108: Suspicion could be Sinful
[b]إياكم والظن فإن الظن أكذب الحديث[/b]
[i]Be careful of suspicion for suspicion could be the worst lie.[/i][b][Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)][/b]
Primacy of Human Dignity
A fundamental aspect of Islamic teaching is the preservation of human dignity and the respect for the integrity of others. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is reported to have said;
[b]المُسِلمَُ مَن سَلِمَ المُسلمُون مِن لِسانِه و يَِِدِهِ[/b][list][*]-A Muslim is one from whose words and deeds other Muslims are safe;[/*][*]-A Mu’min is one in whom humankind find safety and security regarding their lives, their property and their honor.[/*][/list]
Allah reminds us in the Qur’an,
[b]إِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ وَالْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُولـئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْؤُولاً[/b]
[i]“Surely, every act of hearing, of seeing or of (feeling in) the heart will be enquired into (on the Day of Reckoning)[/i][b][Q 17:36][/b]
[b]Rule of Heart[/b]
It is in keeping with this philosophy that we find a strong emphasis Islam on being cautious regarding … [list][*]- how we perceive things[/*][*]- what we feel/ hear/ and say[/*][*]- what we allow ourselves to believe.[/*][/list]
Imam ash-Shaf’ie advised;
و اذا أغضبتَهُ قال فيك ما ليس فيك من نمَّ لك نمَّ بك، و من اذا أرضيتَهُ قال فيك ما ليس فيك
[i]Be aware that a person who carries tales to you will carry tales about you. When he is pleased with you will say good things about you that you do not deserve; and when he is displeased/angry with you will say things about you that you do not deserve.[/i]
[i]There are three good rules which ought to be written on every heart;
[list][*]- do not believe anything bad about anybody unless you positively know it to be true; [/*][*]- never tell anything about anybody unless it is absolutely necessary, [/*][*]- always remember that Allah is a witness to what you say and what you hear[b][Sufi Tradition][/b][/*][/list] [/i]
[b]Beware of Suspicion[/b]
Islam seeks to establish its society on a clear conscience and mutual trust, not on doubt, suspicion, accusation, and mistrust. Hence the Qur’an mentions …
[b]يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ[/b]
[i]O you who believe! Avoid(indulging in) suspicion as much (as possible): for suspicion in some cases is a sin. [/i]b][Qur’an 49:12] [/b]
Sinful suspicion is defined as ascribing evil motives to others. If there is a legitimate reason (not based on envy or prejudice) to doubt someone then one may exercise operational caution in dealing with someone , but we can not impute evil motives to others without justification and clear evidence.
Given the basic assumption that people are innocent, mere suspicion should not be allowed to cause an innocent person to be accused. We should realize that [i]the moment there is suspicion about a person's motives, (almost) everything that person does becomes tainted. [/i][b][Mahatma Gandhi][/b]
Ash-Shaheed Sayyid Qutb explains [Qur’an 49:12] thus;
[i]“It follows that by issuing an order to avoid most suspicion, so that people do not leave themselves to any thoughts of doubt about others, justifying this order by the fact that some suspicion is sinful. Since the prohibition applies to most suspicion and the rule is that some of it is sinful, then the verse implies that all negative suspicion should be avoided, because a person does not know which part of his or her doubts are sinful. [/i][b][IN THE SHADE OF THE QUR’AN][/b]
[b]The Sinfulness of Suspicion[/b]
Persistent suspicion often arises from an infected, corrupt or guilty mind and frequently leads to unnecessary harm
~ All seems infected that the infected spy, As all looks yellow to the jaundiced eye. [Alexander Pope, Essay on Criticism]
~ He that is already corrupt is naturally suspicious, and he that becomes suspicious will quickly become corrupt.[Essayist and lexicographer, Samuel Johnson]
~ Suspicion always haunts the guilty mind; [William Shakespeare, King Henry VIth ]
~ Suspicion is far more to be wrong than right; more often unjust than just. It is no friend to virtue, and always an enemy to happiness.[American Universalist, Hosea Ballou]
Allah instructs us … [b]وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍ هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّاء بِنَمِيمٍ مَنَّاعٍ لِّلْخَيْرِ مُعْتَدٍ أَثِيمٍ[/b]
[i]Heed not the type of despicable person, always ready with oaths; a slanderer, going about defaming others; hindering good efforts, transgressing beyond bounds, deep in sin.[[/i][b][Q 68: 11 -13] [/b]
Unwarranted suspicion is one such sin, and the Prophet (pbuh) warned;
[b]إياكم والظن فإن الظن أكذب الحديث[/b]
[i]Be careful of suspicion for vocalized suspicion could be the worst lie. [/i]