Good Manners: Prophetic Insights

Ghibbat… Some Hadiths: Part- IV

By the grace of Allah, I continue the subject of my Friday sermon on “Ghibbat” - backbiting, thinking badly of a person, being jealous of him, and seeking to harm him only for the purpose of having the satisfaction of seeing others spit on him and dishonour him.

This is a subject that must be developed again and again for the education of all people in general and especially for our members of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam. If you analyze this subject in depth, you will also find that in our society that we are living today, there are problems between brothers where you see a brother humiliating his own brother, whereby he takes him as an inferior person. If someone knows his own person well, then he would never consider others to be inferior. Hazrat Massih Ma’ud (as) explained this in this way, that you need to implant in your thoughts the idea that you are worse than others, and thus you will see how, Insha-Allah this remedy will actually work.

On top of that, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) said that a person should not consider someone else as inferior, because when you analyze your own being, you will find that it is you who are inferior, and if you have some honour it is just because Allah is doing Pardah Poshi with you. If you have any status, any rank, any knowledge, any intelligence, or you have money, beauty, lots of children etc., then, it’s just by the grace and blessing of Allah.

When someone understands this well, then when he sees someone who is inferior to him, he will be ashamed and shall not consider him as a lowly person, and this is a reality whereby when you sees the other person, and you think that despite his difficult situation he is more advanced than you in the field of sacrifice, sincerity and striving to spread the Deen-e-Islam, etc. So, you are ashamed, and you seek divine forgiveness and you never again dare to consider him as an inferior being [of low status].

'Kitab-ul-Adab': On Envy and Enmity

Ghibbat- Part IX

Last week I told you about my own experience, and I also gave you the example of those who are sincere in their joy and desire to do similar work as that of their brother and this is not jealousy. And I have also explained to you about those who are jealous by citing a Hadith of Nabi Kareem (pbuh) which is found in the compilations of Hadiths of Muslim and Bukhari, in chapter Kitab-ul-Adab and reported by Hazrat Abu Huraira (ra).

So if a person has [If you have] this contentment [pleasure for others’ success & joy] in him [in you], then while thanking Allah (swt) you should benefit from this joy, and the advantage that is mentioned here is that you have to compete with others in good deeds, in good works. And it is as a result of this desire which has been created that it has been said that if you find some good in someone, then try to surpass him in this good action. This is not forbidden, but jealousy means that you seek to change one’s beauties into evil, into bad deeds. It is nowhere mentioned that human nature is bad. No! Because it is the creation of Allah. If man (human) uses his nature correctly according to the situations that arise, this is what we call high and excellent qualities, admirable qualities, and good actions.

So, there is the desire to exceed a person, but it should be done only in the accomplishment of good deeds [Fastabikul Khairaat], but you should not do this by changing his good qualities into bad qualities [by portraying his good deeds as bad deeds], or you seek such defects in him that he does not even have, or you seek his weaknesses [such weaknesses that he indeed has] and you spread this news everywhere. So when you do all this, you do it because of jealousy and the Quran does not give you permission to do this at all.

Then it has been said not to develop enmity, and like I just openly said that it is because of certain animosity that jealousy is created. 

'Keep Away from Spreading Rumours'

'Ghibbat': Part VII

Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, today I continue my series of sermons on the subject of “Ghibbat” (backbiting, palavers, etc.). And like I told you, I come now with Hadiths on the subject.

Understanding Hadith reports: The need for Caution 

We should know, even in the case of reporting Hadiths, that we should be very careful lest we do not report the words of the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) in the right way. For example : Hazrat Abu Huraira (ra) narrated that Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) said that the worst people are those with two-mouths. 

That is to say, he comes here and say something and then he goes elsewhere and reports another thing [i.e. not the original wordings]. In other words, he is a great hypocrite and a circulator [of news… i.e. gossip-monger/ tale-teller]. The translator is him who is hypocrite and a tale-teller as he is the one circulating the news on that person and telling it in a twisted manner. He uses such wordings which has not been originally spoken. He puts it in the way that he has understood it, even if the wordings may resemble and mean the same thing. But we should be very careful when doing translations; first of all we should say the exact translation and then we can state that it means such and such things. [i.e. give the exact translation/ meaning of the original sayings, and then you explain what has been stated in the original saying].

