In the last article, we explored how Allah (swt) exonerated Aisha radi allahu `anha (may God be please with her) and Prophet Joseph `alayhi as-salaaam (peace be upon him) from unsubstantiated and untrue gossip, and we talked about the victims of slander. Today, it’s about the perpetrators of slander. It is about, quite possibly, you and me.

Sometimes in the name of “enjoining good and forbidding evil” we forget the sanctity of our fellow human beings and especially fellow believers. We spread things that are unsubstantiated in a bid to ‘warn others’ about possible deviancy. We are harsh in our words. We assume the worst. We forget that one of the best traits a Muslim can have is “thinking well of the servant of Allah” and for other Muslims to be “safe from his hands and tongue.”

We forget that the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) passed by a grave and he warned that the person was suffering in his grave because he would spread gossip. We forget that that person we are talking about may have our good deeds transferred to him simply because he is a victim of our speech.

Scary stuff? It is. The Prophet ﷺ said: “The majority of man’s sins emanate from his tongue.” (Tabarani)

To go back to the examples in our previous article, it was clear that those with power—the minister and the minister’s wife—knew the truth with regards to what was said about the Prophet Joseph (as). But they allowed the rumor to persist and put Prophet Joseph in prison. With Aisha (ra), we have even more details. The people who discussed the rumor were good Muslims. They discussed the scandalous nature of what was said, and in doing so, spread it far and wide. Shaytan created doubt: “Could it actually be true?” Allah admonished the Muslims when He informs us in the Qur’an about what happened:

“Why, when you heard it, did not the believing men and believing women think good of one another and say, ‘This is an obvious falsehood?’” (Qur’an, 24:12)

Now some people might think this example is extreme. We would never spread such a rumor. But rumors and slander and gossip come in all shapes and forms. So if you hear something about someone that is unsubstantiated, do not fuel the fire. We are just as bad as those news networks we criticize, who pick up a story, and whether true or not, run with it.

This is not intended to shut down constructive criticism of public figures. There are ways of bringing people to account. There are ways of disagreeing and critiquing ideas and views, which are beyond the scope of this article. But in the age of the internet, anyone can write a piece and within an hour it is shared and read by many. And it would do us good to reflect on what our role is in this. We must remember that we will be held to account. So let us not put ourselves in a position to be asked about why we were careless in our research, harsh in words, and negative in our basic assumptions about others.

And remember that the Prophet ﷺ taught:

“A person’s eman (faith) is not upright until his heart is upright, and his heart is not upright until his tongue is upright.” (Ahmad)

By Ismahan Abdullahi

There was a time when words spoken were binding contracts; pledges held and honored, where an individual would act as a testimony to his character.  Speech was not just words of folly, but rather true and honest communication between individuals. Often times we utter words heedlessly without realizing the impact it has on our hearts and in our lives, failing to comprehend the weight of what we have just spoken.  We tend to abuse or misuse certain words as we throw them around, to the point where we use such words and phrases without truly understanding their meaning and the inner state of being that should come with it. Amongst these words and phrases is “for the sake of Allah” (lil Lah ta`ala).

Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) mentions in Surat As-Saf, “O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do? Great is hatred in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do.” (Qur’an, 61:2-3). Subhan Allah (glory be to God), let us ponder these verses for a moment. Typically, we may associate these verses with individuals who promise to do something but do not follow through, or lie in saying they have done something when they have not. However, we tend to forget that Allah (swt) addresses all of us when He says, “O you who have believed.” This is an admonition and a reminder for the believer which is of great benefit. Thus, when we say the words “for the Sake of Allah”, can our hearts and actions testify that we have truly acted for His Sake?

When we hear the words “for the sake of Allah”, how do we understand and interpret them? Do they even affect us? When we realize the power and depth of that phrase, it becomes the coolness of our eyes and nafs (soul). Our perception of life and the world around us changes to such a degree that you will strive to embody the lifestyle of the Prophets, the martyrs, the truthful ones and all those who follow in righteousness. We may know our true purpose is to worship Allah (swt) as He states in Surat al-Qaf; however, how many of us can truly say we try to live our lives for His Sake?

When we utter that beloved phrase, we are going beyond mere intonations of the voice to matters of the heart. When those words escape our lips, our hearts should tremble in recognition of the full depth of its meaning. They should flourish as words spoken of love for Him into willingness and eagerness to obey. We say those words with Allah (swt) in our hearts and minds. We say those words recognizing the Omnipotent King and Creator of all the worlds.

This changes our lifestyle and allows us to be men and women of God. It increases our God-consciousness, and constantly reminds us that our souls are in His Hands and the time of return is dawning upon us from every corner. The adhan (call to prayer) has been called for us at the time of our birth and its prayer, our janazah (funeral prayer), is ever close. To utter these words is to pledge again and again that we are servants of ar-Rahman (the Most Compassionate) and our deeds and actions will be the proof of the pledge we have made. Allah (swt) promises us that His Promises are true, and never will He disappoint anyone. Wouldn’t it be a terrible loss if it was us who broke the pledge we made with Him, missing out on His Pleasure and jannah (paradise)?

Allah (swt) mentions in Surat Muhammad, “So know, [O Muhammad], that there is no deity except Allah…” (Qur’an, 47:19) that is, “La ilaha ila Allah”. Allah (swt) uses the word “know” as opposed to “say”. To know something, you have to comprehend it, and Allah (swt) commands us to know that none has the right to be worshipped but Him. To know Allah is your Lord and the only One worthy of being worshipped gives you a sense of peace, guidance, and urgency to action in your life. What then of us who know the depth of the phrase “for the Sake of Allah”?

