Sad news
Why was a son not born? Why did you not bring the dowry? Frustrated with mother-in-law’s taunts, a mother committed suicide along with her daughters by consuming poison. According to the locals of the area, a 30-year old woman was facing disputes most often over not bringing dowry and giving birth to the daughters. She was also under intense fear after her mother-in-law threatened her to marry her son [mother-in-law’s son] to any other woman. Police have started investigation of the incident from different angles. (Samaa News Website)
Dear Islamic brothers! We carry out many such pieces of acts which bring comfort and easiness in the lives of others, for example sharing few words of sympathy with them, encouraging them, visiting the sick, helping the grief-stricken, condoling with relatives of the deceased, etc. On the other hand, we also carry out some pieces of acts which increase the troubles of people making their lives difficult, for example making false accusation, rebuking, beating, insulting, staring, discouraging and taunting others frequently. Today we will focus on the bad habit of taunting others. As you have read the above mentioned news story in which the daughter-in-law became deeply frustrated due to the taunts and ended up her life indulging in the Haraam act of committing suicide and even killed her flower-like daughters.
Do not taunt
Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has forbidden us to taunt so He عَزَّوَجَلَّ has instructed the believers in the Glorious Quran:
وَ لَا تَلْمِزُوْۤا اَنْفُسَكُمْ وَ لَا تَنَابَزُوْا بِالْاَلْقَابِؕ-
And do not taunt one another, nor give evil nicknames.
[Kanz-ul-Iman (translation of Quran)] (Part 26, Surah Al-Hujurat, Ayah 11)
Taunting is also one of those moral weaknesses which pollute the beauty of Islamic society. The more are the languages in the different nations, tribes and communities such as Urdu, English, Arabic, Sindhi, Punjabi, Hindi, Memoni, Gujarati, etc., the more types of taunts are there. In addition to it, various taunting idioms are also very common for example:
٭ For taunting anybody for being old, it is said in Urdu: ‘Munh mayn daant nahin, payt mayn aant nahin’.
٭ If somebody asks someone to do any piece of work, it is said: ‘Tumharay paoon mayn mehndi lagi hay’. It means, ‘Why do you not do it yourself.?
٭ If someone cries in sympathy with someone, it is said: ‘He is shedding crocodile tears’. It means it is no more than a show-off.
٭ To degrade someone, it is stated: ‘Tum kis khayt ki mooli ho’. This expression is used with contempt letting one know that he is of no worth.
٭ If any younger person tries to make someone understand, he is taunted by the expression: ‘Chyunti kay per nikal aaye hayn’. It means the younger one has become smart enough that he is going to teach the older ones.
٭ If someone gives any idea of progress, it is said: ‘Day dreaming’.
٭ A jobless has to hear the expression: ‘Kaam ka na kaaj ka dushman anaaj ka’. It refers to a useless person.
٭ One who spends money carefully, he has to bear the expression: ‘Kanjoos makhkhi choos’. It means that he is a very miserly person.
Would you like this?
Imagine! If such kinds of taunts are used for you, will you become happy or feel sad; similarly, the other person also feels in the same way when you taunt him.
Different kinds of taunts
Sadly! Different kinds of taunts are used in different ways: Taunting about poverty, taunting about black skin colour, taunting about a short height, taunting about cowardliness, taunting about cheap dress, taunting about having no child, taunting about being illiterate and ignorant, taunting about inauspiciousness, taunting about low salary, taunting about spying, taunting about tale bearing, taunting about theft, taunting about failing to have engagement with someone, taunting about being divorced, taunting about obesity, taunting about tall height, taunting daughter-in-law about her inability to do domestic chores, ‘upon any mistake, taunting a student about the teachings of his teacher or taunting a disciple about the teachings of his spiritual guide’. ‘Upon any mistake of any person associated with any organisation or movement, taunting the management of the movement’.
Perfect answer
An Imam Sahib of a Masjid received a message from a woman through his wife: My husband offers five times Salah including Jumu’ah Salah led by you but he keeps quarrelling at home. He does not take care about his children and me. He does not do any work. Is this what you have taught to him? Why do you not make him understand?
The Imam Sahib of Masjid sent its reply: Respected lady! He does perform Salah led by me but he leaves after shaking hands with me. He listens to ‘admonition and exhortation’ sitting amongst the public during my Jumu’ah speech. I will make him understand individually too but holding me only responsible of his moral weaknesses is an unfair act because if we reflect on it, we observe that he stays in Masjid for only 2 hours out of 24 hours and I meet him approximately 15 minutes out of these two hours whereas he spends his 22 hours at home. When you are unable to make him understand in 22 hours then what can I do only in 15 minutes?
