FRIDAY SERMON: Different Forms of Fasad — Corruption in Individual, Family, and Social Life

The purpose is not to create arguments. The purpose is to preserve authentic guidance.

Mohammad Younis Bhat (Zahid)

Fasad is not limited to major conflicts, wars, or widespread destruction. It can begin within an individual, enter a family, damage relationships, and eventually affect the wider society.

Allah says:
“And do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption.”
(Qur’an 2:60)

This teaches us that Islam does not merely warn against the final and major forms of corruption; it also teaches us to avoid the small actions that can eventually lead to it.

Fasad in Individual Life
Fasad can sometimes begin inside a person. When someone makes lying, deception, dishonesty, arrogance, jealousy, suspicion, injustice, and violation of other people’s rights part of their normal behavior, corruption begins to affect their character.

A person may think that his words or actions are harming only one individual, but their consequences can spread much further.

Therefore, social reform begins with the reform of the individual.

Corruption of the Tongue
The tongue is a great blessing from Allah, but it can also become a means of Fitnah and Fasad.

Lying, backbiting, tale-bearing, slander, insulting others, humiliating people, and spreading unverified information can all open the doors to social corruption.

The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak good or remain silent.”

In our time, this principle applies not only to spoken words but also to messages, posts, comments, videos, and forwarded content.

Fasad Within the Family
The family is the basic unit of society. When families are strong, society becomes stronger. When corruption enters the family, its effects can reach the wider community.

Common causes include:

• Misunderstandings between husband and wife
• Carrying statements from one person to another in a harmful manner
• Increasing conflicts between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law
• Disputes between brothers over property
• Jealousy among relatives
• Speaking badly about one another in front of children
• Turning minor issues into major conflicts
• Making accusations without verification

A small matter, if not handled wisely, can eventually become a major dispute.

Mother-in-Law, Daughter-in-Law, and Other Family Members
Islam teaches every member of the family to respect the rights of others and avoid injustice.
A daughter-in-law should be treated with kindness, parents-in-law should be respected, and husband and wife should fulfill each other’s rights. Family members should also avoid carrying statements in a way that creates hatred.

An important principle is:

• Passing on everything you hear is not always reform.
• Sometimes silence prevents Fasad, while unnecessary speech can destroy the peace of an entire family.

Fasad in Financial Matters
Corruption can also arise in financial dealings, such as:

• Cheating in measurements
• Dishonesty in business
• Refusing to repay debts
• Betraying a trust
• Denying someone’s inheritance rights
• Making false promises
• Misrepresenting goods or services
• Taking another person’s wealth unjustly

Honesty in financial dealings is not merely a business quality; it is also a religious responsibility.

Fasad in Society
When harmful behavior increases at the individual and family level, it can develop into wider social corruption.
For example:
Suspicion → Rumor → Accusation → Hostility → Grouping → Conflict → Social Fasad

This is why Islam teaches us to close the doors of suspicion, backbiting, slander, false information, and injustice.

Social Media and Modern Fasad
Today, a person does not need to leave his home to spread something harmful.

A false post, edited video, misleading statement, or incomplete clip can reach thousands of people within minutes.

A message should not be considered true simply because:
“It came to me on WhatsApp.”
Nor does the fact that many people have shared it prove that it is authentic.

The Qur’an gives us a clear principle regarding news:
“So verify.”
(Qur’an 49:6)

Fasad Through Religious Disputes
Not every religious disagreement is Fasad. There can be legitimate differences among scholars on certain matters.

However, disagreement becomes dangerous when it is accompanied by:
Insults
Arrogance
Humiliation of others
False accusations
Giving religious judgments without knowledge
Inciting hatred
Provoking ordinary people

A Muslim should maintain justice, knowledge, good manners, and consciousness of Allah even when disagreeing.

Political and Social Differences
People may have different political, social, and personal opinions. Difference of opinion is part of human society.
But disagreement does not give anyone the right to attack another person’s honor, character, property, or dignity.
Islam teaches us not to abandon justice because of disagreement.

Even with those with whom we disagree, we must remain just.

