'Do you know what backbiting is?' They replied, 'Allah and His Messenger know best'. He said, It is saying something about your brother which he would dislike' Someone asked 'What if I say something about my brother which is true?' The Prophet (peace be on him) replied, If what you say of him is true, it is backbiting and if it is not true you have slandered him.'' When a person dislikes someone, he is likely to find faults in his appearance, behavior, lineage, and anything else which pertains to him. 'Aishah narrated that she said to the Prophet (pece be on him), "Do you see that Safiyyah (another wife of the Prophet) is such and such?" meaning that she was short. The Prophet (peace be on him) replied, "You have spoken a word such that, if it were mixed in the water of the ocean, it would darken it."? Backbiting is nothing but a desire to belittle people, to slander their honor, and to deride their accomplishments in their absence. Since this is stabbing in the back, it is an expression of narrow-mindedness and cowardice. Backbiting is a negative trait, and only those engage in it who themselves are not achievers. It is a tool of destruction, for one who is addicted to it leaves no one without throwing a dart at him and wounding him. It is no wonder then, that the Qur'an paints such a repulsive picture of this vile habit as would make people shrink from it in horror: And do not…..backbite one anther; would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would abhor that. (49:12) Since one feels sick at the very thought of eating human flesh, how much more revolting it is to think of eating the flesh of one's dead brother! Whenever an opportunity arose, the Prophet (peace be on him) stressed this Qur'anic imagery in order to imprint it on peoples' hearts and minds. Here's a glimpse of our profound conversation. As Ramadan approaches, we hope this discussion motivates us all to introspect, evolve, and embody the universal values of compassion and empathy that rise above faiths, offering invaluable lessons for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Imam Raqeeb Abdul Jabbar C L A S S E S T A U G H T Aqeedah & Islamic Worldview Dawah: Theory and Experiential Training Islamic History Fiqh Thematic Study of the Quran Chaplaincy & Counseling from Islamic Framework Teaching and Mentoring New Muslims Counseling the Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated I S L A M I C E D U C A T I O N Ijazah in Islamic Studies, 2022 Taught by Sheikh Haroun Faye, Mauritania and Senegal Bachelor of Islamic Studies, 1988 Madrassa Jamia in Jakarta, Indonesia Islamic Studies and Dawah Training, 1978 State Street Masjid, Brooklyn, NY One of the First Sunni Muslim Masajid in America Taught by Sheikh Dawud Faisal S E C U L A R E D U C A T I O N 2020 Master’s of Divinity, Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care United Theological Seminary of Twin Cities 2015 CPE Certificate, Clinical Pastoral Counseling & Patient Counseling Bon Secours Clinical Pastoral Care 1991 Associate of Science, Electrical Engineering TESST College of Technology 1991 Associate of Science, Computer & Info. Sciences NEC Electronics R E F E R E N C E S Imam Khalid Griggs Imam Siraj Wahhaj C O N T A C T M. 832-515-2458 P R O F E S S I O N A L E X P E R I E N C E IMAM & TEACHER Sacramento Islamic Resource Center, 2019 - 2022 Sacramento, California Masjid As-Sabur, 2018 - 2019 Sacramento, California Masjid Ibrahim, 2017 - 2018 Sacramento, California Masjid Umm Barakah, 2010 - 2013 Richmond, Virginia ISLAMIC CHAPLAIN AND COUNSELOR Texas Department of Criminal Justice, 2021 - Present ...
