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This is the most
serious of all prohibitions, according to the hadeeth narrated by Abu Bakrah, who said:
"The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
said: 'Shall I not tell you of the most serious of the major sins?'
three times. We said, 'Of course, O Messenger of Allah!' He said,
'Associating anything in worship with Allah ...'"
Every other sin may be
forgiven by Allah, apart from shirk, which requires specific repentance, as Allah
says:
"Verily,
Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him in worship,
but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases ..." [al-Nisaa' 4:48]
One of the forms of shirk
which is particularly widespread in Muslim countries is:
Grave-worship:
the belief that dead awliyaa' ("saints") can fulfil one's needs
or help at times of distress, and calling upon them for aid. Allah says:
"And your Lord has
decreed that you worship none but Him . ." [al-Israa' 17:23]
Similarly, they call upon
dead Prophets, righteous people and others to intercede for them or to rescue them from
some calamity, but Allah says:
"Is not He (better
than your gods) Who responds to the distressed one, when he calls Him, and Who removes the
evil, and makes you inheritors of the earth, generations after generations? Is there any ilaah
(god) with Allah? ..." [al-Naml 27:62]
The Prophet (PBUH) said:
"Whoever dies calling on someone else as a rival to Allah, will enter
Hell."
Another manifestation of Major
Shirk (al-shirk al-akbar) is:
Sacrificing to anything other than
Allah: Allah
says: "Therefore turn in prayer to your
Lord, and sacrifice (to Him only)" [al-Kawthar 108:2]
- i.e., sacrifice to Allah
and in the name of Allah. (PBUH) said: "Allah will curse the one who sacrifices to
anything other than Allah." This sin combines two prohibited (haraam) deeds,
that of sacrificing to anything other than Allah and that of sacrificing in the name of
anything other than Allah, both of which make the meat of the animal slaughtered haraam
(prohibited).
Another widespread form of
Major Shirk (al-shirk al-akbar) the sin of:
Allowing what Allah has forbidden and forbidding what Allah has allowed, or believing that anyone has the right to do so
except Allah, or referring matters for judgement to non-Islamic courts freely and by
choice, and believing that this is permissible. Allah has mentioned this form of major
kufr (disbelief) in the Qur'aan:
"They
(Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to their lords
besides Allah (by obeying them in things which they made lawful or
unlawful according to their own desires without being ordered by
Allah)..." [al-Tawbah 9:31]
When 'Adiyy ibn Haatim
heard the Prophet (PBUH) recite this aayah, he said, "But they were not worshipping
them." The Prophet (PBUH) replied, "Yes, but they permitted things that
Allah had forbidden, and the people accepted this, and they forbade
things that Allah had allowed, and the people accepted this too, and
this is a form of worshipping them."
Allah said: "Say: 'Tell me, what provision Allah has sent
down to you, and you have made of it lawful and unlawful.' Say: 'Has
Allah permitted you (to do so), or do you invent a lie against Allah?'" [Yoonus 10:59]
Another widespread forms of shirk
is:
Showing off in worship: among the conditions for any
good deed to be acceptable are that it should be free of any kind of showing off and
within the framework of the Sunnah (The saying of The Prophet, his deed and the act he
confirmed). The person who performs acts of worship, like praying, in order to be seen by
other people is a mushrik (doing shirk) and his deed is unacceptable.
Allah says:
"Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He Who
deceives them. And when they stand up for prayer, they stand with laziness and to be seen
of men, and they do not remember Allah but little." [al-Nisaa' 4:142]
Similarly, the
person who does a good deed so that news of it will reach other people has also fallen
into the sin of shirk. The threat of punishment for the one who does this was
reported in the hadeeth narrated by Ibn 'Abbaas in which the Prophet (PBUH) said:
"Whoever does things to be seen and heard by others, Allah will cause him to be seen
and heard as an example to others." Whoever does any act of worship for the sake of
Allah and other people, his deeds will be unacceptable, as is stated by Allah in the hadeeth
qudsi: "I am so self-sufficient that I am in no need of having an associate. Thus
he who does a deed for someone else's sake as well as Mine will have that deed
renounced by Me to him who he associated with Me." It may happen that a person starts
to do a deed for the sake of Allah, then the urge to show off comes over him. If he
resists that impulse his deed will still be acceptable, but if he submits willingly to it,
then in the opinion of most of the scholars his deed will be unacceptable.
