Why you shouldn't talk bad of others and assume that you yourself will be safe from from the Hell Fire
Narrated 'Abdullah:
Allah's Apostle, the truthful and truly-inspired, said, "Each one of you collected in the womb of his mother for forty days, and then turns into a clot for an equal period (of forty days) and turns into a piece of flesh for a similar period (of forty days) and then Allah sends an angel and orders him to write four things, i.e., his provision, his age, and whether he will be of the wretched or the blessed (in the Hereafter). Then the soul is breathed into him. And by Allah, a person among you (or a man) may do deeds of the people of the Fire till there is only a cubit or an arm-breadth distance between him and the Fire, but then that writing (which Allah has ordered the angel to write) precedes, and he does the deeds of the people of Paradise and enters it; and a man may do the deeds of the people of Paradise till there is only a cubit or two between him and Paradise, and then that writing precedes and he does the deeds of the people of the Fire and enters it."
Sahih Bukhari,Volume 8, Book 77, Number 593.
Narrated 'Ali:
While we were sitting with the Prophet who had a stick with which he was scraping the earth, he lowered his head and said, "There is none of you but has his place assigned either in the Fire or in Paradise." Thereupon a man from the people said, "Shall we not depend upon this, O Allah's Apostle?" The Prophet said, "No, but carry on and do your deeds, for everybody finds it easy to do such deeds (as will lead him to his place)." The Prophet then recited the Verse: 'As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah..' (92.5)
Sahih Bukhari,Volume 8, Book 77, Number 602
Narrated Sahl bin Sa'd:
There was a man who fought most bravely of all the Muslims on behalf of the Muslims in a battle (Ghazwa) in the company of the Prophet. The Prophet looked at him and said. "If anyone would like to see a man from the people of the Fire, let him look at this (brave man)." On that, a man from the People (Muslims) followed him, and he was in that state i.e., fighting fiercely against the pagans till he was wounded, and then he hastened to end his life by placing his sword between his breasts (and pressed it with great force) till it came out between his shoulders. Then the man (who was watching that person) went quickly to the Prophet and said, "I testify that you are Allah's Apostle!" The Prophet asked him, "Why do you say that?" He said, "You said about so-and-so, 'If anyone would like to see a man from the people of the Fire, he should look at him.' He fought most bravely of all of us on behalf of the Muslims and I knew that he would not die as a Muslim (Martyr). So when he got wounded, he hastened to die and committed suicide." There-upon the Prophet said, "A man may do the deeds of the people of the Fire while in fact he is one of the people of Paradise, and he may do the deeds of the people of Paradise while in fact he belongs to the people of Fire, and verily, (the rewards of) the deeds are decided by the last actions (deeds)".
Sahih Bukhari,Volume 8, Book 77, Number 604.
The following is taken from "40 Hadith on the Islamic Personality" by Shaykh 'Alee Hasan 'Alee 'Abdul Hameed
The Muslim Seeks to Make Excuses for Other Muslims
From Sa'd ibn 'Ubaadah (radiyAllahu 'anhu) who said that Allah's Messenger (salAllahu 'alaihi wa'sallam) said:
"and there is no one who loves to accept an excuse more than Allah, and because of this he sent the bringers of good news and the warnersأ."
So a Muslim seeking to make an excuse for his brother and those whom he loves will cause good will to spread instead of antagonism, and will bring about ties of relationship instead of estrangement. Since if Allah, He who is free of all imperfections, grants excuse, and He is the Creator and the Most Great, then how can you O servant of Allah, a weak creation of his, not seek to make excuse for others? Rather as is said: Seek an excuse for your brother. Likewise there is the saying: the believers seek to make excuses for others, whereas the hypocrites hope for the downfall of others.
The Believer is a Mirror for His Brother
From Abi Hurayrah (radiyAllahu 'anhu) who said that Allah's Messenger (salAllahu 'alaihi wa'sallam) said:
"The believer is a mirror for the believer, and the believer is the brother of the believer. He safeguards his property for him and defends him from behind."
So the description of his being a 'mirror' is very precise and profound showing the culmination of brotherhood and solidarity. So your brother, O servant of Allah, is an image of you yourself. So if he behaves badly it is as if you are the one who has behaved badly, and if he makes a mistake, it is as if you have made a mistake. So he is a mirror for you and then an image of you yourself! So do not treat him except with mildness and gentleness.
