Prohibition against Despising Muslims and Deceiving Them

O you who believe! Let not some people among you deride another people; it may be that the latter are better than the former. Nor let some women deride other women; it may be that the latter are better than the former. Nor defame one another (and provoke the same for yourselves in retaliation); nor insult one another with nicknames (that your brothers and sisters dislike). Evil is using names with vile meaning after (those so addressed have accepted) the faith (doing so is like replacing a mark of faith with a mark of transgression). Whoever (does that and then) does not turn to Allah in repentance (giving up doing so), those are indeed wrongdoers. (al-Hujurat 49:11–12)

Those who affront believing men and believing women without their having done any wrong to deserve it, they have surely burdened themselves with calumny and a blatant sin. (al-Ahzab 33:58)

757. Jundab ibn Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “A man says, ‘By Allah, Allah will never forgive so-and-so.’ Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says, ‘Who is that who swears by Me that I will not forgive so-and so? I have forgiven him and your action has come to nothing.” (Sahih Muslim, Birr, 137).

759. Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said that a man mentioned to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that he was frequently deceived in business. He said, “When you buy, say, ‘No cheating.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Buyu, 48; Sahih Muslim, Buyu, 48).

761. Abu Said al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Every traitor will have a banner behind him on the Day of Rising which will be raised over him according to the extent of his treachery. There is no traitor whose treachery is greater than a people’s ruler.” (Sahih Muslim, Jihad, 15).
Annotation: If people at administrative positions do not act honestly, they might cause others to act the same way. They should be very careful with what they say. Otherwise they will be responsible for a tremendous guilt.

 

Nawawi, Imam. Riyad As-Salihin; The Gardens of the Righteous: A collection of authentic hadiths. Tughra Books Press, Inc. 2014