Poor Character and Insulting Others
سوء الخلق وسب الناسRudeness, mockery, abuse, foul speech, and harming others through one's character or tongue
Hadith
الحديث النبويمَنْ ضَارَّ ضَارَّ اللَّهُ بِهِ وَمَنْ شَاقَّ شَاقَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ
Abu Sirmah reported:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever harms others, Allah will harm him. Whoever is harsh with others, Allah will be harsh with him.”
الْمُسْتَبَّانِ مَا قَالاَ فَعَلَى الْبَادِئِ مَا لَمْ يَعْتَدِ الْمَظْلُومُ
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
When two persons indulge in hurling abuses upon one another, the sin is upon the one who began it, so long as the oppressed person does not transgress the limits.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُبْغِضُ كُلَّ جَعْظَرِيٍّ جَوَّاظٍ سَخَّابٍ بِالأَسْوَاقِ جِيفَةٍ بِاللَّيْلِ حِمَارٍ بِالنَّهَارِ عَالِمٍ بِأَمْرِ الدُّنْيَا جَاهِلٍ بِأَمْرِ الآخِرَةِ
Abu Huraira reported:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, Allah despises every rude, harsh person, shouting in the markets, foul by night and foolish by day, knowing the affairs of the world and ignorant of the Hereafter.”
الْمُسْلِمُ مَنْ سَلِمَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ مِنْ لِسَانِهِ وَيَدِهِ وَالْمُهَاجِرُ مَنْ هَجَرَ مَا نَهَى اللَّهُ عَنْهُ
Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “A Muslim is the one who avoids harming Muslims with his tongue and hands. And a Muhajir is the one who gives up all that Allah has forbidden.”
قُلْتُ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَسْبُكَ مِنْ صَفِيَّةَ كَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَ غَيْرُ مُسَدَّدٍ تَعْنِي قَصِيرَةً فَقَالَ لَقَدْ قُلْتِ كَلِمَةً لَوْ مُزِجَتْ بِمَاءِ الْبَحْرِ لَمَزَجَتْهُ قَالَتْ وَحَكَيْتُ لَهُ إِنْسَانًا فَقَالَ مَا أُحِبُّ أَنِّي حَكَيْتُ إِنْسَانًا وَأَنَّ لِي كَذَا وَكَذَا
'Aishah said:
I said to the Prophet (ﷺ), “Such and such thing of Safiyyah is sufficient for you,” meaning that she was short. He said, “You have indeed uttered a word which would pollute the sea if it were mixed in it.” She further said, “I imitated a person before him,” and he said, “I do not like that I should imitate someone even if I were given such and such in return.”
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " أَتَدْرُونَ مَا الْمُفْلِسُ " . قَالُوا الْمُفْلِسُ فِينَا مَنْ لاَ دِرْهَمَ لَهُ وَلاَ مَتَاعَ . فَقَالَ " إِنَّ الْمُفْلِسَ مِنْ أُمَّتِي يَأْتِي يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِصَلاَةٍ وَصِيَامٍ وَزَكَاةٍ وَيَأْتِي قَدْ شَتَمَ هَذَا وَقَذَفَ هَذَا وَأَكَلَ مَالَ هَذَا وَسَفَكَ دَمَ هَذَا وَضَرَبَ هَذَا فَيُعْطَى هَذَا مِنْ حَسَنَاتِهِ وَهَذَا مِنْ حَسَنَاتِهِ فَإِنْ فَنِيَتْ حَسَنَاتُهُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُقْضَى مَا عَلَيْهِ أُخِذَ مِنْ خَطَايَاهُمْ فَطُرِحَتْ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ طُرِحَ فِي النَّارِ "
Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Do you know who are bankrupt?” They said, “The one without money or goods is bankrupt.” The Prophet said, “Verily, the bankrupt of my nation are those who come on the Day of Resurrection with prayers, fasting, and charity, but also with insults, slander, consuming wealth, shedding blood, and beating others. The oppressed will each be given from his good deeds. If his good deeds run out before justice is fulfilled, then their sins will be cast upon him and he will be thrown into the Hellfire.”
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لَيْسَ الْمُؤْمِنُ بِالطَّعَّانِ وَلاَ اللَّعَّانِ وَلاَ الْفَاحِشِ وَلاَ الْبَذِيءِ " .
'Abdullah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said:
"The believer does not insult the honor of others, nor curse, nor commit Fahishah, nor is he foul."
سِبَابُ الْمُسْلِمِ فُسُوقٌ وَقِتَالُهُ كُفْرٌ
Narrated 'Abdullah:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Abusing a Muslim is Fusuq, and killing him is Kufr.”
عَنْ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " مَا شَيْءٌ أَثْقَلُ فِي مِيزَانِ الْمُؤْمِنِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مِنْ خُلُقٍ حَسَنٍ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَيَبْغَضُ الْفَاحِشَ الْبَذِيءَ " .
Abu Ad-Dardh narrated that the Messenger of Allah said:
"Nothing is heavier on the believer's Scale on the Day of Judgment than good character. For indeed Allah, Most High, is angered by the shameless obscene person."
