Quranic Foundations And Structure Of Muslim Society
B. Specific Commands relating to specific Duties of Omission:
2. DUTIES OF RESPECT:
(1) (a) Showing contempt for others; and (b) Oppressing others, prohibited.
“And swell not your cheek at human beings (i.e., do not treat others contemptuously and do not oppress them), nor walk in insolence through the earth; for Allah loves not any vainglorious, boaster.” (31:18).
Arrogance and oppression are such grave vices that the hearts of those who indulge in them are sealed up to influences for good:
“Thus does Allah seal up every heart—of (him who is) stiffnecked, oppressor.” (40:35).
Indeed, they alone who abstain from belittling and oppressing others will go to Heaven:
“That Home of the Hereafter We shall give to those who intend not high-handedness or mischief (i.e., evil in general) on earth: And the End is (best) for the righteous.” (28:83).
(2) Damaging the honour of Others through defaming them in any way, even though the defamatory remarks are based on truth, prohibited:
(a) Defamation in general forbidden:
“… and defame not (nor be sarcastic to) each other …” (49:11).
The only exception in speaking ill of others is where a person has been wronged mischievously and he has to defend his honour by exposing his wicked enemy. Even in that case, however, such a wronged person has been advised to practise forgiveness and to abstain from exposing the evils of his enemy—leaving the affair to God and hoping for His Reward—because God is ‘Forgiving, Powerful’.
The Holy Qur’an says:
“Allah approves not the utterance of evil speech (directed at defaming others), unless by one who has been wronged; and Allah is ever Hearing, Knowing.
“If you do good openly or keep it secret, or cover evil with pardon, lo! Allah is ever Forgiving, Powerful.” (4:148-149).
(b) Scandal-mongering specifically condemned; hence abstinence from it is duty:
“Woe to every (kind of) scandal-monger*, back-biter …” (104:1).
* The vice of scandal-mongering covers “talking or suggesting evil of men or women by word, or innuendo, or behavior, or mimicry, or sarcasm, or insult”.
“Heed not any (who is) ready with oaths, (is) a slanderer, (and) goes about with calumnies …” (68:10-11).
(c) Fabrication of lies against Others condemned; hence abstinence from it is duty:
“Woe to every sinful fabricator of falsehoods.” (45:7).
(d) Transferring one’s guilt to Others condemned; hence abstinence from it is duty
“But if any one earns a fault or a sin and throws it on to one that is innocent, he carries (on himself) (both) a falsehood and a flagrant sin.” (4:112).
(e) Attacking the honour of chavee women through slandering them condemned vehemently hence abstinence from it is duty:
“Those who slander chavee women, indiscreet but believing, are cursed in this life and in the Hereafter. for them is a grievous Penalty,—on the day when their tongues, their hands, and their feet will bear witness against them as to their actions. On that Day Allah will pay them back (all) their just dues, and they will realize that Allah is the (very) Truth that makes all things manifest.” (24:23-25).
(3) Backbiting Others prohibited:
“… and speak not ill of each other behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, you would abhor it. So fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Relenting, Merciful.” (49:12).
(4) Using obscene language against anyone prohibited:
“… and (God) forbids all shameful, abominable deeds …” (16:90).
Using obscene language is in itself shameful. To use it for insulting another person is all the more shameful, and it is, therefore, absolutely forbidden to a Muslim.
(5) Cultivation of rancor against anyone ruled out; hence abstinence from it is duty:
The Holy Qur’an commands in relation to the worst ideological enemies of the Muslims who were in a state of perpetual war with them, thus:
“And if they (i.e., the enemies at war) incline to peace, incline you also to it, and trust in Allah. Lo! He is the Hearer, the Knower.” (8:61).
This command implies that a Muslim should not cultivate rancor against anyone, but should always be ready to establish peace even with his worst ideological enemies, not to speak of enemies at lower level, namely, the level of simple social relations.
(6) Jealousy prohibited in its very basis:
Jealousy is a widely-prevalent moral shortcoming of the human beings. Its goal is the deprivation of others of the good things that they may have in excess of what one may possess, and it emerges and entrenches itself in the character of those who are not blessed with true faith in God and genuine moral refinement. Its roots lie in covetousness. Consequently, those who do not efface covetousness from their lives fall victim to it.
The Holy Qur’an mentions its evil and teaches the prayer for protection from it. (113:5). Then going to its root, it lays down the command that it is the duty of a Muslim to abstain from covetousness and the consequent jealousy under all circumstances:
“And in no wise covet those things in which Allah has bestowed His gifts more freely on some of you than on others. Unto men a fortune from that which they have earned, and unto women a fortune from that which they have earned. (All this is with Allah’s permission. Therefore, never wish or try that the good things which others have may be diminished for them), but ask Allah (for yourselves) of His Bounty (with a positive healthy outlook). Lo! Allah is ever Knower of all things.” (4:32).
(7) Observance of Duplicity* condemned; hence abstinence from it is duty:
*We have mentioned this vice in connection with ‘Duties to Self’ also. This is so because duplicity is a two-edged vice. It injures, on the one hand, the moral tone of him who indulges in it; and, on the other hand, the interests of him against whom it is practised.
Duplicity is a deeper phase of insincerity, which has its roots in hypocrisy. The Holy Qur’an condemns it in very strong terms:
“When they meet those who believe, they say ‘We believe’. But when they are alone with their evil ones, they say: ‘We are really with you; we were only jesting’.
“Allah will throw back their mockery on them, and give them rope in their trespasses; so they will wander like blind ones (to and fro).
“These are they who bartered Guidance for error; but their traffic is profitless, and they have lost true direction.” (2:14-16).
It should be noted that, though the particular reference in these verses is to the Hypocrites of Medina, they contain the general law that duplicity, wherever practised, is a grave vice, and it is the duty of a Muslim to abstain from it totally if he has to be true to his Faith.
(8) Cultivating the habit of suspecting the motives of Others, prohibited:
“O you who believe! Shun as much suspicion (as possible); for lo! some suspicion is a crime (because it involves cruel injustice to innocent and well-meaning people) …” (49:12).
(9) Spying, i.e., probing into the affairs of Others, prohibited:
“… and spy not (into the affairs of others for fault-finding) …” (49:12).
(10) Deriding and ridiculing Others prohibited:
“O you who believe! let not a folk deride a folk …” (49:11).
(11) Giving offensive nicknames to Others prohibited:
“and call not others by nicknames …” (49:11).
(12) Corrupting Others through flattery to be avoided:
The Holy Qur’an condemns those who love to be flattered and warns them of grievous consequences. (3:188). Now, to be the cause of the commission of sin by someone else is also a sin. Thus to flatter anyone and thereby corrupt his mentality is a sin, and hence to abstain from it is duty.
g
to be continued . . . . .
Quranic Foundation & Structure Of Muslim Society In The End Times
