Wrong
Actions

You know,

tiny baby humans may not be very strong,

but they are still able to hurt people.

They have nails they can scratch with,

and even though they don't have teeth

they can still bite a breast hard enough to hurt their mothers.

But apart from that they can't do much,

and the hurt they do doesn't do much damage.

So nobody cares much if they are hurt by a baby,

and anyway they can't blame a baby for the hurt

because babies don't know what they are doing.

But as they grow

they find that there are lots of different ways

that they can hurt people if they want to.

They can slap, they can kick,

they can punch, they can pinch,

they can prod and poke with sharp things,

they can pull at bits like ears and hair,

and twist assorted bits in painful ways.

And all these things hurt

and should not be done on purpose

unless you are trying to stop someone from hurting you.

But these ways of hurting

all hurt other people in the same way.

The hurt may be felt in different places,

but they are all the same kind of pain.

It is physical pain,

you feel it in your body

and it is not very nice at all.

In fact it can feel really, really bad,

and sometimes what is causing it can even kill you.

But there is another kind of pain that humans can make each other feel,

and that can hurt another person without anyone having to touch them at all.

It is a hurt that is felt in the mind and the heart,

but a hurt that can be as painful as a cut or a physical blow.

When babies grow they get to know who they are,

and they get to know the joys and pains of emotions,

all those feelings inside.

And they get to know that words can be said

with anger, jealousy and spite,

and those words can then hurt when they are heard,

and hurt when they are given.

And as kids work out who they are,

by comparing themselves to each other,

they make friends and lose friends.

And it can be very hurtful to feel that others think we are worthless,

not even worth the slightest kindness or affection.

And some will call others names in Mockery,

making fun of people

and laughing at what might make them different.

And because the Deen means avoiding the things that cause hurt between people,

Mockery is to be avoided in the Muslim Way of Life.

But for the Deen it's not enough to avoid calling out insults

and giving people hurt that way,

humans need to control the urge to be spiteful to other people

even when they aren't there.

This sort of mocking

behind someone's back

is known as Backbiting,

talking in their absence

and searching out their weaknesses

like a pack of animals

hunting their prey,

then leaping on their targets

with insults imagined up to hurt them,

but without them being there to defend themselves,

simply for the laughter and approval of

a few momentary friends.

So Backbiting and Mockery are both to be avoided in the Deen,

while at the same time being grateful to God

for making us the way that we are,

knowing that we have been made in the perfect way

for us and us alone

to serve Allah.

And what does it matter

what other people say of you

when the way you act is for God's approval,

But there are other ways

to act around other people

that are to be avoided in the Deen.

Is it bad to be the best at things?

Should we fear the enemy within?