[3] The Character Trait Most Hated By The Messenger
In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her said:
“There was no behaviour more hateful to Allāh’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, than lying. A man would tell a lie when speaking in the presence of the Prophet, and he would not be satisfied until he knew that he had repented from it”. [at-Tirmidhi 1973]
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
”When the son of Adam wakes up in the morning, all the limbs humble themselves before the tongue and say: ”Fear Allah for our sake, (for) we are with you; if you are upright, we will be upright; and if you are crooked, we will become crooked.” [1]
The Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, also said:
”Whoever can guarantee (the chastity of) what is between his two jaw bones and what is between his two legs (i.e. his mouth, his tongue and his private parts), I guarantee Paradise for him.” [2]
Al-Hasan Bin Salih, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
I thoroughly scrutinised the fear of Allah that presents a person from entering into doubtful matter out of fear of falling into what is forbidden and did not find it more lacking in anything than the tongue”. [3]
Yunus Ibn Ubayd, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:
“Indeed, you see a man fasting a lot, abstaining from the forbidden matters and praying the night prayer, then he testifies to falsehood in the morning.” [4]
In a supplication of the Prophet:
وأسألُك كلمةَ الحقِّ في الرِّضَا والغض
I ask You (O Allaah) to make me true in speech in times of pleasure and anger. [5]
The one who does not utter except the truth during anger and pleasure, this is a proof of his strong Iman and that he is in control of his Nafs. [6]
A man said to Salman al-Farisi, may Allah be pleased with him, ”Advise me!” He said: ”Do not speak”. He said, ”I am not able to live amongst the people without speaking.” He said, ”If you speak, then speak the truth or keep silent.” [7]
Disobedience can appear agreeable to a human being, such as Gheebah, Nameemah, self-praise and being quarrelsome – whether uttered blatantly or indirectly, verbally abusing the one you hate, praising the one you love and what is similar to that. The intense urge to engage in these deeds agrees with the soul’s desire, becomes easy for the tongue to move and thus one’s patience weakens, thus, due to this the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him, said to Mu’adh, may Allah be pleased with him, “Restrain your tongue”, so Mu’adh said, “O Messenger of Allah! Will we be held accountable for what we say?’ He said, ‘May your mother be bereaved of you, O Mu’aadh! Is there anything that topples people on their faces – or he said on their noses into the fire- other than the harvest of their tongues?!” [8]
Regarding the statement, “May your mother be bereaved of you, O Mu’adh!” The Arabs used this statement for the purpose of persuasion and exhortation, and they did not intend its apparent meaning, which is “May his mother lose him”, rather what is intended is persuasion and exhortation”. [9]
Beware! Relentless Repetition Is Used Nowadays On Social Media to Solidify Lies or Misinformation
Gustave Le Bon, in his work “The Psychology of Crowds,” asserts that when we aim to gradually instill ideas and beliefs into the collective spirit of the masses, the methods employed by leaders vary significantly. They primarily resort to three fundamental techniques: affirmation, repetition, and contagion. While the impact of these methods may be slow, it is undeniably enduring. Political leaders advocating for a specific cause are well aware of the power of affirmation, just as industrialists recognise the importance of advertising their products. However, advertising only gains influence when coupled with repetition. Napoleon famously stated that there is but one serious form of rhetoric: repetition. Repetition possesses a certain authority that influences rational and well-informed individuals. It allows ideas to embed themselves in the recesses of the unconscious mind, gradually transforming into beliefs that are accepted as truths, ultimately becoming self-evident realities. When these ideas solidify into truths through repetition, they can spread among the masses. For instance, any disturbance among a flock of sheep quickly affects the entire group. This does not require a singular point of origin; the revolution in France in 1848 began in Paris and swiftly extended to a significant portion of Europe, destabilising the monarchies in its wake. The repetition that leads to belief in a particular issue, and consequently its spread, poses a significant risk not only in imposing opinions but also in shaping thought processes, emotions, and feelings. As a result, one may observe that the masses at one point may disdain a certain literary work, only to later take pride in it after several years, or vice versa. This phenomenon can similarly be applied to ideas and beliefs. [10]
Delving deeper into this topic reveals a range of ideologues, demagogues, and provocateurs who argue that people struggle to resist repeated messages. Initially, individuals might dismiss the content, but with ongoing exposure, their skepticism can shift to uncertainty, then bewilderment, and eventually, acceptance, causing them to view the message as truth. Consequently, they believe that relentless repetition is necessary for ideas to take root, thereby strengthening the propaganda that needs to be spread. It is profoundly disheartening to witness some Muslims resorting to such insidious tactics to tarnish reputations online. They perpetuate the same falsehoods, misconceptions, or half-truths in various forms and from multiple perspectives, all while resisting any challenge to their narratives. To remain silent in the face of such distortions would be an act of cowardice; it is imperative to articulate the truth whenever these fallacies are propagated. While it is true that not every instance of misinformation warrants a response, one must not be so naive as to underestimate the potential damage inflicted by those who disseminate their half-truths—whether overtly or covertly—to a targeted audience. When faced with someone who insists on force-feeding you their misconceptions through relentless repetition, maintain your composure and refrain from engaging in conflict. Instead, graciously persist in requesting for tangible clear proof to support their claims, undeterred by their frustration or the frequency of their assertions. Al-Allamah Rabee Bin Hadi
Al-Mad’khali, may Allah preserve him, said:
The seeker of truth is not diverted from the truth, fairness and justice due to admiration of the big personalities and being amazed by them, for indeed the truth is more worthy to be followed. It is not permissible to drop the proofs for the sake of this or that great man. The principle [rule] of the Muslim – the unbiased one, the seeker of truth – is always: [قُلْ هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ -Say, bring forth your proofs if you are truthful]. [Surah An-Nahl. Verse 64] [11]
Read: Two Compelling Admonitions – “Outcomes of Truthfulness and Lying” By Al-Allamah Rabee Al-Mad’khali, may Allah have mercy upon him.
Two Compelling Admonitions – “Outcomes of Truthfulness and Lying” By Al-Allamah Rabee
[1] Sahih at-Tirmidhee Number 2407
[2] Al-Bukhaari. 6474
[3] Siyar 7/368]
[4] Hilyatul Awliyaa 3/20]
[5]https://salafidawahmanchester.com/2021/01/01/o-allaah-let-me-live-if-life-is-good-for-me-and-let-me-die-if-death-is-good-for-me/
[6] Fiqhul Ad’iyah Wal-Adkaar’ parts 3 & 4’ page 167
[7] Jaami Al-Uloom Wal-Hikam page144
[8] Sharh Ar-Risaalah Al-Mughniyah Fis Sukoot Wa Luzoomil Buyoot. Lesson 1. By Shaikh Abdur Razzzaq Al-Badr- may Allah preserve him.
[9] Sharh Al-Arba’een An-Nawawiyyah’ by Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saaleh Al-Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy upon him). Hadeeth Number 29, page 295
[10] The Psychology of crowds 132-136
[11] Al-Mulakh-khasul Jameel Fee Bayaan Manhaji Ash-Shaikh Rabee Fid-Da’wati Wal-Jarhi Wat-Ta’deel. Page 87