For children, - Islamic Ethics and Morality: Allegations against a believer (Mo'min)

What is an allegation? To reveal the bad quality of a believer, which
is actually found in him is Gheebat (backbiting). However, to reveal
detestable traits of a believer, which are not found in him is called
Tohmat (allegation). The sole purpose behind leveling allegations is
to defame the believer.
There are two words for backbiting, one is GHEEBAT, and the other is
TOHMAT. When you speak about someone, and what you say is TRUE, then
this is GHEEBAT. When you speak about someone, and what you say is
FALSE, then this is TOHMAT.
The Prophet Mohammed (s.a.w.s.) once said, "O Abu Zar, keep yourself
away from backbiting because it is worse than adultery ... After
committing adultery, if one repents, Allah forgives him, but the
backbiter can not be pardoned unless he has been pardoned by the one
about whom he has been backbiting."
Imagine you saw someone you know go into a pub (a place where people
go to drink alcohol). If you were to tell the world that this man has
been drinking, then that is Tohmat. How do you know he was drinking?
He could have broken down, and gone in the pub to use the phone, or
ask directions.
In Islam, you should always give the benefit of the doubt to others.
Even if someone does do something bad, you should hide it, and not
tell the whole world. How would you like it if Allah (SWT) told the
whole world the evil that you or I perform? We all commit sins at one
time or another. If Allah (SWT) can hide our faults, then you should
hide the faults of others.
In Dua e Kumail, we say to Allah (SWT), "O He who covers defects ... "
In the Noble Qur'an, Allah (SWT) tells us: "... And do not spy nor let
some of you backbite others. Does one of you like to eat the dead
flesh of his brother?" (49:12)
This shows us that backbiting is as bad as eating the flesh of your
dead brother. This means that once someone you know, i.e., your
brother/sister in Islam has done something bad, they have killed their
own reputation. By telling others what they have done, you are
enjoying and gaining at their loss. It is as if you are eating and
feasting on the reputation they have already destroyed.
In the early days of the first few Imams, there were two men. Let us
call the fist one Haroon and the second one Khalid. One day Khalid
started telling everybody bad things about Haroon. Khalid was
spreading lies all around. After a few days Haroon heard about this.
The first thing he did was to go home and put all his money, valuable
gold and silver in a big bag and then took the bag to Khalid's house.
When Khalid saw Haroon coming he became scared because he thought that
Haroon had come to beat him up. Khalid came out of his house and fell
on his knees and begged to Haroon, "O Haroon, I am really sorry, I did
not mean to tell tales about you, O please do not beat me!"
Haroon said, "I have not come to beat you, I have come to give you
this money, and this wealth."
Khalid had the shock of his life. Haroon continued, " Khalid, I have
come to thank you, here have this wealth of mine."
Khalid stood up and asked, "Why are you giving me wealth when I have
insulted you and spoilt your name among the people?"
Haroon replied. "The Prophet Mohammed (s.a.w.s.)has said that if one
person TALKS BEHIND THE BACK of another, the thawaab (reward) of the
first person gets transferred to the second." he continued, "So now
that you have spoken bad of me behind my back, I am thanking you for
giving me all your thawaab. This money is too little for the amount of
thawaab that you have given me."
This shows how bad Gheebat and Tohmat are.
Once there was a man who did Tohmat of our Sixth Imam Sadiq (a.s.).
Imam Sadiq (a.s.) did no know about it until a few days later when one
of his 'friends' came to him and said, "Oh Imam, I have heard terrible
news. This person has been going around and saying this about you."
Imam Sadiq (a.s.) became angry at his 'friend'. He said, "Think of the
person who did Tohmat towards me as if he shot an arrow at my body. I
did not hear him so it is as if the arrow missed me; But by telling me
this news, you have picked up the arrow from the ground and have hit
me with it."
It is the duty of a good Muslim to stop others from speaking ill of a
person, and if that is not possible he should go away from the people
who are talking ill.

For children, - Islamic Ethics and Morality: Why are Gheebat and Tohmat Haraam?

They are Haraam because they spoil people's names and characters. When
you speak badly of someone, you make others think badly of them.
Another reason why it is bad is because the people are not there to
defend themselves. If you hear wicked things about others, you should
give the others a chance to defend themselves by explaining, before
you believe what you hear.
