. J / (cont.)

Al-Qaasimi points out that one of the end results of anger, when it is not quelled or put under control, is rancor and hatred between people or al­ hiqd ( .li:JI). This may lead to a great deal of other sins, such as envy in which one hates for the other to have any good, cutting off ties of friendship or brotherhood, speaking evil about the other or backbiting the other, ridiculing or making fun of the other, injuring the other in some 1 lbn Rajab, Jaami, vol. I , p. 368-369. 2 Recorded by al-Nasaai and Ahmad. According to al-Hilaali, it is sahih. Al-Hilaali, Eeqaadh, p. 229. 3 Al-Qaaimi, Mauidhah, p. 3 14; Al-Bugha and Mistu, p. 104. Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi manner or refusing to give the other his due right, for example, if he owes him some money or he is deserving of charity and so forth. If a person allows his anger to get to this level, it means that his anger has been the cause of a number of sins and, eventually, Allah's anger. If he keeps himself from getting angry, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) advised his companion in this hadith, he may save himself from all of these possible sins.1 Summary of the Hadith • A Muslim must realize the petty nature of most of the things that he gets angry about. He must weigh getting angry with pleasing Allah. This will keep him from getting angry, Allah willing. • A Muslim must remain away from those things that usually lead him to get angry. • A Muslim must not act upon his anger when he gets angry. Instead, he should follow those means that will extinguish his anger. 1 Cf., al-Qaasimi, Mauidhah, p. 3 19. Hadith #1 7: "Verily, Allah has prescribed excellence ... " Hadith #1 7 "Verily, Allah has prescribed excellence . . . " "' ,,,. / ,,,. Jì) :f i .iil ࠫ) ࠬji J. él:U ࠩ "'i :f .... ' .... ,,,. .... ... .... '° '° .... .... "1 ,.., "1 "1 '° l࣌ L:...;.!1 ਻ ill I J\i '.:._L,' Ǧ llJI l',.. 4.ll 4.$"'" dž • dž ſJ .... .. ࣊ .... , , ..... .. .... ,,,. ,,,. ,,,. ,...,,,. ,,,. ,,,. .... "' J 1;,_;..tt Þ 1 1J ßI 1;,_;..tt à I á :, l>lj Ű '1\j J:L,jƜ Mt :&\ jl ... It..> ࢶ.. 1 . ,,.. ,,.. ;,. ;,. / ;,. ,,,. / ... ,,.. ... ,,,. ,,,. ;;i ,,,. J. ;;i / J .J. w "',., @,., SJণ.u ѹ Ѻ 1j 1j "Verily, Allah enjoins al-adl ('justice') and al-Ihsaan, and giving help to kith and kin, and forbids all evil lewd deeds and sinful acts and all kinds of oppression. He admonishes you, that you may take heed" (al-Nahl 90). There are a number of narrations concerning the meaning of the words al-adl and al-ihsaan in this verse. What al-adl seems to imply is justice and equity, giving everyone his due rights and not wronging or oppressing anyone. Al-Ihsaan, then, goes beyond that. It is to respond to a kind act with even more goodness or to respond to evil with forgiveness.1 Al-Raazi states that this is also in relation to the acts of worship. To perform the obligatory deeds is a kind of adl but to go beyond that to perform the voluntary deeds is al-Ihsaan. Furthermore, to perform the deeds in the best fashion and with the utmost quality is going beyond the minimum necessary and is also considered ihsaan.2 As was alluded to in the commentary on the hadith of Jibreel, Ihsaan is a very vast concept and is difficult to translate into English. It embodies both the concept of perfecting a deed in itself as well as doing excellence towards others. (In the transitive case, it will be used in connection with a Y.) The following is an excerpt from Lane's discussion of the meaning of this word, He did that which was Ǖ (meaning good, comely or pleasing; he acted well); he did a good deed; .. . ul...:.J is the contr. [opposite] of • .. t...J [to cause someone harm] ... it surpasses J.ic. [ adl, being just and equitable] inasmuch as it means the giving more than one owes, and taking less than is owed to one, whereas the latter [ J.ic.] means the giving what one owes, and taking what is owed one.