In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Evil Habits

(Qur’anic Perspective)

1. Accountability of Hearing, Sight, and Heart

Arabic:
وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ ۚ إِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ وَالْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُولَٰئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْؤُولًا
وَلَا تَمْشِ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَرَحًا ۖ إِنَّكَ لَن تَخْرِقَ الْأَرْضَ وَلَن تَبْلُغَ الْجِبَالَ طُولًا
كُلُّ ذَٰلِكَ كَانَ سَيِّئُهُ عِندَ رَبِّكَ مَكْرُوهًا

Transliteration:
Wa-lā taqfu mā laysa laka bihi ʿilm, inna al-samʿa wa-al-baṣara wa-al-fuʾāda kullu ulāʾika kāna ʿanhu masʾūlā
Wa-lā tamshi fī al-arḍi maraḥā, innaka lan takhriqa al-arḍa wa-lan tablugha al-jibāla ṭūlā
Kullu dhālika kāna sayyiʾuhu ʿinda rabbika makrūhā

Translation:
"And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight, and the heart — all of those will be questioned. And do not walk upon the earth exultantly. Indeed, you will never tear the earth apart, nor will you reach the mountains in height. All that — its evil is hateful in the sight of your Lord." (Banī Isrāʾīl 36–38)

2. The Consequence of Slander

Arabic:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ جَاءُوا بِالْإِفْكِ عُصْبَةٌ مِّنكُمْ ۚ لَا تَحْسَبُوهُ شَرًّا لَّكُم ۖ بَلْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۚ لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مِّنْهُم مَّا اكْتَسَبَ مِنَ الْإِثْمِ ۚ وَالَّذِي تَوَلَّىٰ كِبْرَهُ مِنْهُمْ لَهُ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

Transliteration:
Inna alladhīna jāʾū bi-al-ifki ʿuṣbatun minkum, lā taḥsabūhu sharran lakum bal huwa khayrun lakum, li-kulli imriʾin minhum mā iktasaba mina al-ithm, wa-alladhī tawallā kibrahu minhum lahu ʿadhābun ʿaẓīm

Translation:
"Indeed, those who brought forth the slander are a group among you. Do not think it bad for you; rather, it is good for you. For every person among them is what he has earned of sin, and he who took upon himself the greater portion of it — for him is a great punishment." (Al-Nūr 11)

3. Evil Deeds Will Become Manifest

Arabic:
وَبَدَا لَهُمْ سَيِّئَاتُ مَا عَمِلُوا وَحَاقَ بِهِم مَّا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ

Transliteration:
Wa-badā lahum sayyiʾātu mā ʿamilū wa-ḥāqa bihim mā kānū bihi yastahziʾūn

Translation:
"And the evil deeds they committed will become apparent to them, and they will be surrounded by that which they used to mock." (Al-Jāthiyah 33)

4. Mockery, Defamation, Suspicion, and Backbiting

Arabic:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا يَسْخَرْ قَوْمٌ مِّن قَوْمٍ عَسَىٰ أَن يَكُونُوا خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَلَا نِسَاءٌ مِّن نِّسَاءٍ عَسَىٰ أَن يَكُنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُنَّ ۖ وَلَا تَلْمِزُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَلَا تَنَابَزُوا بِالْأَلْقَابِ ۖ بِئْسَ الِاسْمُ الْفُسُوقُ بَعْدَ الْإِيمَانِ ۚ وَمَن لَّمْ يَتُبْ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ ۖ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا وَلَا يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًا ۚ أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Transliteration:
Yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū lā yaskhar qawmun min qawmin ʿasā an yakūnū khayran minhum wa-lā nisāʾun min nisāʾin ʿasā an yakunna khayran minhunna, wa-lā talmizū anfusakum wa-lā tanābazū bi-al-alqāb, biʾsa al-ismu al-fusūqu baʿda al-īmān, wa-man lam yatub fa-ulāʾika humu al-ẓālimūn
Yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū ij'tanibū kathīran mina al-ẓanni inna baʿḍa al-ẓanni ithm, wa-lā tajassasū wa-lā yaghtab baʿḍukum baʿḍā, a-yuḥibbu aḥadukum an yaʾkula laḥma akhīhi maytan fa-karihtumūh, wa-ittaqu Allāh, inna Allāha tawwābun raḥīm

Translation:
"O you who believe, let not one people ridicule another people; perhaps they may be better than them. Nor let women ridicule other women; perhaps they may be better than them. And do not defame yourselves nor call one another by offensive nicknames. Evil is the name of disobedience after faith. And whoever does not repent — then such are the wrongdoers.
O you who believe, avoid much suspicion; indeed, some suspicion is sin. And do not spy nor backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would detest it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance, Merciful." (Al-Ḥujurāt 11–12)

5. Woe to the Slanderer and the Hoarder

Arabic:
وَيْلٌ لِّكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُّمَزَةٍ
الَّذِي جَمَعَ مَالًا وَعَدَّدَهُ
يَحْسَبُ أَنَّ مَالَهُ أَخْلَدَهُ
كَلَّا ۖ لَيُنبَذَنَّ فِي الْحُطَمَةِ
وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْحُطَمَةُ
نَارُ اللَّهِ الْمُوقَدَةُ
الَّتِي تَطَّلِعُ عَلَى الْأَفْئِدَةِ
إِنَّهَا عَلَيْهِم مُّؤْصَدَةٌ
فِي عَمَدٍ مُّمَدَّدَةٍ

Transliteration:
Waylun li-kulli humazatin lumazah
Alladhī jamaʿa mālan wa-ʿaddadah
Yaḥsabu anna mālahu akhladah
Kallā la-yunbadhanna fī al-ḥuṭamah
Wa-mā adrāka mā al-ḥuṭamah
Nāru Allāhi al-mūqadah
Allatī taṭṭaliʿu ʿalā al-afʾidah
Innahā ʿalayhim muʾṣadah
Fī ʿamadin mumaddadah

Translation:
"Woe to every slanderer and backbiter,
Who collects wealth and counts it repeatedly,
Thinking that his wealth will make him immortal.
No! He will surely be cast into al-Ḥuṭamah.
And what can make you know what al-Ḥuṭamah is?
It is the kindled Fire of Allah,
Which rises over the hearts.
Indeed, it will be closed upon them,
In extended columns." (Al-Humazah 1–9)