loading

Scales, Collective Morality, Guises of Backbiting

Issue 381 » June 2, 2006 - Jumada-al-Awwal 6, 1427

General

Living the Quran

Al-Qariah (The Sriker)
Chapter 101: Verses 6-11

The Scales
"Then he whose scales are heavy, shall enjoy a life of satisfaction. But he whose scales are light, shall have the abyss for his home. Would that you knew what this is like. It is a raging fire."

It is useful for us to consider the "scales" and their being heavy or light. This means that there are standards which Allah credits with being valuable and others that are valueless. This is the general meaning of the statement which Allah wants to convey. He, however, knows best the exact nature of these "scales". To indulge in a sophisticated, logical and linguistic dispute about the meaning of this term is in itself a departure from the Quranic spirit and indicates that the reader is not interested in the Quran and in Islam.

"He whose scales are heavy" according to Allah's measures and His evaluation, "shall enjoy a life of satisfaction". Allah makes this statement general without any detailed information. Thus, the statement imparts to man's feelings the connotations of content and satisfaction or, indeed, pure happiness. "But he whose scales are light", according to the same measures of Allah and His evaluation, "shall have the abyss for his home" The Arabic text uses the term "mother" for what is rendered here as "home". It is to his mother that a child turns for help and protection as he seeks shelter and security at home. But such people with light scales can turn and resort only to the abyss! The expression is a fine one, beautifully ordered. It has also a shade of obscurity preparing the way for subsequent clarification which adds to the depth of the intended effect: "Would that you knew what this is like!" It is again the cryptic exclamation used often in the Quran which emphasises that it is beyond comprehension and vision. Then comes the answer in the closing note: "It is a raging fire". So this is the mother of the one whose scales are light. This is his mother to whom he turns for help and protection and for security and comfort. But what does he find with such a mother? - The abyss and the raging fire. It is a sudden shock rendered by the expression to represent the hard reality.

Source:
"In The Shade of the Quran" - Sayyid Qutb
Understanding the Prophet's Life

Collective Morality

The progress and the survival of the nations, the nourishment and the development of their civilization and culture, and the consolidation of their power and strength depend on morality. If the people have good and excellent moral character, then all these good qualities will be found in them, but if their moral character is at lower levels then kingdom and rule will soon end,

If a government flaunts the label of Islam and Quran but the people are not satisfied with it, if it does not decide their matters justly, if it is not kind to the needy and does not honour its covenant, then it should be understood that in this government Islam and Quran are merely names, and this government is bereft of Islam's basic values and it deserves to be cursed from every corner of the earth and the skies.

Husain, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that the Messenger of Allah has said:

“When Allah wants to deal kindly with a nation, He entrusts its reins in the hands of the wise men, gives wealth to its generous people; and when He wants to deal with a nation harshly, he entrust its control in the hands of foolish people, and gives wealth to its miserly men.” (Abu Daud)

It is a famous saying of Imam Ibn Taimiyah: “Allah guards the justice-loving government, even if it is the government of the infidels, and destroys the tyrant government, even if it is the government of Muslims.”

In the light of the holy Book and the Sunnah, morality is the perfect religion and also the perfect world. If any nation loses its honour in the eyes of Allah or commands no respect among the people, it so happens because of its losing good moral character and becoming deprived of decent and honourable traits.

Source:
"Muslims' Character" - Muhammad Al-Ghazali
Blindspot!

The Many Guises of Backbiting

Shaikhul-Islam Ibn Taimiyyah said that there are those from the people that backbite or listen to backbiting, and they do so to please the company they keep, with the awareness that the victim is likely to be innocent of some of the things that are uttered about him. Often such offenders feel that if they were to attempt to end such conversation in a gathering, their presence might become unwelcome or burdensome.

There are many methods and guises that are employed when one mentions another in a negative way.

  • Under the pretence of being informative, one could say that it is not one's habit to mention others, except for the sake of relating another's condition to someone.
  • Or one could state that by Allah, indeed so-and-so is one to be pitied, thereby showing superiority over one who is to be rejected.
  • Another method might be to say that so-and-so is a good person; however, he has such and such qualities. Again, one is justified in revealing another's faults.
  • One could also simply state that we should forget so-and-so, and make supplication for their forgiveness as well as our own, intending only to belittle the one that was mentioned.

In reality, all these tactics are designed to try to deceive Allah (the Exalted) and to please the creation; and in reality, the many that follow these methods only serve to deceive themselves.

Source:
"Gems and Jewels" - Darussalam Publications