Loading...
Loading...
Chapter 332 of 5614 min read
حديث واثلة (تتمة)
Indeed, responding to bad character with good character is one of the greatest ways to bring the hearts of individuals together. Allah says in the Quran, . t>.:JT 1;G ' . ..:..;J " ழ .,1ਭ D#T ્;: # .1\ -gj L.;J\ t>J ·.--; -gj / @ '-' .... l.S; .... \..... .... ,; "The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel [the evil] with [a deed] that is better. [If you do that] then verily he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend" (Fussilat 34).3 The third category is good behavior toward one's own soul.4 A person's soul has a right upon him to treat it kindly and to do what is best for it. A person should do what he can to keep his soul from being destroyed. This is achieved by exerting oneself to do what is pleasing to the Lord. An important aspect is to seek and attain knowledge necessary to know the Straight Path. The fourth category is good behavior toward all other living creatures on earth as well as all that Allah has placed on this earth. The behavior toward 1 This is the heading that ibn Uthaimeen (Makaarim, p. 22) has given this concept. As was discussed in the commentary to Hadith Number 19, it is obligatory to bear with patience what Allah has decreed for a person. But it is even better to accept with pleasure what Allah has decreed for a person. For more details, see the previous discussion. 2 This category can be further divided into what is obligatory and what is recommended. Many of the aspects that fall under this category are discussed in the commentaries to other hadith of this collection, in particular Hadith Number 15. 3 That verse is stating a general principle that may not occur at an times, as the verse following it clearly demonstrates. 4 It is strange that ibn Uthaimeen did not discuss this third category at all. Taataay (p. 227) mentioned it but just in passing. Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi these creatures is closely related to one's behavior toward Allah and even other humans. This fact was not lost on the early Muslims as can be seen in the statement of al-Fudhail ibn Iyaadh, "By Allah, it is not allowed for you to harm a dog or a pig without just cause, how then can you harm a Muslim?"1 Al-Ruhaili states that the one who is closest to Allah will also be the one who is furthest away from doing wrong to any of Allah's creation. If one behaves in a good manner toward Allah, he should then behave in a good manner toward all of Allah's creation, as Allah has not created anything without a purpose or a wisdom to it. Al-Ruhaili gives the following guidelines with respect to how one should treat animals and other creation of Allah. First, one must abide by the laws of Allah and must behave properly without doing any wrong to any part of the creation. Second, one must use them and benefit from them only in ways that are permitted by the shareeah, without any excess or extreme. Third, if one must interact with such creations of Allah, he must learn how he is supposed to behave toward that creation according to the shareeah. Fourth, the person must have a strong feeling that such creatures or creation are all part of the creation of Allah and that, in general, they must be considered things that are submitting to Allah and His purpose. He must realize that Allah has said about these other parts of His creation, ., J ,.. .,,., / ,., J ,., ,,. c:/ .. ' dz 'j\ ૌ, J.. ® 0IJ 4 2j J:'j.'jlj '·":.:11 ¨if.:.: I\ c:/ .. '; ,,,. !; ǭ \,..::> ,,,. !; ,,.. / ಠ .... / / JI. \)ોa.l_l , ǭ , .... .... , I"""' J S \ ., J ,.. • / .... J ,,.. ..... ઊt - " . " 1...4.J .!J ' " . . ೂ f ' . ./'--' ;" r-"' ಙ ಚ ", , " ?' -....:_).,r:y.. ;)../ "But no, by your Lord, they have no faith until they make you (0 Muhammad] judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions and they submit to them with a full submission" (al Nisaa 65). The third category concerns deeds that are neither clearly righteous nor clearly sinful. In these cases, the person has to determine whether he should or should not perform such an act. This is where the principle stated in this hadith comes into play. In these matters, the act would be considered proper if the believer did not feel any hardship in his soul concerning the act and if he did not mind if people witnessed him performing that act. However, if his heart was uneasy with the act, this would be a sign that it is sinful.