Love and Hate for God’s Sake

The terms cussing (sabb); swearing (shatam); and malediction (la'n), in their truest forms, represent the totality of enmity. The appreciation of these terms and their usage has been present from the initial stages of human existence. Historically speaking, there have been individuals, who in order to show their enmity in regards to events which transpired in the past, or individuals who lived in long-ago times, have demonstrated these terms vividly in their lives. Even after the introduction of Islam, the usage and real-world practice of these terms was common and there were some individuals, who in order to express their aversion and detestation for the acts of others resorted to cussing and malediction.

As these practices were commonplace, it is important for us to analyse these terms from an Islamic perspective and to carry out an in-depth investigation into them.