Gheebat and Tohmat are a result of Jealousy. If a person is respected,
has done good, has helped others, there will always be people who are
angry and bitter that such a person is respected by all. The result is
to try and slander and destroy this reputation by sowing seed of venom
in their character, by telling the world lies so that the respect
turns to outrage and shame. Such people are cursed by Allah (SWT), and
are referred to as the evil whispers of mankind.
Allegation is more severe sin than backbiting. It is clear from
traditions that anyone who levels allegations against a believer is
condemnable.
Prophet Mohammed (s.a.w.s.) declared, If a person levels an allegation
against a believing man or woman for an act, which he/she has not
done, then on the Day of Judgment, Allah, the Almighty, shall put him
on a piece of fire until he is chastised for leveling that allegation.
Imam Sadiq (a.s.) narrates, When a believer levels an allegation
against another believer, his faith dissolves just as salt dissolves
in water.
Imam Sadiq (a.s.)said further, If a believer accuses another believer
(while the latter is innocent), then the honour and dignity that
exists between two believers will vanish.
That is why we have been instructed in traditions to restrain
ourselves to the best of our ability from thinking evil of a believer.
Rely on the positive points of your believer brother's conduct until
you don't get confirmed evidence which prevails upon your existing
knowledge of the brother. Do not think evil about the words of a
believer in whose defense you can find at least one good fact.
Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) exhorts, Consider the word or action of a
believer brother to be good, even if you are offended, and always
think optimistically (about him) to the utmost. Do not think bad about
him. If you do not get excuse in good actions, search for it over and
over again, until the number (of excuses) reaches 70, if you still
cannot find it, then think that we ourselves cannot think good about
him.
Many times we find that our conversation with somebody about another
believer turns out to be completely false. A person asked Ameerul
Momineen (a.s.), What is the distance between right and wrong? Imam
Ali (a.s.) replied, 'Four fingers'. Imam Ali (a.s.) then placed his
four fingers between the eye and ear and said, 'that which is seen by
the eye is true and that which is heard by the ear is mostly wrong or
false.'
That is why before accusing anybody we should ponder on this fact.
Ameerul Momineen (a.s.)reveals, Happy is that person who is busy in
searching for his own defects and is unaware of the defects of others.
Make your intellect suspicious (accuse yourself) of your own defects,
for in most cases, self-confidence and self-reliance are the chief
causes of mistakes.
In another tradition it is narrated, One who calls himself bad, is
saved from Satan's deception.
Just as leveling allegations against someone is prohibited, in the
same way a person should refrain from going to places where he may
become the target of accusation.
Imam Ali (a.s.) advises: Refrain from the assemblies of allegation and
suspicion because the companion of bad people is often deceived by
them.
Prophet Mohammed (s.a.w.s.) said, He is more accused of Tohmat
(allegation) who sits with the gathering of accusers.
Imam Ali (a.s.) revealed, He who sits in a place where Tohmat
(allegations) are leveled, should not blame those who entertain bad
ideas about him.
The one who is seen in the assembly of dubious and suspicious
characters will find himself a target of accusations and allegations.
These traditions highlight that even sitting or being seen with evil
people can be harmful for our reputation (even if we don't participate
in their evil).
Ridiculing others- a despicable trait: Satan rules when the hearts are
constricted and thoughts are perverted. Then man tends to exaggerate
even the smallest of matters. Under Satan's domination, he begins to
humiliate and ridicule his friends and colleagues. He brands this
ridiculing as bravery and courage and prides himself on it. As a
matter of fact, he even expects praise and acclaim for this.
Imam Sadiq (a.s.) narrates on the authority of the Prophet Mohammed
(s.a.w.s.): O Ali, there is no poverty greater than ignorance and
there is no wealth superior to intellect.
According to the prophetic tradition narrated above, the most ignorant
of all people today are the Muslims because we have lagged the others
in pursuit of knowledge. We have embraced this world as if earning
money is the sole objective of life. To acquire money we are prepared
to forego religion, faith, certainty and intellect, while the Prophet
Mohammed (s.a.w.s.) has made intellect the most superior wealth.
Indeed we must reflect on the fact that with the wealth of intellect,
the world will be at our feet and we will not have to chase the world.
Imam Sadiq (a.s.) relates from Ameerul Momineen (a.s.), Pride and
egotism are signs of weak intellect.
It is a fact that arrogance, pride and egotism may apparently make a
man seem very successful in this world, but these very traits are the
root cause of his destruction. Pride and conceit are the best
indicators of a weak intellect and a person with a weak intellect is
capable of initiating a step that can prove ruinous for him socially
and/or personally. This is the disease that afflicts most Muslims. We
have been split into so many groups and sects because of these evil
traits. The soul of Islam has been torn apart due to this and what
little dignity and honour is left in it also seems to be waning fast.