أَنَّ رَجُلًا اسْتَأْذَنَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَمَّا رَآهُ قَالَ بِئْسَ أَخُو الْعَشِيرَةِ وَبِئْسَ ابْنُ الْعَشِيرَةِ فَلَمَّا جَلَسَ تَطَلَّقَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي وَجْهِهِ وَانْبَسَطَ إِلَيْهِ فَلَمَّا انْطَلَقَ الرَّجُلُ قَالَتْ لَهُ عَائِشَةُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ حِينَ رَأَيْتَ الرَّجُلَ قُلْتَ لَهُ كَذَا وَكَذَا ثُمَّ تَطَلَّقْتَ فِي وَجْهِهِ وَانْبَسَطْتَ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَا عَائِشَةُ مَتَى عَهِدْتِنِي فَحَّاشًا إِنَّ شَرَّ النَّاسِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مَنْزِلَةً يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مَنْ تَرَكَهُ النَّاسُ اتِّقَاءَ شَرِّهِ
Narrated 'Aisha:
A man asked permission to enter upon the Prophet. When the Prophet saw him, he said, “What an evil brother of his tribe, and what an evil son of his tribe!” When the man sat down, the Prophet behaved with him politely. After the man left, 'Aisha asked about this. The Messenger of Allah said, “O 'Aisha! Have you ever seen me speaking bad and dirty language? The worst people in Allah's sight on the Day of Resurrection will be those whom people leave alone to avoid their evil.”
قِيلَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّ فُلَانَةً تَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ وَتَصُومُ النَّهَارَ وَتَفْعَلُ وَتَصَّدَّقُ وَتُؤْذِي جِيرَانَهَا بِلِسَانِهَا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَا خَيْرَ فِيهَا هِيَ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ قَالُوا وَفُلَانَةٌ تُصَلِّي الْمَكْتُوبَةَ وَتَصَدَّقُ بِأَثْوَارٍ وَلَا تُؤْذِي أَحَدًا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم هِيَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ
Abu Hurayra said:
The Prophet was asked, “Messenger of Allah! A certain woman prays in the night, fasts in the day, acts and gives charity, but injures her neighbours with her tongue.” The Messenger of Allah said, “There is no good in her. She is one of the people of the Fire.” They said, “Another woman prays the prescribed prayers and gives small amounts in charity and does not injure anyone.” The Messenger of Allah said, “She is one of the people of the Garden.”
عَنْ جَابِرٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِنَّ مِنْ أَحَبِّكُمْ إِلَىَّ وَأَقْرَبِكُمْ مِنِّي مَجْلِسًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَحَاسِنَكُمْ أَخْلاَقًا وَإِنَّ أَبْغَضَكُمْ إِلَىَّ وَأَبْعَدَكُمْ مِنِّي مَجْلِسًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ الثَّرْثَارُونَ وَالْمُتَشَدِّقُونَ وَالْمُتَفَيْهِقُونَ " . قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَدْ عَلِمْنَا الثَّرْثَارُونَ وَالْمُتَشَدِّقُونَ فَمَا الْمُتَفَيْهِقُونَ قَالَ " الْمُتَكَبِّرُونَ " .
Jabir narrated that the Messenger of Allah said:
"Indeed the most beloved among you to me, and the nearest to sit with me on the Day of Judgment is the best of you in character. And indeed, the most disliked among you to me, and the one sitting furthest from me on the Day of Judgement are the Thartharun, and the Mutashaddiqun and the Muthafaihiqun." They said: "O Messenger of Allah! We know about the Thartharun, and the Mutashaddiqun, but what about the Muthafaihiqun?"' He said:"The arrogant."
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَة أَنَّ رَجُلًا شَتَمَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ وَالنَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ جَالِسٌ فَجَعَلَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَعْجَبُ وَيَتَبَسَّمُ فَلَمَّا أَكْثَرَ رَدَّ عَلَيْهِ بَعْضَ قَوْلِهِ فَغَضِبَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَقَامَ فَلَحِقَهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَانَ يَشْتُمُنِي وَأَنْتَ جَالِسٌ فَلَمَّا رَدَدْتُ عَلَيْهِ بَعْضَ قَوْلِهِ غَضِبْتَ وَقُمْتَ قَالَ إِنَّهُ كَانَ مَعَكَ مَلَكٌ يَرُدُّ عَنْكَ فَلَمَّا رَدَدْتَ عَلَيْهِ بَعْضَ قَوْلِهِ وَقَعَ الشَّيْطَانُ فَلَمْ أَكُنْ لِأَقْعُدَ مَعَ الشَّيْطَانِ
Abu Huraira reported:
A man insulted Abu Bakr while the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was sitting down. The Prophet was initially impressed by Abu Bakr and he smiled, but then Abu Bakr insulted the man with some of the same words as him. The Prophet became angry and he stood to leave. Abu Bakr went to the Prophet, and he said, “O Messenger of Allah, the man insulted me, and you were sitting, but when I responded in kind, you became angry and stood up.” The Prophet said, “Verily, there was an angel with you responding on your behalf, but Satan appeared when you responded with some of the same words as him. I will not sit in the presence of Satan.”
Statements of the Salaf
أقوال السلفاتَّقُوا الْمِزَاحَ فَإِنَّهَا حِمْقَةٌ تُورِثُ ضَغِينَةً
Beware of mockery, for it is foolishness that produces grudges.
Let no Muslim despise any fellow Muslim, for the smallest and most humble of Muslims is truly great in the sight of Allah.
Source: Ibn al-Mubārak, al-Zuhd 1/242
Statements of Scholars
أقوال العلماءوَقَالَ بَعْضُ الْحُكَمَاءِ إِنَّمَا الْمِزَاحُ سِبَابٌ إِلَّا أَنَّ صَاحِبَهُ يُضْحِكُ وَقِيلَ إِنَّمَا سُمِّيَ الْمِزَاحُ مِزَاحًا لِأَنَّهُ يُزِيحُ عَنْ الْحَقِّ
Some of the wise men said mockery is a form of insult, except that it makes the recipient laugh; and it is said mockery is named as such because it diverts one from the truth.