Name-calling and mocking others

Allah said in the Glorious Qur.an:

(O you who believe! Let not some men among you mock others: it may be that the (latter) are better than the  (former): nor let some women mock others: it may be that the (latter) are better than the (former): nor defame nor be  sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by offensive nicknames: evil indeed is a name connoting wickedness  after one has believed: and those who do not desist are (indeed) doing wrong.) (49:11)

 Hatred, contempt and resentment against others.

Such vices provoke to act in revenge in many possible ways. Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) was asked: .O Prophet of Allah! Who is the best type of man?  Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said: .Every warm hearted  person, and every true person.. The Companions who  were present raised a question to Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) saying, O Prophet of Allah! We know the true  person, but what about the warm-hearted person?

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said:

.He is the pious, pure  person, the sinless one, with no oppression or transgression on the rights of others, a person who possesses no hatred or envy in his heart for others.

(Tirmidthi) The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) illustrated the results of

envy as follows:  .Envy and jealousy eat up the good deeds as the fire eats up the wood. (Abu Dawood) 109

 Social boycott (unless under strict conditions)

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said: .Do not boycott one another, do not turn your backs on each other, do not hate one another, do not envy one another: all of you should be (true) slave-servants of Allah like brethrens. A Muslim is not allowed to boycott his Muslim brethren for more than three (days). (Bukhari & Muslim)

And in another version of the narration:

.A Muslim is not permitted to boycott his Muslim brother for a period exceeding three nights, upon meeting one another, each one swerving to a different direction and shunning each other. The best of the two is the one who initiates the greeting to the other..

 Cursing and abusive language

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said:   .People who curse would not be permitted to be  witnesses or interceders on the Day of Judgment. (Muslim)

Islam prohibits even cursing enemies and encourages a Muslim to pray for the guidance of such people to the Right and Straight Path. This is based on Allah’s Messenger (pbuh)  who was once asked: .O Prophet of Allah! Shouldn.t you pray against pagans and idol worshippers? He said: .I am only commissioned as a mercy (for mankind) and I was not commissioned to curse others. (Muslim)

 Stinginess and miserliness

Islam considers wealth as a trust that Allah entrusted to man for a specific period of his lifetime to be used wisely and spent in accordance with Allah.s commands: for living expenses and essential needs, for charity and for righteous deeds. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:

.A treacherous, stingy and miserly person who brags time and again about his donation and assistance to other needy and poor individuals, would never enter Paradise. (Tirmidthi)

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) is also reported to have warned about disastrous consequences of a society where miserliness becomes a common practice, saying:

.Beware of oppression. Oppression is darkness on the Day of Judgment. Beware of greed and miserliness, as it destroyed people before you. Greed and miserliness compelled people (before you) to shed the blood of their own people and pushed them to make la fulwhat was unlawful and forbidden.. (Muslim)

 Extravagance and lavish spending.

Allah has commanded a Muslim to abstain from being lavish.

(Eat and drink, but waste not by excess; Verily He loves not the excessive.) (7:31)

Allah the Almighty states:

(And render to the kindred their due rights, and (also) to those in want, and to the wayfarer: and do not squander (your wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift. Verily, spendthrifts are brothers of the devils; and the Satan is ungrateful to his Lord (Himself).) (17:26-27)

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said:

.Allah, the Almighty, prohibits you from being disobedient to your mothers, from declining to give the poor and needy for the cause of Allah, from asking people charity if you do not truly need it, and from burying girls alive. Allah also dislikes for you to be rumor mongering, to often ask people to give you, and to waste funds foolishly.. (Bukhari & Muslim)

 Exaggeration and extremism

Allah, the Almighty states:

(Allah intends every facility for you; He does not want to put you to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; that perhaps you will be grateful.) (2:185)

 

 

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said:

.Offer glad tidings and do not chase people away. Ease the life of people and do not make it difficult and unbearable for them.. (Bukhari & Muslim)

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said:

.Beware of going beyond the bounds of the religion. The people before you were destroyed by going to extremes in the religion..

(Nisaa‘e, Ibn Maajah, Ibn Khuzaimah & al-Haakim)

 Arrogance and false pride.

Allah, the Almighty said:

(And do not puff your cheek (in pride) at men, nor walk in insolence through the earth; for God does not love an arrogant boaster. And be moderate in thy pace, and lower thy voice; for the harshest of sounds without doubt is the braying of the ass.) (31:18-19)

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said:   .A person, whose heart contains an atom weight of arrogance, would not enter Paradise.. One of the  Companions who was present at the time, asked Allah’s Messenger (pbuh): .O Prophet of Allah! One of us likes to wear good clothes and good shoes [so is that arrogance?] Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said: .Arrogance is to deny the  truth and to have contempt towards others. (Muslim)

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) also said:

.Allah would not look on the Day of Judgment at the one who drags his clothes in arrogance.. (Bukhari &Muslim)

 All unjust acts leading to disputes, quarrels and feuds among people.

