Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: (And do not spy)
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Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: (And do not spy)]
Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Hujurat: 12] (Spying) is seeking out the faults of others.
Meaning: That a person looks, eavesdrops, and listens, hoping to hear something bad about his brother, or hoping to see something bad about his brother. And what a person should do is turn away from the faults of people and not strive to learn about them. For this reason, it was narrated from the hadith of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (Let no one tell me anything about anyone -Meaning: anything that would lead to a bad opinion - for I love to come out to you with a pure heart) So a person should not spy, but rather take people at face value unless there is an indication pointing to something other than that appearance.And in this phrase of the verse there is another reading: (And do not probe) It was said that their meanings are the same,And it was said: Each of them has a meaning,So spying: That a person tries to find out about a fault by himself.
And probing: That he seeks it out from others.
He says to people, for example: What do you say about so-and-so? And on this basis, the two readings clarify two meanings, both of which Allah has forbidden.
Spying: That he tries to find out about the faults of people by himself.
And probing: That he tries to find out about the faults of people from others, saying, for example: What do you say about so-and-so, or what have you heard about so-and-so, seeking thereby their faults. This is because it occupies the soul with the faults of others, and because a person has no concern other than to learn about faults. For this reason, whoever is afflicted with this -Meaning: with spying or probing - you will find him truly always anxious in his life, occupied with the faults of people rather than his own faults, and not caring about himself. This is found in many people who go to so-and-so and so-and-so: What do you say about such-and-such, and what do you say about such-and-such, and you find their time wasted without benefit, indeed wasted with harm; because what they have fallen into is a sin against Allah the Mighty and Majestic. Are you an agent for Allah the Mighty and Majestic, searching for the faults of His servants? The wise one is the one who probes for the faults of himself in order to correct them, not that he looks at the faults of others to spread them, may Allah protect us from that.Therefore, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said: [An-Nur: 19] .
These are etiquettes and guidance from Allah the Mighty and Majestic toward noble morals, morals that are commanded and morals that are forbidden.
Allah the Exalted said:
And do not spy
وَلا تَجَسَّسُواMeaning: That a person looks, eavesdrops, and listens, hoping to hear something bad about his brother, or hoping to see something bad about his brother. And what a person should do is turn away from the faults of people and not strive to learn about them. For this reason, it was narrated from the hadith of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (Let no one tell me anything about anyone -Meaning: anything that would lead to a bad opinion - for I love to come out to you with a pure heart) So a person should not spy, but rather take people at face value unless there is an indication pointing to something other than that appearance.And in this phrase of the verse there is another reading: (And do not probe) It was said that their meanings are the same,And it was said: Each of them has a meaning,So spying: That a person tries to find out about a fault by himself.
And probing: That he seeks it out from others.
He says to people, for example: What do you say about so-and-so? And on this basis, the two readings clarify two meanings, both of which Allah has forbidden.
Spying: That he tries to find out about the faults of people by himself.
And probing: That he tries to find out about the faults of people from others, saying, for example: What do you say about so-and-so, or what have you heard about so-and-so, seeking thereby their faults. This is because it occupies the soul with the faults of others, and because a person has no concern other than to learn about faults. For this reason, whoever is afflicted with this -Meaning: with spying or probing - you will find him truly always anxious in his life, occupied with the faults of people rather than his own faults, and not caring about himself. This is found in many people who go to so-and-so and so-and-so: What do you say about such-and-such, and what do you say about such-and-such, and you find their time wasted without benefit, indeed wasted with harm; because what they have fallen into is a sin against Allah the Mighty and Majestic. Are you an agent for Allah the Mighty and Majestic, searching for the faults of His servants? The wise one is the one who probes for the faults of himself in order to correct them, not that he looks at the faults of others to spread them, may Allah protect us from that.Therefore, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said:
Indeed, those who like that immorality should be spread [or publicized] among those who have believed will have a painful punishment
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ أَنْ تَشِيعَ الْفَاحِشَةُ فِي الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌThese are etiquettes and guidance from Allah the Mighty and Majestic toward noble morals, morals that are commanded and morals that are forbidden.