The Muslim Does Not Fall Into Backbiting
From Ibn 'Umar (radiyAllahu 'anhumaa) who said that Allah's Messenger (salAllahu 'alaihi wa'sallam) said:
"Whoever intercedes and prevents one of the punishments prescribed by Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, then he has opposed Allah regarding His orders. Whoever dies with a debt due on him then it will not be repaid by deenaars and dirhams but rather by good and bad deeds. Whoever disputes for something which he knows is false then he remains in Allah's anger until he desists. Whoever accuses a believer of something that is untrue then Allah will make him dwell in the pus flowing from the inhabitants of the Fire and he will not leaver until he retracts from what he said."
So the lethal plague of backbiting destroys one's good deeds, destroys brotherhood and destroys one's reward. So the true Muslim does not backbite, nor does he allow backbiting to take place in his presence. So let those people fear Allah, those whose bodies do not develop and those whose spirit is not fed except upon spreading rumours and inventing lies against the servants of Allah claiming that 'this is for the benefit of da'wah!'
How strange! What benefit to the da'wah will be achieved through slandering, backbiting and mentioning bad manners to others? Do you think, O you who backbites the people, that you are far removed form defect? O you who can only see the deficiencies of others, do you think that you are free from any mistakes? 'أrather you are full of deficiencies and the people have tongues!'
He Hopes for good for Himself and His Brothers
From Jundub (radiyAllahu 'anhu) who said that the Messenger of Allah(salAllahu 'alaihi wa'sallam) narrated:
"That a man said: By Allah, Allah will not forgive so and so. Whereas Allah, the
Most High said: Who is it who swears by Me that I will not forgive so and so, for I have forgiven so and so, and have rendered your actions futile."
The Muslim's Character
From Abu Darda (radiyAllahu 'anhu) who said that Allah's Messenger (salAllأahu'alaihi wa'sallam) said:
"There is nothing which is heavier upon the balance than the good character."
So by his character the Muslim turns enemies into friends, opponents into companions, and harsh people into those who are mild. Character is a commodity which is almost something rare amongst the people today, except amongst those who sincerely worship Allah alone, Who are honest and true in the worship of the Lord of the Worlds.
Narrated 'Abdullah:
Allah's Apostle, the truthful and truly-inspired, said, "Each one of you collected in the womb of his mother for forty days, and then turns into a clot for an equal period (of forty days) and turns into a piece of flesh for a similar period (of forty days) and then Allah sends an angel and orders him to write four things, i.e., his provision, his age, and whether he will be of the wretched or the blessed (in the Hereafter). Then the soul is breathed into him. And by Allah, a person among you (or a man) may do deeds of the people of the Fire till there is only a cubit or an arm-breadth distance between him and the Fire, but then that writing (which Allah has ordered the angel to write) precedes, and he does the deeds of the people of Paradise and enters it; and a man may do the deeds of the people of Paradise till there is only a cubit or two between him and Paradise, and then that writing precedes and he does the deeds of the people of the Fire and enters it."
Sahih Bukhari,Volume 8, Book 77, Number 593.
Narrated 'Ali:
While we were sitting with the Prophet who had a stick with which he was scraping the earth, he lowered his head and said, "There is none of you but has his place assigned either in the Fire or in Paradise." Thereupon a man from the people said, "Shall we not depend upon this, O Allah's Apostle?" The Prophet said, "No, but carry on and do your deeds, for everybody finds it easy to do such deeds (as will lead him to his place)." The Prophet then recited the Verse: 'As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah..' (92.5)
Sahih Bukhari,Volume 8, Book 77, Number 602
Narrated Sahl bin Sa'd:
There was a man who fought most bravely of all the Muslims on behalf of the Muslims in a battle (Ghazwa) in the company of the Prophet. The Prophet looked at him and said. "If anyone would like to see a man from the people of the Fire, let him look at this (brave man)." On that, a man from the People (Muslims) followed him, and he was in that state i.e., fighting fiercely against the pagans till he was wounded, and then he hastened to end his life by placing his sword between his breasts (and pressed it with great force) till it came out between his shoulders. Then the man (who was watching that person) went quickly to the Prophet and said, "I testify that you are Allah's Apostle!" The Prophet asked him, "Why do you say that?" He said, "You said about so-and-so, 'If anyone would like to see a man from the people of the Fire, he should look at him.' He fought most bravely of all of us on behalf of the Muslims and I knew that he would not die as a Muslim (Martyr). So when he got wounded, he hastened to die and committed suicide." There-upon the Prophet said, "A man may do the deeds of the people of the Fire while in fact he is one of the people of Paradise, and he may do the deeds of the people of Paradise while in fact he belongs to the people of Fire, and verily, (the rewards of) the deeds are decided by the last actions (deeds)".
Sahih Bukhari,Volume 8, Book 77, Number 604.
The following is taken from "40 Hadith on the Islamic Personality" by Shaykh 'Alee Hasan 'Alee 'Abdul Hameed
The Muslim Seeks to Make Excuses for Other Muslims
From Sa'd ibn 'Ubaadah (radiyAllahu 'anhu) who said that Allah's Messenger (salAllahu 'alaihi wa'sallam) said:
"and there is no one who loves to accept an excuse more than Allah, and because of this he sent the bringers of good news and the warnersأ."
So a Muslim seeking to make an excuse for his brother and those whom he loves will cause good will to spread instead of antagonism, and will bring about ties of relationship instead of estrangement. Since if Allah, He who is free of all imperfections, grants excuse, and He is the Creator and the Most Great, then how can you O servant of Allah, a weak creation of his, not seek to make excuse for others? Rather as is said: Seek an excuse for your brother. Likewise there is the saying: the believers seek to make excuses for others, whereas the hypocrites hope for the downfall of others.
The Believer is a Mirror for His Brother
From Abi Hurayrah (radiyAllahu 'anhu) who said that Allah's Messenger (salAllahu 'alaihi wa'sallam) said:
"The believer is a mirror for the believer, and the believer is the brother of the believer. He safeguards his property for him and defends him from behind."
So the description of his being a 'mirror' is very precise and profound showing the culmination of brotherhood and solidarity. So your brother, O servant of Allah, is an image of you yourself. So if he behaves badly it is as if you are the one who has behaved badly, and if he makes a mistake, it is as if you have made a mistake. So he is a mirror for you and then an image of you yourself! So do not treat him except with mildness and gentleness.
The Muslim Does Not Fall Into Backbiting
From Ibn 'Umar (radiyAllahu 'anhumaa) who said that Allah's Messenger (salAllahu 'alaihi wa'sallam) said:
"Whoever intercedes and prevents one of the punishments prescribed by Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, then he has opposed Allah regarding His orders. Whoever dies with a debt due on him then it will not be repaid by deenaars and dirhams but rather by good and bad deeds. Whoever disputes for something which he knows is false then he remains in Allah's anger until he desists. Whoever accuses a believer of something that is untrue then Allah will make him dwell in the pus flowing from the inhabitants of the Fire and he will not leaver until he retracts from what he said."
So the lethal plague of backbiting destroys one's good deeds, destroys brotherhood and destroys one's reward. So the true Muslim does not backbite, nor does he allow backbiting to take place in his presence. So let those people fear Allah, those whose bodies do not develop and those whose spirit is not fed except upon spreading rumours and inventing lies against the servants of Allah claiming that 'this is for the benefit of da'wah!'
How strange! What benefit to the da'wah will be achieved through slandering, backbiting and mentioning bad manners to others? Do you think, O you who backbites the people, that you are far removed form defect? O you who can only see the deficiencies of others, do you think that you are free from any mistakes? 'أrather you are full of deficiencies and the people have tongues!'
He Hopes for good for Himself and His Brothers
From Jundub (radiyAllahu 'anhu) who said that the Messenger of Allah(salAllahu 'alaihi wa'sallam) narrated:
"That a man said: By Allah, Allah will not forgive so and so. Whereas Allah, the
Most High said: Who is it who swears by Me that I will not forgive so and so, for I have forgiven so and so, and have rendered your actions futile."
The Muslim's Character
From Abu Darda (radiyAllahu 'anhu) who said that Allah's Messenger (salAllأahu'alaihi wa'sallam) said:
"There is nothing which is heavier upon the balance than the good character."
So by his character the Muslim turns enemies into friends, opponents into companions, and harsh people into those who are mild. Character is a commodity which is almost something rare amongst the people today, except amongst those who sincerely worship Allah alone, Who are honest and true in the worship of the Lord of the Worlds.
brother for this reminder ...May Allah swt guides and keep us, the Ummah, in the straight path....Ameen Ya Rabbal Alameen