By:
Sumayyah bint Joan
After
polytheism (shirk), the gravest sin is disobedience to parents. This
is an evil that a true Muslim cannot even imagine without even imagine
without repulsion. Thankfulness, gentleness and gratitude are the three
basic qualities that made one be a good person. One who does not
cultivate these basic attitudes within him can neither fulfill his
duties towards Allah nor the people: Hence Muslims who are obedient to
Almighty Allah can never be disobedient or even careless to their
parents.
Abu Bakr
narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) asked that should he not warn them
against the three major sins? All of them said, "Certainly, O Prophet!"
He then said, "To ascribe partners with Allah, to disobey the parents."
Getting up. As he was reclining, he said, "To tell a lie or to give
false evidence." He went on repeating his words for such a long time
that we wished him to be silent. (Bukhari and Muslim) In this hadeeth
the word "aqooq" has been used, for the disobedience to parents. It is
an Arabic words which means carelessness, cruelty, painful attitude and
disobedience.
It is narrated
that the Prophet (PBUH) said, "Allah postpones the punishment for one's
sins till the Day of Judgment if He so desires. But He award the
punishment for disobeying the parents during this life, before his
death." (Authentic, Al-Hakim) This means that the disobedient children
will be punished twice; once in this world and secondly in the
Hereafter.
In the hadeeth
narrated by Thauban, the Prophet (PBUH) indicated that the following
three major sins can nullify all other virtues: Ascribing partners with
Allah, disobedience to parents and fleeing from Jihad.
DISOBEDIENCE
TO MOTHERS
Mughairah
bin Shu'bah relates that the Prophet (PBUH) once said, "Be sure that
Allah has forbidden you to disobey your mothers, to be miserly and
greedy, and infanticide (burying the new born daughters alive.) And He
dislikes you to be talkative and too inquisitive and to waste your
belongings."
It also implies
that we should take extreme care of the sentiments, habits, temperament
and likes and dislikes of mothers. We should not even imagine being rude
and disobedient to her. By serving and obeying our mothers we can be
sure of earning the favor of Almighty Allah.
The extent of
sufferings resulting from disobedience to mothers can be seen from the
following hadeeth:
Once, when the
Prophet (PBUH) was talking to his companions a man came and addressed
him, "O Messenger of Allah ! A young man is breathing his last. People
are asking him to recite Shahadah but he is unable to do so." The
Prophet (PBUH) asked, "Did this man offer salah (during his life)?" The
answer was yes. Then he accompanied the man to the house of the dying
young man along with others present at the time. The man was at the end
of his life's journey. The Messenger of Allah advised him to offer the
Shahadah. The m an replied that he was unable to do so as the words
would not come out of his mouth. He (PBUH) then called for the mother of
the dying man whom he had disobeyed persistently. When his aged mother
approached the scene, the Prophet (PBUH) asked, 'Respected lady, is he
your son?" She replied yes. He then asked her a question, "O respected
lady, if we threaten to throw your son into a raging fire, would you
recommend him to be forgiven?" The lady replied that she would
definitely do so at that time. The Prophet (PBUH) then said to her, "If
so, declare, making Allah and me your witnesses, that you are mow
pleased with him." The old woman readily declared, "O Allah, you and
your Messenger be my witness that I am pleased with this beloved son of
mine."
Just after that,
the Prophet (PBUH) turned to the dying man and asked him to recite,
"There is no god but Allah, He is the One and has no partners and I
witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger." By the
virtue of the forgiveness of his mother, he found the words flowing out
of his mouth and he recited the Shahadah. Seeing this, the Prophet
(PBUH) praised Almighty Allah and thanked Him saying, "Thanks to
Almighty Allah that He saved this man from the fearful fire of Hell
through me." (Tabarani and Ahmad). Acknowledging the great favor of the
parents is central to our success in being right with them, as they are
the cause of our existence. It will enable us to see ihsan towards the
parents as a sign of a healthy, natural disposition.
