Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (801)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

⦗12⦘ “O you who believe, avoid much suspicion, for some suspicion is a sin. Do not spy on one another, nor backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would abhor it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Ever-Accepting of Repentance, Most Merciful.”

Allah Most High forbade harboring many evil suspicions (1) about believers, “for some suspicion is a sin.” This includes suspicion unsupported by any fact or evidence, as well as evil suspicion accompanied by many forbidden words and deeds. When evil suspicion persists in the heart, a person does not stop there; it continues to affect him until he says and does what he ought not. This also entails thinking ill of a Muslim, hating him, and showing hostility toward him, although one is commanded to do the opposite.

“Do not spy on one another.” That is, do not search for the faults of Muslims or pursue them. Leave (2) the Muslim as he is, and deliberately overlook those things about him (3) which, if investigated, would reveal what ought not to be revealed.

⦗802⦘

“Nor backbite one another.” Backbiting is, as the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said: “Mentioning your brother in a way he dislikes, even if it is true of him.”

Allah then gave a repellent analogy for backbiting, saying: “Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would abhor it.” He likened backbiting him to eating his flesh when dead, something [utterly repugnant] to people. Just as you detest eating his flesh—especially when he is dead and lifeless—so too [you must detest] backbiting him and eating his flesh while he is alive.

“And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Ever-Accepting of Repentance, Most Merciful.” The Ever-Accepting of Repentance is the One who allows His servant to repent, enables him to do so, and then turns to him by accepting his repentance. He is merciful to His servants, for He calls them to what benefits them and accepts their repentance. This verse contains a stern warning against backbiting and shows that it is among the major sins, for Allah likened it to eating the flesh of the dead, which is itself a major sin.

(1) In B: The bad. (2) In B: And leave. (3) In B: His lapses.

﴿١٢﴾ ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ وَلا تَجَسَّسُوا وَلا يَغْتَبْ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضًا أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَحِيمٌ﴾ . نهى الله تعالى عن كثير من الظن السوء (١) بالمؤمنين، فـ ﴿إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ﴾ وذلك، كالظن الخالي من الحقيقة والقرينة، وكظن السوء، الذي يقترن به كثير من الأقوال، والأفعال المحرمة، فإن بقاء ظن السوء بالقلب، لا يقتصر صاحبه على مجرد ذلك، بل لا يزال به، حتى يقول ما لا ينبغي، ويفعل ما لا ينبغي، وفي ذلك أيضًا، إساءة الظن بالمسلم، وبغضه، وعداوته المأمور بخلاف ذلك منه. ﴿وَلا تَجَسَّسُوا﴾ أي: لا تفتشوا عن عورات المسلمين، ولا تتبعوها، واتركوا (٢) المسلم على حاله، واستعملوا التغافل عن أحواله (٣) التي إذا فتشت، ظهر منها ما لا ينبغي. ⦗٨٠٢⦘ ﴿وَلا يَغْتَبْ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضًا﴾ والغيبة، كما قال النبي ﷺ: " ذكرك أخاك بما يكره ولو كان فيه " ثم ذكر مثلا منفرًا عن الغيبة، فقال: ﴿أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ﴾ شبه أكل لحمه ميتًا، المكروه للنفوس [غاية الكراهة] ، باغتيابه، فكما أنكم تكرهون أكل لحمه، وخصوصًا إذا كان ميتًا، فاقد الروح، فكذلك، [فلتكرهوا] غيبته، وأكل لحمه حيًا. ﴿وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَحِيمٌ﴾ والتواب، الذي يأذن بتوبة عبده، فيوفقه لها، ثم يتوب عليه، بقبول توبته، رحيم بعباده، حيث دعاهم إلى ما ينفعهم، وقبل منهم التوبة، وفي هذه الآية، دليل على التحذير الشديد من الغيبة، وأن الغيبة من الكبائر، لأن الله شبهها بأكل لحم الميت، وذلك من الكبائر.

(١) في ب: السيء. (٢) في ب: ودعوا. (٣) في ب: عن زلاته.