Tradition

لَيْسَ مِنّا مَنْ غَشَّ مُسْلِماً أَوْ ضَرَّهُ أَوْ ما كَرَهُ

Imam al-Rida’ (‘a) is narrated to have said: “He who cheats, harms, or tricks another Muslim is not from us.”1

Brief Commentary

Those who find happiness in the dispossession of others and consider their own benefit to be in such things cannot be considered as true Muslims; rather, they cannot even be considered proper human beings. What makes human beings superior to other animals is found in their social behavior and those people who seek their benefit in the harm of others are lacking in this important human element. In some cases, people may try to harm others openly and in a direct fashion, while in other cases, they may attempt to do so quietly and in a hidden way. Islam has forbidden all such types of behavior which harm others. Imam al-Rida’ (‘a) has said: “I am a stranger to those who commit such actions.”

• 1. Safinat al-Bihar, Chapter about Ghash (adulteration).