'Two-Faced' Persons spread false stories to ruin relations

That is why when we cross-check this Hadith, we find that those are not the exact wordings of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) – i.e. his Hadith. When we look at it closely, we find that these are indeed not the words he used. The Hadith is in fact like this:- Abu Huraira reported: 'The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,“Verily, among the worst of people is one with two faces, he who comes with one face to these and another to those" (Bukhari, Muslim). 

As for the conclusion we draw from this Hadith, despite the fact that the first choice of words used means nearly the same thing, i.e. double-face and two tongues, two mouths, but the exact wordings which have been used is: two faces. 

Likewise, out of the context of the Hadiths, when a circulator readies himself (or herself) to spread some news (on someone), he either add to it or remove some words from the original talk of someone, and thus he change the actual meaning of the saying/ talk.

When we now analyse the Hadith where Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) has mentioned that the worst kinds of people are those with two faces, this is because the curse of being double-faced remains linked with betrayal (betraying someone) and it becomes an integral part of it.

When we look at the circulation of news and gossip and tell-tales in a global way, we will find that much disorder is created because of those hearsays. Sometimes, it enters the fold of close family circle and sometimes it reaches till a point that family ties are broken, in such a way that it becomes difficult to connect them again.

'Ghibbat': Part- VI

Surah Al-Hujurat: On 'Ghibbat'

Islam is such a religion where Allah has made available to believers all solutions to various problems, and it [i.e. Islam] has also taught man how to live his life.

Despite the presence of all these divine teachings, but the problems keep spreading and continue to get worse every day, like I explained to you in my sermon last Friday on the relationship between mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and daughter-in-law, on how many problems arise in a home, between a couple, and how a mother-in-law should treat her daughter-in-law, without creating problem in a home and how a daughter-in-law should deal with her mother-in-law. Often, the daughters-in-law are intolerant and constantly fill their husbands’ ears [with negative comments against the husbands’ family] to keep them away from their mums and other family members. Yet when the Quran mentioned the subject of marriage, it mentioned it in such a way that the subject of pity (Rehem) is brought up towards the parents of the couple, i.e. the parents of the husband as well as the parents of the wife. It applies both ways.

So, in this sense, we must try to reform the society and here too it is “Ghibbat” (backbiting) that causes the worst effect. 

'Ghibbat': Part V

Surah Al-Hujurat: On 'Ghibbat'

Alhamdulillah, I continue on the same subject of my Friday Sermon on “Ghibbat” (backbiting) and the subjects connected with it, especially Muhabbat (love) for Allah, for the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and for the works of Deen-i-Islam (Way of Islam). And this is the 5^th Friday [5^th part on Surah Al-Hujurat - Ghibbat] , and I am going into details to make you all understand profoundly this subject.

Like I told you last Friday, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) had a direct connexion with Allah and this love came directly from Allah (swt). He did not have to struggle (wage Jihad) for it. But for common people, it becomes necessary that they struggle – make efforts – to acquire divine love as it is not an easy task to obtain Allah’s direct love as well as the love of the prophet (pbuh). And it is not also simple to establish, in connexion with this love, relations of love with people in general.

There should be efforts made to attain this goal and for this you you need to focus on [your] Muhabbat (love) and all defects therein and you need to make the necessary efforts to get rid of those weaknesses. To be able to do this, you need to have the feel and interest for it, and without this feel and interest, then there can be no love for Allah, and for the Messenger of Allah. If the feel itself is low, weak, then your love for the person whom you love also shall be little. This is a natural occurrence and many times, by neglecting this aspect/ subject, you stop looking for solutions for your internal, intrinsic problems. You think that despite making so much efforts to acquire the love of Allah, despite praying so hard (making duahs), you aren’t getting any taste/ feel and pleasure in your Salaat/ Namaz (i.e. the obligatory prayers) and in the performance of good deeds. You think that you are doing duahs, and yet your duahs are not being accepted.

A possible reason for this is that the feel itself [your feel for prayer etc.] has been ruined, and that is why all the time your mind wander and is attached to mundane pleasures which you deem correct. You feel attracted to all this; your love for mundane things has surpassed the love which you needed to have for Allah and thus this has not created the feel in you for attaining Allah’s love or to do good deeds.

