Guarding the tongue: the cards as text

Akhlaq. Draft written with AI help: awaiting scholar review.

1. Card 1

   The Qur'an likens backbiting to eating your dead brother's flesh.

2. Card 2

   Behind someone's back

   The Qur'an forbids spying and backbiting, and asks: would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? The Prophet defined backbiting as saying something true about someone that they would dislike.

3. Card 3

   Qur'an 49:12

   يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱجۡتَنِبُواْ كَثِيرࣱا مِّنَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعۡضَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِثۡمࣰۖ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُواْ وَلَا يَغۡتَب بَّعۡضُكُم بَعۡضًاۚ أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمۡ أَن يَأۡكُلَ لَحۡمَ أَخِيهِ مَيۡتࣱا فَكَرِهۡتُمُوهُۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ تَوَّابࣰ رَّحِيمࣰ ۝١٢

   ¹² O you who believe, avoid much of the suspicion, for some suspicions are sin. Do not spy on one another, nor backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would surely abhor it. So fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Accepting of Repentance, Most Merciful.

4. Card 4

   Lesson: In this definition, a hurtful truth is still backbiting, and a hurtful falsehood is slander.

5. Card 5

   Before a rumour spreads

   Backbiting is one way words do harm. Passing on rumours is another. The Qur'an says: if someone unreliable brings you news, verify it, lest you harm people out of ignorance. A rule written for rumours in Madinah fits forwarded messages today.

6. Card 6

   Qur'an 49:6

   يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِن جَآءَكُمۡ فَاسِقُۢ بِنَبَإࣲ فَتَبَيَّنُوٓاْ أَن تُصِيبُواْ قَوۡمَۢا بِجَهَٰلَةࣲ فَتُصۡبِحُواْ عَلَىٰ مَا فَعَلۡتُمۡ نَٰدِمِينَ ۝٦

   ⁶ O you who believe, if an evildoer brings you some news, verify it, lest you harm a people unknowingly, then you become regretful for what you did.

7. Card 7

   Lesson: The Qur'an's rule for news from an unreliable source: verify it first.

8. Card 8

   A good word

   Words can harm, and they can also do good. The Qur'an compares a good word to a good tree, its roots firm and branches in the sky. The Prophet said a good word is charity: speak good, or stay silent.

9. Card 9

   Qur'an 14:24

   أَلَمۡ تَرَ كَيۡفَ ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلࣱا كَلِمَةࣱ طَيِّبَةࣱ كَشَجَرَةࣲ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصۡلُهَا ثَابِتࣰ وَفَرۡعُهَا فِي ٱلسَّمَآءِ ۝٢٤

   ²⁴ Do you not see how Allah compares a good word to a good tree? Its root is firm and its branches reach the sky,

10. Card 10

    Lesson: In the Prophet's teaching, a kind word counts as charity.

11. Card 11

    Reflect: According to the Prophet, what is saying something true but hurtful behind someone's back?

    Answer: Backbiting. Backbiting. Saying something false is slander, which is worse.

12. Card 12

    The end of Guarding the tongue.

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