Are YOU a cannibal?

She looked straight into the eyes of her latest victim. She drank every drop of information like a blood thirsty vampire as her dear friend poured her heart out about her impending divorce as well as her husband’s infertility issues. The expression on her face was that of sympathy and care but her heart danced with delight at the news as she quickly called her sister to indulge in eating the flesh of her best friend. Are You a Cannibal?

He walked towards his car ready to leave the office when he noticed his manager in the parking area so with a smirk on his face he decided to share a piece of his collegues flesh with his manager. The timing was perfect as it was just the two of them and he wanted that upcoming promotion so desperately that he blatantly slandered his collegues. Are you a Cannibal?

She loved her husband and would never imagine physically harming him in any way, yet when he left for work she would visit her mother and indulge in little pieces of his flesh as she complained to her mother about his ‘nagging habits’.Are you a Cannibal?

He treasured his son and raised him to be an aalim, yet he was never happy with anything his son would do for him often criticizing his every move and speaking ill of him even in his presence. Once his son handed his elderly father a knife and said, ‘ rip open my heart, cut my flesh and eat it as I heard you speak ill about me behind my back.’ Are you a Cannibal?

If someone cut open the body, ripping out a piece of bloody flesh from your relative, friend, child, husband, parents or any other human being would you hungrily devour it as if you were eating a delicacy? If you went to a function and they served human flesh would you sit at that fancy table and enjoy the meal with your family? Would you visit your favourite restaurant if they started serving blood laden human flesh?

Why then do you gossip? Why then do you feel pleasure in indulging in a sin that Allah said is worse than adultery? Why is it so easy for your tongue to utter a word against another in their absence? Why are you eating the flesh of your loved ones?

Gossip is a sin so great that Allah has likened it to cannibalism. Cannibalism we detest, we are disgusted by the thought of it and we feel nauseous even thinking about it so ask yourself are you a Cannibal?

When you speak ill of someone in their absence, Allah commands you to ask them for forgiveness first if they find out, however gossip has become accepted and allowed in every heart, soul, tongue mind and household. Before your tongue tastes your brother or sisters flesh again reflect, think about your action and stop. Let us break this evil habit and educate our children about this type of cannibalism in Islam. Our Allah and our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) warned us that we may have no good deeds on the day of judgement as gossiping transfers our good deeds to the one whose flesh you have eaten.

May Allah grant us all the ability to stop eating the flesh of another and removing ourselves from the company of cannibals. Ameen.-

N Chhipa

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