LIDAH OH LIDAH!

Assalamualaikum..

Apa khabar iman anda hari ini? Agak lama tidak berkesempatan untuk bertanyakan soalan tersebut pada semua. Alhamdulillah kali ini, Allah memberi sedikit kesempatan untuk berkongsi sesuatu dengan semua. Guarding the Tongue sebenarnya adalah judul sebuah buku karangan Imaam Yahyaa Ibn Sharaf An-Nawawee. Buku ini menceritakan tentang salah satu aktiviti harian manusia yang sangat susah untuk tidak melakukannya sama ada dalam keadaan sedar mahu pun tidak. But this time my entry will be in English and don’t worry because l am using simple words since i am still an amateur.

“Not a word does one utter, except that there is an (angel) watching, ready to record it.” (Surah al-Fajr: 14)

The topic that i want to share is backbiting. I am pretty sure that all of us used to backbite others right. Like what i said before whether consciously or unconsciously we happened to backbite others. Backbiting (mengata/gheebah) is when you mention something about a person (in his absence), that he hates (to have mentioned), whether it is about his body, his family, his religious characteristics, etc. In Islam, it is forbidden to do so.

  “..and do not backbite one another..” (Surah al-Hujurat:12)

But, in certain conditions backbiting is permissible.

1) Oppression

It is permissible for the one who is oppressed to complain about his situation to the ruler or the judge or anyone else who holds authority or have the ability to grant his justice against the oppressor. He should say “Such and such person wronged me and he did such thing to me”, and “he coerced me in this manner” and so on.

2) Seeking assistance in changing an evil and in returning a sinner back to what is correct.

One should say to the individual whom he expects has the capability of putting a stop to evil. “ such and such person did this, so i prevented him from it” or something to that effect. His objective should be to look for a way to ultimately put an end to the evil. If he does not intend that as his goal, then it is forbidden.

3) Seeking a fatwa

It is permissible to say that “my father is doing this and that” or “my husband is wronged me this way” to the muftee. This is permissible due to necessity for it, however, to be more cautious, it is better for one not to mention her husband or what. Just try to create a situation by saying that there is a man saying this and that. By doing this, the goal is achieved without having to resort to specifying anyone.

4) Warning and advising the Muslims against evil.

Declaring someone unreliable in the field of narrating hadeeth and giving testimony. Rather, it becomes obligatory due to its necessity. Another case is when an individual desires to enter into a relationship with another person either through marriage, business, the consignment of property, the consigning of something to him or any other of the daily affairs. It is obligatory on you to mention to that individual what you know about the person he wants to get involved with, with the intention of advising him.

Another case is when you see a student going to an innovator or a deviant, seeking to attain knowledge from him and you fear that may affect the student. In that situation you must explain everything that you know about the innovator.

One last case is when a person has some leadership role but he does not competent enough for that position or because he is a sinner or neglectful, etc. So in this case, one must mention this to those who have general leadership over this person, so that he can be removed and someone fit can replace him.

5) When one openly exposes his acts of evil or his innovation.

An example of this is when someone has openly exposed his consumption of alcohol or his illegal confiscation of people’s money and raising of their taxes unjustly and his usurping command wrongfully. It is thus permissible for one to talk about what that individual has made public. But it is forbidden to mention any of his other defects unless they fall under one of the categories which we have mentioned that backbiting is permissible.

6) Defining someone

If someone is known to the people by his nickname such as “the bleary eyed one”, “the deaf guy”, “the blind guy” or “cross-eyed” and other than that, then it is permissible to particularise him as such, with the aim of identifying him. However it is forbidden to apply that to him, when one intention’s is to degrade him. If he can be identified with another (more appropriate) type of name, then that is more preferable.

So, these are the conditions where as a Muslim we are allowed to backbite. Whoever like or make backbiting as a habit, try to reflect yourself and think twice before start to utter a word. The end of English session!

Sedikit perkongsian mengenai takbiratul ula. Takbir tersebut hanya boleh didapati dengan mengangkat takbir RIGHT AFTER imam selesai takbiratul ihram. (Ustaz Don). Tidak melengah-lengahkan untuk bertakbir ye kawan-kawan.

In shaa Allah bertemu lagi di next entry. Semoga Allah beri kesempatan pada kita semua untuk menyampaikan segala ilmu yang kita tahu walaupun sedikit. Wallahua’lam..