Islam Abhors Immorality
Dr. Syed Hasanuddin Ahmad
What is Morality? Webster defines morality as conformity to the rules and principles of right conduct. Every society preaches and practices some form of morality, based on its own cultural, religious, or civic laws. Islam preaches and practices those norms which strengthen bond of brotherhood among its peoples. Islam, being a complete code of life, emphasizes the enforcement of morality to its highest degree. It also warns its followers of severe consequences in this life and Hereafter on non-conforming to its rules and principles of right conduct, based on the commands of their Creator and his Messenger (S). One should clearly understand that the Islamic laws safeguard personal dignity and honor of each believer. Immorality destroys their dignity and honor.
The first and the foremost immoral deed in Islam is to associate something with our Lord- Allah. After believing in Oneness of God, and submitting ourselves to Him, we must avoid immoral deeds from our daily life. What are then those immoral deeds? To answer this question, we intend here to discuss some immoral deeds, defined by Allah in his last revealed Book- the Qur’an and the Sunnah of his last Prophet Muhammad (S), that tear apart the social fabric of human society.
Some immoral deeds are described in verses 11 and 12 of chapter 49 (Al-Hujurat) as given below,
11 .O you who believe! Let not groups scoff (yaskhar) at another. It may be that the latter is better than the former. Nor let some women scoff at others. It may be that the latter are better than the former. Do not defame (talmezu), nor insult (tanabuzu) each other by calling names. How bad is a wicked name after he believed! And those who do not repent are indeed wrong doers.
12. O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion (zann), for some suspicions are sin. And neither spy, nor backbite each other. Would any one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? No, you would abhor it. And fear Allah. Indeed Allah is the One Who accepts repentance, Most Merciful
Here six immoral deeds- scoffing at others, finding weaknesses of others, calling names, suspicion, spying on others, and backbiting- are mentioned. The first three of them are practiced openly, and the latter three are practiced secretly. Allah forbids them all!
In verse 11 above, Allah forbids a party
of believers to make fun of other party lest the latter party might be better
than the former. Thus, as a whole Allah has forbidden all, men or women, to
scoff at each other. Here the Arabic word yeskher is used. This is
defined as an act of ridiculing or insulting someone by cutting joke or making
fun to make people laugh at the one. This includes acts of copying, mimicking,
and making signs etc. The Prophet (S) has expressed his abhorrence of
mimicking. He said, “I do not like to mimic someone even though I may be paid this
and this” (A’isha RA, Tirmidhi). The ridiculing is not only by action or
word, but it is by joining in laughter as well. Sometimes the people invent stories
to make others laugh. The Prophet (S) has expressed his sorrow over such people
as well. He said, “Woe to a man, who tells a lie in order to make people
laugh" (Behzad bin Hakeem RA, Tirmidhi). In another hadith, the
Prophet (S) has forbidden the believers to scoff at each other. He said, “Do
not get involved in a controversy with your brother. Do not scoff at him. And
do not breach your promises after you have made them” (Abdullah ibn Abbas R,
Tirmidhi). This hadith clearly tells us that raising a controversy, and
indulging in it, ridiculing others and breaching promises are all evil manners.
We must try our best to avoid all such deeds.
A believer should not ridicule another
believer, because it is a show of greatness of the former, and an insult to the
latter. This ridiculing of one by the other not only injures feelings of one,
it may create a disturbance in the society as well.
To magnify oneself with pride is an evil
act itself. When a person scoffs at
another person, he tries to show his pride in himself. Allah does not like this
show of pride. The Prophet (S) has said that a person, who feels pride in his
heart, equal to even a seed of mustard, will not enter into
In the same verse, Allah has forbidden one
more evil manner -the scandal mongering. Here the Arabic word talmezu
has been used. It means to find fault, to taunt at somebody’s fault, to defame,
and to calumniate. After the word talmezu the word yourselves has been
used. What Allah says is not to find fault in you. Here, a believer should
remember that all the believers are brothers of each other. Thus, a believer
who slanders another believer, in fact, slanders himself. A believer should
also realize the fact that when he taunts someone, he invites him to taunt him
back. Taunting at someone is a highly deplorable manner. Lady A’isha RA
has narrated that once she had taunted at Lady Safiah RA because of her
short stature. The Prophet (S) told her that what she had said was enough to
make the seawater quite bitter (Abu Dawood).
