Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Lesson: 64- Islam and racial supremacy

That all men are equal and that all kinds of discrimination based on race or class or family are wrong and the principle that the sons of Adam, from the viewpoint of rights, are equal and that no one is superior to another due to his belonging to a particular skin colour or because of difference in language or hand is one the most important principles for collective or social affairs mentioned in the Holy Quran. There are many verses on this subject. Islam has thus cancelled, with red ink, all kinds of superiority-seeking on the basis of things like: race-worship, pride of language or skin colour and has thus ended the most complicated collective problems of today’s world which even the most advanced industrial centre America has not been able to solve.

The Holy Quran discusses this problem in simple and easy language and logic and condemns the superiority complexes based on race, colour and language by pointing to the birth of man of one father and mother.

Verses

1. O you men! Surely We have created you of a male and a female, and made you tribes and families that you may know each other; surely the most honourable of you with Allah is the one among you most careful of his duty; surely Allah is Knowing, Aware.[934]

2. O people! Be careful of your duty to your Lord, Who created you from a single being and created its mate of the same kind and spread from these two, many men and women; and be careful of your duty to Allah, by Whom you demand one of another your rights, and to the ties of relationship; surely Allah ever watches over you.[935]

3. And about the creation of Adam (a.s.) the Holy Quran says: He it is Who created you from clay, then He decreed a term; and there is a term named with Him; still you doubt.[936]

4. And He it is Who has brought you into being from a single soul, then there is for you a resting-place and a depository; indeed We have made plain the communications for a people who understand.[937]

Traditions

1. It is recorded that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said on the day of victory: O people! God had, in the light of Islam, removed the distinctions of the days of ignorance and the boastings based on race from the society. All of you are born of Adam and he too was created from earth. The best man is he who refrains from sin and disobedience.[938]

2. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: O people! Being an Arab is not the basis of your personality or a part of yourselves but it is merely a vain talk and anyone who lacks in doing his duty does not get any uplift from the glorification of his forefathers. It does not compensate his short comings.[939]

3. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: All people, right from Adam to this day, are equal like the teeth of a comb. There is no superiority for an Arab over an non-Arab, nor for a red skinned over a black-skinned. The basis of superiority is piety and fear of Allah.[940]

4. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) gave a sermon during the days of Tashreeq and said therein: O people! Beware, verily your Lord is One, remember that your father is one, be conscious that there is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab, for a non-Arab over an Arab, nor for a red over a black nor for a black over a red except because of piety. Truly the most precious among you in the sight of Allah is the one who is most pious. Have I conveyed this message to you? They said: Yes, O Prophet of Allah! Then he said: Those who are present here should inform those who are absent, about this.[941]

And, practically in action also, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) removed all the imaginary and superstitious distinctions and for the same reason, gave Sabaaah daughter of Zubair bin Abdul Muttalib in marriage to Miqdad. Zubair was an uncle of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and likewise, arranged the matrimony of Zalfaa with Juwaibar.

As a resume, we must note that, in Islam, greatness is only with references to spiritual virtues that the Holy Quran has mentioned and admonished at four occasions:

1 and 2- Regarding Faith and Knowledge: Allah will exalt those of you who believe, and those who are given knowledge.[942]

3. Concerning jihad: And Allah shall grant to the strivers above the holders back a mighty reward.[943]

4. Surely the most honourable of you with Allah is the one among you most careful of his duty; surely Allah is Knowing, Aware.[944]

By the way, Islam has not only disregarded the imaginary and material superiorities but has explicitly rejected them.

Lesson: 65- Backbiting prohibited

One of the sins which corrupts the society and which creates a state of suspicion in society and which sometimes, is likely to creep into human beings in the heinous form of cynicism is backbiting. Quranic verses and traditions have censured it is a very harsh tone. Here are some examples:

Nor let some of you backbite others. Does one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? But you abhor it; and be careful of your duty to Allah, surely Allah is Oft-returning to mercy, Merciful.[945]

In this phrase of the verse, one of the worst immoralities has been discussed. It is so bad that the Holy Quran, in order to make its heinousness explicit, compared it with an unprecedented ugly matter. Backbiting has been compared with eating ones dead brother’s flesh!

In other words, we get four points from this Ayat:

1. A Muslim and a brother-in-Faith is like a real brother blood related

2. His honour is like his flesh.

3. Speaking bad of him in his absence and thereby destroying his honour and position is like eating flesh from his body.

4. Since he is not present to defend himself against at attack that is indeed cowardly, he is unaware. He is like a dead body that has been attacked.

Woe to every slanderer, defamer.