Unfortunately,
sometimes this disposition gets distorted and people start viewing
their own existence with resentment. Consequently, they blame their
parents for bringing them into this world or that they may not be living
at the ease and joy they think they deserve. Human beings existence is
due to Allah and to Him alone, for He wills who will be one's parents,
where one will be born, the time of birth and what sustenance will he
receive. Our parents have done us a great favor, our Creator has told us
not to even show them signs of discontent if they did something we did
not like or were wrong about anything. But to pay back their favor by
being loving, kind and dutiful to them is the absolute minimum that all
us have to do.
Magic, fortune-telling and divination: Magic (sihr) is an act of kufr (disbelief), and
one of the seven sins which doom a person to Hell. It causes harm but no
benefit. Allah says of the one who learns it:
"... And
they learn that which harms them and profits them not ..." [al-Baqarah
2:102]
"... and
the magician will never be successful, no matter what amount (of skill)
he may attain)." [Ta-Ha 20:69]
The one
who deals in magic is a kaafir (disbeliever), as Allah says:
"...
Sulayman did not disbelieve, but the shayaateen (devils)
disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things as came down at Babylon
to the two angels, Haaroot and Maaroot, but neither of these two
(angels) taught anyone (such things) things till they had said, 'We are
only for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).'
..." [al-Baqarah 2:102]
The
prescribed punishment for the one who practices magic is death, and his
income is haram and impure. But people who are ignorant wrongdoers and
weak in faith go to magicians to help them harm someone or take revenge
on someone. Some people commit the sin of going to a magician to ask his
help in undoing the magic of someone else, when they should turn to
Allah to help them and heal them, by reciting His words, such as the
soorahs that offer protection (al-Falaq and al-Naas), and
so on.
Fortune-tellers and their ilk are kaafirs (disbelievers) who disbelieve
in Allah, because they claim knowledge of the Unseen, but no one has
knowledge of the Unseen except Allah. Many of these fortune-tellers take
advantage of simple-minded people and take their money. They use many
methods such as drawing lines in the sand, throwing sea-shells, reading
palms, teacups (or coffee cups), crystal balls and mirrors, and so on.
If they get it right one time, they get it wrong ninety-nine times, but
ignorant people remember only the one time when these liars get
something right. They go to them to find out about the future, whether
they will be successful in marriage or business, or to help them find
something they have lost, and so on. The ruling concerning the person
who visits a fortune-teller is: if he believes what he says, he is a
kaafir who has left Islam, on the basis of the hadeeth in which the
Prophet (PBUH) said: "Whoever goes to a fortune-teller or a
soothsayer and believes in what he says has disbelieved in what was
revealed to Muhammad." If a person does not believe that they have
knowledge of the Unseen, but he goes out of curiosity or whatever, he is
not a kaafir, but his prayers will not be accepted for forty days, as
the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him
about something, his prayers will not be accepted for forty nights" even
though it is still obligatory to pray and to repent for this sin.
One of the aims of
Islam is to preserve honour and lineage, so zinaa (unlawful sexual intercourse) is
forbidden. Allah says:
"And come not near to
unlawful sexual intercourse. Verily it is a faahishah (a great sin) and an evil way
(that leads to Hell unless Allah forgives)" [al-Israa' 17:32]
Islam blocks all the ways
and means that could lead to zinah. The married man who commits adultery deserves
the worst kind of punishment.
What is even worse is when
a man continues to commit adultery even when he grows old, death approaches and Allah
gives him the opportunity to repent. Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet (PBUH) said:
"There are three to whom Allah will not speak on the Day of Resurrection, nor praise,
nor look at; theirs will be a painful torment: an old man who commits zinaa, a king
who lies, and a poor man who is arrogant." Among the worst of incomes is the earnings
of a prostitute which she takes before committing zinah, and the immoral woman who
earns her living by selling herself is deprived of having her prayers answered when the
gates of heaven are opened at midnight. Being in need or being poor are not acceptable
excuses for transgressing the limits set by Allah. There is an old saying that the free
woman would rather starve than eat by displaying her breasts, so how about her private
parts then?
Allah says: "... Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks),
gambling, al-ansaab (stone altars for sacrifices to idols, etc.) and al-azlaam
(arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination of Satan's handiwork. So
avoid (strictly) all that (abomination) in order that you may be successful."