That is why it is important for us to maintain its (soul of Islam's)
dignity and nobility.
The Prophet Mohammed (s.a.w.s.) declared, The most humiliating of men
is the one who ridicules others.
These words of the Prophet Mohammed (s.a.w.s.) highlight the fact that
there is no place for narrow-mindedness, prejudice and bias in Islam.
On the one hand, Islam emphasises the Majesty and Glory of Allah and
on the other hand highlights brotherhood and fraternity between the
creatures. The level of ethics and morals in Islam can be gauged from
the saying of the Prophet Mohammed (s.a.w.s.) when he (s.a.w.s.) calls
the ridiculing person as the most degraded of people. That is why as
believers and Muslims, it is important for us to respect and uphold
the dignity and honour of others around us.
Imam Sadiq (a.s.) exhorts the Shias: Fear Allah! Be a source of
ornamentation for us and do not be a source of disgrace for us.
These words of Imam Sadiq (a.s.) not only are an invitation towards
goodness and virtue, they are also an indication of the standard of
love and Wilayat of Ahle Bait (a.s.). Being Shias of Ahle Bait (a.s.),
it is important that we always keep these standards in mind.
The true Shia of Ahle Bait (a.s.) always abstains from sins and
abominable acts (makroohat). At the same time, they always hasten
towards the obligatory and recommended (mustahabbat) acts. That is why
if we truly love the Ahle Bait (a.s.), we must observe the laws of
Shariat at all times and try to be a source of pride and happiness for
them. With this, even the people of the world will be able to
appreciate the true greatness of the Ahle Bait (a.s.).

The secret of the beauty and impressiveness ofthe human eye is hidden in the depths of the human soul

Allah created the human face with a flawless symmetry and beauty. No
doubt, one of the most beautiful parts Allah creates on the human
face is the "eye". Allah describes the beauty of maidens in
paradise in the Surat al-Waqia, verse 23, with the words, "...
dark-eyed maidens ", attracting attention to the role of the eye in
the beauty of the face. However, what reveals a person's beauty and
enhances the meaning on their face is not solely the color and
shape of an eye. What leaves an impression on the soul of other
people is the meaning and depth in the eyes.
Allah creates the shape and color of eyes of many living beings in
nature in a very beautiful fashion. For instance, deer and gazelles
attract attention with the beautiful shape of their eyes while cats
become distinctive with their eye colors and living beings like
lions and tigers with the sharpness of their eyes. However, the
effect of the eye of no other living being is comparable to the
look in the human eye, because eyes are the windows of the human
soul. For this reason, the aspect that adds beauty and meaning to
the eye is the way it reflects the depth of the human soul rather
than its shape and color. This profoundness facilitates defining
the character traits peculiar to that person. It is also a very
important spiritual power that enhances the beauty and impact of
that person.
The Effectiveness of the Human Eye is one of the Greatest Secrets of Allah
Allah creates the eye from the materials commonly available in
nature. Just as in the case of all living beings, the human eye is
merely a piece of flesh made up of nerves, some bodily fluids and
muscles. Some people who fail to think deeply and consider man as a
mere pile of flesh and bones attach more importance to this aspect
of an eye, and consider eye color or its shape as more important.
They consider a blank stare that is void of any expression as
"purity and naivety" and think that the person looks very beautifully
and with meaning. Because these people have a shallow outlook,
they can not comprehend that profundity in looks adds beauty and
meaning to a face and can never figure out the profound impact a
meaningful look makes on the soul. That is why they see one another
as living beings that have no consciousness and wisdom.
