In today’s digital world, people often judge others too quickly. A short video, one post, or a single comment can shape opinions about someone’s character. Society is becoming like “instant judges,” deciding right or wrong from limited information.

This behavior, in both psychology and religion, comes from one main issue: prejudice. The Qur’an warns about this in Surah Al-Hujurat, verse 12:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱجْتَنِبُوا۟ كَثِيرًۭا مِّنَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِثْمٌۭ ۖ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا۟ وَلَا يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًا ۚ أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًۭا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ تَوَّابٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ ١٢

“O believers! Avoid many suspicions, ˹for˺ indeed, some suspicions are sinful. And do not spy, nor backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of their dead brother? You would despise that! And fear Allah. Surely Allah is ˹the˺ Accepter of Repentance, Most Merciful.”

This verse is more than an ethical rule. It also protects mental health, spiritual well-being, and social harmony, teaching believers how to treat others with care.

Prejudice vs. Suudzon

In Western psychology, prejudice is a negative attitude toward individuals or groups. It often involves stereotypes, unfair judgments, or discrimination. Prejudice can affect personal relationships and even group interactions.

In Islam, a similar concept is called suudzon, which means thinking badly of others. Suudzon is sinful and harmful—it begins in the heart and can affect both actions and spiritual life. The word suudzon comes from Arabic, combining “su’u” (سوء) meaning bad, and “dzon” (ظن) meaning assumption or suspicion. In Islam, suudzon refers to having negative assumptions or thinking ill of others without strong or clear evidence. According to the book Belajar Aqidah Akhlak by Muhammad Asroruddin Al Jumhuri, suudzon is a mindset that always views things negatively, as if there is no goodness at all. It is also accompanied by an attitude of considering others as inferior to oneself. (Samodra, 2025)

Both prejudice and suudzon start with negative thoughts about others. Prejudice may involve thinking less of someone or expressing negative feelings. Suudzon involves always seeing the bad, feeling superior, and ignoring others’ perspectives.

The difference is in the impact. Prejudice mainly affects social life. Suudzon harms both social and spiritual life, lowering spiritual gains, breaking trust, and damaging relationships with Allah and other people. (Elfariani, 2019)

Unfounded Suspicion

Ibn Kathir explains that the Qur’an warns against suspicion without clear reason. People should avoid doubting others without evidence, even family and friends:

“Allah the Exalted forbids His faithful servants from being suspicious, which includes having doubts and suspicions about the conduct of one’s family, relatives and other people in general. Therefore, Muslims are to avoid suspicion without foundation.”

Umar bin Al-Khattab added:

“Never think ill of the word that comes out of your believing brother’s mouth, as long as you can find a good excuse for it.”

A hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ shows how far suspicion can lead:

«إِيَّاكُمْ وَالظَّنَّ فَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ أَكْذَبُ الْحَدِيثِ، وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا وَلَا تَحَسَّسُوا، وَلَا تَنَافَسُوا وَلَا تَحَاسَدُوا، وَلَا تَبَاغَضُوا وَلَا تَدَابَرُوا، وَكُونُوا عِبَادَ اللهِ إِخْوَانًا»
(Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the worst of false tales; do not spy on one another; do not look for others’ faults; do not be jealous or envy others; do not hate or desert one another. Be brothers!)

This shows that unfounded suspicion can lead to spying, jealousy, hatred, and broken relationships. Islam encourages trust, clarification, and a positive view of others.

Social and Spiritual Effects

Prejudice and suudzon can damage relationships between people. Those who habitually judge others negatively without reason may lose the trust of those around them. This can lead to conflict, poor communication, and hardened hearts. In Islam, suudzon also has spiritual consequences. It can become the beginning of other sins, such as ghibah (gossip) and tajassus (spying), and can harm the heart. Therefore, the prohibition in Surah Al-Hujurat, verse 12, is not just about good manners, it also protects the heart and social relationships.

Conclusion

Prejudice affects social life. Suudzon goes deeper, affecting the heart and spiritual life. Surah Al-Hujurat, verse 12, teaches believers to base relationships on trust, understanding, and positive intentions—not assumptions.

In today’s fast-paced digital world, this verse reminds us to think carefully before judging others. Verify facts, understand the context, and be cautious. Doing so prevents both social and spiritual harm caused by unfounded suspicion.

References:

Surah Al-Hujurat – 12 – Quran.com. (n.d.). Quran.com. https://quran.com/al-hujurat/12 

Elfariani, I. (2019). Prasangka dan suudzon: Sebuah analisa komparatif dari perspektif psikologi Barat dan psikologi Islam. Jurnal Psikologi Terapan (JPT), 2(1), 1.

Samodra, F. P. (2025, July 5). Memahami Suudzon, Penyakit Hati yang Harus Dijauhi. liputan6.com. https://www.liputan6.com/islami/read/6096905/memahami-suudzon-penyakit-hati-yang-harus-dijauhi