THE PITFALLS OF RELIGIOUS DEBATES AND ARGUMENTS

Imam Ghazali RE has said that just like drinking alcohol is the root of many evils, in that it is not only a great sin in itself but also leads to many different types of sins, similarly when the intention of religious debates becomes defeating one's opponent and demonstrating superiority of one's knowledge over other people's knowledge, then it becomes a root of many evils for one's inner self which leads to many internal sins, for example, Hasad (jealousy), Bughz (harbouring ill-feelings towards others and wishing them harm), Takabbur (thinking of oneself as superior and other human beings as inferior), Gheebat (backbiting), being always preoccupied with finding faults in others, feeling happy when some harm comes to one's opponents and feeling sad if something good befalls them, refusal to accept the truth even if it becomes clear that the opponent is correct, and rather than objectively and judiciously considering what the other person is saying, just being preoccupied with responding to the argument , even if it means having to twist Quran and Hadith to fit one's argument.

Imam Malik RE said that arguing and fighting over knowledge removes the Noor (divine light) of knowledge from one's heart. Someone asked, "If someone knows the correct Sunnah (way of the Holy Prophet ﷺ) then is he allowed to fight for it?" Imam Malik RE said, "No! He should just let the other person what the truth is. If the other person accepts it, that is fine, otherwise he should become quiet about it."

From Ma'ariful Quran, Interpretation of Surah Al-Nahl, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE

THE PROPHETIC ETIQUETTE OF DA'WAH (PREACHING) PART 4

While doing Tableegh (preaching Rasool Allah ﷺ took a lot of care about not embarrassing anyone or hurting anyone's feelings. Even when he saw someone committing a sin he didn't admonish them directly but rather addressed the whole gathering saying, "What has happened to people that they indulge in doing such and such things." This way the person it was meant for also heard it and started thinking about how to abstain from that act.

From Ma'ariful Quran, Interpretation of Surah Al-Nahl, by Mufti Muhammad Safi RE

THE PROPHETIC ETIQUETTE OF DA'WAH (PREACHING) PART 3

Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Abbas RAA has said that you should become Rabbani scholars and Fuqaha (experts of Islamic jurisprudence). In Sahih Bukhari the word Rabbani was defined as that the person who takes care that when he is preaching he initially tells people to follow the simple and easy to follow commands first, and only when they have become used to the easy commands he tells them about the other commands which would have been difficult to follow to begin with, is a Rabbani scholar.

From Ma'ariful Quran, Interpretation of Surah Al-Nahl, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE

THE PROPHETIC ETIQUETTE OF DA'WAH (PREACHING) PART 2

While calling people towards Islam and educating people about Deen Rasool Allah ﷺ always took care that preaching should not become a burden for people. The Sahaba (companions of the Holy Prophet SAW) loved Rasool Allah SAW more than their own lives and there was no possibility that they would ever feel it a burden listening to Rasool Allah SAW, but even then Rasool Allah SAW didn't give a sermon daily but only preached on some days of the week so that it didn't interfere with people's work and they did not feel overburdened.

Hazrat Anas RAA has narrated that Rasool Allah SAW said: "make things easy for people, do not create difficulty for them. Give them good news about Allah's rehmat (blessing), do not make them feel hopeless, do not turn them away from religion."

From Ma'ariful Quran, Interpretation of Surah Al-Nahl, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE

THE PROPHETIC ETIQUETTE OF DA'WAH (PREACHING) PART 1

"INVITE PEOPLE TO THE WAY OF YOUR LORD WITH WISDOM AND GOOD COUNSEL. AND ARGUE WITH THEM IN THE BEST OF MANNERS...."(Translation: Surah Al-Nahl:125)

An instruction of the Holy Quran given to Sayyidna Musa and Haroon AS in Surah Taha illustrates the principle observed by the prophets when they call someone to Allah's path. (Translation: "Speak to him in gentle words, may be he takes to the advice, or fears. 20:44) Everyone who wishes to convey Allah's message to others should always keep this in mind that when Allah Ta'alah sent his Prophet to a non-believer as great as Pharaoh, who claimed to be God himself, even then he advised Hazrat Musa AS to speak softly. The people we try to convey Islam's message to today are not greater Kafirs than Pharaoh, and we are not better preachers than Hazrat Musa and Hazrat Haroon AS, so how did we get the right to speak harshly to, or disrespect, people we are trying to preach to, when Allah Ta'alah didn't give this right to even his own prophets.

