1) Hold That Tongue! 2) Allow your own Inner Light to guide you
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In the name of Allah, the Most-Merciful, the All-Compassionate
"May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon You"
Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah
As-Salaam Alaykum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakaatuh
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1) Hold That Tongue!
Out of the several ways people harm each other, the harms of the tongue are the most widespread. Harming others by one's tongue is a heinous act that can only be committed by evil people or those who have given in to the evil whispers of Satan.
Some of the evils of the tongue that we have been warned against in the Quran and Sunnah (Prophetic tradition) are as follows:
· Backbiting: It was defined by the Prophet, , as: “Mentioning your brother in his absence with that which he hates.” [Muslim]. It is one of the major great sins, Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {“O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion; indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother You would hate it (so hate backbiting).”} [Quran, 49: 12]. It is not only an action performed by the tongue, but it could be an indication of the eye or any signal or gesture which indicates mockery without the person noticing.
There are many reasons behind such an evil deed like satisfying one's hatred towards others, envy, arrogance, heedlessness, and forgetting that Allah The Almighty is an Ever Watcher over us.
The cure for the evil habit of backbiting is for the perpetrator to know that he is subject to the wrath of Allaah The Almighty; his rewards will vanish as a result of backbiting, because it goes to the one he transgressed against. He should think about his own shortcomings and faults, and busy himself in reforming them. He should not do what he would hate others to do against him, and he should spend his time fruitfully engaged in acts of obedience. He should regret acts of backbiting that he may have done before and repent to Allaah The Almighty sincerely.
· Tale bearing: This is conveying what people say about one another with the intention of causing corruption between people; it causes ties between kinship to break and spreads people’s secrets. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {“A slanderer, going about with calumnies.”} [Quran, 68: 11]. The Prophet, , said: “No tale bearer will ever enter into Paradise”.
· Spreading people’s secrets: This harms others and it is a form of transgressing against people’s rights. The Prophet, , said: “If a man tells something, then starts looking around (to make sure no one can hear him), his speech will be a trust (in confidence).”[Abu Daawood]
· False testimony: This is one of the great major sins, as the Prophet, said: “Shall I tell you about the most grievous kinds of major sins?” It was said, “Yes, Messenger of Allah.” He said: “Associating deities with Allah in worship, unkind treatment to parents, (he sat erect after he had been reclining) and false testimony.” He kept repeating the last phrase until the audience wished he would stop”. [Al-Bukhaari, Muslim]
· Slandering: Those who do this are cursed in this life and the Hereafter, Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {“Verily, those who accuse chaste women, who never even think of anything touching their chastity and are good believers ? are cursed in this life and in the Hereafter, and for them will be a great torment”} [Quran, 24: 23]
· False oaths: Ibn Mas’ood narrated that the Prophet said: “He who swears falsely to usurp some of his brother’s wealth will meet Allaah while He is Angry with him” then he recited (what means): {“Verily, those who purchase a small gain at the cost of Allaah's Covenant and their oaths, they shall have no portion in the Hereafter (Paradise). Neither will Allaah speaks to them nor look at them on the Day of Resurrection nor will He purify them, and they shall have a painful torment.”} [Quran, 3: 77] [Al-Bukhaari, Muslim]
The Prophet, also said: “He who knowingly insists upon giving a false oath in order to usurp some of his brother’s wealth, Allaah will make Hell his abode and forbid him from entering Paradise.”A man said, ‘Even if it was a little thing?’ He, , replied: “Even if it was as little as a Siwaak (wooden tooth brush)” [Muslim]
2) Allow your own Inner Light to guide you
OUR CHOICE: "Humanity was created so that we can find our way back home to the source from which we originally came. God didn’t just create humanity and leave us to fend for ourselves. There is a cosmic plan for the enlightenment of humanity and, true to our gift of self-determination; no one is forced to progress any faster than they choose."
Allow Your Own Inner Light to Guide You
There comes a time when you must stand alone. You must feel confident enough within yourself to follow your own dreams. You must be willing to make sacrifices.
You must be capable of changing and rearranging your priorities so that your final goal can be achieved. Sometimes, familiarity and comfort need to
be challenged. There are times when you must take a few extra chances and create your own realities. Be strong enough to at least try to make your life better.
Be confident enough that you won’t settle for a compromise just to get by.
Appreciate yourself by allowing yourself the opportunities to grow, develop, and find your true sense of purpose in this life. Don’t stand in someone else’s shadow when it’s your sunlight that should lead the way.
Work hard at what you like to do and try to overcome
all obstacles Laugh at your mistakes and praise yourself for
learning from them Pick some flowers and appreciate the beauty of nature
Say hello to strangers and enjoy the people you know
Don’t be afraid to show your emotions laughing and crying make you feel better
Love your friends and family with your entire being they are the most important part of your life Feel the calmness on a quiet sunny day
Find a rainbow and live your world of dreams always remember life is better than it seems
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Compiled, edited and adapted by Khalid Latif, www.thekhalids.org