Taunting is against the dignity of a believer
The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: ‘لَيْسَ الْمُؤْمِنُ بِالطَّعَّانِ وَلَا اللَّعَّانِ وَلَا الْفَاحِشِ وَلَا الْبَذِی’ A believer is not the one who taunts, curses, indulges in indecent talks and speaks rudely. (Tirmizi, vol. 3, pp. 393, Hadees 1984)
Commenting on the blessed Hadees, Hakeem-ul-Ummat Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه has stated: The mentioned faults are not found in the true Muslims. Not looking at one’s own faults, finding faults with other Muslims [and] reproaching everyone are against the dignity of Islam. (Mirat-ul-Manajih, vol. 6, pp. 469)
No one would taunt anybody
When the blessed companions رَضِىَ اللّٰەُ عَنْهُم would wear elegant dress, they would not taunt the one wearing the low price dress; nor would those wearing low price dresses taunt those who would wear elegant clothes. (Az-Zuhd lil Imam Ahmad, pp. 319, Raqm 1837)
Taunting is the act of non-Muslims
It is mentioned at many places in the Glorious Quran that the disbelievers used to taunt Muslims upon their poverty. Waleed Bin Mugheerah was a staunch disbeliever and would especially put obstacles in the way of spreading the message of Islam. He had even uttered a false word for the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, ‘Majnoon’; Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ revealed 10 (genuine) defects of Mugheerah in reply to his utterance. ‘Taunting excessively’ was also one of his defects. (Part 29, Al-Qalam, Ayah 11; Siraat-ul-Jinaan, vol. 10, pp. 291; summarised)
Consequence of taunting about worship
Talking about his late grandfather ‘Abdur Raheem Bin Dost Muhammad’, Bahr-ul-‘Uloom (ocean of knowledge) ‘Allamah Maulana Mufti ‘Abdul Mannaan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه said: My grandfather used to do labour work in a market. Once, when he went to a man for whom he was working, to receive his wage, that man’s son said, ‘You have just received your wage last week and you have come today again. When you perform acts of worship and spiritual exercises extensively, why do you not ask for abundance of money from Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ.’ My dear grandfather did not reply him and came back home and repeatedly kept saying for a long time, ‘What kind of people are they? Will they be called Muslims? They taunt people about ‘taking Allah’s name and worshipping Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ.’ Those people did not feel about what they had said however my grandfather became so sad upon it and he stopped working for that person.
‘Allamah Maulana Mufti ‘Abdul Mannaan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه has further stated, ‘Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ does not like anyone’s defiance. These people remained alive till my lifetime. All their arrogance had gone. One out of them died in this way that nobody was present there at the time of his death to give him even a single spoon of water despite he had 3, 4 young children.’ (Bahr-ul-‘Uloom Number, pp. 224; summarised)
Seek refuge of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ from a taunter
The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, ‘Seek refuge of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ from the difficulties of calamity, from having misfortune, and from bad decision and from the taunts of enemies.’ (Sahih Bukhari, vol. 4, pp. 277, Hadees 6616) Means: O Allah Almighty! Do not put me into such worldly and religious difficulties which make my enemies happy and [they] taunt me [and] hoot me. I seek Your refuge in this matter too. This Du’a is very comprehensive. (Mirat-ul-Manajih, vol. 4, pp. 57)
Do not respond taunt by the taunt
The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: If any person taunts you about any of your defect, you do not taunt him about his defect because you will attain its reward and the taunter will have the warning of punishment. (Ibn Habbaan, vol. 1, pp. 370, Hadees 523)
Causing trouble to a Muslim is an impermissible and Haraam act
Taunting severely hurts a Muslim and causing trouble to a Muslim without any Shar’i reason is impermissible. The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has stated:
مَنْ اٰذَی مُسْلِمًا فَقَدْ اٰذَانِیْ وَمَنْ اٰذَانِیْ فَقَدْ اٰذَی اللّٰە
He who has hurt a Muslim has hurt me, and he who has hurt me, has displeased Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ.
(Al-Mu’jam-ul-Awsat, vol. 2, pp. 387, Hadees 3607)
Seek forgiveness
Dear Islamic brothers! We may stop breathing at any time. Therefore, seek repentance immediately fulfilling the Shar’i requirements. Seek forgiveness from those who have been taunted by you. May Allah Almighty make us pious.
اٰمِيۡن بِجَاهِ النَّبِيِّ الۡاَمِيۡن صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيۡهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
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