The one who knows what it truly signifies will start to live a life of true submission. When they are wronged they can forgive easily for His Sake. When they spend in charity, they do so readily. When Allah (swt) commands them to veer away from a sin or action, they do so without a second thought. When they see the state of their society, they become truely committed Islamic workers who benefit their community. There is no longer a struggle when it comes to the halal and the haram or the commandments of the Creator; it becomes automatic submission to His Will. “Same`na wa aTae`na—we hear and we obey.”

We say “for the Sake of Allah” because we know our goal is to live by it as it serves as a constant reminder that Allah (swt) is the All-Aware, the only One in charge, and that legislation belongs solely to Him. We strive to live by it as we are taught in the verse, “Say, ‘Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds.’” (Qur’an, 6:162) No hesitation whatsoever; complete and automatic submission.

There is a simple yet profound equation I learned from my sheikh that can help us get a better grasp of what it means to live your life for His Sake. “When dealing with Allah (swt) remove people from the equation and when dealing with people remove yourself from the equation.” Every day should be spent aiming to please Allah and not the people, for living a life for His Sake means embodying that in the state of worship you are in and the deeds you put forth and strive for. When you deal with people, you understand that you are dealing with the creation of your Lord so you give them the best and prefer them over yourself, whether it is through noble manners and character, standing up for justice and the oppressed amongst this world, giving in charity, etc. You remove any malice, jealousy, apathy, anger, insincerity and other negative emotions for His Sake because you truly recognize the dignity of your created brethren through your Creator.

You are now an individual with a purpose—seeing the world through a different lens. You have a mission to be living, doing, and speaking only for His Sake. In that, you have truly become independent. In other words, realizing that your independence comes from being dependent on Him as opposed to your own nafs or this world and what it contains.

Thus, for the one with a purpose, who has a vision and understands their mission, the outlook in this world changes. This dunya (this life) becomes a place of opportunities and a place to accumulate wealth (in the form of good deeds) for the hereafter. Every trial they come across in this world becomes an opportunity to be patient and content. Every blessing they’re given and witness around them becomes a means of being thankful and humble. Every temptation they struggle against they see it for what it is; a mirage meant to deceive and entrap their soul. You see, they strive to keep the dunya in their hands and not their hearts. They have a mission and know the amana (trust) they are carrying—for they are living for His Sake now and they are employed by Allah (swt).

AlhamdulilLah (praise be to God), we are only a few months away from Ramadan. May Allah (swt) bless us to live through many Ramadans that bring us closer to Him. Rather than preparing as it dawns upon us in the last 10 days, let us prepare early as the sahaba (companions of the Prophet ﷺ, peace be upon him) used to prepare; six months in advance! Let us set a goal now where we strive to live a life of true submission and love. Anytime we utter the words “for the Sake of Allah” let our hearts know the beauty and power behind these powerful words and let our deeds and actions attest to that phrase we uttered. We are Muslims and the true meaning of a Muslim is one who submits. May Allah (swt) make us of those who say that which they truly do and make us of those who when they are asked to submit, they submit completely and wholeheartedly to Him, Lord of the worlds.

“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day let him speak good or remain silent.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

When looking at the Arabic language, this hadith is very powerful. The first thing that we notice in the Arabic narration is that the Prophet ﷺ uses “laam al-amr” – the laam of command in the words, Falyaqul and li-yasmut. He is not only advising the believers to speak good or remain silent, but rather it is an order and a command to either speak what is good or keep silent.

The second powerful aspect of this hadith is the choice of words. In this narration, the Prophet ﷺ says, speak good or “li-yasmut.” However in another narration, the Prophet ﷺ says, speak good or “li-yaskut.” Yasmut is from the root samt, and yaskut is from the root sukoot; both are translated as silence, but what is the difference between these two and which is more powerful?

Many times these words are used interchangeably, but there is a significant difference between sukoot and samt. Sukoot is when someone is silent but they still have the ability to speak; they choose to be silent. Samt is when someone is silent because they do not have the ability to speak, such as a mute person. This type of silence is not from free will; rather it is as if they do not have a tongue, and silence is their only option.

In the first narration the Prophet ﷺ uses samt – he says we should speak good; but if we have nothing good to say, then we should be like the one who does not have the ability to speak – remaining silent is all that he can do.

How many of us implement this?

An Explanation of this Hadith

Imam Shafi’i states that the meaning of this hadith is that if someone desires to speak, then he should speak only that which is good. But if it is clear to him that his speech may cause harm, then he should refrain from speaking. Shaykh ibn Uthaymeen says it is as if the Prophet ﷺ said, “If you believe in Allah and the last day, then speak what is good or be quiet.” He also states the benefits of this hadith:

“Silence is incumbent except if there is good in a person’s speech. Speech is of three types:

• Khayr (good): this is the type of speech that this hadith is encouraging.
• Sharr (evil): this is the type of speech which is evil and forbidden.
• Laghw (vain): this is the type of speech that is neither good nor evil. It is not forbidden for a person to speak laghw but rather it is better to keep silent and refrain from it.”

It is said, “If speech is silver, then silence is gold.”

We also learn from this hadith the importance of guarding the tongue. The Prophet ﷺ said to Mu’adh (radi Allahu `anhu – may Allah be pleased with him), “And shall I not tell you of the controlling of all that?” I said: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” So he took hold of his tongue and said: “Restrain this.” I said: “O Prophet of Allah, will we be held accountable for what we say?” He said: “May your mother be bereft of you! Is there anything that topples people on their faces (or he said, on their noses) into the Hell-fire other than the jests of their tongues?” [Tirmidhi, Sahih]

Be mindful; aspire to speak only when your words are good. This is better for your iman (faith), a protection for your tongue, and more honorable for you with your Muslim sisters and brothers.