One of the strongest prohibitions in the Bahá'í Faith is that against backbiting and faultfinding. Bahá'u'lláh especially stresses this principle in the Hidden Words. In the following two Hidden Words, Arabic No. 26 & 27 respectively, He strongly emphasizes how backbiting and faultfinding are abhorrent to Him, saying that such a one as is guilty of this transgression is "accursed." Bahá'u'lláh says:
Bahá'u'lláh continues this theme with Arabic Hidden Word #29. Here He takes the prohibition a little farther than in the previously quoted Hidden Words, saying not only to avoid talking about the sins of others "so long as thou art thyself a sinner" but, in addition, we should not "ascribe" to anyone what we ourselves would not like to have ascribed to us. Indeed, He makes it a "command."
In Persian Hidden Word #44, Bahá'u'lláh again puts backbiting in terms of our own selves.
"O EMIGRANTS! The tongue I have designed for the mention of Me, defile it not with detraction. If the fire of self overcome you, remember your own faults and not the faults of My creatures, inasmuch as every one of you knoweth his own self better than he knoweth others."
"O SON OF BEING! How couldst thou forget thine own faults and busy thyself with
the faults of others? Whoso doeth this is accursed of Me."
and
"O SON OF MAN! Breathe not the sins of others so long as thou art thyself a
sinner. Shouldst thou transgress this command, accursed wouldst thou be, and to
this I bear witness."
This is not a new prohibition. Indeed, other Holy Books also mention this. To illustrate this, observe how similar the above Hidden Word, No. 27, is to this passage from the Gospel of John:
"So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He
that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at
her."--[John,viii:7.]
Bahá'u'lláh continues this theme with Arabic Hidden Word #29. Here He takes the prohibition a little farther than in the previously quoted Hidden Words, saying not only to avoid talking about the sins of others "so long as thou art thyself a sinner" but, in addition, we should not "ascribe" to anyone what we ourselves would not like to have ascribed to us. Indeed, He makes it a "command."
"O SON OF BEING! Ascribe not to any soul that which thou wouldst not have
ascribed to thee, and say not that which thou doest not. This is My command unto
thee, do thou observe it."
In Persian Hidden Word #44, Bahá'u'lláh again puts backbiting in terms of our own selves.
"O COMPANION OF MY THRONE! Hear no evil, and see no evil, abase not thyself,
neither sigh and weep. Speak no evil, that thou mayest not hear it spoken unto
thee, and magnify not the faults of others that thine own faults may not appear
great; and wish not the abasement of anyone, that thine own abasement be not
exposed. Live then the days of thy life, that are less than a fleeting moment,
with thy mind stainless, thy heart unsullied, thy thoughts pure, and thy nature
sanctified, so that, free and content, thou mayest put away this mortal frame,
and repair unto the mystic paradise and abide in the eternal kingdom for
evermore."
Notice how Bahá'u'lláh in the above quoted Hidden Word also cites some of the rewards of refraining from backbiting. He says:
"Speak no evil, that thou mayest not hear it spoken unto thee, and
magnify not the faults of others that thine own faults may not appear great; and wish not the abasement of anyone, that thine own abasement be not exposed."
Isn't it a relief to know that our own faults can remain hidden. In the above Hidden Word Bahá'u'lláh also reminds us that our days here are "less than a fleeting moment". Do we really want to waste this limited time focusing our attention on the faults of others instead of correcting our own faults and serving our Lord to the best of our ability?
In the next Hidden Word, from the Persian #66, Bahá'u'lláh states unequivocally what He intends us to do with the tongues with which we have been blessed. He says:
"O EMIGRANTS! The tongue I have designed for the mention of Me, defile it not with detraction. If the fire of self overcome you, remember your own faults and not the faults of My creatures, inasmuch as every one of you knoweth his own self better than he knoweth others."
Suggested Topics for Discussion:
-- Discuss the harm backbiting causes to the teller, the hearer, and the object of the backbiting-- Discuss different ways you can handle the situation where someone is backbiting or faultfinding or gossiping--either to you or in front of you-- Discuss the benefits to everyone involved when you refuse to participate in backbiting-- Go over Persian Hidden Word #44 line by line and discuss each line of it thoroughly as to how it applies to the individual.
Suggested Prayer:
-- Discuss the harm backbiting causes to the teller, the hearer, and the object of the backbiting-- Discuss different ways you can handle the situation where someone is backbiting or faultfinding or gossiping--either to you or in front of you-- Discuss the benefits to everyone involved when you refuse to participate in backbiting-- Go over Persian Hidden Word #44 line by line and discuss each line of it thoroughly as to how it applies to the individual.
Suggested Prayer:
O God our Lord! Protect us through Thy grace from whatsoever my be repugnant unto Thee, and vouchsafe unto us that which well beseemeth Thee. Give us more out of Thy bounty, and bless us. Pardon us for the things we have done, and wash away our sins, and forgive us with Thy gracious forgiveness. Verily, Thou art the Most Exalted, the Self-Subsisting. Thy loving providence hath encompassed all created things in the heavens and on the earth, and Thy forgiveness hath surpassed the whole creation. Thine is sovereignty; in Thy hand are the Kingdoms of Creation and Revelation; in Thy right hand Thou holdest all created things, and within Thy grasp are the assigned measures of forgiveness. Thou forgivest whomsoever among Thy servants Thou pleasest. Verily, Thou art the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Loving. Nothing whatsoever escapeth Thy knowledge, and naught is there which is hidden from Thee. O God our Lord! Protect us through the potency of Thy might, enable us to enter Thy wondrous surging ocean, and grant us that which well befitteth Thee. Thou art the Sovereign Ruler, the Mighty Doer, the Exalted, the All-Loving. --The Báb
[ The Báb, Bahá'í Prayers, 1991 ed., pp. 79-80.
Music: Mana,
Reflections on the Life of the Spirit
tracks 3 (Kindly Tongue), 4 (Backbiting) and 5 (In the Highest Prayer)
When a thought of war comes, replace it with a stronger thought of peace...
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