Commentators have, while explaining this verse, quote possibilities:

1. Humazah means big backbiter and Lumazah - big faultfinder.

2. Humazah - who speaks bad face to face and Lumazah - backbiter.

3. Humazah - Pointing to fault by hand and Lumazah - by tongue.

4. Humazah - open bad talk and Lumazah - secret bad talk.

Whatever be its exact meaning this verse applies to all these cases and asserts that backbiting is Haraam by God.

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: Everything of a Muslim is prohibited for another Muslim be it his blood, property or honour.[946]

That it, it is imperative for a Muslim. Just as he safeguards the life and property of a Muslim, he must also protect the honour and respect of his brother and should not be after his honour through backbiting.

It is reported to have been said by the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.): Keep away from backbiting as, if fact, backbiting is worse than adultery. If the adulterer repents Allah may forgive him but if fact, the backbiter is not pardoned until his victim is pleased with him![947]

That is, adultery and other similar sins belong to the category of the rights of God whereas backbiting and its like pertains to the rights of me.

A backbiter, if he dies after repenting, is the last to enter paradise and the one who insists on this evil is the first to enter the hell.[948]

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has said: Backbiting, is more effective in destroying the religion of a Muslim than the illness of leprosy.[949]

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has also said: Sitting in a mosque awaiting prayer is worship until he commits hadas. People asked what was meant by hadas. He said: backbiting.[950]

Now that we have seen a number of verses and traditions about backbiting (gheebat) let us know what is gheebat or backbiting. It has been narrated in traditions: gheebat means talking of a thing about your brother in his ghaibat absence what God has kept covered.[951]

Fuqaha have also said: It means saying something about your brother which, if he hears, would not like.

And it must also be remembered that it is backbiting if the evil is found in the bitten man and that if that evil is not there in him it is false allegation.

And sometimes people, in order to justify their deed, say that we say these words to them on their face also. But it should be remembered that saying such ting, if itself, even if it falls in the category of Nahy anil Munkar stopping the evil, is not proper to be uttered before others.

It should also be understood that backbiting is not limited only to the tongue but it also involves signals and gestures.

Similarly, just as backbiting is Haraam, so is also sitting in a meeting where backbiting is being done.

Reasons of backbiting

1. Jealousy makes one point out the weak points of others whereby one intends to bring them down in the eyes of people.

2. Sometimes anger and uneasiness also causes backbiting.

3. Sometimes one tries to show off himself as clean and clear by talking bad about others.

4. Sometimes, just for making a gathering joyful and happy one resorts to backbiting those who are not present there.

5. Sometimes man describes others offences by way of astonishment and angrily whereas it should be pointed out to that person and not between other people.

6. Sometimes some hidden trouble makes people backbite in the form of friendship and sympathy.

Anyway it must be remembered that back-biting others and dishonouring them due to any of such reasons is, from the viewpoint of Islam, haraam and prohibited.

Harms of backbiting

There are many harms in backbiting both for the individual and the society.

From the individual viewpoint, it is considered injustice and oppression to a Mo-min and Muslim brother-in-Faith. What oppression is greater than if it one destroys the honour of another as it cannot be compensated in any way!

And from the collective or social viewpoint, backbiting, in one way, is common in it harmfulness with two other heinous evils of cynicism and faultfinding.

1. A society having backbiters will never be able to achieve unity and harmony and integrity and love and hence will never be a group of good people full of affection and sympathy.

2. Mutual help and assistance required for Holy aims depends upon the feeling of reliance and trust. A society that reveals the defects of people and raises curtain from their errors destroys the feeling of trust that is created through good opinion about others.

3. Talking bad of others in their absence, fans the flames of enmity, because, the man who has been bitten from back, and whose secret has been revealed and whose honour has been taken away, becomes very angry and so he decides to take avenger.

4. If curtain is raised from the hidden sins of people it makes them hold and carefree and then they insist on their evils, because, what prevents man from sin is the fear of being dishonoured. So even if he sins he does so secretly and with caution. If we tear away that curtain and dishonour him then there will be no reason for him to keep them secret.

Many people refrain from a series of crimes merely because of the fear of a decline in their honour and position. If we take away this deterrent which is in fact a spiritual treasure of a man from him there will be no other thing to block him from sinning.

Moreover, revealing people secrets does not only encourage them but, in case of those having weak faith, it also embolden them to do bad things and in this way back-biting will be a source of spreading immorality and corruption.

Imam Sadiq (a.s.) has said: Those who say about Muslims that which they have themselves seen or heard are those about whom God has said: Surely as for those who love that scandal should circulate respecting those who believe, they shall have a grievous chastisement in this world and the Hereafter.

