Ramadan Reminders; Day 20

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu! :)

May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah swt be upon you!

Daily Reminder 20:

Subhan Allah it’s been 20 days since we began fasting and it hardly seems like a week! 

This passage of time sometimes freaks me out. It makes me realise that we don’t have much time left to prepare for our meeting with the Lord! Every day is a precious gift from Allah swt which most of us fail to appreciate.

And yet our Lord, The Most Merciful of the merciful, The Best of all those who show mercy and The Most Generous Rabb has allowed us to enter the final and the most important lap of this month! Alhamdullilah.

We should be striving to make these 10 days better than the previous 20. We must double up on our Ibadah, Dhikr, Istaghfar and Dua! 

Our hearts must constantly beg Allah swt for forgiveness and to protect us from the Horrors of the Grave, The Judgement Day and the Hell Fire. And our souls should be longing to meet its Creator! 

Allah swt extends the period of His slave in this Dunya for 2 reasons:

One, by allowing our souls and bodies to rise up every morning, Allah gives us another chance to seek His forgiveness for our sins, repent to Him and to take a step closer to earning His pleasure.

Two, He prolongs the life of His slave so that he accumulates his sins for which he can be punished severely after his death. 

We should be asking ourselves - Which category do we want to fall into...?

Verse of the Day:

Juz: 20

Surah: Al Ankabut

Verse: 6

وَمَن جَاهَدَ فَإِنَّمَا يُجَاهِدُ لِنَفْسِهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعَالَمِينَ

“And whoever strives only strives for [the benefit of] himself. Indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds.”

During an affliction or a trial, Allah swt asks His believing slaves to observe patience through Salah and to have complete faith in His Decree. Why? Why should we glorify Allah when we’re in trouble? 

Recently, one of our Muslim brothers passed away leaving behind a story that continues to inspire Muslims and others throughout the world. He called his affliction a blessing. Why? Why did each of his sentence praise and thank Allah swt?

That’s because our striving, our patience, our tongue that glorifies Allah swt in all circumstances is going to benefit us, not Allah!

It is we human beings who have needs and desires and it is us who are forgetful. Sometimes we forget about the obligations of our Lord and pursue our desires even though they maybe disliked by Allah. When we get distracted by the glitters of this world and temptations start to lure us, Allah swt sends down an affliction upon us.

The hardships we face are in fact a blessing from Allah swt. Our sins need to be cleansed. Either in this Dunya through our trials or in the Akhirah through the fire. So the afflictions we face in this Dunya either wipes off our sins or raises our status in the Hereafter or both!

So when you’re going through a trial or sickness or anything that causes you the smallest amount of pain (it could also be a muscle pull!), strive with patience and Imaan. Not with the intention that you’re doing it FOR Allah but you’re enduring for the SAKE OF Allah!

Allah does not need us, not even the smallest bit. There are His creations who do the Tasbeeh 24x7. The colonies of ants that are insignificant and that you can destroy within seconds are in fact nations that glorify Allah swt [Sahih Bukhari].

Even if we don’t praise Him, it’s not going to affect His grandeur because He is already being praised by the smallest to the largest of creations.

And trials are a part of every individual’s life. Each person has a different method of dealing with them. But if we bear through our problems patiently for the sake of Allah, to please Him, He will lift that problem from our lives, fulfil our needs, forgive our shortcomings and also reward us without measure in this world and the Hereafter! 

Sunnah Challenge 20:

The best of the manners can be learned from our Rasulullah (saws) and one of the Sunnah which we must try to follow is to rinse the mouth after having milk!

Ibn Abbas (ra) narrated the Prophet (saws) drank some milk then called for some water. Once he got the water he rinsed his mouth then said, “It has fat.”

[Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim]

Scientific studies have also shown that milk contains lactose, which when stayed on the teeth for a long period of time causes cavities due to the sugar present in the lactose!

How beautiful is the Sunnah! Which benefits us in so many amazing ways! 

Assalam Alaykum.

Ramadan Reminders; Day 19

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu! :)

May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah swt be upon you!

