Assalamualaikum. Is it permissible to use bad words for nafs and shaiyān? I get bad thoughts of others and I direct that to my nafs and shaitān.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
A Muslim is one who submits himself to the will of Allāh Taālā. Whatever is required from him at any time, he is ready to fulfill. However, sometimes man’s inner self (nafs) and shaitān become an obstacle between him and the Great Commands of Allāh Taālā. In relation to the inner self, it is mentioned in the Qurān:
وما ابرئ نفسي ان النفس لامارة با السوء الا ما رحم ربي
“And I do not absolve my inner self of blame. Surely man’s inner self often incites to evil, unless my Rabb shows mercy” (Qurān 12/53)
Hence we know that the nafs incites and orders man to fulfill his sinful desires. However, if efforts are made to rectify the heart by building a strong connection with Almighty Allāh, the inner self reforms. Thereafter the inner self becomes Lawwāmah, that is, it hates evil deeds, repents from them and continuously seeks forgives. And when further sacrifices and efforts are made, the inner self becomes Mutmainnah, that is, the inner self loses the very urge and desire to engage in evil and sin.
It is praiseworthy to rebuke one’s nafs and seek Allah’s protection against the whispers of shaitān. However, one should not engage himself in vulgar language at any time. In one Hadīth, Nabī Sallallāhu Alaihi Wa Sallam instructed the Sahābah to utilize the word “laqisat” (a decent word) in reference to the nafs and not the word “khabuthat”(a less decent word). [1] Commentators of Hadīth have mentioned that the Arabs used both of these words interchangeably. However, the prohibition was due to the indecency of the word
“khabuthat”. [2]
The Ulemā (scholars) have mentioned regarding shaitān that while it is permissible to curse him, there is no benefit in doing so as he is already cursed by Allāh Taālā. [3] It is wiser for us to utilize our time in the remembrance of Allāh Taālā.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mawlana Abdul Azeem bin Abdur Rahman,
Student Darul Iftaa
US
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Husain Kadodia.
www.daruliftaa.net
[1] حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلَاءِ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، كِلَاهُمَا عَنْ هِشَامٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَا يَقُولَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ خَبُثَتْ نَفْسِي، وَلَكِنْ لِيَقُلْ لَقِسَتْ نَفْسِي» هَذَا حَدِيثُ أَبِي كُرَيْبٍ وقَالَ: أَبُو بَكْرٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ «لَكِنْ» (صحيح مسلم, ج 4, ص 1765: دار إحياء التراث العربي – بيروت)
[2] وَإِنَّمَا كَرِهَ خَبُثَتْ هَرَبًا مِنْ لَفْظِ الْخُبْثِ وَالْخَبِيثِ يَعْنِي مِنَ الِاشْتِرَاكِ الْمَعْنَوِيِّ مَعَ التَّبَادُرِ إِلَى الْمَعْنَى الْقَبِيحِ. وَقَالَ شَارِحٌ: لَقِسَتْ بِالْكَسْرِ وَخَبُثَتْ أَيْ: غَثِيَتْ، وَالْعَرَبُ تَسْتَعْمِلُ كُلًّا مِنْهُمَا مَكَانَ الْآخَرِ، فَكَرِهَ النَّبِيُّ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – أَنْ يَضْرِبَ الْمُؤْمِنُ لِنَفْسِهِ مَثَلَ السَّوْءِ، وَيُضِيفَ الْخُبْثَ الَّذِي يُطْلَقُ عَلَى خَبَاثَةِ النَّفْسِ وَسُوءِ الْخُلُقِ، كَمَا يُطْلَقُ عَلَى الْغَثَيَانِ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ، وَلِذَلِكَ أُطْلِقَ عَلَى مَنْ لَمْ يَقُمْ لِصَلَاةِ اللَّيْلِ كَسَلًا وَتَهَاوُنًا: الْخُبْثُ؛ حَيْثُ قَالَ: أَصْبَحَ خَبِيثَ النَّفْسِ كَسِلَانَا ذَمًّا وَزَجْرًا لَهُ. وَقَالَ النَّوَوِيُّ: إِنَّمَا كَرِهَ لَفْظَ الْخُبْثِ لِشَنَاعَتِهِ، وَعَلَّمَهُمُ الْأَدَبَ فِي الْأَلْفَاظِ، وَاسْتِعْمَالَ أَحْسَنِهَا، وَهِجْرَانَ قَبِيحِهَا، فَإِنْ قِيلَ: قَدْ قَالَ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – فِي الَّذِي يَنَامُ عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ: ” خَبِيثَ النَّفْسِ كَسْلَانَ ” وَالْجَوَابُ أَنَّهُ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – مُخْبِرٌ هُنَاكَ عَنْ صِفَةِ غَيْرِهِ وَعَنْ شَخْصٍ مُبْهَمٍ مَذْمُومِ الْحَالِ
(مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح, ج 7, ص 3003: دار الفكر)
[3] اتحاف السادة المتقين بشرح احياء علوم الدين, ج 7, ص 488-489: دار الفكر)