[al-Maa'idah 5:90]
The command to avoid these
things is the strongest indication that they are forbidden. Khamr
("wine", alcohol) is compared to al-ansaab, which were idols of the kuffaar
(disbelievers);
The Prophet (PBUH) also
issued a stern warning to the one who drinks khamr (wine). Jaabir reported that he
said: "Allah has promised the one who drinks khamr (wine) that He will make
him drink the mud of khibaal." The people asked, "O Messenger of Allah,
what is the mud of khibaal?" He said, "The sweat of the people of
Hell, or the juice of the people of Hell." Ibn 'Abbaas reported that the Prophet
(PBUH) said: "Whoever dies and has the habit of drinking khamr
(wine), he will meet Allah as one who worships idols."
Nowadays there are very
many kinds of khamr (wine), with many names in Arabic and other languages, such as
beer, ji'ah (beer), alcohol, araq ("arrack"), vodka,
champagne, etc.
Islam imposes strict
controls on this matter, and deals with it decisively so that there is no room for
misunderstanding. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Every intoxicant is khamr and
every intoxicant is haraam (Forbidden)." Everything that has the effect of clouding
the mind is haraam (Forbidden), whether in large or small amounts. No matter how many
different names there are, they all refer to one thing, and the ruling concerning it is
well-known.
Finally, the Prophet (PBUH)
issued a warning to those who drink khamr (wine): "Whoever drinks khamr
(wine) and becomes intoxicated, his prayers will not be accepted for forty days, and if he
dies he will enter Hell, and if he repents Allah will accept his repentance. If he drinks
again and becomes intoxicated again, his prayers will not be accepted for forty days, and
if he dies he will enter Hell, and if he repents Allah will accept his repentance. If he
drinks again and becomes intoxicated again, his prayers will not be accepted for forty
days, and if he dies he will enter Hell, and if he repents Allah will accept his
repentance. If he drinks a fourth time, Allah promises that He will make him drink from
the mud of khibaal on the Day of Resurrection. The people asked,
"O Messenger
of Allah, what is the mud of khibaal?" He said, "The juice of the
people of Hell."
Allah says: "Cut off (from the wrist joint) the (right) hand of
the thief, male or female, as a recompense for that which they have committed, a
punishment by way of example from Allah. And Allah is All-Powerful, All-Wise."
[al-Maa'idah 5:38]
One of the worst forms of
theft is stealing from the public purse. Some of those who do this say "We are only
doing what others do." They do not realize that what they are doing is effectively
stealing from all the Muslims, because the public purse belongs to all the Muslims.
Imitating those who do not fear Allah is no excuse. Some people steal from the wealth of
the kuffaar (disbelievers) on the grounds that they are kuffaar, but this
is wrong; the only kuffaar (disbelievers) whose wealth we are allowed to
take away are those who are actively fighting the Muslims, which does not apply to every
kaafir (disbeliever) individual or company.
Everyone who steals
something must first repent to Allah then return the item to its rightful owner, whether
openly or secretly, in person or via a third party. If he fails to find the rightful owner
or his heirs after much effort, then he should give the property in charity, with the
intention that the reward should be given to the rightful owner.
Sodomy, or
intercourse between two males, was the crime of the people of Lut. Allah says: "And (remember) Lut, when he said to his people:
'You commit al-faahishah (sodomy - the worst sin) which none has preceded you
in (committing) among the 'aalameen (mankind and jinns). Verily, you commit
sodomy with men, and rob the wayfarer, and practise al-munkar (disbelief,
polytheism and every kind of evil deed) in your meetings.' ..." [al-'Ankaboot 29:29].
Because of the repulsive
nature and enormity of this sin, Allah inflicted four kinds of punishment which He had
never before inflicted in combination upon any other people; they were: these people would
be blinded, their city would be turned upside-down, stones of baked clay, piled up, would
be rained down upon them, and an awful cry would be sent upon them.
In Islam, those guilty of
this crime are to be killed. This punishment is to carried out on both the one who does
this and the one to whom it is done, if it is done freely and by choice. Ibn
'Abbaas
reported that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Whomever you find committing the sin of the
people of Lut, kill them - both the one who does it and the one to whom
it is done." The
modern-day spread of incurable diseases like the killer AIDS caused by this corruption,
that were unknown to our predecessors, is an indication of the wisdom of Islam in
prescribing this severe punishment.