How Can We Stop Fasad?
Some basic principles can help prevent Fasad:
● Do not immediately forward information.
● Verify it first.
● Avoid unnecessary suspicion.
● Stay away from backbiting and tale-bearing.
● Never discuss someone’s honor without evidence.
● Do not turn disagreement into hatred.
● Do not make decisions while emotionally charged.
● Consult knowledgeable and trustworthy people when necessary.
● Try to reconcile people when appropriate.
● Make Islah (reform) the objective not humiliation or revenge.

Fasad does not always arrive with noise. Sometimes it begins with a quiet suspicion, a false report, an unnecessary sentence, or a forwarded message.

Therefore, a responsible Muslim should ask:
“What I am passing on—will it bring reform, or will it create corruption?”

If every person applies this principle to their tongue, writing, mobile phone, and social media activity, many forms of Fitnah and Fasad can be stopped at their beginning.

After understanding Fitnah and Fasad, it is important to understand another important Islamic concept: Bid‘ah.

The subject of Bid‘ah requires knowledge, balance, and careful understanding. It should not be used as a weapon for insulting Muslims or turning every disagreement into a religious accusation.

The first principle is that we must understand what Bid‘ah means in the religious context.

The Meaning of Bid‘ah
The word Bid‘ah linguistically relates to something newly introduced or originated.

In the religious context, it refers specifically to introducing something into the religion as a religious practice or belief without valid basis from the Qur’an, Sunnah, or established principles of Islam.

Therefore, not every new thing in the world is a religious Bid‘ah.

New technology, vehicles, medicines, educational methods, buildings, computers, mobile phones, and similar worldly developments are not automatically Bid‘ah simply because they did not exist during the time of the Prophet ﷺ.

The key question is:
Is something being introduced as part of religion without legitimate religious evidence?

The Prophet ﷺ Warned Against Religious Innovation
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever introduces into this matter of ours that which is not from it, it is rejected.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari; Sahih Muslim)

This hadith establishes an important principle: acts introduced into the religion without legitimate basis are not accepted as acts of worship.

Bid‘ah and Sunnah
Sunnah means the guidance, practice, teachings, and established way of the Prophet ﷺ.

Bid‘ah, in the religious sense, is something introduced into religious practice without valid basis.

Therefore, a Muslim should not simply follow every practice because:
“People have been doing it for a long time.”

The correct approach is to ask:
“What is the evidence for this practice?”

Why is Understanding Bid‘ah Important?
If religious practices are continuously added without evidence, the original guidance of Islam can become mixed with customs and innovations.

Over time, people may begin to believe that a cultural practice is compulsory religion, or that abandoning a particular custom is sinful, even though there is no sound religious evidence for such a claim.

Therefore, learning the difference between religion, culture, custom, and personal practice is extremely important.

Bid‘ah Should Not Become a Cause of Fitnah
There is another important principle: The discussion of Bid‘ah itself must not become a source of Fitnah.

A person should not accuse others carelessly, insult them, or create hatred without knowledge.

Religious correction requires:
Knowledge + Evidence + Wisdom + Good Character
Not anger, mockery, or personal attacks.

The Need for Qualified Knowledge
Some religious questions are simple, while others are highly detailed and require knowledge of Qur’an, Hadith, Arabic, principles of jurisprudence, and the explanations of qualified scholars.

Therefore, an ordinary person should be careful before declaring:
“This is Bid‘ah.”
Especially in matters where scholarly discussion is complex.

The purpose of learning about Bid‘ah should be to protect the purity of religious practice, not to create division among Muslims.

A Balanced Approach
A balanced Muslim should avoid two extremes:
First extreme: Accepting every religious practice merely because it is popular or traditional.

Second extreme: Calling every unfamiliar practice Bid‘ah without proper knowledge or evidence.

The correct path is to return to authentic Islamic sources and seek reliable scholarly guidance where necessary.

Conclusion
Bid‘ah is an important subject because Islam teaches Muslims to worship Allah according to His guidance and the authentic Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ.

At the same time, this subject must be approached with knowledge, justice, wisdom, and good manners.

The purpose is not to create arguments. The purpose is to preserve authentic guidance and protect the Muslim community from unnecessary religious confusion and division.
And Allah knows best.
(STRAIGHT TALK COMMUNICATIONS EXCLUSIVE. The author can be reached at: Makahmadina11@gmail.com)