Daily Reminder 19:

I’m sure you would’ve definitely come across the Hadith of Rasulullah (saws) in At-Tirmidhi;

“Whoever gives iftaar to one who is fasting will have a reward like his, without that detracting from the reward of the fasting person in the slightest.”

Some of us have mistaken this Hadith to be indicating towards “Iftaar parties”. 

No, I’m not being a Haram Police but think about all the time people spend for an Iftaar party. 

The ladies spend hours in the kitchen, preparing meals that are up to their “standards” and tasting every dish at least 2-3 times, yelling at the kids to clean up the house, getting dressed for the guests and spending the last few precious minutes before Iftar discussing about who’s got the laziest kids at home! 

We see this practice is so common in most of the Muslim families. This is not what the Hadith meant! Wasting food and time is against the Sunnah and the Quran! This is not what’s going to earn you Ajr!

Ibn Umar (ra) would break open his fast with the orphans, poor and the needy!

If our Iftaar parties are less complex, the hosts and guests don’t dress up like they’re off for a wedding and the families encourage each other in remembering Allah or asking the kids to recite Duas, then I’m totally up for one! 

This brings families closer and the act of remembering Allah swt in a group is far more superior than any last minute gossip. 

Breaking open a fast for a person is one of the noblest acts in our Deen. Let’s not ruin the sanctity of it by incorporating “societal norms”.

Verse of the Day:

Juz: 19

Surah: Al Furqan

Verse: 30

وَقَالَ الرَّسُولُ يَا رَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِي اتَّخَذُوا هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ مَهْجُورًا

And the Messenger has said, “O my Lord, indeed my people have taken this Qur'an as [a thing] abandoned.”

Can you imagine on the Day of Judgement, Rasulullah (saws) will complain to Allah swt regarding people who abandoned the Quran in this Dunya? They never gave the Quran the importance it deserves and they never took any heed from it! The Quran was never on their list of priorities. The Book of Allah was merely an art on their shelves.

Subhan Allah think about it. If not for Ramadan, how often do we pick the Quran? How long does it take for us to complete one recitation of the entire Quran? How many times have we tried to understand this Book? Has it ever happened that we read an ayah and it has made us cry? How close is our relationship with the Book of Allah? Do we truly acknowledge the fact that this Book is a Miracle of Allah swt? 

If the answer is ‘no’ or ‘maybe’ or even a ‘yes’ with the slightest hesitation, we’re in trouble! 

The Prophet (saws) said: “The Quran is an intercessor and one whose intercession shall be accepted. It will argue on behalf of those who read it and it will be confirmed. Whoever places the Quran before himself, the Quran will lead him to paradise. And whoever places the Quran behind his back, it will drive him to hell fire.”

[As Silsilah As Saheehah]

Let me break it down for you.

One, if we recite the Quran often and frequently, understand its verses and abide by this Book for the sake of Allah swt, it will take us to Jannah, no matter what! On the Day of Judgement when we will be in desperate needs of good deeds to make our scale heavy, the Quran will come as our saviour. And this plead of the Quran will never be rejected. Subhan Allah! 

On the other hand, if we neglect the Quran, we don’t make an effort to understand the depth in every word and every ayah and we don’t follow the instructions laid down by Allah swt, the Quran will not stop until it makes sure that the person enters the Hell fire!

Let us make every effort to build a strong relationship with the Quran and make this Miracle of Allah swt a priority in our lives. 

No matter if we have exams or we’re overloaded with assignments and worldly tasks, let’s recite the Quran every day and understand what we’re reciting about. Even if it is just one ayah in a day! Let’s not put the Quran behind our backs and let it take the front seat in our lives.

Because once we start creating a distance between us and the Book of Allah, it will be extremely difficult to hold it back again. This gap will only increase and it’ll be in the next Ramadan when we’ll be lifting this Book again! 

Remember, if we don’t fulfil the rights or the Haqq of the Quran then the one who delivered this Quran to us will be speaking against us on the Day of Judgement.

May Allah swt make us among those who constantly pick up the Quran, recite the Glorious Words of Allah swt, ponder over its message and spread the knowledge of His Book to those around us! Ameen. 

Sunnah Challenge 19:

What makes a person's Dua worthy, and likely of acceptance?