From Ma'ariful Quran, Interpretation of Surah Al-Nahl, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE

TAKING A BRIBE IS BREAKING ONE'S COVENANT WITH ALLAH

Ibn Atiyyah (RE) said: If doing something is obligatory on a person, then, it is a Covenant of Allah due against him. If he asks someone for money to do what is already obligatory upon him, or doesn't do it if he doesn't get money, then he is breaking his Covenant with Allah. Similarly, if it is obligatory upon someone not to do something, and he does it after taking money from someone he is breaking the Covenant of Allah.

This leads to the conclusion that all prevailing forms of bribery are Hara'am (forbidden). When an employee receives a salary from the government it means he has entered into a Covenant with Allah Ta'alah that he will perform certain duties in exchange for that salary. If he now starts demanding money from other people for performing those duties, or does not perform his duties without getting that extra money, then he is breaking the Covenant of Allah. Similarly, if his employer does not allow him to do certain things, an he does those after taking bribe, this is also breaking the Covenant with Allah.

Abstract from Ma'ariful Quran, interpretation of Surah Al-Nahl, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE

BREAKING A PROMISE (عہد) IS HARA'AM (FORBIDDEN)

The word عہد is inclusive of all transactions, pacts and pledges the responsibility of which has been assumed verbally, whether one does or does not swear by it, and whether it relates to doing something or not doing it.

After having given a pledge or made a contract with someone, breaking it is a major sin. But, in the event it is broken, there is no Kaffarah (expiation) fixed for this purpose. Instead, it brings the punishment of the Hereafter on the offender. According to Hadith, the Holy Prophet ﷺ said that a flag shall be planted on the back of the pledge-breaker on the Day of Resurrection which will become the cause of his or her disgrace there.

Abstract from Ma'ariful Quran, interpretation of Surah Al-Nahl, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE

AL-ADL (JUSTICE) AND AL-IHSAN (BEING GOOD)

"Allah commands to do justice and be good, and to give relatives (their due)..." (Translation Surah Al-Nahl:90)

The first command in this verse is that of Al-Adl or justice, then, that of Al-Ihsan or being good. Some Tafsir (interpretation of Qur'an) authorities have said that justice means that one should give the right of the other person in full, and take what comes to him, neither less nor more; then, should someone hurt you, you hurt him only as much as he did, no more. And Ihsan or being good means that you give the other person more than his real due and, as for your own right, ignore it to the limit that you willingly accept even if it turns out to be less than due. Similarly, when someone hurts you physically or verbally, then, rather than inflict an equal retaliation against that person, you better forgive him, in fact, return the evil done by him with what is good for him. Thus the command to do justice comes in the form of what is Fard and Wajib (obligatory and necessary as duty) while the command to be good appears in the status of an act which is voluntary (Nafl)and is motivated by a well meaning desire to contribute more in the way of what is good.

Adapted from Ma'ariful Quran, interpretation of Surah Al-Nahl, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE

Imam Al-Qurtubi RE has said, "the person in whose house his cat is not fed and taken care of, and the birds in whose cage are not attended to as due, he would still not be counted as Muhsinin (محسنین), those who are good to others."

From Ma'ariful Qur'an, interpretation of Surah Al-Nahk, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE

HASAD(حسد), RIGHT OF ALLAH (HUQOOQ ALLAH) OR RIGHT OF PEOPLE (HUQOOQ-UL- IBAD)?

As has been mentioned in several earlier posts that it is easy to do Taubah (repentance) for sins that belong to the category of Rights of Allah (Huqooq-Allah), as if one asks for forgiveness sincerely and stops doing that sin those would be wiped off from his account. However, the mater of violation of rights of human beings (Huqooq-al-Iba'd) is much more serious, as Allah Ta'alah does not forgive Huqooq-al-Ibad until the person whose rights were violated forgives the perpetrator.

Regarding Hasad (حسد) (jealousy), as long as the person doing Hasad does not do anything under its influence, like doing Gheebat (غیبت) (backbiting) of the person he is jealous of, or trying to harm him in some way, until such time this degree of Hasad remains a right of Allah, and if that person asks for forgiveness sincerely his sin would be forgiven without having to ask the other person for forgiveness. However, if as a result of Hasad he does Gheebat of the other person, or takes some steps to harm him, then this degree of Hasad would enter the realm of rights of human beings (Huqooq al-Iba'ad) and Allah Ta'alah would not forgive it until the person, whose rights have been violated, has done so.

Adapted from the talk "Hasad, a major sin" by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani DB