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Islam - Children's Corner
The Gossiper
A woman repeated a
bit of gossip about a neighbor. Within a few days the whole community knew the
story. The person it concerned was deeply hurt and offended.
Later the woman responsible for spreading the rumor learned that it was
completely untrue. She was very sorrowful and went to a wise old sage to find
out what she could do to repair the damage.
"Go to the marketplace", he said, "and purchase a chicken, and have it killed.
Then on your way home, pluck its feathers and drop them one by one along the
road". Although, surprised by this advice, the woman did what she was told.
The next day the wise man said, "Now go and collect all those feathers you
dropped yesterday and bring them back to me."
The woman followed the same road, but to her dismay, the wind had blown a11 the
feathers away. After searching for hours, she returned with only three in her
hand.
"You see," said the old sage, "it’s easy to drop them, but its impossible to get
them back. So it is with gossip. It doesn’t take much to spread a rumor, but
once you do, you can never completely undo the wrong."
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O ye who believe! avoid suspicion as much (as possible): for suspicion in
some cases is a sin: and spy not on each other nor speak ill of each other
behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother?
Nay ye would abhor it...but fear Allah: for Allah is Oft-Returning Most
Merciful.
[surah Hujurat; 49:12]
Allah’s Apostle (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: Do you know what is backbiting?
They (the Companions) said: Allah and His Apostle (salAllahu alayhi wasalam)
know best. Thereupon he (the Prophet) said: Backbiting implies your talking
about your brother in a manner which he does not like. It was said to him: What
is your opinion about this that if I actually find (that failing) in my brother
which I made a mention of? He said: If (that failing) is actually found (in him)
what you assert, you in fact backbited him, and if that is not in him it is a
slander.
[Sahih Muslim, Hadith 6265]
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The
Holy Quran Quotes
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“As for those who divide their religion and break up into sects, thou has no part in them in the least....”
(Al-An'aam, 6:159)
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