Allah the Almighty states:

(And hold fast, all together, by the Rope which Allah  (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves. And remember with gratitude Allah’s favor on you, for you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love so that by His Grace you became brethren. And you were on the brink of the Pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus Allah makes His Signs clear to you that you may be guided.) (3:103)

Similarly, Islam bans all forms of suspicion and evil thoughts about others. Allah, the Almighty and Majestic states:

(O you who believe! Avoid suspicion as much as you  can, for suspicion in some cases is a sin: and spy not on each other, nor speak ill of each other behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, but you would abhor it. And fear Allah: for Allah is Oft Returning, Most Merciful.) (49:12)

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said:

.Avoid suspicion as suspicion (leads to) the most  untruthful speech one could ever make.. (Bukhari)

Misrepresentation of facts and false reporting

Allah the Almighty, said:

(O you who believe! If a wicked person comes to you with any news, ascertain the truth of it lest you harm people unwittingly and afterwards become full of repentance for what you have done.) (49:6)

 Fits of Rage, Temper tantrums, and use of offensive and abusive language.

Thus a Muslim is ordered to always control anger. Allah the  Almighty and Majestic states:

.Those who avoid the greater crimes and shameful deeds and even when they are angry, they forgive.. (42:37)

The Messenger of Allah said (pbuh):

“The strong man is not the one who wrestles, but the strong man is in fact the one who controls himself in a fit  of rage.” (Bukhari & Muslim)

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said:

.A Believer is not a person who attacks the integrity of  others, curses others, uses foul language and be unpleasant in his speech with others.. (Tirmidthi)

Abu Hurairah () reported:  A man asked the Prophet (pbuh) to give him advice and he said: “Do not get angry.” The man repeated that several  times and he replied (every time): “Do not get angry.” (Bukhari)

 Glee and malicious joy over the sufferings of others.

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said:

.Do not demonstrate any happiness upon seeing your brother.s tragedy. Allah would be Merciful to the latter and afflict you with such problems.. (Tirmidthi)

 Undue interference with things that do not concern

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said:

.One of the signs of being a good Muslim is to leave that which does not concern him.. (Tirmidthi)

 Unjust ruling and sentences

Laws are derived from the Qur.an and Sunnah and thus  there are no legislators except Allah in Islam. Therefore a judge is entrusted with interpreting the law and applying it justly in all individual cases, and if he becomes unjust in his  verdicts, he is betraying the sacred trust. The Wise and  Sublime states,

..and whosoever does not judge by what Allah hath revealed, then indeed, they are the disbelievers.. (5:44)

This is also based on the Hadith of Allah’s Messenger (pbuh):

.The judges are three, two of which are the dwellers of  the Hellfire and one is in Paradise. A judge who knows the truth and judges accordingly would be dwelling in Paradise. A judge who knows the truth but purposely deviates from it would be dwelling in the Hellfire. The judge who passes his sentence without possessing appropriate knowledge would be dwelling in the Hellfire..        

One of the Companions, who was present at the   time raised the following question, .What is the sin of the judge who was not truly aware of the truth and reality of the case? Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) commented, His sin is that he should not function as a judge until he is knowledgeable.. (Hakim)

 Spying on others

Islam bans spying on others by all means as mentioned by Allah:

(O you who believe! Avoid suspicion as much as you can for suspicion in some cases is a sin, and spy not on each  other, nor speak ill of each other behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead  brother? Nay, but you would abhor it. And fear Allah: for Allah is Oft Returning, Most Merciful.) (49:12)

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said:

.A person who listens in onto the conversation of others who hate him to listen in would have molten lead poured into his ears on the Day of Requital.. (Bukhari)

 Spreading the mistakes of others, and slandering

A tattle-tale breaks up amiable relationships between people and breeds animosity, and creates a situation of chaos in the society. Allah, the Almighty states

(Heed not the type of despicable man, ready with oaths, a slanderer, going about with calumnies.) (68:10-11)

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,  .A slanderer would not be allowed to enter Paradise..(Bukhari & Muslim) One of the sure results of slander is the spread of rumors, hatred and anger among members of the community. As such, this may lead to murders or a disorder in the community. Islam neither accepts nor condones such situation.

 Exploitation of others, especially the easily victimized

like the destitute or elderly.  Islam aims to establishing a well-integrated society with solid fraternal bonds. Allah the Almighty and Majestic said:

(Worship Allah, and join not any partners with Him; and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need,  neighbors who are near and neighbors who are strangers, the Companion by your side, the way-farer (ye meet) and what your right hands possess: for Allah does not love the arrogant, the vainglorious.) (4:36)

 Inconveniences to others, especially neighbors

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:

.By Allah! A person would not become a [full] Believer! By Allah! A person would not become a [full] Believer! The Companions asked, ’O Prophet of Allah! Who is this person?’ Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) commented, He is the one with whom a person whose neighbor is neither safe nor secure against [all of his] harms and evils.. (Bukhari & Muslim)