The immorality of finding fault and taunting are generally committed because of grudge or envy. When a man sees another man prospering, or achieving something, which he could not, a feeling of envy arises in his heart. This envy destroys his virtues the same way as the fire burns the woods. The Prophet (S) has warned of the envy in the following words: “Beware of envy! Indeed the envy eats up good deed like the fire eats up wood” (Abu Hurairah RA, Abu Dawood).
The evil acts of finding fault and
taunting are also committed because of partisanship or tribalism. The great
trials or temptations of the present day life are family, tribe, land, and
language etc. These tribulations then
give rise to a new religion of tribalism. The man becomes blind of all things
because of partisanship. The Prophet (S) has excommunicated those, who invite
and preach partisanship, from the fold of his Deen. He said, “He is not from us
who teaches partisanship. He too is not from us who fights because of
partisanship. And he too is not from us who dies because of partisanship” (Jubeer
bin Mata’m RA, Abu Dawood).
The bitterness created by ridicule or
satire goes on into posterity. Those people who indulge in these evil acts can
never be a nation. They remain busy in subduing and degrading each other. Allah
has warned such people of their destruction as:
Woe to every slanderer and
backbiter (Al-Humazah
104:1).
The
Prophet (S) has warned that a slanderer or a calumniator will never enter into
In the same verse, Allah further advises
the believers not to call each other by insulting titles. Here the Arabic word tanabuz
is used. It means to make someone ashamed of his action or quality, or to call
someone with insulting and humiliating names or titles, such as O infidel; O
hypocrite; O donkey; or O monkey, etc. However, those titles or names are
excluded which are not used as insult but help in recognition of someone. For
example, many people may have same names. Then, they can be called by their
certain peculiar act or quality or profession or education, such as Blind
Doctor, Abu Hurairah (Father of a kitten), and Short Teacher etc., to
differentiate between them. However care must be taken in giving distinguishing
names or titles so as not to offend anyone; or attributing infidelity or
hypocrisy etc. to someone. The Prophet (S) has said, “A man accuses another man
of being a rejecter or a fasiq (wicked). If the accused is, in fact, not
a rejecter or a fasiq, then the accusation reverts to the accuser
himself” (Abu Zar RA, Agreed Upon). In another hadith, the Prophet (S)
has said, “To accuse a Muslim falsely is wickedness, and to kill a Muslim is
infidelity” (Abdullah bin Masud RA, Agreed Upon).
One should realize the fact that, if someone
falsely accuses some other person or defames him, then the accuser can be
charged and punished for his slander. For example, if a man calls another man
vicious, a pig, a swindler, or an interest monger, then the name caller is
liable to be punished. The believer should call other believers with good names
or titles to appreciate their good qualities. The Prophet (S) had bestowed good
titles to some of his companions RA. Umar RA was called Farooq
(Differentiator between the Truth and false). Hamza RA got the title of Syed-ush-Shuhada’
(Chief of the Martyrs). Khalid bin Waleed RA was awarded the title of Saif-ul-Lah
(Sword of Allah). Usman RA was called Ghani (Prosperous). Ali RA
got the title of Asad-ul-Lah (Lion of Allah).
It is therefore, a sin to call someone
with bad quality. Besides, such a man is not liked; and is regarded as an
uncivilized person in the society. Thus an out spoken person is never welcome.
Similarly, calling someone by a name of his old, but abandoned, bad habit or
quality is also a deplorable act. For example, a man, who has given up
drinking, should never be called a drinker or a drunkard. Drinking an
intoxicant, such as an alcoholic drink, openly or secretly, is an immoral act
in Islam. It is prohibited by Allah:
O
you who believe! Intoxicants and gambling and alters and raffles are an
abomination of Satan’s handiwork, so eschew such that you may prosper (Al-Maidah 5: 90).
