Ahsahu Allah wa Nasuhu
- Author died
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- Editions
- Dār al-Qāsim
Ahsahu Allah wa Nasuhu (God Has Enumerated It, While They Forgot It) is an Islamic spiritual and ethical treatise authored by Abd al-Malik bin Qasim, addressing the sins and perils of the tongue.
Overview and Context
The book forms the sixth installment in the author's educational and exhortative series titled Ayna Nahnu min Ha'ula' (Where Are We in Comparison to Them?). In his introduction, the author states that speech-related vices represent destructive societal afflictions that deplete good deeds, sever familial and communal ties, and risk severe punishment in the hereafter. He attributes the prevalence of these habits in contemporary society to factors including weak religious conscientiousness, abundant leisure time, affluent living conditions, and the widespread ease of telephone communication.
Content and Structure
The book begins with general admonitions regarding the gravity of the tongue, the dual perils of sinful speech and remaining silent in the face of truth, and the spiritual virtue of restraint. It then delineates and examines specific vocal vices and slip-ups, which include:
- Meddling in matters of no concern (al-kalam fima la ya'ni)
- Engaging in sinful talk and unnecessary dispute (al-khawd fi al-batil wa-al-mira')*
- Affectation and excessive pretension in speech (al-taqa''ur fi al-kalam)
- Obscenity, abuse, and foul language (al-fuhsh wa-al-sabb)
- Inappropriate or untruthful jesting (al-muzah)
- Ridicule, contempt, and mockery (al-sukhriyyah wa-al-istihza')
- Divulging secrets, breaking promises, and lying (ifsha' al-sirr wa-ikhlīf al-wa'd wa-al-kadhib)
- Backbiting (al-ghibah)
- Calumny and talebearing (al-namimah)
Throughout the text, the author substantiates his guidance with verses of the Quran, prophetic hadiths, and anecdotes from the early Muslim generations (the salaf), citing figures such as Ibn Abbas, Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, al-Awza'i, Ata ibn Abi Rabah, and Ibn Taymiyyah to emphasize rigorous self-reckoning and the discipline of speech.
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