When the feel is not right, then the love also shall not be right. It would only remain in the realm of imagination. It would remain only a claim only [words which are not translated into actions]. When your love for Allah does not come out from the profoundness of the heart, then your duahs also will not come out from the profoundness of your heart, and your Salaat also shall not have any feel, and you will hurry to finish your prayers in few seconds or minutes as if they were a burden for you.

So, to be able to succeed in acquiring that feeling in your prayers (Namaz) – deep love for prayers, to acquire that connexion with Allah – and to have your supplications (duahs) accepted, you need to bring about a great spiritual reform in you.

'Ghibbat': Part - IV

Passions of the human self are many: hatred, jealousy, ill- thinking, slander, backbiting, etc. As people, we are not immune to evil impulses of the self. And our vices can lead to negative consequences in our inter-personal and social settings. When hearts get divided, good relations fly away and the community cohesion shatters to pieces. When psychological ‘diseases’ spread among people, the larger ‘health’ of the community (‘Jamaat’) itself comes under a shadow. Hence, it's a moral imperative that we fight and resist these vices of the self in its varied manifestations in everyday life. 

In his Friday Sermon of 04 October 2019 ~ 05 Safar 1441 AH, Hadhrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim Saheb (atba) continues the fourth part of the discourse on ‘Ghibbat’ (backbiting). Exhorting members of the Jamaat to refrain from falling to the fatal tentacles of blame-games and other manifestations of hard love; Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) underscores the dignity and rights of all persons, if not all living beings in this universe. Explaining the profound compassion and goodwill the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) had maintained for all of humanity- fellow  members of faith included- as well as for the welfare of animals and birds in the natural environment, Hadhrat Saheb (atba) points to our duty to recognize and respect every person for who they are- the children of the same God we claim to worship. Instead of needlessly creating fractures among the believers through backbiting- especially against those who work in God’s cause in the same Jamaat; looking down upon fellow beings in arrogance; making insinuations; seeking to overthrow established frameworks of division of labour; incitement to rebellion, etc; persons would benefit by reflecting on prudent conduct in social relations. Listening to the Qur'an, we need to renounce Ghibbat (backbiting) and embrace Muhabbat (affection and good will for others),  if we are to become good humans, ideal souls- the likes of the friends of God on earth, reminds Hadhrat Saheb (atba).

Read the Friday Sermon Below:  

First of all, I thank Allah for giving me the Tawfiq to continue the subject of my Friday Sermon that I started three weeks ago. Last Friday in my sermon, I told you to create love for those working for the Nizam-e-Jamaat (those who are working for the cause of Allah).

If you have a true love for Allah, and little by little you have love for Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), Hazrat Massih Ma’ud (as), for the Khalifa (Caliph) of Allah of this era (the Khalifatullah), so naturally you will have love for those who are working for the Jamaat (Jamaat officials) too. It is not possible for anyone to be arrogant or indifferent to an organization that has a connection with the people I mentioned in my sermon last Friday. It is not possible that you speak against the Jamaat, and ridicule and blame those bearers of responsibility (that is, do the “Ghibbat” against them). It is not acceptable for you to backbite against with Jamaat (i.e., speak against the Jamaat). [This is a general statement which I am saying so that the members of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam and the other Muslims as well stay away from such evils. From what I have lived from my past experience, I would like to warn you against it so that the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam stays free from these vices. I am saying all this for your own good, and even if you don’t believe in this humble self, but take this message for your own good.]

'Ghibbat': Part-III

Continuing the series on the theme of 'Ghibbat'- the vice of speaking ill of others behind their backs-, Imam Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah  Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius, in his Friday Sermon of 27 September 2019 ~ 27 Muharram 1441 AH,  provides fascinating insights into the working of the human psyche in inter-personal and social settings. There are intimate connections between backbiting and hypocrisy:  whereas a hypocrite will indulge in backbiting; the habit of backbiting can lead the person who indulges in it away from the holy path of Faith. Secondly, while those who indulge in backbiting seek to defame or destroy reputations of others; this vice may have ironical consequences: if the backbiters challenge common sense and attack the reputation of a pious soul, the deception will boomerang on the backbiters, and they will lose face before the people. Likewise, severe backbiting by religious leaders and the priestly class often lead the people away from taking religion seriously. Indeed, people may lose interest in, and they may keep aloof from, the spiritual way altogether. Thirdly, 'Ghibbat' is also a manifestation of other vices in human nature: hatred and jealousy. 

