Growing Negativity And Suspicion Of One Another In Society Is A Threat To Peace

By Kaniz Fatma, New Age Islam 12 April 2023 Beware Of Suspicion Because It Is The Worst Kind Of Wrongdoing Main Points: 1. Our society is plagued by a wide range of issues. If their root causes are eliminated, our society will be in order and peace and security will be obvious. 2. As peace cannot come from just one side, it must also come from another side. 3. Human values are generally known to be strongest in towns and villages where there is a sense of fraternity and respect among all members. 4. Why do the Qur'an and Hadith stress avoiding bad suspicion? This emphasis is without doubt evidence that bad suspicion can be extremely dangerous and is a very negative thing. ------- Our society is plagued by a wide range of issues. If their root causes are eliminated, our society will be in order and peace and security will be obvious. All major religions in the world support peace and security. A large number of movements and organisations are working to promote humanity, unity, and peace, but these initiatives essentially have little impact on our society as a whole. These attempts did not fail; rather, those who refused to implement these lessons into their daily lives did. Who could deny that strong bonds between people and their shared respect and affection on the basis of humanity serve to foster peace and security? If one side demonstrates humanity, peace, and respect, the other side will also exhibit signals of peace and security; conversely, if one group lacks these traits, the upkeep of peace and security from the other group will also be in jeopardy. As peace cannot come from just one side, it must also come from another side. If someone adopts the behaviour of tolerance, this must be welcomed and appreciated. Human values are generally known to be strongest in towns and villages where there is a sense of fraternity and respect among all members. Wherever humanity exists, people respect one another, defend one another's honour, and do their best to clean up the mud if it is thrown at someone else. The culture that gives rise to these attributes is known as the "cradle of peace and security." Contrarily, in a society where there is a conflict between individuals, where feelings of jealousy and hatred are rampant, and where there is a wave of hostility, the spirit of brotherhood and fraternity perishes and fades. Humanity has no place in a society like this. There will surely be no peace or calm for a very long time, and this civilization will undoubtedly have a horrible atmosphere. The bond will instead burn perpetually out of resentment, which is enough to destroy it. Hatred will be in such abundance that it will be enough to destroy brothers and brotherhood. In order to prevent moral disease, the Holy Qur'an presented the concept of avoiding bad suspicions. Allah Almighty says: “O Believers, avoid being excessively suspicious, for some suspicion is a sin. Do not spy, nor backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would surely detest it. Have fear of Allah. Surely Allah is much prone to accept repentance, is Most Compassionate.” (49:12) Hazrat Abu Huraira (RA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Beware of bad suspicion because bad suspicion is the greatest lie. (Bukhari 5143, Muslim 2563) Why do the Qur'an and Hadith stress avoiding bad suspicion? This emphasis is without doubt evidence that bad suspicion can be extremely dangerous and is a very negative thing. This emphasis was placed in order to create a just society. This emphasis was placed in order to foster a calm and peaceful atmosphere. In order to make people aware of the fatality of bad suspicion and encourage them to take all reasonable precautions to avoid it, Islam has promoted good faith and condemned bad suspicion throughout the Quran and Sunnah. Social media today shows that common masses are actively fomenting mistrust among one another. Through their statements, adherents of one religion publicly demonstrate their extremism towards adherents of other religions. Even when efforts are made to stop it, they are frequently one-sided, which worsens the environment of a nation and fosters a sense of hopelessness and grief among the people. The issue is not just between Muslims and Hindus; one Muslim is also creating bad suspicions against another Muslim. Even family members are not always safe from the target of bad suspicion. Bad suspicion is the biggest lie. It is narrated by Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Beware of bad suspicion because it is the worst kind of wrongdoing. Do not spy on or suspect others of having faults. Never attempt to seize the rights of others out of avarice or arrogance. Avoid being envious of one another. Keep no grudges against one another. Never turn away from one another. Instead, O Allah's servants, turn into brothers.” (Sahih Muslim, under the chapter of Forbiddance of Bad Suspicion) People tend to criticise one another because they don't trust one another. Yet, finding fault unnecessarily is a very bad trait. A characteristic of a Muslim is that he makes an effort to hide any shortcomings he finds in others. According to the Holy Prophet, whoever hides another person's imperfection, Allah will also hide his fault on the Day of Resurrection. Yet, when someone starts criticising another person's shortcomings, it's as though they're beginning to nurture temptation and corruption. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to say, “If you continue looking for Muslim flaws, you will either corrupt them or come very close to corrupting them.” (Abu Dawud 4888) We know from the Qur'an and the Sunnah that the foundation of the original corruption is mistrust and bad suspicion and that all offences, including murder, adultery, and other crimes, result from evil suspicion. May Allah Ta'ala keep us all safe from bad suspicion and all harm that results from it! ----- Kaniz Fatma is a classic Islamic scholar and a regular columnist for New Age Islam. 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