It is praising our Lord, the Greatest, before asking any Dua.

There is this long list of Duas that we ask Allah.. But we feel most of it is not answered.. Why? 

Most of the times, we make our Duas a repetitive chore, losing the very essence and purpose of asking Allah swt itself! We are so hasty in finishing off our Duas to rush to our jobs of Dunya, without a word of praise to the One who Provides it all!! 

Fadalah bin ‘Ubaid narrated:

“While the Messenger of Allah (saws) was seated, a man entered and performed Salat, and he said: ‘O Allah, forgive me, and have mercy upon me.’ The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: ‘You have rushed, O praying person. When you perform Salat and then sit, then praise Allah with what He is deserving of, and send Salat upon me, then call upon Him.’” He said: “Then another man performed Salat after that, so he praised Allah and sent Salat upon the Prophet (saws). The Prophet (saws) said to him: ‘O praying person! Supplicate, and you shall be answered.’”

There are so many ways of praising Allah, we can invoke Him with His most Beautiful names and attributes.. He is the Creator and Sustainer of this Universe, and The most worthy and deserving of all the praise!

Let us remind ourselves to praise Allah, before every Dua that we make, ask for good and put our complete faith and trust in Him alone for acceptance.. May Allah make it easy for all of us!

Ramadan Reminders; Day 18

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu! :)

May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah swt be upon you!

Daily Reminder 18:

 Since the past few years, crimes and oppression against the Muslims has dramatically increased all over the world. 

Everyday our Facebook feed is filled with such incidents - somebody has been kidnapped, someone killed, a place has been bombed and so on. 

Our eyes and ears are so accustomed to such news that our hearts now have become immune to the catastrophe of the Muslim community.

A couple of shares and Duas on Facebook or Instagram or Twitter status and we feel we’re done with our job.

Do you know what’s really going to help their situation? Our heartfelt Duas! Duas that are not just said by the tongue but Duas that come from a heart which is hurt and cries for its Muslim brothers and sisters! 

Also, these days majority of the Muslim youth are deviated from their Deen because they’ve been into depression and to temporary heal their scars, they’ve resorted to music and zina; acts of indecency.

Their hearts have been chained by fitnah and it only gets stronger with every whispering of the shaytan. It has killed their guilt and inner conscience. And sadly they don’t even realise that they’ve turned into slaves of their desires, slaves of the worst creature - shaytan. 

These young Muslims will become parents one day. And if they don’t instil the love and fear of Allah in the hearts of their children, who will? 

Where will the Muslim families, the Muslim community, the Ummah of Rasulullah (saws) head to?! 

May Allah swt bestow His Mercy and Hidayah upon all the Muslims around the world. May He swt cure the sick, provide comfort to the broken hearts in His remembrance, grant Sabr to the oppressed and bless them with all the happiness and peace in Jannah al Firdous! Ameen. 

Verse of the Day:

Juz: 18

Surah: Al – Mu’minun

Verse: 96

ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ السَّيِّئَةَ ۚ نَحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَصِفُونَ

“Repel, by [means of] what is best, [their] evil. We are most knowing of what they describe.”

Repelling evil with good is often understood in terms of someone being extremely harsh and unjust to you and instead of reacting severely, you are calm and kind towards them.

Especially because the above verse was revealed to the Prophet (saws) in the same context. Rasulullah (saws) had to face persecution and insults at the hands of his own people for almost the first 13 years of his Prophethood in Makkah. Yet when the Muslims conquered Makkah, he (saws) forgave all the inhabitants including those who harmed Islam and killed many Muslims. 

It is the mercy of Allah swt that we are not subjected to such vile treatments. And for those of the Muslim brothers and sisters, who are being looked down upon because of the Hijab they wear or the kind of words they speak, don’t let that be the reason you stare back at those people.

Often times, when we’ve faced a bad day or been hurt or angry, we vent out our frustration on those who were not even slightly responsible for what we went through, let alone make offensive expressions to the ones responsible. 

This only makes our hearts cringe, we feed our soul with negative emotions and our minds are occupied with the ‘ifs’ and ‘whys’ of the situation.

