WHO ARE WE GOSSIPING ABOUT TODAY? Today, let’s talk about a bad habit that, unfortunately, has become all too common in our community—negative suspicion and gossip. Allah clearly warns us about it in this verse. Allah says to avoid much suspicion because some of it is sinful. Not every suspicion is true, and many of them lead to sin. Imagine this: we see someone not attending congregational prayer, and we immediately conclude, 'Oh, they’re just lazy to join the prayer.' But maybe they’re unwell, or there’s a reason we don’t know about. Black magic and sorcery often happen because of baseless suspicions. By having these negative thoughts, we’re being unjust to others—thinking ill of them without knowing their real situation. And it only brings harm—breaking friendships and dividing families. Allah wants to teach us not to jump to conclusions and not to make assumptions without clear evidence. Go and ask first, with good manners. Then Allah also says, 'And do not backbite.' Notice how suspicion often leads to gossip. Once we assume something bad, we start talking to others, 'Hey, did you know about so-and-so… they did this, yesterday they were like that.' We may feel like it’s harmless, but Allah compares backbiting to eating the flesh of a dead brother. If eating pork is disgusting to us, imagine eating the corpse of your own friend—disgusting, right? Filthy. But strangely, we don’t feel disgusted when we gossip. In fact, some people even enjoy it—laughing along. Sometimes, gossip at the office is even more 'fun' when friends add to the story, even though it’s all major sins. Isn’t this a common scene? Reflecting on this verse, we have to ask ourselves—are we the type to harbor negative suspicions and enjoy gossiping? If yes, then we need to stop. Why? Because Allah mentions at the end of the verse: 'Fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful.' Allah is giving us a chance to repent and change. Don’t let these sins continue to harden our hearts until we feel nothing when gossiping or assuming the worst about others. If we truly want to be believers who are close to Allah, we must protect our relationships with people. Don’t wrong others with our words, and don’t let negative suspicions poison our hearts. Wallahu a'lam.
الهيئة العالمية لتدبر القرآن الكريم
9mo agoAl-Hujurat (49:12)
لا تتأتَّى الغِيبةُ إلا عند غياب التقوى والمراقبة عن القلب، وعدم تدبُّر الوعيد لمَن يأتي هذه المعصية، فإن مَن استقرَّت في قلبه شناعتها بَعُدَ عنها وتجنَّبها.
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