Jamal Badawi – Moral Teachings of Islam 27 – Forgiveness And Purity Of Heart
AI: Summary ©
The importance of forgiveness and evolution in the Bible is discussed, including the connection between forgiveness and perseverance and the practicality of prophetic traditions. The speaker emphasizes the need for individuals to practice control and avoid embarrassment, as well as avoiding anger and feeling bad for one's own sake. The importance of forgiveness is emphasized, along with the need for individuals to practice control and avoid negative consequences. The segment also discusses the history of Islam's stance on forgiveness and how it can affect others, including the potential for harm.
AI: Summary ©
In the Name of God, the beneficence, the Merciful, the creator and Sustainer of the universe, peace and blessings upon his servant and messenger Muhammad forever. I mean, I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except the one true God. And I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger and servant of God, I greet you with our usual greeting, the universal readings of peace, a greeting, which has been used by all of the profits from Abraham through to Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon them all. Assalamu Aleikum, which means peace beyond you. Today we have our 27th program in our series, dealing with moral teachings of a slump. More specifically, we'll be
looking at the question of forgiveness and purity of heart. I'm your host Hamad Rashid, and I have joining me as usual On today's program, Dr. Jamal betawi of St. Mary's University, by the demand Assalamu alaikum money.
Can we start off by referring to what the Quran has to say about this virtue of forgiveness? Certainly, the first thing that the Quran emphasizes is the relationship between piety or the quality of being God conscious, yes. And having this quality also of forgiveness. For example, in chapter three, verse 133 34, on
giving a description of the true believers it says, a levena, acuna, Sarah, when COVID, Nina Leyva, one AFI gnarliness, that is, those believers are those who spend freely, whether in prosperity or in adversity,
who restrain anger
and pardon others, for God loves those who do good. So in that sense, there is a connection between piety and the quality of forgiveness. The Quran also makes a connection between the forgiveness on our part and our need as human being for God's forgiveness of our own sense. And of course, all of us needs it because nobody is perfect. For example, in chapter 24, verse 22, in the Quran, it says when Yeah, when Elijah Boone and Yasser Allah come, addressing the universe, let them
overlook and forgive. Don't you wish that God forgive you. So if you love to have God, forgive your sins and errors and mistakes, then you should also be able to appreciate also the sins and or difficulties of other people and forgive them whenever they try to correct the situation.
The Quran also ties between forgiveness and perseverance or submission. For example, we did in the Quran, while I'm on sobre, la columna Zilla more for those who overlook and that's forgive and practice perseverance. This is indeed a sign of determination. That's a good good character, who's gonna
accept apology grant?
You know, forgiveness, and or then everything that's decent, and keep away from those who are ignorant or those who cannot control themselves. So these are three examples of how
forgiveness as a quality is related to other moral virtues that we have discussed in this series.
Perhaps we could expand the topic a little bit more by or develop the topic a little more by examining some of the prophetic traditions and then this regard Can you perhaps comment or set a little light on on what the prophetic prophetic traditions have to say about this question of forgiveness. There are several differences to that of the saying of the Prophet peace be upon him Prophet Mohammed and his own behavior. Maybe we can have a glimpse by looking at perhaps three or four examples of this.
First of all, Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him trying to indicate that the strength of the person is not his ability to defeat someone or lesson with someone, but rather a person who can control himself when he says, The strong person has narrated the Muslim. The person strong person is not the one who can defeat the others or lesson with them. But they truly strong person is one who can control himself when he is when he's angry.
In October, Ronnie another collection of the prophetic say, Prophet Mohammed peace be upon him said, should I tell you about something that would heighten or make your structures or buildings or palaces and paradise, if you will, just as a symbol of reward higher? And the things that God also would raise you in degrees? Because of they said, Yes. What was that? He said, to be
forgiving and to control yourself in the face of someone who lost control over you or provoked you to forgive a person who
was an unfair or unjust you to give someone even though when you were in need he didn't give you and to keep your contacts or kindness
or connection with someone even though you might have not really been reciprocating and did not really show the same kind of concern.
To take the the practical side of the prophetic tradition, the behavior and the example set by the prophet Muhammad peace upon him. We have several examples of this, just to take one
narrated in
Bharani. Also,
it says that, I think it's an Arab, between those who came to him. And he said,
he asked for some provision, he needed no money or whatever. So Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, forget him. And he said, Alright, have I been hurt you? But the men in arrogance and rudeness said, No, you have not been kind, nor have you been good to me.
So many of the companions around Prophet Muhammad, peace of mind, they got provoked, he got very angry, they started just rushing towards him to punish him, you know how he says that to the public? So the Prophet peace be upon him, restrain them, he said, No, let him and then he entered his house. And then he sent asked me for him to come. The Prophet wants to see you. So he went to the prophet in his house. So the Prophet peace government said, you need more here. And he gave him additional, you know, whatever provision that he needed. And then he asked him in private in his house, you think I've been first you? He said, certainly. May God bless you. And the words you got for your
kindness is a fun, listen, you know that my companions when you hurt when they hurt you, you know, attack me in the first there's something in their hearts, you know, they feel a little bit of an ease about it. Would it be possible for you to say that also in front of them? He said, Yes. Actually, the prophet was more concerned about that person's relation with us, not about his own.