Lesson: 66- The calamity called spying

One of the mean habits is peeping into the private lives of people. In this regard the Holy Quran says: O you who believe! Avoid most of suspicion, for surely suspicion in some cases is a sin, and do not spy…[952]

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: Do not try to find the defects of the believers. The one who remains after finding faults of his brethren, God Almighty remains after his defects and the one who is followed by God becomes dishonoured even if he hides himself in his hone.[953]

Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: Man is at the farthest point from Allah when he makes friendship with another person and in the mean while, recollects his mistakes, to dishonour him one day.[954]

Also The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: O those who orally claim to be Muslims but do not have faith in your hearts! Do not spy for finding hidden faults of the faithful. Truly if one spies to find faults of the believers, God also recalls his faults.[955]

In conclusion it must be remembered that spying and being after the deeds and actions of the people is against the basic essentials of Islam. Sometimes some servants of the Islamic revolution do such things in sympathy for Islam and the revolution, whereas such things are against Islam and the interest of the Islamic society. The is why the leader of the Islamic revolution, in his 8 point order for the safety of collective peace and safe administration, on 24th Azarmaah 1361, said under article 6: -

Nobody has a right to enter anyone’s house or shop or factory without the permission of the owner or to arrest anybody or follows him in the name of crime detection or to dishonour or insult anybody or to do any inhuman or un-Islamic deed or to listen to somebody’s telephone or tape in the name of investigation however big the crime may be or to follow the secrets of people or to spy for others crimes or to reveal whatever he has received from one even to one person. All these acts are sinful and some of them are, greater tan the great sins. The one who commits it is a criminal and deserves to be punished according to Shariat.

Lesson: 67- The crime of defamation or slander

Making false allegation against an innocent person is on of the meanest misdeeds that have been severely censured by Islam.

Verses

1. The Holy Quran says: And whoever commits a fault or a sin, then accuses of it one innocent, he indeed takes upon himself the burden of a calumny and a manifest sin.[956]

2. And those who speak evil things of the believing men and the believing women without their having earned it, they are guilty indeed of a false accusation and a manifest sin.[957]

Traditions

Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: Making allegation against an innocent is higher than even the high hills in sinning.[958]

Imam Sadiq (a.s.) also said: The one who falsely damages a Muslim brother makes the faith in his heart melt away like the melting of salt in water.[959]

And the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has said: If one puts a false allegation on a believing man or a believing woman or says anything about them which is not is him or her, the Lord almighty will, on the Day of Judgement, keep him in the cloud of hell-smoke until he comes out of the responsibility of what he had said.[960]

Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: If one makes an allegation against a believing man or woman saying what is not in him or her, God Almighty, keeps him in the Teenat-e-Khabaal until what he had said comes out. The narrator says: I asked: What is Teenat Khabaal? He replied: It is a dirty pus which comes out of the private part of a bad character woman.[961]

Briefly speaking it should be remembered that slander and defamation or false allegation is one of the worst kind of lies because it contains the great evil of falsity as well as the harms of back-biting. Moreover it is the worst kind of oppression.

It must also be kept in mind that the spread of this cowardly misdeed in a society becomes the cause of the dislocation of social justice and indulgence in falsity and entanglement of the innocent and the freeing of the criminal and the loss of collective trust.

Lesson: 68- What is the spreading of indecency?

One of the dangerous habits and bad deeds is spreading of shamelessness or indecency in which, sometimes, some people and sometimes even our pious people get involved.

In this connection, the Holy Quran says: Surely as for those who love that scandal should circulate respecting those who believe, they shall have a grievous chastisement in this world and the hereafter; and Allah knows, while you do not know.[962]

As man is a social being, the big society in which he lives is, from one angle like his house and his sanctuary and hence the cleanness of the society helps cleaning his house and so also dirtying the society helps makes his home dirty.

On the basis of this principle, in Islam, there is a severe fight against every act or deed that pollutes the atmosphere.

If we see that Islam fought severely with backbiting and scandal, one of its logic is that, as a result of making false allegation against an innocent person the society becomes polluted which ends in the moral corruption of the entire society. Similarly if Islam has ordered the covering of defects or shortcomings, one of its reason also is that a sin may not become common.

An open offence is greater than a secret sin. Look at this word of Imam Ali bin Moosa Reza in this connection: One who gives circulation to a sin is banished and forsaken and the one who covers a sin will be forgiven by God.[963]

So also if we see that in the above quoted verse the spreading of scandal has been severely censored it is also because of this.

As a matter of fact, a sin is like fire. When there is a fire at one point in the society we should try to cool it down or to contain it. But if we fan the fire and thus carry it from one point to another point it will engulf everything and then nobody will be able to control it.

