Speaking ill of pious predecessors

In a time and age where respect is regarded as a thing of the past, we see that many religions have begun to dishonour and disrespect their pious predecessors. Our concern is not with them, but that this desease has entered into Muslims also.

Many people in this day and age have come out and spoken ill of our pious elders. Many a time, these people have no knowledge of the person or the reason as to why they are saying this about that particular person. Let us look in the traditions of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) as to what he has said about those people who do such a thing.

I would just like to mention a story involving Imam Malik Rahmatullahi Alayhi. Once in Madinah, all the scholars were gathered and the same question was posed to all of them. The question was that which sin is the most grave in the Holy Qur’an and holds the most punishment. All the scholars replied by saying that it was killing a Muslim with intent. The reason being is that the punishment is most severe.

Allah Taa’la says:

“And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is hell to abide therein, and the wrath and the curse of Allah are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for him.”

This means that he will remain in hell for eternity and Allah’s anger and curse are on him, but when this question was posed to the Great Imam, he replied, “To me, the most severe punishment is in the verse where Allah himself declares war against that person who eats interest.”

When Allah himself declares war against an individual, then who can save him. The point I want to make is that the reason the great Imam chose this was because the fact that Allah declares war himself on such a person. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentions in a Hadith that whoever has enmity towards a friend of mine, the Lord declares war against such a person.

Dear respected reader, now it has come apparent that the dishonouring of the pious is a great sin in the eyes of the Lord. Many a time, in the Qur’an and in the Hadith, many stories are mentioned where a certain tribe had dishonoured their Prophet, and then these tribes then faced the wrath of Allah. This is the case of the pious people. I would like to mention one such incident and then conclude.

Once the Great Imam Abu Hanifah was on his way home from the masjid when a man started taunting him. The Great Imam bore this with patience. When they were near his home, the man asked for his mother’s hand in marriage. The Imam replied, “Wait here, I will go inside and ask her.” When the Imam went inside and came back to answer, he found the man dead on his front door step.

So dear respected readers, before opening our mouths, we should think what we are saying and who we are taking about. Are we ready to go to war against the lord of the Worlds? I don’t think so, I leave you with the saying of the Final Prophet (peace be upon him) :

“Use your tongue to speak good, otherwise keep quiet.”