This excerpt is taken from Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi's book Halal and Haram in Islam, translated into Urdu by Muhammad Tahir Naqash.
The Sanctity of Honor
We have seen how Islam, through its teachings, has protected the honor and dignity of people! In fact, how it has elevated it to the status of sanctity and reverence. It is narrated that once Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar رضي الله عنهما looked towards the Kaaba and said: What can be said about Your greatness and Your sanctity! But the sanctity of a believer is even greater than Yours. During the Farewell Pilgrimage, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, addressing the large gathering of Muslims, said:
إن أموالكم وأعراضكم ودماءكم حرام عليكم كحرمة يومكم هذا فى شهركم هذا فى بلدكم هذا
“Your wealth, your honor, and your blood are as sacred to you as this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this city of yours, Makkah.”
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Expeditions, Chapter Farewell Pilgrimage, Hadith: 4406; Muslim, Book of Blood Money, Chapter on Emphasizing the Prohibition of Blood, Honor, and Wealth, Hadith: 1679
In the view of Islam, the honor and dignity of an individual is so precious that it does not permit mentioning anything unpleasant about a person in their absence, even if that matter is absolutely correct in its place. And when Islam does not tolerate such things, how can it tolerate baseless accusations and slander? In such a case, it becomes a major sin. It is stated in a hadith:
من ذكر امرأ بشيء ليس فيه ليعيبه به حبسه الله فى نار جهنم حتى يأتى بنفاذ ما قال فيه
“Whoever says about a person something that is not in him, to find fault with him, Allah will hold him back in the fire of Hell until he proves his statement to be true.”
Reference: Al-Zawa’id: 94/8, citing Tabarani in Al-Awsat: 9/432, Hadith: 8931, and its chain is weak
Sayyida Aisha رضي الله عنها says that once the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said to the companions رضي الله عنهم:
أتدرون أربى الربا عند الله ؟ قالوا الله ورسوله أعلم، قال فإن أربى الربا عند الله استحلال عرض امرئ مسلم
“Do you know what is the greatest usury in the sight of Allah?” The companions رضي الله عنهم said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: The greatest usury in the sight of Allah is to make lawful the honor of a Muslim.”
Reference: Majma’ al-Zawa’id: 92/8; Baihaqi in Shu’ab al-Iman: 5/298, Hadith: 6711; Musnad Abi Ya’la 4/359, Hadith: 4670, and its chain is weak
Then the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم recited the following verse:
وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ بِغَيْرِ مَا اكْتَسَبُوا فَقَدِ احْتَمَلُوا بُهْتَانًا وَإِثْمًا مُّبِينًا
“Indeed, those who abuse believing men and believing women for [something] they did not commit have certainly born upon themselves a slander and manifest sin.”
Reference: (Surah Al-Ahzab: 58)
The worst form of attack on honor is to falsely accuse chaste believing women of immorality. This causes great distress to them and their families and endangers their future. Moreover, it spreads immorality in the Islamic society. Therefore, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم counted it among the seven deadly major sins. The Quran has also warned severely against it:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ الْغَافِلَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ لُعِنُوا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ 23 يَوْمَ تَشْهَدُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَلْسِنَتُهُمْ وَأَيْدِيهِمْ وَأَرْجُلُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
“Indeed, those who falsely accuse chaste, unaware, believing women are cursed in this world and the Hereafter; and for them is a great punishment. On the Day when their tongues, their hands, and their feet will bear witness against them as to what they used to do.”
Reference: (Surah An-Nur: 23-24)
