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Editor, Arab News — Saudi Arabia
Suspicion could ruin the relations between
people, particularly when it is based on flimsy evidence, or
hearsay. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke
in very clear terms about misplaced suspicion, giving clear
orders to refrain from it. One clearly authentic hadith that
combines some of the actions that cause discord within the
community and make people dislike one another is reported by
Abu Hurairah. He quoted the Prophet (peace and blessings be
upon him) as saying:
"Beware of suspicion, for it is
the most untrue of what people say. Do not spy against
one another, or compete with one another [in worldly
gains selfishly]. Do not boycott, envy or hate one
another, but remain — you servants of Allah —
brothers and sisters." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
This hadith stresses the importance of
maintaining good relations within the Muslim community. The
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) highlights certain
things that could undermine such relations, and he tells us
not to allow ourselves to indulge in them. Boycott, envy and
hatred should never be allowed to exist, let alone flourish
in any Muslim community. Relations between Muslims should
always be close. All members of the Muslim community should
consider one another as brothers and sisters. They must
value this tie of brotherhood, because it is established on
the best basis, which is servitude to Allah the Almighty.
However, the hadith begins with a warning
against suspicion describing it as the most untrue of
speech.
This is an apt description because whatever
is said on the basis of suspicion has no basis in reality.
It is all conjecture, leading to false accusations and false
ideas. It poisons relations and leads to discord and
hostility. It also encourages what the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) mentioned next, which is spying on
one another. People would not spy against their neighbors or
competitors unless they have some sort of suspicion that
they want to explore. Hence, they try to gather information
secretly, perhaps even through spying. This is forbidden.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him) teaches us that we should help one another not to
entertain any doubt that leads to suspicion. One of the
Prophet’s wives, Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her),
mentioned that one day, as the Prophet (peace and blessings
be upon him) was spending the last ten days of Ramadan in
the mosque, devoting his time to worship, she came to visit
him. She sat with him for sometime before she left. The
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) walked with her
toward her home. As they were close to the door of the
mosque, they passed close to the door of Umm Salamah
(another of his wives), two men from the Ansar passed by and
greeted him. The Prophet said to them: "Wait a
moment. This is Safiyyah." They wondered saying:
''Subhan Allah" They felt very bad, but the Prophet
said to them:
"Satan goes as close to man as
his own blood, and I feared that he might put something
[suspicious] into your minds." (Al-Bukhari and
Muslim)
There are different versions of this hadith,
but the one mentioned here is the most detailed. All the
versions agree that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him) sought to clear away any doubts that might have
occurred to the two passersby, even before they happen. The
two passersby were upset that the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) thought they might have suspected
him. In one version, one of them even said to the Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him): "Whoever I might
doubt, I would not [ever] doubt you." (Muslim)
This is clearly the attitude of believers
toward the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) whom
they loved and trusted. How could they suspect him when they
believed that he received revelations from on High? However,
the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was clear on
this point. Yet, he wanted to teach his companions something
that would benefit them in their social relations. He
explained this by telling them about the closeness of Satan
to man and his thoughts. Satan can creep into one's mind so
as to be as close to him as his own blood.
This means that at any time suspicion might
arise at the slightest indication, or the smallest gesture.
This is what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
expressed in a most graphic description: "Satan goes
as close to man as his own blood." Hence, a wrong
thought could be implanted in someone's mind very easily.
Therefore, when we feel that a particular situation we are
in might give rise to some thought or doubt, we should
clarify it, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
did when he told his two companions that the woman walking
with him was his wife, Safiyyah.
Sometimes, suspicion arises because of an
event or a misfortune. In this regard `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud
was reported to have said: "A person who has been a
victim of theft continues to suspect until his offence
becomes greater than that of the thief." (Related by
Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad)
This is obviously true. When we suffer from
a misfortune like theft, we are so aggrieved that we begin
to suspect people, thinking that they might have been the
perpetrators. However, when we entertain such doubts without
a firm basis, we soon become guilty of an even worse
offense, which is suspicion without evidence.
The Prophet's companions, particularly the
scholars among them, understood this well and acted on it.
Abu Ad-Darda' was one such scholar among the companions. One
day he received a letter from Mu`awiyah, the caliph, asking
him to write down the names of all the transgressors in
Damascus. Abu Ad-Darda' said, "What business would I
have with the transgressors in Damascus? How would I know
who is a transgressor?" His son, Bilal, said, "I
will write their names." He did so. His father said to
him, "How do you know who they are? You cannot know
that they are transgressors unless you are one of them.
Begin by mending your own conduct." He refused to send
their names to Mu`awiyah. (Related by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab
Al-Mufrad)
We note here that Abu Ad-Darda' refused the
caliph’s request on the grounds that he could not
ascertain for certain anyone unless he had clear
information. How could he do so when he did not have firm
first-hand information? How could he have such information
unless he was there and spoke to them? Hence, when his son
wrote down their names, he told him that his action was not
acceptable, because having the necessary information
required associating with such transgressors. Hence, he told
his son to start by reforming himself. We should note that
Abu Ad-Darda' refused to accept his son’s information as
correct because it did not rely on first-hand knowledge. His
son was later to become the chief justice in Damascus,
during the time of Yazid ibn Mu`awiyah.
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