When people gossip about others, especially when it comes to discussing politics, gossiping about bosses or co-workers, among the most common expressions that get people passionately riled up is when the conversation begins towards speculating other people’s “true intentions”, “ulterior motive” or “hidden agendas”.
And they will defend their positions and claim “but it’s obvious!” further adding fuel to the fire.
Political discussions or heated gossips have a tendency to be so toxic that even when one does positive things, there are always others who jump at the speculating their “political agenda”.
What does Islam have to say about this? Is it valid to speculate people’s intentions and judge them as such, and spread the word to others, with the “sincere patriotic intention” of “betterment of the nation”?
Usamah bin Zaid – a companion of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ - narrated an incident that he personally encountered in the battlefield: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent us in a raiding party. We raided Huraqat of Juhaina in the morning. I seized an enemy soldier, and (just as I was about to kill him), he immediately (professed the declaration of faith), and said:
لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ
Laa ilaaha illallāh, “There is no god but Allah!” (i.e. thereby becoming Muslim and should be protected from further being attacked)
But I attacked – and subsequently killed – him with a spear. It dawned on me to consult Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked, “He professed “Laa ilaaha illAllah” and even then you killed him?!”
I said: “But Messenger of Allah, he only said it out of the fear of the sword! (i.e. not because he sincerely wanted to become Muslim). He only said it to save himself!”
He asked: “Did you tear his heart open in order to find out whether it had professed or not (because of that reason which you mentioned)?!”
And he went on repeating it to me until I wished I had embraced Islam that day!” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari, Muslim)
What do we learn from this hadith?
Even in that “almost certain” situation in the moments of death, that a person may have done something purely to save his own self, not out of a true profession towards becoming Muslim or declaring that indeed that there is none truly of worship except Allah, the Prophet ﷺ STILL forbade his beloved Usamah from the rights of judging what is in the other person’s heart.
So, if such is the judgment in the face of death, what gives us the right to claim that we KNOW that those politicians, bosses, or co-workers? Did you slice their heart open?
The Prophet ﷺ emphasized,
إِيَّاكُمْ وَالظَّنَّ, فَإِنَّ اَلظَّنَّ أَكْذَبُ اَلْحَدِيثِ
“Beware of negative suspicions, for verily, negative suspicions are the worst lying forms of speech” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim)
By the way, this topic isn’t simply a “religious” matter. History shows that this kind of talks of spreading false assumptions have far-reaching, real-life consequences that could end up in people being killed, if we aren’t careful and volunteer ourselves to become an agent of chaos. This widespread speculation that went viral, was precisely the reason why Uthman bin Affan was murdered by an angry mob who laid siege on his house. All of them who claimed to do so out of "seeking justice".
Can you imagine, the third righteous khalifah of the Muslims, the companion of the Prophet ﷺ who was guaranteed paradise, murdered because of widespread speculations?
But okay, just for argument sake, perhaps one may ask: “But what if it’s TRUE?!”
Interestingly, the companions also asked the same question to the Prophet ﷺ, to which he replied:
إِنْ كَانَ فِيهِ مَا تَقُولُ فَقَدْ اِغْتَبْتَهُ, وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فَقَدْ بَهَتَّهُ
“If what you say about him is true you have backbitten him,
and if it is not true you have slandered him.” (Muslim)
Wrapping up these narrations, Allah says:
يأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ اجْتَنِبُواْ كَثِيراً مِّنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ وَلاَ تَجَسَّسُواْ وَلاَ يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضاً أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتاً فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ وَاتَّقُواْ اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَّحِيمٌ
“O you who believe! Avoid much of negative suspicions, for indeed some suspicions are sins. And do not spy, nor backbite one another.
Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it!
And have Taqwa of Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful.” (Surah Al-Hujarat 49:12)
So really, at the end of the day, this is the conclusion: Islamically, when it comes to gossiping about “true intent” of others, there is zero benefit and a hundred percent risk of being sinful, and an additional risk of triggering widespread hatred and chaos.
As sincere Muslims, we just have to take a step back and ask ourselves: whatever I have to say, share, or post on social media, how will that affect me on the Last Day? Will these words take me closer to Jannah or Jahannam? Perhaps by refraining from gossip for the sake of Allah – against our burning desires – it may be a ticket to Jannah.
And sometimes taking a timeout for this short little thought process can make all the difference for our success hereafter.
Heed the words of the Prophet ﷺ:
مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلْيَقُلْ خَيْرًا أَوْ لِيَصْمُتْ
“He who believes in Allah and the Hereafter should say something good or keep quiet!” (Al-Bukhari, Muslim)
If we consistently focus on improving ourselves, we will realize that we don’t have time to gossip about the faults of others!
طُوبى لمنْ شَغَلَهُ عَيبُه عن عُيُوبِ النّاسِ
"Glad tidings to the one who busies himself with (rectifying) his own faults,
Instead of (busying himself) with the faults of others”
(Hadith Narrated by Ahmad, At-Tabarani, Al-Bazzar with a good chain of narrators)
#politikus #SpeakGoodOrBeSilent #politicalAgenda #sembangpolitik
No comments:
Post a Comment