Apart from this, the greatness of severity of a sin in the eyes of the common man and the apparent protection of the society from pollution, in itself, is a big dam against the flood of corruption. The circulation of scandal and shamelessness and spread of the sin openly breaches this dam, makes the sin light in public eye and makes pollution easy.

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has said: a man approached him and said: may I be sacrificed for you; people have narrated a deed allegedly done by a brother-in-faith hearing which I became displeased. When I asked that person, he denied while all reliable persons have narrated this thing from that person himself. The Imam said: Refute your own eye and ear against your believing brother so much so that even if fifty persons say that he had done something but he says he did not then believe him and disbelieve them. Never circulate in society a thing which may defame him and bring his personality down, otherwise you will be the one about whom God has said: those who love that scandal should circulate respecting those who believe, they shall have a grievous chastisement in this world and the hereafter.[964]

And Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) said: Always think good about a deed of your brother-in-faith until its opposite become clear and do not imagine badly about him as long as you can consider him correct.[965]

In conclusion we must know that one day each and every organ of our body will be asked to account for the deeds done and that it will be a hard questioning.

The Holy Quran says: And follow not that of which you have not the knowledge; surely the hearing and the sight and the heart, all of these, shall be questioned.[966]

Finally Muslims must keep in mind that the hypocrites, some times, through rumour mongering and circulation of allegations, defame and drive away great personalities from the field and they assassinate the character of people so severely that they introduce even the most honest man as the most dishonest. For example, during the last hundred years, just look what they had done with great men like Ayatollah Sheikh Fazlullah Noori and Ayatollah Kaashaani and Shaheed Behishti and…

Conclusion

The man in Quran

At the end we should know that if we advance toward becoming man by taking benefit of the Divine Guides and thinking more and more and strengthening our morals and follow the path of perfection and truth we shall be as the Holy Quran indicates in these verses:

1. And when your Lord said to the angels, I am going to place in the earth a khalif.[967]

2. Certainly We created man in the best make.[968]

3. He created man, taught him the mode of expression.[969]

4. Taught man what he knew not[970]

5. And surely We have honoured the children of Adam, and We carry them in the land and the sea, and We have given them of the good things, and We have made them to excel by an appropriate excellence over most of those whom We have created.[971]

6. And finally it is this man about whom Allah has said: He it is who created for you all that is in the earth[972]

7. And He has made subservient to you whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth…[973]

The above quoted verses say that the value of man is more than everything and his position is higher than all beings as Allah has said: We have created everything for you and because of you and made all them subservient to you.

It is here that we find that Allah has created man for a very great and precious purpose, everything has been created for man, created so that man may become the owner of all that is in the earth and then he may be an active authority.

He Man has been declared as the highest being on the vast field of earth. He is more valuable among all creations because everything has been created for him.

And finally it is this same man that God has given him strivings in the path of the Lord and whom He has given the promise of meeting Him: O man! surely you must strive to attain to your Lord, a hard striving until you meet Him.[974]

And we should also know that is case he does not improve himself, get trained under the guidance of Divine teachers leaders and if he destroys morals and makes himself grow like wild grass then he becomes the subject matter of the following verses:

A. A weak being: Khuliqal…[975]

B. Very unjust, very ungrateful: Innal insaan…[976]

C. Niggardly: Wa Kaanal…[977]

D. Ever hasty: Wa kaanal insaana ajoolaa[978]

E. Given to contention: Wa kaanal insaanu ak sa ra shai in ja da laa[979]

F. Unjust, ignorant In nahu kaa na zalooman jahoolaa[980]

G. Hasty in temperament, greatly grieved when evil afflicts him and niggardly when good befalls him: Innal insaan khuliqa halooaa, izaa mas sahus sharru jazooaa wa izaa mas sahul khaira manooaa[981]

H. Beguiled even from the Lord: Yaa aiyuhal insaanu maa ghar ra ka bi rabbikal kareem?[982]

I. Inordinate: Kallaa innal insaa na la yatghaa[983]

J. Becomes like a dog: Fa ma sa luhu ka ma sa lahil kalb[984]

K. And finally his business becomes like that of a donkey: Masalul laz zee na ……asfaaraa[985]

L. Becomes worse than an animal: And certainly We have created for hell many of the jinn and the men; they have hearts with which they do not understand, and they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear; they are as cattle, nay, they are in worse errors; these are the heedless ones.[986]

And if we do not reform ourselves and die with these mean attributes, tomorrow on the Day of Judgement, these same attributes will take a physical form and we will be gathered as blind and ugly persons in the court of final justice: And whoever is blind in this, he shall also be blind in the hereafter; and more erring from the way.[987]

At the end we hope that the Lord Almighty will, by His Grace, will guide us to perfect manliness and will not disgrace us tomorrow on the Day of final Judgement.