The Honour and Esterm of a Muslim

The Honour and Esterm of a Muslim

It is a major sin to cause distress to a Muslim, just like the sin of drinking wine, committing robbery, theft, adultery, etc. It occurs in a Hadith of Ibn Majah that once the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was making Tawaaf (going round) of the Holy Kdbah, along with Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas'ood رضي الله عنه. He has narrated: I saw that addressing the Ka'bah, the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: House of Allah, how great, honourable and sacred you are! After a little pause the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم again said, addressing the Ka'bah: yet there is something which is more elevated, honourable and sacred than you! Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas'ood رضي الله عنه was taken I aback at hearing these words and remained thinking what I that thing might be. Then the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: It is the life, possessions and honour of a Muslim!

What does this saying of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم mean? It means that to kill a Muslim, injure him or otherwise harm him, rob him and defame and dishonour him, are sins equal in grievousness to the sin of demolishing the Ka'bah

Now think for yourself, what great stress the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم has laid on the soul, possessions and honour of a Muslim! If some wretched tyrant musters courage to attack and disgrace the Holy Kibah, is there any muslim who will not rise at once to punish such a tyrant for his audacity? No, never will a true Muslim put up with one who does the slightest harm or desecrates the Holy Ka'bah in any way.

Yet look! How many Kibahs are we demolishing from morning till evening? Today the soul of a Muslim, declared by the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to be so sacred, has become cheaper than the soul of a fly, or mosquito. All the diverse ways of troubling and torturing a muslim including his killing are being practised, what a grievous sin it is! That is why the Holy Prophet k has said that on the Day of Judgement a man will come with a large heap of good deeds but at the end of the accounts-taking he will have no good deeds left to his credit, because his misdeeds and misbehaviour with the servants of Allah will nullify his good deeds.