In a Hadith found in Sunan Abu Dawud, number 4860, the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, warned people against speaking negatively about others, as this causes ill feelings towards them in the hearts of people.
It is often observed that families, especially from the Asian community, become broken over time. This is one the biggest complaints of family members, such as parents. They wonder why their children have become separated even though they were once firmly together.
One of the main reasons the relationships between relatives become fractured is because someone has spoken negatively about a person’s relative to them. This is often done by a family member. For example, a mother will speak negatively about her son to her other child. This leads to enmity between the two relatives and over time it builds up and creates a wedge between the two. Those who were once like one person become like strangers to one another.
It is important to understand that people are not Angels. Except for a very few, when a negative thing is said to a person about another, they will get affected by it, even if they do not desire this to occur. This enmity still occurs even if the initial person who spoke negatively about someone’s relative does not intend to create a wedge between relatives. Some often act in this way out of habit and are not trying to damage relationships. For example, parents often adopt this habit and there is no doubt they do not desire the relationships of their children to become fractured or broken.
This attitude has such a serious impact on people’s mentality that it also affects relatives that very rarely see or converse with each other. For example, a person will mention negative things about a person’s relative to them, even though their relative may not even live in the same country as them. This behaviour implants enmity within their heart and with the passing of time they will find that they dislike their distant relative, even though they barely know them.
This issue often occurs when two people discuss negative things about others in front of other people. For example, parents may discuss negative things about their relatives in front of their children. Even though, they are not telling their children directly, none the less it still affects their hearts. If one truly reflected for a moment they will realise that the majority of the ill feelings they have towards others were not caused by what that person did or said to them directly. In most cases, it occurred because of a third party, who mentioned something negative about that person to them.
In cases where one is trying to warn another of some danger, then it is perfectly acceptable to mention another person in a negative way. If one is trying to teach another person a lesson, they should follow the footsteps of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and mention the negative thing without naming the person. An example of this beautiful mentality is discussed in a Hadith found in Sahih Bukhari, number 6979. Mentioning a negative thing without naming the person is good enough to teach someone a lesson.
To conclude, muslims should ponder deeply before speaking negatively about their relatives or others, privately or publicly. Otherwise, they may well find, as time passes on, their family and friends become separated and emotionally distant from one another.
The one who hears negative things about others must warn the speaker to desist from backbiting and explain the consequences of their actions to them. They must avoid focusing on the negative things said about a person and instead remember that one negative characteristic does not define a person’s entire character. They must continue to show good character towards the person they heard negative things about and fulfill their rights according to the teachings of Islam. Simply put, one should treat people in a way they desire to be treated by others. Behaving in this manner will minimize the negative effects on one’s heart caused by those who speak negatively about others.
Prophetic Advice on Peace of Mind – Hadith Complete Set eBook & Backup Link: READ & READ
حدیث – اعلیٰ کردار کے بارے میں نبوی نصیحت: READ & READ
الحديث – وصية نبوية في مكارم الأخلاق: READ & READ
Hadis – Nasihat Nabi tentang Akhlak Mulia: READ & READ
Hadith – Consejos Proféticos Sobre El Carácter Noble: READ & READ
হাদিস – মহৎ চরিত্রের উপর নবীর উপদেশ: READ & READ
500+ English Books / اردو کتب / كتب عربية / Buku Melayu / বাংলা বই / Libros En Español / Livres En Français / Libri Italiani / Deutsche Bücher / Livros Portugueses:
https://shaykhpod.com/books/
Backup Sites for eBooks: https://shaykhpodbooks.wordpress.com/books/
https://shaykhpodbooks.wixsite.com/books
https://archive.org/details/@shaykhpod
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ShaykhPod/playlists
AudioBooks, Blogs, Infographics & Podcasts: https://shaykhpod.com/
Anonymously Follow WhatsApp Channel for Daily Blogs, eBooks, Pics and Podcasts: FOLLOW
Subscribe to Receive Daily Blogs & Updates Via Email: https://shaykhpod.com/subscribe
#Allah #ShaykhPod #Islam #Quran #Hadith #Prophet #Muhammad #Sunnah #Piety #Taqwa #Silence #Speech
ShaykhPod 