Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "O you who have entered Islam with your tongues but whose hearts faith has not entered: do not slander people, and do not ferret out people's shameful points. Whoever searches out the shameful points of his brother, Allah will search out his shameful points, and if Allah searches out a person's shameful points, be sure that He will disgrace him even if he should remain in the middle of his house." [Abu Dawud]
Commentary: This hadith teaches us a number of things:
1. It points to the difference between being a Muslim and being a Mu'min. A person who has embraced Islam but not reformed his heart and inner self through it, is called a Muslim but not a Mu'min.
2. One characteristic that differentiates a Muslim from a Mu'min is that a Muslim may be on the look out for people's hidden flaws and shameful secrets: but a Mu'min would never waste his or her time in such a disgraceful activity. This is because a Mu'min knows that in the Final Reckoning they will be asked about their own faults and not those of others.
3. The punishment for someone who tries to find flaws in others is that Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) will surely disgrace them by making their shameful deeds public. These may be things we considered done and hidden forever. But if Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) chooses to disgrace somebody, there is nowhere they can hide to escape the wretchedness of disgrace.
We waste so much time looking for and discussing the faults of others. Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) says, "That is a nation which has already passed away: there awaits it whatever it has earned, while you will have what you have earned. You will not be questioned about what they have been doing." [Quran 2:141]
Focus on that which is your foremost responsibility and in your control. Yourself!
Commentary: This hadith teaches us a number of things:
1. It points to the difference between being a Muslim and being a Mu'min. A person who has embraced Islam but not reformed his heart and inner self through it, is called a Muslim but not a Mu'min.
2. One characteristic that differentiates a Muslim from a Mu'min is that a Muslim may be on the look out for people's hidden flaws and shameful secrets: but a Mu'min would never waste his or her time in such a disgraceful activity. This is because a Mu'min knows that in the Final Reckoning they will be asked about their own faults and not those of others.
3. The punishment for someone who tries to find flaws in others is that Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) will surely disgrace them by making their shameful deeds public. These may be things we considered done and hidden forever. But if Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) chooses to disgrace somebody, there is nowhere they can hide to escape the wretchedness of disgrace.
We waste so much time looking for and discussing the faults of others. Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) says, "That is a nation which has already passed away: there awaits it whatever it has earned, while you will have what you have earned. You will not be questioned about what they have been doing." [Quran 2:141]
Focus on that which is your foremost responsibility and in your control. Yourself!