Continuing
in the next verse, Allah gives some reasons that these immoral acts cause
enmity and hatred among the believers as well as hinder them from remembering
Allah, and salat. The verse quoted here also tells us that gambling, offerings
on alters, and raffle or lottery games are all immoral acts in Islam.
If someone has already repented a sin, he
should not be called a sinner. If someone is afflicted with some natural habit
or form, not by choice, he should not be given a name because of that habit or
form. Thus the people, who do not give up their habits of calling names and do
not repent, are the real wrong doers and evil mongers. The Prophet (S) has said
that the acts of evil or transgression would become darkness all around the
evil mongers on the Day of Judgment (Abdullah bin Umar RA, Agreed
Upon).
After forbidding the three outward or open
evil manners, Allah forbids three inward or secret evil manners as well. In
this category, the first forbidden evil manner is suspicion. Allah advises all
believers not to indulge themselves in too many suspicions. Indeed some of the
suspicions are sins. Here the Arabic word zann is used for suspicion.
This word has different meanings. One meaning is a baseless conjecture or
guess. For example, Allah says:
But they have no knowledge
of it. They follow nothing but a conjecture; and conjecture avails nothing
against the Truth (An-Najm 53: 28).
The second meaning is certainty or belief,
where there is no doubt in it. Allah uses this word in the same meaning when He
says:
Who bear in mind the
certainty that they are to meet their Lord, and they are to return to Him (Al-Baqarah
This
belief is because of knowledge given by the Qur’an and hadith.
A third meaning of zann is a
conclusion made on the basis of arguments, experiences, and traditions. Such zann
i.e. conclusion is not only accepted, but is applicable in Shariah
(Islamic Jurisprudence) as well. Considering all the three meanings of the word
zann, it is quite clear that Allah has not forbidden it in absolute
meaning. What is forbidden is the baseless conjecture or guess. Zann, in
the second and the third meaning, is not only encouraged but is quite often
inevitable as well. For example, a judge is bound to act upon his conclusion on
the basis of arguments advanced to him. A traveler, in order to decide the
direction of Qibla (The House in Makkah) for his salat, has to make a
guess (zann). Similarly, we have to be careful with a person who is
known to be mischievous. However, in general, a believer should have good
opinion about others. The Prophet (S) has advised the believers not to die but
with good opinion of Allah (Jabir RA, Shafi). A believer should not form
a bad guess about someone just because of his appearance. For example, it is
possible that someone may put on someone else shoes, while coming out of a
mosque. In a hadith, the Prophet (S) has said, “Allah does not look at your
face or wealth, but looks at your deeds and hearts” (Abu Hurairah RA,
Muslim). In another hadith, the Prophet (S) has forbidden baseless bad guess,
and has called it an accusation. He also has said, “Beware of zann, for it
is the worst lie” (Abu Hurairah RA, Bukhari). And we know that
telling a lie is a big sin, as well as a sign of hypocrisy, as the Prophet (S)
has said, “One of the signs of hypocrisy is breach of trust. The second sign is
to tell lies in talks. The third sign is to break a promise. And the fourth
sign is to resort to abusive language in disputes” (Abdullah ibn A'mar ibn
Al-A’as RA, Agreed Upon). The Prophet (S) has also said, “It is the worst
breach of trust that you talk to someone in such a way that he believes in your
talk, where as it was untrue” (Sufyan ibn Usayed RA, Abu Dawood).
The second hidden act, which has been
forbidden, is spying on each other. Here the Arabic word tajassus is
used. It means to touch or feel secretly (somebody else’s matter). Here, only
that type of spying is forbidden which is done with some evil motives. For
example, media people are always in search of some scandal. This search of
scandal is an evil deed, and is against the spirit of brotherhood and mutual
sympathy. Therefore, all acts, such as finding faults, looking for secrets,
reading other’s confidential documents and letters, and secretly listening
others talks, etc, are all evil manners; and hence forbidden The Prophet (S)
has said, “Allah will find fault of that man, who tries to find fault in
others; and defame him as well” (Abu Dawood). Similarly in another
hadith, the Prophet (S) is reported to have said, “If you try to find secrets
or hidden affairs of peoples, you would destroy their manners” (Mu’awiya RA,
Abu Dawood). Instead of uncovering faults of others, the believers should
try to cover them. The Prophet (S) has said, “Hiding someone’s unknown fault is
like saving the life of a girl who is buried alive” (Musnad Ahmad).