During the early days of the Divine Manifestation, the Nizam-e-Jamaat officials in Mauritius brazenly and openly indulged in 'Ghibbat' and other vices against the recipient of Divine revelations among them as they did not comprehend the descent of Divine revelations on someone in their midst. Likewise, people who recognize the sign of God in the person of an Elect of Allah (atba) among them sometimes display great emotions of sincere respect and deep affection and it would be unfair to belittle their sentiments of respect by equating it with Shirk-like practices (God Forbid). Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba) warns against talking ill about things one do not fully understand, and persons who speak that way need to be wary of the sin of backbiting and hypocrisy.  

Read the Friday Sermon Below: 

Surah Al Hujurat: Ghibbat, Part III 

By the grace of Allah, I am hereby continuing the 3^rd part of my Friday Sermon on the subject of “Ghibbat” (backbiting), seeking the defects of others, spying, suspecting and doubting others, putting false allegations, blames etc. on them. Thus, this sermon continues…

Many times, by keeping hypocritical relations with your innocent brothers or sisters, you become a hypocrite. And when hypocrisy arises somewhere, then, there are also possibilities for hypocrisy to develop elsewhere also, in many places/ situations. When someone makes it a habit to adopt hypocrisy, it is “Ghibbat” which becomes a great factor that helps him to become accustomed to hypocrisy.

A hypocrite refers to someone who is accustomed to talking behind someone’s back, but in front of him, he says the complete opposite, and thus gives that person the impression that he was talking in his favour [when this is not the case at all]. In front of him, the hypocrite says lots of things which is very different from his true point of view and what he was really thinking. This is hypocrisy.

'Ghibbat': On Speaking Ill of Others- II

Surah Al-Hujurat: Ghibbat, Part-II

By His grace, Allah (swt) has given me the Tawfiq to continue on the same subject of my Friday Sermon which I started last week on “Ghibbat” (backbiting). It is indeed a very important subject for all members of the Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam and the rest of the Muslim Ummah in general.

When we analyse the different Hadiths on “Ghibbat”, we reach one same conclusion that “Ghibbat” occurs when you are aware of the flaw of someone or you spy to know more about him and his flaws and thereafter you spread the news everywhere with the intention of humiliating him in the eyes of other people. 

There are such kinds of people who seize the opportunity of big gatherings/ crowds to backbite someone, with the sole intention of humiliating him and to abase him further in the eyes of the people. Such people want to make everyone know about the flaws of that person and to make them have disgust for him and to go far away from him or even to be wary of him. When such things happen according to the plan of the backbiter, he derives a great pleasure in it. Such [evil-minded] people do not look at their own selves, their own flaws and they do not ponder over the time when they will have to account for all these misdeeds in front of their Creator. It is the jealousy and hatred which he conceals in his heart which makes him react and act stupidly like a malefactor/ bad guy. 

Now, there is another category of people who talks about the flaws of a person in his absence and he takes great pleasure in it. Whenever the person is absent, he heaps a lot of bad talks on him. When he finds himself surrounded by people who are ready to listen to him, he seizes the occasion to talk foolishly about the person he wants to humiliate just because that person is not present to refute him or to defend his honour.

So this is a great sin and Allah (swt) says in the Quran, giving this example: “Would any of you like to eat the flesh of their dead brother?” When one hears such a thing – about eating the flesh of someone, one gets a disgust against that. A believer (Mumin) develops a distaste for that, but on the other hand, an imbecile who harbours hatred in heart – like an ex-so-called Amir and his Mullahs in the Jamaat Ahmadiyya did at the beginning of the Divine Manifestation, from the year 2001 onwards on the pulpit (minbar) of the Noble Prophet (pbuh) – will not get any revulsion in doing such acts. On the contrary, such people ate our flesh with appetite, like cannibals.

'Ghibbat': The Vice of Speaking Ill of Others

O believers! Avoid many suspicions, [for] indeed, some suspicions are sinful. And do not spy, nor backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of their dead brother? You would despise that! And fear Allah. Surely Allah is much prone to accept repentance, is Most Compassionate. (Al-Hujurat 49: 13)

I have chosen to address you today again – like in the past I made several sermons on this subject as well as on Surah Al-Hujurat – on “Ghibbat”.

