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Countering Bad Deeds With Good Deeds - By Shaykh Ashraf Salah
Countering Bad Deeds With Good Deeds
By Shaykh Ashraf Salah
Dear Muslims:
Good conduct has a
very important role in countering the influence and outcome of misconduct. It
erases its bad impact and heals every wound and hard feeling it may have
spawned. For this reason Allah (SWT) directs His servants to return every bad
deed with a good one. He (SWT) says: "Repel evil with that which is
better." (23:96)
He (SWT) also
says:
"Repel (the
evil) with that which is better (i.e., Allah orders the faithful believers to
be patient at the time of anger, and to excuse those who treat them badly) then
verily he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he
was a close friend." (41:34)
The interpretation of this Ayah (verse)
suggests that when you extend a hand of good gesture to the person who has
wronged and insulted you, this attitude will push him to reconcile and thus
build an awe of respect and passion in his heart towards you. Then he may
become a close friend that cares about you and sympathizes with you. Requiting
misconduct with good conduct, or action, is a great virtue that only special
people can attain. They are the true servants of Allah (SWT) who took upon
themselves to control their ego and thus their anger. It takes a lot of
self-constraint for a person to force himself to not retaliate and take revenge
for himself. Consequently, this exertion of such an attitude will lead the
person to a life of happiness, satisfaction, piety and felicity in this life
and the Hereafter. This will lead to the establishment of a pious and healthy
society.
Dear Muslims:
The desire for
revenge is naturally instilled in mankind. However, if man goes against this
instinct and desire and follows the commandments of his Lord by repaying a bad
deed or conduct with a good one, he shall be among those whom Allah (SWT)
raises in status. In this regard, Allah (SWT) says praising and hailing them:
“But none is granted
it (the above quality) except those who are patient”. (41:35)
No one shall achieve this high status
except those who persevere in dealing with ill-mannered people and in
withstanding their mischief.
Allah (SWT) also
says:
"And none is granted it except the
owner of the great portion (of happiness in the Hereafter, i.e. Paradise and of a high moral character) in this world
". (41:35).
Their happiness in
this life will be the love, consideration, and attention they get from people.
You could hardly find an enemy conspiring against them. This happiness is truly
the dream of every life. As for happiness in the Hereafter, some scholars
interpreted the meaning of hathin 'atheem (The Great Fortune) as Paradise . Then the meaning of the aforementioned verse will
be that no one shall rise to the level of this great virtue except he who
deserves to be in Paradise in the Hereafter.
Dear Breothers And Sisters In Islam:
"For such,
the reward is forgiveness from their Lord, and Gardens with rivers flowing
underneath (Paradise ), wherein they shall
abide forever. How excellent is this reward for the doers (who do righteous
deeds according to Allah's Orders)." (3:136)
On the contrary,
the obscene and indecent person whom people avoid because of his obscenity,
lack of restraint in his language, slanderous and repugnant behavior shall have
nothing of the matters of his life straight. He deserves no passion and no one
shall love him, look after him, defend him, or pay attention to his interests.
Consequently, he will be among the losers, being ostracized and alienated in
the society, besides his loss in the Hereafter. This type of person is the one
referred to in the great warning given by the Prophet in a Hadeeth that says:
“Verily, of the
worst positions on Judgment Day are those designated for the ones whom people
avoid because of their obscenity (or wickedness)”. [Al-Bukhari].
The warning in the
previous hadeeth applies to this person regardless of his position in this
life, whether he is an important person or otherwise. He will still be avoided
for his obscenity. Another narration says: "to protect themselves from his
evil."
In another hadeeth
it is stated: “Verily Allah detests the person who is vulgar and obscene, and
who speaks with obscenity”. [Ibn Hibbaan].
Moreover, the
Messenger of Allah explains the situation of Al-Muflis saying:
The bankrupted
person (al-muflis) of my nation is he who comes on Judgment Day with prayer and
charity. But he also comes, after having cursed this person accused this person
falsely, usurped the property of this person, shed the blood of this person and
assaulted this person. Then this person will be given from his good deeds and
that person will also be given from his good deeds, until he has no more good
deeds in his book (so as to pay back all his debtors). He will then be given
from their sins, and finally will be thrown into the Fire of Hell.
[Al-Bukhaari]
Dear Muslims:
Allah (SWT)
created human beings with differences. It is the law of creation. Different
tongues, different colours, different cultures… all that on the outside. On the
inside, humans were created with many degrees of knowledge, intellect, and
comprehension of concepts. Humans shall differ, that is not the issue. The
issue is: How as a Muslim should one confront these differences of opinions and
what should be our relationship with someone of a different opinion. If we
differ, our intentions should be that we are differing in the sincere hope of
coming away with the truth. Our intentions should be sincere to Allah (SWT). We
should not differ just to release some hate or envy in our heart. We should not
differ to embarrass someone like we may have been embarrassed. Imam Ahmed gives
us a very good example in this regard. He held the opinion that eating camel
meat nullifies ones Wudhu, an opinion that the majority of scholars differed
from. Some students asked him, “If you find an Imam eating camel meat in front
of you and – without first making Wudu - then leads the prayer, would you pray
behind him?” Imam Ahmad replied, “Do you think I would not pray behind the
likes of Imam Malik and Sa’eed ibn Al-Musayyab?”.
Dear Brothers And Sisters In Islam:
We may, thus, difer but we should rarely
depart from an atmosphere of kindness and gentleness, we should seldom allow
ourselves to become angry and raise our voices. Fir’own was one of the evilest
people that lived. Musa (PBUH) was one of the noblest. Look at how Allah (SWT)
told Musa to advise Fir’own…
"Go, both of
you, to Fir’own. Indeed, he has transgressed. And speak to him with gentle
speech, perhaps he may remember or fear (Allah) ". (20: 43-44).
Dear
Muslims:
I would like to end my khutbah by quoting
the following hadith which shows the kindness and Hikmah (wisdom) of our
prophet Mohamed (PBUH). Mu’awiyah ibn al-Hakam al-Salami, when he came to
Madeenah from the desert, he did not know that it was forbidden to speak during
the salah. He relates: “Whilst I was praying behind the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), a man sneezed, so I said ‘Yarhamuk
Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you).’ The people glared at me, so I said,
‘What is wrong with you that you are looking at me?’ They began to slap their
thighs with their hands, and when I saw that they were indicating that I should
be quiet, I stopped talking (i.e., I nearly wanted to answer them back, but I
controlled myself and kept quiet).
When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) had finished praying, I have never seen a
better teacher than him before or since – he did not scold me or hit me or put
me to shame. He just said, ‘This prayer should contain nothing of the speech of
men; it is only tasbeeh and takbeer and recitation of the Qur’an.’” (Muslim).
I remid myself and you to fear Allah
(SWT) and never accuse or slander anyone in any way or method, for it will
indeed lead the person who does it to the ruin of his life on this earth and
the Hereafter. We should return every bad deed or insult with a good one
looking forward to achieving the virtue of such an attitude, which Allah (SWT)
prompts us to have and attain. He, the Most High, says:
"And verily, whosoever shows
patience and forgives that would truly be from the things recommended
Allah". (42:43).
May Allah (SWT) benefit you and me with
the guidance of His Book. By this I conclude my speech and ask Allah (SWT) to
forgive me, you and all Muslims. So seek His forgiveness, He is the
All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful.