During the days of Jahilliyah i.e. ignorance,
people in
Kill
not your children on a plea of want- We provide sustenance for you and for them
(Al-An’aam 6: 151)
Continuing
further, Allah says that a life which He has made sacred should not be taken
except by right. In principle, Islam forbids destruction of life, and teaches
that every soul brings its own sustenance; thus killing a life because of
pleasure or want of sustenance i.e. abortion by choice is an act of immorality
of a very high degree. Let a person think for a moment where he would have
been, if his parents had decided to abort him just for the sake of pleasure or
want of sustenance! Did some one bring his own sustenance with him at the time
of his birth?
In verse 12 of Al-Hujurat, the third
forbidden act is backbiting. Telling the truth about someone on his back, which
he would not like to be told, is called backbiting. Telling a lie, about
someone whether on his back or the front, is called slandering. A companion
asked the Prophet (S), “O Messenger of Allah! What is backbiting?” He replied,
“To talk about your brother in such a way which he would not like.” The
companion then asked, “Even though it may be true?” The Prophet (S) replied,
“Yes. And if it was not true then you have slandered him” (Abu Hurairah RA,
Muslim). This backbiting is such a severe sin that the Prophet (S) has termed
it worse than adultery (Jabir RA, Abu Dawood).
Backbiting is like eating flesh of a dead
brother. Allah has Himself given this example, when He asks if someone would
like to eat flesh of his dead brother. By this example, He has highlighted the
abhorrent nature of backbiting. It is such a despised act that a backbiter
should feel repugnance in backbiting. One should realize the fact that, as a
dead man can not defend himself, an absent person can not defend either.
Moreover, the backbiting of a dead man is also prohibited. When Ma’iz Silmi
RA was put to death, the Prophet (S), while walking behind them, overheard two
men talking to each other about the dead man. They commented that Ma’iz had
not hid his sin, and thus got himself defamed. They continued walking and
talking till they passed by a dead donkey. The Prophet (S) then asked them to
eat flesh of the dead animal. They got surprised, and asked, “O Messenger of
Allah! Are you asking us to eat dead meat?” The Prophet (S) replied, “You were
criticizing a dead man. It is like eating flesh of a dead brother” (Abu
Dawood).
A majority of scholars suggests that,
after completely giving up his habit of backbiting, a person must repent and
not backbite again. If he had backbitten a living person, and the person knows
it, the former should then apologize to the latter. If he had backbitten a dead
person, he should pray to Allah to forgive them both. This is what the Prophet (S)
has advised. He said, “Seek forgiveness for the dead man, if you had backbitten
him” (Anas RA, Baihaqi). One should note that to injure feelings of
someone present in a talk is not backbiting, but it is included in the act of
slandering. This act then should also be avoided.
Another deed of immorality in Islam
is sexual anarchy or permissiveness. First of all Islam does not allow sexual
acts without proper marriage between the two people of opposite sex. Moreover,
it prohibits sexual talk, not to say of act itself, in public. The Prophet (S)
has said, “That person is worst who describes his sexual relationship in open”
(Abu Sa’eed Khudri, Muslim). In Islam, the purpose of institution of
marriage is two-fold: comfort and reproduction. Gay or lesbian relationship is
a punishable act of immorality in Islam. The Qur’an says:
If
two men among you are guilty of lewdness, punish them both (An-Nisa
Such
relationship not only does not fulfill the need of human recreation, it leads
to annihilation of human race as well. It is regarded as transgression in
Islam, as is pointed out in the following verses:
“Of
all the creatures of the world, will you approach males? And leave those whom
Allah has created for you to be your mates? Nay, you are a people
transgressing!” (Ash-Shu’ara 26: 165-166).
As all such immoral deeds are munkar
i.e. despised ones, all the believers are duty bound to eradicate them from
their society, and strive to make it morally clean and healthy one.