In the Qur'aan,
Allah does not declare war on anyone except the people who deal in usury (riba):
"O you who believe! Be
afraid of Allah and give up what remains (due to you) of riba (usury) (from now
onward), if you are (really) believers. And if you do not do it, then take a message of
war from Allah and His Messenger." [al-Baqarah 2:278-279]
This is sufficient to
explain the abhorrence of this deed in the sight of Allah, may He be glorified.
One may easily discern the
extent of devastation, at the individual and the international level, caused by dealing
with riba (usury) - such as bankruptcy, recession, economic stagnation, inability
to repay loans, high unemployment, collapse of many companies and institutions, etc. Daily
toil has become a never-ending struggle to pay off interest on loans and societies have
become class-ridden structures in which huge wealth in concentrated in the hands of a few.
Perhaps all this is a manifestation of the war threatened by Allah to those who deal in riba
(usury).
Everyone who has something
to do with riba (usury), whether he is one of the main parties involved or is a
middleman or facilitator, has been cursed by Muhammad (PBUH). Jaabir reported that the
Messenger of Allah (PBUH) cursed "the one who consumes riba (usury), the one
who gives it to others, the one who writes it down and the one who witnesses it." He
said: "They are all the same." Based on this, it is not permitted to do work
that involves writing interest-based contracts and conditions, paying or receiving riba
(usury), depositing it or guarding it. Generally speaking, it is haraam (forbidden) to be
directly or indirectly involved with riba in any way, shape or form.
The Prophet (PBUH) was keen
to explain the ugliness of this major sin. 'Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood reported that
the Prophet (PBUH) said: "There are seventy-three types of riba (usury), the least of
which is as abhorrent as a man having intercourse with his own mother and worst of which
is [violating] a Muslim's honor and sanctity." The prohibition on riba (usury)
does not just apply to deals between rich and poor, as some people think; it is a general
prohibition that applies to every person and every situation. How many rich people and big
businessmen have gone bankrupt because of riba! The least harm riba does is
to destroy the blessing (barakah) of the money, even if a person's wealth is
great. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Even if riba (usury) is much, it will end up
being a small amount." This does not refer to whether the ratio of interest is high
or low; all riba is haraam (forbidden).
In spite of the enormity of
this sin, Allah has told us to repent from it and has explained how. Allah says to those
who deal in riba:
"... but if
you repent, you shall have your capital sums. Deal not unjustly (by asking more than your
capital sums), and you shall not be dealt with unjustly (by receiving less than your
capital sums)." [al-Baqarah 2:279] This
is quintessential justice.
The believer must despise
this major sin and feel its abhorrence, even if he puts his money in interest-based banks
because he has no other choice and is afraid that his money may be lost or stolen
otherwise. He should feel that he is being compelled by necessity to do this, like one who
eats dead meat, or worse. At the same time, he should seek the forgiveness of Allah and
try to find an alternative if he can. He is not permitted to ask the bank for interest,
and if the bank deposits it in his account, he must get rid of it in whatever way is
permissible. This money cannot be counted as sadaqah (charity), because Allah is
pure and accepts only that which is pure. He cannot benefit from this money by using it to
by food, drink, clothing, transportation or housing; he cannot use it to fulfil
obligations such as spending on his wife, child or parents, or to pay zakaat or
taxes, or to defend himself in court. Rather, he should just get rid of it, for fear of
the wrath of Allah.
Allah
says:
"O you who believe!
Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), gambling, al-ansaab (stone altars for
sacrifices to idols, etc.), and al-azlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are
an abomination of Shaytaan's handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that abomination, in
order that you may be successful." [al-Maa'idah 5:90]
Gambling was very common
during the Jaahiliyyah (pre-Islamic time); in one of the most well-known forms of
gambling, ten people would buy a camel, each paying an equal share, then they would throw
down arrows - a form of drawing lots. Seven people would win unequal shares and three
would be left empty-handed.
Nowadays there are many
forms of gambling, including:
lotteries and raffles, in
which people pay money to buy numbers, then numbers are drawn for first prize, second
prize, and so on for a variety of prizes. This is haraam (forbidden), even when it is
supposedly done for charity.
