The Obligation to Guard Against Bad Suspicion
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Question:
This questioner, Sultan al-'Umur from the Prophet’s City, says: “I have a righteous wife who prays and worships, but she has a bad temper. She often raises her voice at her husband and her children. She looks at things with a pessimistic, gloomy outlook and takes things to extremes that they do not warrant. Do you have a word of advice to direct to someone like her through the airwaves? Perhaps she will listen to what you say, O honorable Shaykh, especially since she also listens to the Holy Quran Radio programs.”
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance.
As for what follows: We advise the woman mentioned and those like her to fear Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He), to be careful to have good suspicion, to observe good manners, and to avoid bad suspicion, whether of her children or of others. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says: [Al-Hujurat: 12], and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1988Sahih (Darussalam).
It is obligatory for every Muslim, whether man or woman, to guard against bad suspicion except for clear reasons. Otherwise, it is obligatory to abandon bad suspicion, whether of a woman, a husband, children, the husband’s brother, his father, or anyone else. It is obligatory to have good suspicion of Allah and good suspicion of your Muslim brother or Muslim sister. One should not have bad suspicion except for clear reasons that necessitate the accusation. Otherwise, the original state is innocence and safety. Bad suspicion causes division, disagreement, hostility, and enmity. Even a man with his children, if he has bad suspicion of them, or a woman with her children, if she has bad suspicion of them, the situation between them becomes bad. Therefore, it is obligatory to guard against that, and it is obligatory to be careful to have good suspicion as long as there is room for good suspicion. However, if there are reasons that necessitate bad suspicion, there is no harm, such as being in the company of those who are suspected of wrongdoing, or being in situations that give rise to suspicion.
The point is that when clear matters necessitate bad suspicion, there is no harm. For this reason, if clear evidence is established, it is acted upon, and bad suspicion is held of the person against whom the evidence is established, that he stole, or that he committed unlawful sexual intercourse, or that he drank intoxicants. If the legal evidence is established, the fixed punishment is carried out against him, and bad suspicion is held of him because of the evidence. However, in the absence of evidence, it is obligatory to abandon bad suspicion and rely on the original innocence and original safety, and to guard against bad suspicion of a Muslim without right. We ask Allah for guidance for all of us. Yes.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good.
This questioner, Sultan al-'Umur from the Prophet’s City, says: “I have a righteous wife who prays and worships, but she has a bad temper. She often raises her voice at her husband and her children. She looks at things with a pessimistic, gloomy outlook and takes things to extremes that they do not warrant. Do you have a word of advice to direct to someone like her through the airwaves? Perhaps she will listen to what you say, O honorable Shaykh, especially since she also listens to the Holy Quran Radio programs.”
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send blessings and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance.
As for what follows: We advise the woman mentioned and those like her to fear Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He), to be careful to have good suspicion, to observe good manners, and to avoid bad suspicion, whether of her children or of others. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says:
O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌBeware of Zann (suspicion), for indeed Zann is the falsest of speech.
إياكم والظن فإن الظن أكذب الحديثIt is obligatory for every Muslim, whether man or woman, to guard against bad suspicion except for clear reasons. Otherwise, it is obligatory to abandon bad suspicion, whether of a woman, a husband, children, the husband’s brother, his father, or anyone else. It is obligatory to have good suspicion of Allah and good suspicion of your Muslim brother or Muslim sister. One should not have bad suspicion except for clear reasons that necessitate the accusation. Otherwise, the original state is innocence and safety. Bad suspicion causes division, disagreement, hostility, and enmity. Even a man with his children, if he has bad suspicion of them, or a woman with her children, if she has bad suspicion of them, the situation between them becomes bad. Therefore, it is obligatory to guard against that, and it is obligatory to be careful to have good suspicion as long as there is room for good suspicion. However, if there are reasons that necessitate bad suspicion, there is no harm, such as being in the company of those who are suspected of wrongdoing, or being in situations that give rise to suspicion.
The point is that when clear matters necessitate bad suspicion, there is no harm. For this reason, if clear evidence is established, it is acted upon, and bad suspicion is held of the person against whom the evidence is established, that he stole, or that he committed unlawful sexual intercourse, or that he drank intoxicants. If the legal evidence is established, the fixed punishment is carried out against him, and bad suspicion is held of him because of the evidence. However, in the absence of evidence, it is obligatory to abandon bad suspicion and rely on the original innocence and original safety, and to guard against bad suspicion of a Muslim without right. We ask Allah for guidance for all of us. Yes.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.