Causing Harm to Others

A good human society is one in which individuals make concessions to others, they are aware of the rights of others and they do not create problems for them.

According to a tradition, the Prophet of Islam once observed: “Do not harm God’s servants, neither embarrass them nor seek out their secrets (in negative terms).” (Musnad Ahmad 22402)

To establish a good human society, it is essential that moral feelings should be alive in its members. They make concessions to others, they are aware of the rights of others and they do not create problems for them, even when there is a genuine reason to do so.

Everyone must live in society in such a way that no one harms another. He should not utter such words as hurt the feelings of others. He should not engage in such activities as are of personal interest to him but which are harmful to others. Words and deeds may be hurtful to others, and one who hurts others has no value either in the eyes of God on in the eyes of people.

Sometimes such things happen or one makes such mistakes of which one is ashamed. Mentioning such things again and again is to embarrass the errant person and that is not right. Saying you have done this, you have done that, your parents have done this, your parents have done that, in order to embarrass others is an inhuman way to behave. A person ought to respect others just as he respects himself. There are somethings which one wants to keep secret; one does not want them to be known by others. Therefore, one who wants to make such things known in order to cause embarrassment and give a bad name to others is unethical in his conduct. This is a permanent obstacle to forming a good society.