To repel evil with good is to also convert every ill feeling into a benevolent one. 

If you find someone’s behaviour irritating and their words bother you, you don’t need to bring your emotions on to your face. Instead, smile and make a short Dua for them in your hearts for the sake of Allah. This will not only change your mood instantly but you will also feel proud and amazed at yourself! This is also repelling evil with the best.

When you feel that your parents or siblings are running on to your last nerves, don’t retort by saying even “Wait!!” Instead, ask yourself if you would have survived without your parents or your monstrous siblings. Do you think you could do without their help, support, care and the silly pranks and innocence of your siblings? Never.

Thank Allah swt for these priceless gifts and ask Him to give you Sabr! And make Dua to Him to keep your family safe and in good health.

Or when you did commit a deed that makes you feel guilty, follow it up with a good deed. Make your parents laugh, tickle your siblings, recite the Quran or the Adhkaar, make Dua for someone or smile at the aunty next to you in the Masjid, it could be anything! 

These are few instances when you can live by this verse of the Quran in your everyday life, In sha Allah!

You will not realise how enlightening and peaceful it is to embrace positivity and humility unless you start practicing it in your lives. 

Sunnah Challenge 18:

 

As we have completed about two thirds of Ramadan, we would have been asking for so much continuously from Allah swt! We would have asked Allah for so much from this Dunya, and the Akhirah.

But how can we know if someone else is making dua for us too?

Even if we don't come to know that, we can know when the ANGELS make Dua for us!

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said, “The supplication of a Muslim for his brother in his absence will certainly be answered. Every time he makes a supplication for good for his brother, the angel appointed for this particular task says: ‘Ameen! May it be for you, too’.” 

[Sahih Muslim].

How often do we really include our brothers and sisters in our prayers..?

Sometimes we ask Allah for good, and Allah may not be giving us the answer that we need. How about we wish the same good for another person? 

How amazing would it be, knowing that angel too is asking Dua for us at the same time?

Assalam Alaykum.

Ramadan Reminders; Day 17

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu! :)

May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah swt be upon you!

Daily Reminder 17:

It is an undeniable truth that majority of the Muslims spend… or rather waste an enormous amount of money, time and energy in selecting their Eid outfits. They spend over a 1000 bucks just on one part of their clothing. If they are females, there’s a huge list which includes new make-up kit, accessories, shoes and bags and what not! (I’ve actually seen this happen and it bothers me alot!)

First and foremost, I don’t know who came up with the idea of “wearing new dress for Eid is a must!” That’s not even in the Sunnah!

It was narrated that Jabir (ra) said: “The Prophet (saws) had a cloak which he would wear on the two Eids and on Fridays.”

[Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, 1756]

You don’t necessarily HAVE TO buy new clothes before Eid. If you probably have a dress that you haven’t worn much or you haven’t worn at all, you can use it now.

Unfortunately these days, the more expensive and branded one’s Eid dress is, the more stones and gems on a woman’s earrings, the more compliments they receive and this leads to that person thinking high of themselves. 

Arrogance, pride and wastage are one of the things that Allah swt absolutely HATES!

After a great deal of Sabr and Ibadah in this month, do you want your efforts to go down the drain and also start accumulating sins immediately after Ramadan…? 

No sane person would ever wish for that!

But… our Deen is also liberal and if you do want to adorn yourself by staying in the limits; 

-NO wastage, 

-NO exposing your beauty to non-Mahram and 

-NO showing off,

You have all the freedom to do so! :)

But make sure you get the shopping done before the last 10 nights of Ramadan begin. The time you could be spending in the worship of Allah and getting all your past sins forgiven, you’d be spending it in the malls or boutiques!

Needless to say, they are the most crucial and you definitely don’t want to miss out on your Ibadah in any of those nights. 

Verse of the Day:

Juz: 17

Surah: Al Anbiya

Verse: 83

وَأَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُ أَنِّي مَسَّنِيَ الضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ

And [mention] Job, when he called to his Lord, “Indeed, adversity has touched me, and you are the Most Merciful of the merciful.”

