Wednesday 8 May 2019

Ramadan 2019/1440: Thought of the Day 3

The third thought of the day from my box of things to think about was the following quote:

“Insulting others is never a way of correcting them. Instead it causes more damage and proves that we need help ourselves.”

The quote seems to be from the much loved and respected Mufti Ismail Menk. It took me a little by surprise.  I tend to avoid conflict and dislike being critical of or argumentative with others (except maybe my husband sometimes, so he doesn’t get bored 😊 ), so the idea of insulting someone on the pretext of correcting them feels completely alien to me.  The one place I have seen this sometimes, is between the older generation of parents in my community and their children sometimes.

The second part of the quote made me think – how we criticise or behave harshly says something about us – very insightful I think.   What makes a person think it is okay to be harsh with another and especially when it comes to faith?

The quote makes me think of a verse from the Quran:

Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided. ~ Quran 16:125

The quote also reminded me of a story of the sahabah (RA) that I heard in a lecture once:

Hussain and his older brother Hassan had witnessed an old man performing ablution incorrectly at their grandfather’s mosque. Hussain, careful not to hurt the pride of the old man, approached him and asked if he could watch him and Hassan perform ablution and judge who was more correct, as they couldn’t decide for themselves. Hassan began first, washing his face and hands carefully. Hussain performed ablution next, doing it exactly the way Hassan did. It was clear that the both of them did it the right way and the old man smiled. He thanked them, knowing that they were too polite to correct their elder, so they showed him the correct way in a manner that would not embarrass him (from Muslim Vibes)

I love the wisdom apparent in this story.


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