So the following day, the prophet peace be upon him, went to the mosque, and the companions were there. And that Arab, the veteran also was there.
And then he stood and he said to the companions, he said that that veteran set up
yesterday, claim that we were not fair to him, and have given him some more of his need for his needs. And he claimed that he is satisfied now and he tentative say, is that true? He said, Yes. May Allah or May God bless you for for your kindness, when he turned to his companions to extend to them in this exemplary lesson. He said, The example of this man and myself is like somebody who had a camel, and that can start to dribbling and running away from the owner, just as a symbolic example. And he said, when she started running, people started running after that candidate, so the increase and its excitement and rebelliousness.
But that man said, Wait a minute, leave it to me, I know more about my comments. And I am not kind to those kind of venue, leave it or leave it or leave it to whatever niroshan female candidate doesn't matter. When it says that, that men pick that little bit of grass, and then he started getting close to the camel, you know, at least it and just to get it, you know, settled. And then after that, the candidate was very easily
controlled by the person. He said, this is the exact similar example that's if you got angry against that settle. And if I let you would have killed him, and he might have even died in the state of ignorance, and you might have gone to the head fight, but look now at the result of you know,
looking after his needs in this compassion, or forgiving his infections, that's why the Quran for example, in one verse says either levena Covina, whatever
it may be that may be an enmity between you and somebody else and then he might turn out to be your closest associate
This is the kind of attitude, both in the settings and actual behavior of the Prophet sallallahu Sallam of peace be upon him to show us the way how to deal with this outbreaks of
some people might argue that, that anger is just a natural human reaction to distress. And they might find it difficult
to understand that when Islam, you know, places emphasis on forgiveness, that they might argue, Well, some people might argue that isn't this I really asking for too much. That's beyond the human capacity. Islam never asked anybody for anything beyond human capacity. The Quran next natural clearly that God does not charge any soul with anything more than its capacity or ability.
But
without being engines, it is still possible for us as humans to try our best, maybe we might not succeed at all times. But we should try on ways to control this anger, not let it be
a source of rash actions in set of rage, for example.
Now, another thing that we should keep in mind that you should make also distinction between getting angry or feeling bad
for the sake of God and feeling bad for your own sake, or your own ego.
The first type, to feel angry in a sense of feeling disappointed
and sensitive. When you find that people, for example, are disregarding the teachings of God or they are rebelling against God, which like I mentioned in the previous program, also, is a combination of sympathy and anger, not anger in the sense, that is not only permissible, it is desirable, because that shows the sensitivity of the believer, to the teachings of God, it doesn't mean that you, you know force people into something that
you know, the situation where you take a different kind of action to invite them to the path of truth.
Nor does it mean that you can take any rash action, and that's
really bad in terms of the overall result.
But to get angry for yourself, the protection of one's own ego.
While many times when we do that, without some degree of control, it could lead to disasters. Like somebody just telling you a word that she didn't like, and somebody just rushing and, you know, shooting or something like that. So this is the kind of anger the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him teaches us to try and control so that we don't go too far we don't get dessert, you know, reacting to any particular situation of provocation. It does not mean however, not that it's asked to get back to your question does ask the human to be other than human that is, it does not require us to be totally insensitive, and with sick skin in the face of, for example, insults or attacks by
others, but It simply says try to change that. If you situation calls for forgiveness, you forgive if you it's called for some control.
For some time, you should be able to practice that control. Indeed, the to prove to you again, since this is the essence of your question, that Islam does not require us to be more than humans, but to try to protect ourselves as much as possibly
can be done. And one saying of the Prophet peace be upon him, narrated in utter misery. He said people are created in different degrees or different categories. And he mentioned particularly for he said, there are some people who are too slow to get angry, but they are too fast to forgive. So they get angry very slowly, and they are very fast. Forgive us.
Secondly, there are another type of people who might be fast, getting angry, they get angry quickly, but they forgive quickly. Certainly,
there are some people who are slow in getting angry and slow to forgive.
And Firstly, of course, you can get the rest. There are people who are very quick in getting angry and very slow
and forgiving.
And then he commented, he said, the best of all of those people is the first category that people who get angry slowly they don't get angry so quickly and they forget very quickly.
He said the worst of them is obviously the last category does get angry very quickly and they are very slow
to forgive. So within this human limitations and peculiarities every human what is really required is trying our best to control anger.
Now are there certain
Internal or certain innate qualities and some people which, in your opinion, make them more likely to be giving them say others.
What perhaps the most important, innate characters, which cause people to forgive, is the purity of their hearts, the hearts which are connected with the creator of the hearts that trying its best, in terms of feeling intellects and behaviors to comply with the Word of God is the heart that's more likely, I'm not talking about claiming to be pious, with real piety that's really in the heart, mind and actual behavior.
Indeed, in the Quran, for example, in chapter 59, in verse 10, describing the prayer of true believers, it says, a benedetta Joshua Kubina hidden in the denominator, our Lord do not make in our hearts, any feeling of grudge towards the believers, in a think of the Prophet peace be upon him, and
he asked people, or he was asking, in fact, he said, What are which type of people is the best? Who's the best person?
The Prophet Mohammed Al answered peace be upon him? He said, a person who was truth in his tongue that says the truth? And who is also Muslim? