Here we go again in the azislam.com, islamic information center site. If azislam.com has discussed some
articles like how to cure panic in Islam, importance of lowering your gaze in Islam, and dua for the last day of Ramadhan, in this occasion, azislam.com will talk about the effects of slander seen from the Islamic point of view. But before we start it, don’t forget to read another azislam.com articles like importance of obeying parents in Islam & importance of study in Islam.
Slander means as an action or crime for making a false spoken statement and may cause or damaging someone’s reputation. Or it also could described as making a false and malicious spoken statement. Slander is a cruel act and anyone who does it is an ally of Satan. Rasulullah said in the following hadith:
“Do you know what backbiting is? His companions replied : ‘Allah and His Messenger know best’. He then said : ‘it is to say something about your brother that he would dislike’. And someone asked : ‘But what if what i said is true?’ The Messenger replied : ‘If what you say about him is true, then you have backbitten him, but if it is not true then you have slandered him.” (Narrated by Muslim)
Effects of slander in Islam is clearly dangerous as mentioned in the above hadith, there are distinct meaning about backbiting and slander. And both of it is prohibited in Islamic view.
The effects can be described as below explanations:
1. It cause harm to other person
Slander is an inhuman action, even though it using words as the tools. Both we knew that words is more dangerous that any sharp weapons. Slander will give a harm to other person in term of mental and psychology. Currently we see a lot of people slandered by other and the result is lowering their confidence, feeling wrong even they did not perform what they have been told, shy, mental pressure which the further impact may cause serious disease.
2. Damaging brotherhood
Slander may cause damage in muslims brotherhood, since the impact of slander is causing suspicion and hatred toward others. People who were previously friendly can hate each other because of slander. We can see now in reality there are so many people consumed by hatred because of defamation in the form of hoax and fake news. They hate other for no reason or for a false statement.
3. Bring sin
Slander definitely is a sin, an evilish deed that muslims prohibited to do and avoid it no matter what. As mentioned in the following verse :
“O you who have believed, avoid much (negative) assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah, indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful.” (QS. Al-Hujurat : 12)
Slander is has a domino effect that is why it included as a great sin. Before slander, one must create an assumption and trying to search an information. Someone who commit slander must have an certain motives it may revenge, envy, mockery, or accusing their own bad act.
4. Ruined the sanctity of fellow muslims
Rasulullah SAW reiterated a message about slanders in the following hadith :
“The blood, wealth, and honor of the muslim are sacred to all muslims.” (Narrated by Muslim)
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“Allah has made sacred upon you the blood, wealth and honor of each other, just as the sacredness of this day of yours in this land of yours in this month of yours.” (Narrated by Bukhari)
Slander will ruined other person sanctity until it will be proven as not true. But reputation once it ruined that it will be hard to return as what it was. Reputation or sanctity is something that has been build for a long time, it is also a reflection of our character and slander could ruined it just like that.
5. Avoid muslims to enter paradise
Hamman ibn Al-Harith reported,
“We were sitting with Hudhaifa and it was said that a man falsely attributed a story to Uthman. Hudhaifa said : I heard the Prophet SAW, say, ‘The slanderer will not enter Paradise.” (Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim)
From the above hadith the punishment of committing slander is tremendous which is muslims will be banned for entering Paradise. Since slander itself cause a great loss for people being slandered and the impact will not stop just for them but will also impact their family and may bring disgrace or shame toward them.
[10 Effects of Slander in Islam Which Must Not be Done by All Muslims]
6. It may cause material loss
Another effect of slander is it could cause a severe material loss. In business or work we will easily find a person committing slander toward their competitor or co-workers to gain certain advantage for their selves. In the business world slander sometimes became a tool to drop other business until their competitor loss or even lead into bankruptcy.
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7. Believers will be severely punished
From Abdullah Ibn Umar said that Rasulullah SAW say,
“Whoever withholds his intercession regarding other than the legal punishments prescribed by Allah, then Allah will oppose him, and whoever knowingly argues for falsehood, then he will never be free of Allah’s displeasure until he stops, and whoever says something about a believer that is untrue, then Allah will lodge him in a hole of mud until he repents from what he said.” (Narrated by Abu Dawud)
People who speak of lies, false statement, or falsehood is hated by Allah SWT. A severe punishment will be given to those who conduct slander as mentioned in the above hadith.
8. Slander’s corruption is worse that adultery
From a hadith reported by Al-Bayhaqi and also reported by Ibn Abi Ad-Dunya that the Prophet said:
“Beware of Gheebah (slander/backbiting), indeed backbiting is worse that zina (adultery), a person may commit zina and Allah accepts his repentance, but Allah does not forgive the backbiting until the person whom he backbit forgives him.”
Adulterer may be forgiven by Allah through repentance since adultery is the right of Allah but slanderer may not be forgiven since the repentance of slanderer will be according to the satisfaction of another party being slandered or affected by it, or we can say that slander is the right of people.
9. Slander will hinder our deeds and prayers to Allah
“And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight, and the heart – about all those (one) will be questioned.” (QS. Al-Isra : 36)
Committing slander will hinder our prayer and good deeds since the sins of slander is tremendous as mentioned before. And from the above verse Allah warn us about the dangerous of speaking without knowledge on it, every deed of us in this world will be counted no matter bad or good nor small or big, Allah will give us reward or punishment both in the world or in the afterlife.
10. Slander is a worst type of usury
From Sa’eed ibn Zaid reported, the Prophet SAW said :
“Verily, the worst type of usury is attacking a muslim’s honor without right.” (Narrated by Abu Dawud)
The above hadith told us muslims that slander is an usury, indeed slander could ruined other’s reputation and whoever perform slander they already violate other people right and it was a great wickedness.
Those are the effects of slander in Islam, another effects that may cause by slander is as follow :
- Slander excludes us from the blessing of Allah and includes as into Satan party
- The ill of slandered will remains in a long time
- Slander will lowering slanderer characters and respect