The Prophet took particular care to make his companions mindful of what they say. He told them frequently that the wrong word may lead to serious results. He also chose certain phrases and statements that people frequently said to enlighten his companions on their desirability or otherwise. This is one aspect of his careful upbringing of the model generation of Muslims, i.e. his companions, may God be pleased with them all.
An authentic Hadith reported by Abu Hurayrah quotes the Prophet as saying: "When you hear a man saying, ‘Mankind are ruined’, then (know that) he is the most ruined of them all." (Related by Muslim, Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, Malik and Abu Dawood).
This Hadith alerts us to a common fault to which people rarely pay any attention. It is that of finding fault with people and remaining oblivious of one’s own fault. When this becomes a habit, a person would become preoccupied with the faults of others, making a simple fault far more serious than it actually is, and an individual fault a common one. He may add to this an expression of sorrow at the degeneration of moral values among Muslims generally, showing eagerness to reform them and admitting inability to do anything in that regard. This will begin to give such a person a sense of self satisfaction which may develop to a feeling of moral superiority. He may even tend to despise people.
All this makes such a person, as the Prophet says, the most ruined among them. This is due to the fact that such a person’s remarks are recorded against him as backbiting, which is sinful and earns grievous punishment. Moreover, the fact that such people overlook their own faults leads them to be arrogant and arrogance is an attitude that incurs God’s displeasure.
The net result of such an attitude is that this person will have his normal faults as well as the sins of backbiting and arrogance, while other people have their normal faults. Hence, he is in a far worse position, or, to use the Prophet’s expression, he is the most ruined of them all.
The foregoing applies to a person who sees himself superior to other people. But one who means his remark only a sort of diagnosis of the ills of society to which he belongs, considering what he says as applicable to him also, is in a different situation altogether. This latter person may be keen to do something to help his community to get rid of its faults, and he may seek the cooperation of others in such an endeavor. To such a person this statement by the Prophet does not apply. On the contrary, he may earn reward from God for his words and action because he only seeks to improve the situation of his community.
Another Hadith alerts us to be careful about what to say to others, particularly those whom we know to be suspect in their beliefs. Buraydah, a companion of the Prophet, quotes him as saying: "Do not call a hypocrite, ‘master’, because if he is then he is master over you and you incur your Lord’s displeasure." (Related by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad and Abu Dawood).
This instruction by the Prophet makes it clear that honesty must be always observed in how we address people. Thus, if we know that someone is a hypocrite, because of his behavior or because we see him saying something to people’s faces and something different in their backs, then we must not call him master. A hypocrite has too many faults to deserve to be master over any group of people. Hence, when he is called as master, he is placed in a position to which he has no claim and in which God has not placed him. This may incur God’s displeasure with those who give him that appellation.
Moreover, if such a person is really a master, then he deserves to be obeyed. And when the person to be obeyed is a hypocrite, then those over whom he is a master are hypocrites like him. He would then be leading them to what is evil. In this case, all of them deserve God’s punishment.
On the other hand, if such a person is not master in his community and they call him master despite knowing his hypocrisy, then they are acting like him. Again, their behavior incurs God’s displeasure. In all such cases, they put themselves in a position where God’s punishment may be inflicted on them. This shows the importance of not extending any civility to a hypocrite.
Another example of what words to avoid is that pointed out in the Hadith which mentions a question put to one of the Prophet’s companion concerning what he heard the Prophet say about the use of the phrase, ‘it is claimed’. He answered: "Foul it is as a man’s mount." (Related by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, Abu Dawood and Ahmad).
This Hadith refers to the frequent practice of some people when they want to report something of which they are unsure, or they want to disclaim responsibility for what they want to say. Hence, they begin by this phrase, ‘it is claimed’, so as to appear to be uncommitted to what follows. People often do this when they realize that what they are communicating is untrue. Thus, they use the phrase as a cover up for their lies.
What such a person seeks is to have something to fall back on, should his lies be discovered. In this case, when he is questioned about what he alleged, he would say that he only reported what he had heard from someone else and that he did not even report it with any assertion, but left the matter subject to questioning by only saying that it was claimed. Thus, he finds his defense easy and escapes any charge of lying, while he knows in the first place the falsehood he is trying to spread.
This is different from using the phrase when one is certain of what he is stating, attributing the statement to someone he names. Thus, he would start by naming his source and says that that person claims. This is merely a way of reporting. It tells us that there is nothing wrong with the phrase making a claim. It is the way people use it that may land them in trouble as they would be spreading rumors or repeating what is untrue.
We may note how the Prophet compares the phrase, ‘it is claimed’, to a person’s mount. He prepares his mount and rides it when he wants to go to a particular place. Such preparation takes place before he starts his journey. Similarly, ‘it is claimed’ serves as a preparation for making the false claim. Hence, the Prophet describes it as a foul mount.