The fact is however, looking at an eye with a beautiful and
meaningful look gives tremendous pleasure to a believer because the
meaning in one's eye develops in relation with his wisdom and depth
of his faith. If a person has a fervent love of Allah and is
passionately attached to Him, if he has fully submitted himself to
Allah, has a flawless respect for Him and His manifestations, if he
respects Allah and everything He creates, then the impact of this
person's eye and his looks become one of the greatest spiritual
powers in the world. The pleasure that is taken from such a
meaningful eye that reflects the profundity of the soul becomes
greater and more intense. However, as a miracle of Allah, this is
an attribute peculiar to only genuine Muslims. The looks of people
who are unaware of sincerity and display affected attitudes are
artificial, for they are for purposes of showmanship only. These
people, now and again, wish to reveal the peace and ease of heart
believers naturally have in their eyes and long for having beautiful
looks like them but they can never achieve it, because Allah never
grants such a blessing to a soul that can not love and appreciate
Him as is due, and does not know to attach himself profoundly to
Him. An examination into the general character traits of these
people reveals that these people are egoistic, selfish, insecure,
loveless, inconsiderate people who do not attach any importance to
anything. In order for these people to attain the beauty and
aesthetics they have been longing for, they, first of all, need to
live by the moral perfection Allah demands from them and consider
that it is Allah Who creates his eyes, as well as the eyes that
look at him. Apart from that, they need to have the wisdom and
profound kind of faith that will create that impact in the eyes. A
person who has a fervent love of Allah considers everything he sees
as a beautiful manifestation of Allah's names, and loves them. That
is because a person who is vehemently in love with Allah knows to
appreciate and respect beautiful things and to take pleasure from
them and see the best aspects of everything he encounters. The
profundity and maturity that comes into being in the soul of a
person who is aware of it and grasps it can be immediately
recognized.
If a person acts in the acknowledgment that the beauty he witnesses
all around him is a manifestation of Allah, he takes deep pleasure
from it. A light and love flows from his eyes towards that beauty.
The light and purity in the looks of a person has a special impact
upon people. If the other party
is also a smart person with genuine faith, he gives thanks to Allah
because of the pleasure he takes from deep, meaningful looks full of
love. Such gratitude is reflected in his eyes. This is the basis of
the beauty and the effectiveness of a sincere believer's looks. A
person, on the other hand, who pretends to be sincere is
immediately recognized. Our Lord reminds this fact in the following
verse:
"If We wished, We would show them to you and you would know them by
their mark and know them by their ambivalent speech. Allah knows
your actions..." (Surah Muhammed, 30)
Light and love flows from beautiful looks. It is the looks that make
a human face beautiful and impressive.
From the eyes of a believer that looks with love, that love flows to
other believers. With such looks, the hearts of believers open, they
find relief. However the looks of jealous people are often
unsettling. A person avoids looking at such people, since their
looks convey lovelessness and hatred. The kind of evil attitude of
these people manifests itself in their looks and on their faces. In
one verse of the Qur'an, Allah reveals this thus:
He knows the eyes' deceit and what people's breasts conceal. (Surah
Ghafir, 19)
Even if these people have very beautiful eyes and very nice facial
features, they seem repulsive, ugly and dirty to others. People
generally avoid looking at the eyes of such people. That is because
souls are prone to love, compassion, affection and they long for
friendly looks. In this sense, a beautiful look becomes the food of
the soul. That is why the compassionate look of a mother to her
baby reminds one of purity to everyone. However the real light and
beauty is the positive feeling that flows from the eyes of devout
Muslims to the hearts of other Muslims. This gives vitality and
spiritedness to people. They render Muslims strong in the spiritual
sense, and become instrumental in making them feel closer to Allah.
Indeed, even a single look of our Prophet (saas) brought people to
life in the spiritual sense. Indeed, catching our Prophet's (saas)
eye for a moment became, by Allah's leave, instrumental in people
around him coming to faith. The works written on the life of our
Prophet (saas) devote special space to the description of looking
beautifully:
"HIS LOOKS WERE EXTREMELY MEANINGFUL...He used to speak in a very
concise manner. There was neither a deficiency nor any redundancy
in his words." ( Imam Muhammad Bin Muhammad bin Sulayman
ar-Rudani, The Great Hadith Collection, Jam'ul-fawaid min
Jam'il-usul and Majma'idh, Volume 5, Iz Publishing, p. 32 )
Just like the looks of our Prophet (saas), the eyes of all prophets
are beautiful. There is also light and beauty in the eyes of
Islamic scholars and genuine believers. Their eyes convey
compassion.
That is why a believer must never say, "My looks are not so
important ; what is important is not to make any faults in my words
and attitudes. Those who would like to know me must do it through
my words." Surely every believer must conduct himself nicely and
speak good words. However, a believer must also consider looking in
a beautiful manner as an important act of worship, for our
Almighty Allah informs us that looks are an important measure of
getting to know people, respecting them, believing in them and of
establishing friendship with them.