This is another explanation that I am putting before you, because this Surah is a very important Surah wherein Allah (swt) is calling the attention of the community of believers against “Ghibbat”. Like you know, “Ghibbat” means backbiting, talking against a person, putting him in a bad light behind his back [i.e. when he is not present]. And Allah has condemned such practice in severe words and if the people understand them well, then they would never dare to backbite anybody. And the way in which Allah explains this subject profoundly, we get an idea why people get attracted to such a detestable practice.

Ghibbat” is such a vice which attracts you towards it and you find yourselves powerless [and get tempted to indulge in it]. When you read the Chapter Al-Hujurat profoundly, you are frightened by its contents [i.e. by what Allah has warned the believers against]. 

When I read and ponder profoundly over this chapter, I recall how the Jamaat Ahmadiyya with its ex-so-called Amir Amine Jowaheer and his Managing Committee at that time manifested such jealousy, doubts, and suspicions which developed into a great hatred towards me and this hatred went on to become bigger and bigger and it was spread to other people [even the small children] and thus their hearts became dark with these vices and this darkness was reflected on their faces. They used foul languages and detestable actions and sanctions against me. And basing himself on the report of the ex-so-called Amir in 2000, the late fourth Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Movement – without listening to my version – took sanctions and on top of that sent curses on us and used other detestable and severe words against us. Indeed, he acted without Taqwa (righteousness/ piety).

And all these happened only because I cited some revelations which Allah had bestowed upon me. He sent such a curse as if he is making a Mubahila (duel of prayer) with me. As for the ex-so-called Amir, he took himself as a great hero and delivered Friday Sermons over Friday Sermons, eating our flesh [i.e. backbiting us] with appetite. There was so much backbiting, beginning the year 2001 and beyond. And such backbiting took place not only on Fridays in the sermons, but also in meetings in all branches, and such programmes as the Promised Messiah (Massih Ma’ud) Day, the Promised Reformer (Musleh Ma’ud) Day and Caliphate (Khilafat) Day. All these “Days” became Munir Azim Day. More talks on Munir Azim in the Ijtema of Khuddam, Ansar and the Jalsa Salana!

In a nutshell, there was no programme which was held in which there was not the mention of Munir Azim and his “so-called revelations”. This was for them indeed a most important topic to dwell on, for example, how Munir Azim was a rebel etc. And the so-called ex-Amir reached such an abased level that he along with his Mullahs stated that the caliphate was in danger. They created so much hatred in the hearts of the Ahmadis (men, women and even children) till they exceeded all limits in the field of religion. They [i.e. the hate-filled people among them] began the slogan “Khilafat is our life”; and, intoxicated with the poison that they were fed, they were ready to declare that they shall fall upon [i.e. kill] those who rebel against the caliph. And that ex-so-called Amir received many felicitations from the members of the Jamaat [i.e. for having ‘succeeded’ in ‘saving’ the caliphate].

So, with all the backbiting and rumours which one made with another, a caliph believed in those palavers without listening to me. So, now see where the Jamaat Ahmadiyya is going… to its lost! The light of Allah (Nur-e-Ilaahi) has disappeared in the Jamaat of the Promised Messiah (as). I must say that 90% of the Ahmadis have had this hatred against us, and this hatred blackened their hearts and their attitude against us became bad and not good to see at all, and indeed this darkness has stuck in their hearts as if they are on a black stone in complete darkness.

So, look at the Jamaat Ahmadiyya at national and international level, they no more uphold the teachings of Islam, not even the teachings of the Promised Messiah (as). They made their caliph become their idol and they have trampled the divine teachings. What remains is only backbiting and hatred.

On the other hand, the people who have Taqwa (fear of Allah) in their hearts, they hold within them a firm belief on the unity of Allah, and they remove themselves from these Khalifa/idol-worshipping, backbiting, jealousy, etc. They prefer to leave this Jamaat of dynasty, family-feeling, a Jamaat where there are the same people at the head all the time, and there is the same [unislamic] instructions such as: put boycott on us, have hatred for us, spread false rumours – backbite and suspect us. So, the Muttaqi [Muttaqun] see that all these are not the teachings of Allah. They leave that circle so that they may not fall into sin.