For some of us, there are problems that affects us mentally and emotionally. And for the others, there are few things that we need desperately. We look for all the times of acceptance of Duas and we make sure that we seek Allah’s help at such times.

We get so lost into our problems and needs that we forget about some of the qualities and attributes of Allah swt. We only remember that He is Al Mujeeb (The One who responds) and Al Kareem (The Generous) and Ar Rahman Ar Rahim (The Entirely Merciful and The Especially Merciful).

But Allah swt is also أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ! The Most Merciful of all those who show mercy. It’s like saying “The best of the best”.

Meaning, your parents are merciful towards you even before you were born. They looked after you and love you the most even though you’ve pooped and peed and puked on them! 

If our parents love crosses all boundaries then Allah’s love for us knows no boundaries! There is no limit to Allah’s mercy, love, care and protection over us. 

Which is exactly why Ayyub (as) calls upon Allah with His Best Attributes!

We all know the story of Ayyub (as) and the long years of trials he had to endure. Instead of asking Allah swt to cure him or to ease his suffering, He just placed his situation in front of Allah and testified that there is nobody in the Heavens and the earth who is more merciful than Allah!

Talk about trust in Allah swt!

What about Yunus (as)? When he was in the darkness of the night in the darkness of the ocean in the darkness of a whale’s belly, he only said;

لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ

“There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.”

And Allah swt heard the Dua of Yunus (as) from under the various levels of darkness!

Why? Because He is أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِينَ, The Most Merciful of the merciful! 

My experience with the Quran so far has brought about the biggest chances in my life especially in my thoughts. I can say I’ve gotten to know Allah swt better now. And because of that, my trust and love for Allah swt has increased to another level, Alhamdullilah.

And as a person who has seen only positive changes through building a stronger relationship with Allah, I can attest that there is no trial or hardship or sickness that we face, except it is a mercy from Allah swt. It is a chance for us to purify our sins and elevate our status in this Dunya and the Hereafter. It is also meant to instill Sabr and Taqwa in our hearts. 

So now when I have to endure any trial, I only thank Allah swt, ask Him to purify me and bring goodness into my life through these trials.

I swear I’ve never felt this peace and contentment before! Subhan Allah! 

Sunnah Challenge 17:

Islam is such a beautiful religion that takes care of every minor and major things that we do in life. Even a basic act such as eating comes with etiquettes to follow from the footsteps of our Prophet (saws)!

Alhamdulillah, for many of us are blessed with food which can much more than sustain us. Yet we complain. When a food is brought to us with much effort, we don't think even once before criticizing it!

Narrated Abu Huraira (ra): The Prophet never criticized any food (he was invited to) but he used to eat if he liked the food, and leave it if he disliked. 

[Sahih Bukhari]

Such was Rasulullah (saws)! And where do we stand?

Let us keep in mind to appreciate the blessings of Allah at all times, for many are not blessed even with the food which we easily dislike. If we don't like the food, remember to not criticize and be quiet.

Assalam Alaykum.

Ramadan Reminders; Day 16

Assalam Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu! :)

May the peace, mercy and blessings of Allah swt be upon you!

Daily Reminder 16:

Islam not only focuses on establishing harmony among communities and promoting peace and brotherhood but it also provides a logical step for stabilising a community economically. 

This is where Zakah comes into action.

As in our knowledge, Zakah is the 2nd pillar of Islam. Which is why in the Quran, whenever there is an order of offering Salah, the obligation of Zakah follows it.

The Arabic word “Zakah” itself means “to purify”. As Allah (swt) says in the Quran [Surah At Tawbah, v.103];

“Take from their wealth so that you may purify and sanctify them.”

Zakah is not only a means of purifying the halal income, but it is also a means of the expiation of minor sins. As is the Hadith of Prophet (saws); 

“Charity extinguishes sin as water extinguished fire.” 

[At Tirmidhi]

Wealth is one of those things that can blind an individual, be it a Muslim or a non-Muslim. By parting away with a portion of our wealth, it is a reminder that money shouldn’t be what we run after. 

Our provision is given to us by The Provider, the Razzaq! The means of earning it are definitely different. But we only receive the rizq which Allah, The Razzaq has written for us. 

