Malfuzat - Volume VIII — Page 299
29 December 1905 299 Some sins are obvious—such as lying, adultery, breach of trust, giving false testimony and usurping rights, shirk [associat- ing partners with Allah], etc. —but some sins are so subtle that a person is afflicted by them without even realizing it. He grows from young to old but does not realize that he is committing sins. For example, there is the habit of backbiting. Such peo- ple consider it an ordinary and trivial matter, albeit the Holy Quran deems it a most egregious vice. Accordingly, it states: 1 ُّبِحُيَا ْمُكُدَحَا ْنَا َلُكْاَّي َمْحَل ِهْيِخَا ُّبِحُيَا ْمُكُدَحَا ْنَا َلُكْاَّي َمْحَل ِهْيِخَا God is displeased when a person utters a word that belittles his brother and perpetrates an act that inconveniences him. To speak about a brother in such a way that proves him to be fool- ish or ignorant, or about his conduct in a secretive manner— engendering hostility and rudeness—are all evil deeds. Similarly, miserliness and anger are all evil deeds. Hence, the first step under this command of Allah the Exalted is that a person should avoid them and should safeguard himself against all kinds of sins—whether they be affiliated with eyes or ears, or hands or feet—because He said: 2 اَل ُفْقَت اَم َسْيَل َكَل ٖهِب ٌمْلِع١ؕ َّنِا َعْمَّسلا َو َرَصَبْلا َو َداَؤُفْلا ُّلُك َكِٕىٰٓلوُا َناَك ُهْنَع اًلْؤُـْسَم اَل ُفْقَت اَم َسْيَل َكَل ٖهِب ٌمْلِع١ؕ َّنِا َعْمَّسلا َو َرَصَبْلا َو َداَؤُفْلا ُّلُك َكِٕىٰٓلوُا َناَك ُهْنَع اًلْؤُـْسَم That is, do not needlessly follow what you do not know because the ear, eye, heart, and every organ will be questioned. Many evils arise only from ill thinking. One hears something about someone and immediately believes it. This is a very evil thing. Do not allow anything uncertain or questionable to enter your 1. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his brother who is dead? ( S u rah al- H ujur a t, 49:13) [Publisher] 2. S u rah Ban i Isr a’i l, 17:37 [Publisher]