false-accusation

A Muslim’s act of committing evils and sins is undoubtedly bad, but making a false accusation against someone of committing sins and evils is far worse than it. One of the evils which is spreading in our society like a cancer is “false accusation” as well, that is, making a false accusation against someone. False accusations of theft, bribery, black magic, fornication, breach of trust, and murder have destroyed the peace of our domestic, business and office life.

A person will be kept in pus and blood

The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللہُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has said: The one who mentions the fault of any Muslim which is not found in him, Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ will keep him in Radgha-tul-Khabaal [رَدْغَةُ الخَبال] [i.e. the place in Hell where the pus and blood of the Hell-dwellers will collect] until the punishment for his sins ends. (Abu Dawood, vol. 3, pp. 427, Hadees 3597)

A person will fall into disgrace and infamy

There are people who make false accusations by having the feelings of enmity towards someone, being jealous, getting rid of someone, taking revenge and attaining cheap fame. Such people make a false accusation and thereafter, they become busy with their matters, but the person against whom the false accusation has been made falls into disgrace and infamy for the rest of his life. At times, this false accusation is made due to a misunderstanding. It can be understood by a fictitious parable.

A meeting of Panchayat [a village council] was being held in a village. It was the case of buffalo theft. The teacher of the village’s school was also there. All of a sudden, a villager came panting heavily and said aloud: ‘Respected teacher! The buffalo has been found from your cattle farm.’ Having heard this, the teacher became astonished and so were the people of the Panchayat, but they did not dare say anything in front of the teacher. Therefore, all of them left one by one. The villager left too. Feeling ashamed and sad, the teacher remained seated at the same place in the state of shock. Not much time had passed when the villager came again running and said after holding the feet of the teacher: Please forgive me! That buffalo was not found from your cattle farm, but next to your cattle farm.

In the state of grief, the teacher could only say: There is no benefit even if you now make an announcement throughout the village, because people will now remember me by the name of a “thief”.

Shar’i ruling on false accusation

A’la Hadrat, Maulana Shah Imam Ahmad Raza Khan رَحْمَةُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has mentioned: Making a false accusation against any Muslim is Haraam-e-Qat’ee [definitive Haraam], especially, مَـعَـاذَ الـلّٰـه, if it is the false accusation of fornication. (Fatawa Razawiyyah, vol. 24, pp. 386)

Making accusations against a woman

Making a false accusation of fornication against a woman is very dangerous, but some audacious people even commit such an act without realizing what will be its effects on the woman and her family members! Shar’i punishment for the one who makes an accusation of fornication against a woman and then cannot prove it with the help of four witnesses is “Hadd-e-Qazf” [حَدِّ قَذْف], that is, he will be whipped 80 times by the order of an Islamic ruler or Qazi-e-Shara’. Let’s listen to its Hereafter loss as well:

The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللہُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has said: ‘اِنَّ قَذْفَ الْمُحْصَنَۃِ یَھْدِمُ عَمَلَ مِائَۃِ سَنَۃٍ’, i.e. making a false accusation against any chaste woman destroys the virtuous deeds of 100 years. (Al-Mu’jam-ul-Kabeer, vol. 3, pp. 168, Hadees 3023)

It is stated in Fayd-ul-Qadeer: i.e. Suppose, if such a person lives for a hundred years and performs worship, even then, this false accusation will destroy these deeds of his. (Fayd-ul-Qadeer, vol. 2, pp. 601, Taht-al-Hadees 2340)

A hotel servant set himself on fire

It is considered to be very easy to make a false accusation against someone, but at times, even the future generations of the person against whom the accusation has been made get affected. Just ponder, what effect it will have on a person’s heart whose children hear the taunts like: ‘Your father is a thief’.

On 30 March 2018, a terrible incident happened in a hotel in a city of Punjab [Pakistan]. According to the media report, the hotel owner accused his 32-year old servant of stealing rice from the hotel for his children. The owner insulted the servant a lot in front of everyone due to which he became depressed and set himself on fire [which was not permissible]. The other servants in the hotel put out the fire and he was taken to Lahore in a critical condition.

Punishment for those who make false accusations

After mentioning many sights which the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللہُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم beheld in his dream, he صَلَّى اللہُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم also mentioned: Some people were hanged with their tongues. I asked Jibra`eel عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام about them, so he told me: They are the ones who make accusation of sin against people without any reason. (Sharh-us-Sudoor, pp. 184)

Who is destitute?

The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللہُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم asked the blessed companions رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُم: ‘Do you know who a destitute person is?’ The blessed companions humbly replied: ‘Amongst us, destitute [poor] is he who neither has dirham nor any possession.’ The Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللہُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: ‘A destitute person in my Ummah is he who will bring Salah, Sawm and Zakah on the Judgement Day, but he would have verbally abused so-and-so, made a false accusation against so-and-so, used the wealth of so-and-so unlawfully, murdered so-and-so and beaten so-and-so, hence, all of them will be given their shares out of his virtuous deeds. If his virtuous deeds finish before the rights which are due on him are fulfilled, the sins of people will be put on him; then, he will be thrown into Hell.’ (Sahih Muslim, pp. 1069, Hadees 6578)

Repent

Before you depart this life, repent of false accusation. It is stated on page 538, part 16 of Bahar-e-Shari’at: In case of a false accusation, it is necessary to repent and ask for forgiveness; moreover, one must even approach the people in front of whom he has made false accusation and state, ‘I told a lie; I made a false accusation against so-and-so.’ (Bahar-e-Shari’at, part 16, vol. 3, pp. 538)

It is surely very tough for Nafs but it is easy to endure a little insult in this world, whereas the matter of the Hereafter is extremely painful. By Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ! The torment of Hell will be unbearable.

Ker lay taubah Rab ki rahmat hay bari

Qabr mayn wernah saza hogi kari

(Wasail-e-Bakhshish, pp. 712)