Manners in Speech

Answering criticism calmly A woman of the Banu Asad came before Abdullah ibn Masud and said to him, “I hear that you curse both the tattooer and the tattooed. But I have read the Qur’an from beginning to end, and nowhere do I find any reference to this. And besides, I wager that members of your own household have tattooing done.” Abdullah ibn Masud told her to go to his house and see for herself. She did so, but found no trace of tattooing on anyone. When she returned, Abdullah ibn Masud said to her: “Have you not read in the Qur’an that you must accept whatever the Prophet gives you, and abstain from whatever he forbids?” The lady said that she had. “Well, this is something the Prophet forbade,” said Abdullah ibn Masud. (JAMI‘ BAYAN AL-‘ILM)