The Name-Calling, Slandering, and our sense of Morality

[Sa1eem]

Re: The Name-Calling, Slandering, and our sense of Morality

@teggy

AsSalaamo Alaikum,

I, and others may have noticed that all of us are guilty of name-calling, mudslinging, defaming, and slandering others for their policies vis a vis politics of the country. The question that arises is, and it’s a question that I ask myself and request you all to ponder over as well because it concerns us all. The question being, how many of us feel like we are perfect in every aspect, and in a position to mock others? Is that because we feel others owe us something personally, or because we justify it as a moral thing to do? Being muslims, isn’t it against the spirit of the religion we hide behind when others slander us, but feel perfectly fine doing it to others?

Lets please be mature about this, and adopt a mature approach to discussions. The more we slander someone, no matter who it is, the more we expose our lack of civility and display the ugliness within us.

Islam do not like Name calling … but … not all that some people consider ‘name calling’ is ‘name calling’ that Islam prohibits, though those in power or position would like to portray such as ‘name calling’ to take cover of Islam to curb talks about their own wrong perception amongst public (real or imaginary).

There are basically 3 types of name calling (as far as I understand).

1: Name calling a non-public or non-relevant figure to demean, defame, humiliate, or slander that person.

2: Name calling a public or non-public figure related to their colour, cast, religion, birth deficiencies, illness, age, gender, looks, culture, etc

3: Name calling a public figure on the perception that got developed (real or created) due to their public actions and/or public behaviours that effect public, group, or persons.

It is first two mentioned above that (as far as I know) is disliked in Islam, for which a person would be answerable on judgment day.

As far as third is concerned, it is perfectly alright, though people who are public figures like to include that as ‘not like in Islam’ category … just to protect their own unlikable public perceptions (real or got created).

Since I have written on the issue many years ago on this forum … I am just putting down the post here.

http://www.paklinks.com/gs/pakistan-affairs/276057-taliban-factions-unite-to-battle-pakistan-3.html#post5635882

@Sa1eem

AQ, I think you misunderstand the forbidden of ‘name calling’ in Islam and the ayah you quoted.

49:11 O ye who believe! Let not some men among you laugh at others: It may be that the (latter) are better than the (former): Nor let some women laugh at others: It may be that the (latter are better than the (former): Nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames: Ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness, (to be used of one) after he has believed: And those who do not desist are (indeed) doing wrong.

Above ayah forbids name calling ‘individuals’ so that to degrade that person or make fun of that person. Islam also forbids name calling someone with names by associating lies to them (not because of above ayah, but because that is bohtan .. and bohtan is worse then gheebat … both is forbidden in Islam). For instance, calling someone murderer who is not is against Islam, neither it is allowed to give bad name to someone on basis of assumption is against Islam (both are bohtan) … or calling someone bad name when what bad they do is hidden from public is also not allowed (as that is undesired in Islam as Allah ask Muslims to cover bad of others) … or calling someone bad name behind their back is forbidden (it is gheebat).

But that does not mean that an individual especially one that is public figure can not be called by name what they are or what they do (as because of that, many others get effected from their characters and would save themselves from the whim of that person). Neither Islam forbids calling name to a group of people, not for maligning but for revealing truth about them, to show what they are (again, that helps many to know the group, have thought about that group, and if what they are called is true, keep away from that group). Nevertheless, whatever one calls has to have truth in it (lies is again forbidden in Islam).

Example:
Calling names to Groups: A group of people that does obvious shrik, claims openly that they do it and claims (confess openly) that they do not believe on Allah … like Kuffars (Hindus, Christians who believe on trinity, communists who do not believe on God) can be called Kuffars. A Muslim can call such groups Kafirs and Islam does not forbid that.

Similarly, one can call Muttaffani (fitna maker) those like Taliban and Al-qaida who spread fitna and oppress innocents living around them. Similarly one can call Taliban and Al-Qaida retards as they promote suicide bombing, killing and forcing (with violence) their understanding of religion on others, because by doing such, they show they have no brain to think and thus are retards.

A group of people who from their outer practices used to look like pious Muslims, but from their behaviour toward other Muslims (that was similar to what Taliban and Al-Qaida do) they were not and hence they got known as Khawarjees [people khawrij from Islam … (Khwariji means exclude) .. or basically non-Muslim].

[Hence a group of pepple can be called what they are]

As for calling names to individuals … than biggest example in Islam is about:

Abu al-Abbas (first caliph and founder of Abbasid empire) .. who is known as As-Saffah and got that title … because of his Saffaki (being brutal killer … slaughterer (After his death, his brother Al-Mansur became next King.

Amongst Muslims, Bilal (RS) got title Habshi because of his being from Habsha (and was black) … though that title instead of used as degradation is used for Bilal (RA) as credit (shows that Islam do not differentiate between Arabi and Ajami), even though calling someone Habshi is not really a credit. But since it was true … no one every objected to that.

Prophet (SAW) called Umar-bin-Hashsham as ‘Abu-jahal’ because even though he was one of highly educated amongst Quraish and was proud of that, he was full of ignorance and arrogance, thus Prophet (SAW) gave him name Abu-Jahal (father of jahils .. where jahils do not mean illiterate but it means ignorant). Since it was true, it is acceptable.

[Since Bilal (RA), Umar bin Hashsham, Abu al-Abbas are public figures, and whatever they are called is what they were, there is nothing wrong in it. It shows that as long as there is valid proofs, reasons, and consensus about their being what they are, it is fine.]

Note: Prophet (SAW) naming (and calling) ‘Umar bin Hashsham’ … ‘Abu-Jahal’ cannot be considered as ‘not allowed in Islam or sin’ … because Abu-Jahal was public figure with attitude and character that befits someone who can be called Abu-Jahal (father of ignorance). … Just like present day Pakistan so-called political leaders on whom befits names like crooks, thugs, looters, plunders, liars, deceivers and so on.