Every Muslim who is conscious of this fact must make effort to have
smarter, wiser, confidential glances that are full of love. Such an
attribute will be instrumental in him attaining much goodness both
in this world and beyond, and open the doors of many secret
blessings for him. In one verse it is related that our Lord is aware
of all eyes:
"Eyesight cannot perceive Him but He perceives eyesight. He is the
All-Penetrating, the All-Aware." (Surat al-Anam, 103)

Our mother Hazrat Aisha's (ra) knowledge

Although Hazrat Aisha (ra) was still very young when our beloved
Prophet (saas) died, she was one of those who best knew, understood
and committed to memory the Holy Qur'an and the Sunna of our
Prophet (saas). Hazrat Aisha (ra) began memorizing the Qur'an from
an early age and made enthusiastic use of our Prophet's (saas)
learning.
Leading members of the community in both the time of the Prophet's
(saas) Companions, and of those who had spoken to and learned from
them, sought Hazrat Aisha's (ra) advice on a great many matters. Many
jurists consulted with our mother Hazrat Aisha (ra) in order to
benefit from her legal knowledge.
Hazrat Aisha (ra) used Arabic very well, and due to her clear and
accessible way of speaking and the way she preached in the manner
most suited to the person concerned, she had a great impact on
those to whom she spoke.
In addition to being our Prophet's (saas) wife, Hazrat Aisha (ra)
was also a worthy student of his, and occupies a special place in
the field of learning. She corrected errors made by many scholars
in the field of canonical jurisprudence and issued perfect
interpretations of a number of hadiths. Hazrat Umar (ra) always
sought the opinions of Hazrat Aisha (ra) on legal issues regarding
women. This learning on the part of our mother Hazrat Aisha (ra) is
related as followes in Islamic reference sources:
Abu Musa al-Ash'ari says: "When we had difficulty understanding a
hadith from Rasulullah (saas), we would ask Hazrat Aisha (ra) what
it meant and we always received an answer from her ". (
www.beyan.com.tr)
Hazrat Urve says of Hazrat Aisha (ra) that, "I never saw a woman
more learned than Hazrat Aisha (ra) in the fields of canonical
jurisprudence, medicine and poetry."
Ata bin Abî Rebâh said, "Hazrat Aisha (ra) was one of the members of
the Ummah with the best knowledge of religious law and who held the
very soundest opinions."
Because of her remarkable memory and her close attention to every
move made by our Prophet (saas), the information provided by our
mother Hazrat Aisha (ra) is of the greatest value. Hazrat Aisha
(ra), one of the Companions who related most hadiths, handed down
a total of 2,210 hadiths from our Prophet (saas).
Hazrat Aisha's (ra) Contribution to the Spread of Islam
Following the death of the Prophet Muhammad (saas), our mother
Hazrat Aisha's (ra) house in Medina became a center of learning
where many people, great and small, would come to listen to her. In
this way, she had the opportunity to spread and transmit Islamic
moral values in the most effective way.
Hazrat Aisha's (ra) wise speech and her deep love of and devotion to
our Lord and our Prophet (saas) were instrumental in her having a
considerable impact on the people she spoke to.
Our mother Hazrat Aisha (ra) took a close interest in women's
education and schooling right from the time when our Prophet (saas)
was still alive. Thus she herself and the students she taught
became clear models showing that women needed to be actively
involved in learning.
Our mother Hazrat Aisha (ra) died in Medina on Tuesday, the 17th day
of Ramadan, in the year 676.
Hadiths handed down from our mother Hazrat Aisha (ra)
"The Messenger of Allah (saas) preferred others' desires over his
own." (Muhammed Yusuf Kandehlevi, The Islamic Life of the Prophet
Muhammad and His People, Vol. 1, Sentez Press, Essential Works
Series: 2/1, p. 297 (Targib, V/148; Bayhaqi from Hazrat Aisha (as))
"He did not speak his words fast and one after the other; his words
were few and to the point." (al-Fawaid, Hujjat al-Islam, Imam Gazali,
Ihya' Ulum al-Din, Vol. 2, Trans. Dr. Sittki Gulle, Huzur Press,
Istanbul 1998, p. 800)
"The blessed one's words were carefully chosen. Everyone who heard
them understood." (G. Ahmed Ziyauddin, Ramuz al-Ahadith, Vol. 2,
Gonca Press, Istanbul, 1997, 521/4)
"When Rasulullah (saas) saw a thing he liked, he said, "Thanks be to
Allah that pure things come from His blessing alone." ( The Six
Books/7095 )
"He was the gentlest, the most generous and the most smiling of faces
toward women."