So there shouldn’t be any hesitation or guilt in spending only a small portion of that rizq for the needy. 

In fact the more you give, the more you receive, the higher is your status in this Dunya and the Aakhirah and the best of all, you please Allah (swt)! Alhamdullilah. 

So let’s spend generously for the sake and for the Deen of Allah not only in this month but also throughout the year In sha Allah.

May Allah (swt) detach our hearts from the materialistic possessions and attach our hearts to that which brings it true peace and tranquility! Ameen.

Verse of the Day:

Juz: 16

Surah: Taha

Verse: 130

فَاصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ غُرُوبِهَا ۖ وَمِنْ آنَاءِ اللَّيْلِ فَسَبِّحْ وَأَطْرَافَ النَّهَارِ لَعَلَّكَ تَرْضَىٰ

“So be patient over what they say and exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting; and during periods of the night [exalt Him] and at the ends of the day, that you may be satisfied.”

What are the things we usually do to satisfy ourselves?

After a loooong and dreaded week at work, hang out with our friends and chill over cold coffee or binge eat the junk right…?

When your exams are done, you ask your mom to not wake you up early the next morning because that extra sleep is what gives you pleasure, isn’t that so?

Or simply go on an ice-cream spree after experiencing extreme heat because that’s what calms you down right…?

If say these things are not what truly gives us satisfaction, I may be inviting haters over my blog “:P”. So in my opinion having fun, relaxing and chilling is fine every once in a while. 

But to totally depend on them for achieving a peace of mind is not right. That’s not what’s going to heal your damaged and worn out heart.

Since every part of our body is a gift and a creation of Allah, the remedy to every problem faced by our body and our soul lies only with Allah swt. And He has already provided the cure in His Book!

What is the cure? It is the Tasbeeh.

Praise Allah and glorify Him. Because Allah swt is The Greatest, He alone has control over everything, even a single grain of sand. Without His Will, not even the sun or the moon or the stars or the wind can change their direction. He is The One who holds the key to all our problems, The One who can truly take us out of our difficulties and grant us ease. Where? In this world and the Akhirah!

His remembrance can turn every negative or ill feeling into a positive one. His love and fear can melt even the hardest hearts and make them tremble. 

When do we do Tasbih? Well, whenever you can and whenever you want to. :)

Starting from the time you begin your day to the time you rest your body, recite the Tasbih (Subhan Allah), Tahmeed (Alhamdullilah), Tahleel (La ilaha illa Allah) and Takbeer (Allahu Akbar). 

Instead of worrying about your sustenance or how your day is going to turn out, engage in constant Dhikr. Because when these Adhkaar become a habit, Allah swt says لَعَلَّكَ تَرْضَىٰ! Which means you will be pleased, you will find contentment and happiness not only in this world but most importantly, in the Akhirah as well!

May Allah (swt) help us engage in His Dhikr, turn every negative into multiple positives in our lives and keep us safe and away from everything that can harm our souls and bodies! Ameen. 

Sunnah Challenge 16:

One of the most common sins of the tongue we knowingly or unknowingly commit is backbiting. 

And how many times we realize what we have done until it is too late, or reaches the concerned person?! 

Backbiting in Islam is regarded as Haraam and described in the Quran as equivalent to “eating the flesh of his own dead brother”. 

What do we do when we backbited, and now we regret it?

We ask Allah swt for forgiveness for that person, and MAKE DUA for them! We must also be sure that we speak good of the person just as much as the bad we spoke about them. 

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (ra) said: The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “Whoever has wronged his brother with regard to his honour or anything else, let him seek his forgiveness today, before there will be no dinar and no dirham, and if he has any good deeds to his credit they will be taken from him in a manner commensurate with the wrong he did, and if he has no good deeds, then some of his counterpart’s bad deeds will be taken and added to his burden.” 

[Sahih Bukhaari]

Does anyone want to lose their ajr barely because of a few words of another person?

Imagine having no deeds, and just having sins added on upon us, leading to a greater part in Hell! 

Sparing our tongue from backbiting is infact much easier than to go through this torment on the Day of Recompense!

(ref source : IslamQA)

Assalam Alaykum.