Another modern form of
gambling is insurance, such as life insurance, car insurance, product insurance, insurance
against fire or theft, third party insurance, comprehensive insurance, and so on. There
are so many types of insurance that some singers even insure their voices!
All of the above are forms
of gambling. Nowadays there are even clubs that are devoted exclusively to gambling, in
which there are so-called "green tables" (roulette tables) just for people to
commit this sin. Other forms of gambling include betting on horse races and other sports,
fruit-machines and the like in amusement centres.
Giving a bribe to
a qaadi or judge to make him turn a blind eye to the truth or to
make a false claim succeed is a sin, because it leads to oppression and
injustice for the person who is in the right, and it spreads corruption.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And eat up not one
another's property unjustly, not give bribery to the rulers that you may
knowingly eat up a part of the property of others sinfully." [al-Baqarah
2:188]
Abu Hurayrah
(may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah has cursed those who
give and accept bribes with regard to judging." (Reported
by Imaam Ahmad, 2/387; see also Saheeh al-Jaami', 5069).
However, payments made in order to reach the truth or avert injustice
when there is no other way of doing so are not included in this warning.
Bribery is
so widespread nowadays that it more of a source of income than the
regular salary for some workers. Some companies even include bribes as a
factor in their budgets, under a variety of headings, and some dealings
cannot begin or end without the payment of a bribe. Much harm is caused
to the poor and many safeguards are broken because of bribes. Bribery is
a cause of corruption whereby employees act against their employers, and
one can only get good service if one pays a bribe - the person who
refuses to pay will get shoddy or late service, and people who come
after him but are willing to pay will be served before him. Because of
bribery, a great deal of money which is due to employers ends up in the
pockets of sales representatives and those responsible for making
company purchases. It is little wonder, then that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed to Allah to deprive all those
involved of His Mercy. 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr (may Allaah be pleased with
him) said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: 'The curse of Allaah be upon the one who gives a bribe
and the one who accepts it."
(Reported by Ibn Maajah, 2313; see also Saheeh
al-Jaami', 5114).
When there
is no fear of Allah, strength and cunning are a disaster because the one
who possesses these qualities uses them to oppress others, such as
seizing other people's possessions, including their land. The punishment
for this is extremely severe. 'Abdullaah ibn 'Umar reported that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever
seizes any piece of land unlawfully, on the Day of Resurrection Allaah
will make the ground swallow him up to the seventh depth of the earth."
(Reported by al-Bukhaari;
see al-Fath 5/103).
Ya'laa ibn
Murrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Any man who seizes a
hand span of land, Allah will tell him to dig it (according to al-Tabaraani:
to bring it) to the seventh depth of the earth, then it will be placed
around his neck on the Day of Resurrection, until Allaah has finished
judging mankind." (Reported by al-Tabaraani
in al-Kabeer, 22/270; see also Saheeh al-Jaami', 9/27).
Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning): "... So shun the
abomination (worship) of idols, and shun lying speech (false statements)
- hunafaa' Lillah (i.e., to worship none but Allaah), not
associating partners (in worship, etc.) unto Him ..." [al-Hajj 22:30-31]
'Abd al-Rahmaan
ibn Abi Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported
that his father said: "We were with the Messenger of Allah (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) when he said: 'I fear for you three
major sins' - three times: 'associating partners with Allah,
disobedience to parents, and -' - he was reclining but he sat up at this
point and said: ' - and bearing false witness.' He kept repeating this
with such fervor that we wished he would stop (for his own sake)."
(Reported by al-Bukhaari,
see al-Fath, 5/261).
The warning
against bearing false witness was uttered repeatedly because people take
it too lightly and there are many motives for doing so, such as hatred
and envy. The resulting corruption is great indeed: how many people have
lost their rights because of false witness! How many innocent people
have been treated unjustly, and how many people have gained what they
did not deserve, because of it!
An example of the
ways in which people take this matter lightly is what sometimes happens
in the courts, when a person might say to someone he has only just met,
"Testify for me and I will testify for you." So one might testify for
the other in a case where he does not have the necessary knowledge of
what really happened, like testifying that this person owns a piece of
land or a house, or recommending him when he has never seen him before
that day in court. This is lying and false witness, whereas testimony
should be as described in the Book of Allah: "...
we testify not except according to what we know ..." [Yoosuf 12:81] |
