Tafseer Ibn Kathir of AL AHZAB [57]

57. Verily, those who annoy Allah and His Messenger, Allah has cursed them in this world and in the Hereafter, and has prepared for them a humiliating torment. 58. And those who annoy believing men and women undeservedly, they bear the crime of slander and plain sin. Allah warns and threatens those who annoy Him by going against His commands and doing that which He has forbidden, and who persist in doing so, and those who annoy His Messenger by accusing him of having faults or shortcomings -- Allah forbid. `Ikrimah said that the Ayah:

(Verily, those who annoy Allah and His Messenger,) was revealed concerning those who make pictures or images. In The Two Sahihs, it is reported that Abu Hurayrah said: ”The Messenger of Allah said:

(Allah says: ”The son of Adam annoys Me by inveighing against time, but I am time, for I cause the alternation of night and day.'')'' The meaning of this Hadith is that in the Jahiliyyah they used to say, ”How bad time is, it has done such and such to us!'' They used to attribute the deeds of Allah to time, and inveigh against it, but the One Who did that was Allah, may He be exalted. So, He forbade them from this. Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said that the Ayah,

(Verily, those who annoy Allah and His Messenger, ) was revealed about those who slandered the Prophet over his marriage to Safiyyah bint Huyay bin Akhtab. The Ayah appears to be general in meaning and to apply to all those who annoy him in any way, because whoever annoys him annoys Allah, just as whoever obeys him obeys Allah.

(And those who annoy believing men and women undeservedly,) means, they attribute to them things of which they are innocent, which they do not know and do not do.

(they bear the crime of slander and plain sin.) This is the most serious slander, to tell or transmit things about the believing men and women that they have not done, in order to bring shame upon them and accuse them of shortcomings. Among those to whom the description most applies are those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers, followed by the Rafidites who accuse the Companions of shortcomings and faults of which Allah has stated that they are innocent, and describe them as the opposite of what Allah has said about them. Allah, may He be exalted, has told us that He is pleased with the Migrants and Ansar, and has praised them, but these foolish and ignorant people inveigh against them and accuse them of shortcomings, and say things about them that they did not do and could never have done. In reality, their hearts are misguided, for they condemn those who deserve praise and praise those who deserve condemnation. Abu Dawud recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that it was said: ”O Messenger of Allah, what is backbiting (Ghibah)'' He said,

(It is when you mention something about your brother that he dislikes. ) It was asked, ”But what if what I say about my brother is true'' He said,

(If it is true, then you have committed backbiting (Ghibah) about him, and if it is not true, then you have slandered him.) This was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi, who said, ”Hasan Sahih.''