets that they find hidden from others. It is these types of people who will never be protected from backbiting and speaking bad about others.

In summary, through spying into the private affairs of another person and then spreading this information to others, the respect and honour of a true believer - which is demonstrated through the security of his life and property within the teachings of Islam - is trampled upon and destroyed.

The essential pre-requisite of religious brotherhood is that a true believer does not spread those things which would result in the loss of a Muslim brothers’ character and honour amongst the people.

In relation to people who spy on the actions of others, our great leader, Imam Ja`far ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) has said:

أَبْعَدُ مٌا يَكُونُ الْعَبْدُ مِنَ اللٌّهِ أَنْ يَكُونَ الرَّجُلُ يُوٌاخِي الرَّجُلَ وَ هُوَ يَحْفِظُ زَلاٌّتَهُ لِيُعَيِّرَهُ بِهٌا يَوْماً

“The furthest state that a person can be from the (spiritual presence of) Allah is when one befriends another person and he remembers whatever shortcomings and weaknesses that person has so that he can dishonour him one day.” 2

Just as can be seen from this hadith, the greatness of this sin is such that a person who does this act would find himself being at the furthest (spiritual) distance away from Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He).

2. Withdrawing and Retreating from Society

Prying into and being inquisitive about the affairs of people is also a form of having bad thoughts about them and in reality, this act is the outcome of being pessimistic about people. When a person spends his time in spying and prying into the affairs of other people, he will also become aware of many of the weaknesses and defects of that person and because of this, he will try to seclude himself from other people as well. Thus in reality, there are very few people that he would actually be able to interact with in his life.

It is highly possible that those defects which he sees in other people do not really play any role in his interaction and contact that he has with them but it will unfortunately take him away from the societal life that he leads amongst the people and thus, he will be dragged towards a life of separation and seclusion from society.

Therefore for such a person who is inquisitive about other people and who also inherently entertains bad thoughts about others, it would not be possible for him, while in this (mental) state, to analyse and investigate (each individual person). Therefore, he would not be able to accept the faults, inner weaknesses and problems that other people have and this would cause him to not have any relations at all with others.

In any case, it is very difficult to find people who are perfect and are completely without any defects. Obviously, through one’s own inquisitiveness, each and every person would be able to find the hidden defects and covered faults of other people and because of this, such a person will - within himself - feel a need to observe some sort of seclusion and distance from others.

Thus, in addition to having bad thoughts about other people and prying into the affairs of others, this group of people will also become reclusive and seclude themselves and will not be able play a constructive role within society.

3. Loss of Freedom

One of the greatest blessings for a person is to have freedom in his or her actions and by Islam introducing the concept of element of general overseeing, it has appointed the responsibility of the control (of society) and the freedom of humanity in the general overview to the laws of intelligence and the religious regulations.

Thus, the freedom that one has within a society is within the framework of the firm, determined laws of Islam and as a result, the members of a society are free (to do what they want) so long as their own happiness (in the next life) and the freedom of other people is not encroached upon and as long as they do not go towards any of the prohibited acts and refrain from performing the obligatory acts.

Islam has limited the internal (intellectual) freedoms of a person by giving him a hidden police force (within himself), and by establishing the governance of true faith, and has placed limits and guides (on his thoughts).

However from the point of view of the intelligence and the religious regulations, there are a series of actions which can be performed with no problem and it is these acts that the religion has referred to as permissible (Mubah) and discouraged (Makruh). However, a person would never perform these sorts of things in the presence of other people, nor would he be pleased if others are made known of him performing such acts.

If other people were to have complete knowledge of the specific events in a person’s life, then the pleasure of life that comes about through the freedom of doing as one wishes in his privacy would be taken away. In the view of the Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny), those people who are inquisitive about the affairs of other people and their personal life are not true Muslims and thus, the Prophet (blessings of Allah be upon him and his family) has said to them:

يٌا مَعْشَرَ! مَنْ أَسْلَمَ بِلِسٌانِهِ وَ لَمْ يَخْلُصِ الإِيْمٌانُ إِلـى قَلْبِهِ لاٌ تَذُمُّوا الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَ لاٌ تَتَّبِعُوا عَوْرٌاتِهِمْ

“O’ people! One who gives lip service to Islam but does not have true faith in his heart, do not disparage the (other) Muslims and do not pursue people’s short comings and private matters.” 3

Although the religion of Islam has tried to put a stop on spying and prying into the lives of others and has classified these things as being very dangerous and of no benefit, however at the same time in limited circumstances in which the preservation and maintenance of the society is clearly at stake and rests on making known the particular aspects of the lives of people and their hidden deeds and acts, the religion has given the permission that in certain areas of a person’s life, it is permissible to conduct investigations.

For example, if there is a young boy and girl who wish to get married to one another, of if two adults wish to enter into a business partnership with one another, or other such scenarios and it is imperative that the other side know the particulars of the life and actions of the other person, then as far as those things which are related to how the person would make his or her final decision are concerned, one is able to gather more information about the other party.

A person can attain knowledge and information in regards to the spiritual qualities and specific issues of the other person’s life only to that limit where a decision or work with them is dependent upon such knowledge. If this research is not done, then later on in the future, he may develop a sense of remorse in his work or dealings with the person or he may even come face to face with other forms of corruption due to his choices.

In addition, the people who one asks for advice in these types of scenarios must speak the truth and they must keep in mind the saying:

أَلْمُسْتَشٌارُ مُؤْتَمِنُ

“The one whom a person seeks advice from must be a person who is reliable.”

By this we mean that the person who we are taking advice from in relation to the goodness of a specific act, must himself possess the internal spiritual qualities and must offer the advice in this way.

Notes

1. al-Muhajjat al-Baydha, Volume 5, Pages 162 and 268.

2. Al-Kafi, Volume 2, Page 355.

3. Bihar al-Anwar, Volume 75, Page 214 (as related from Shaikh Saduq, Thawab al-A`mal, Page 216).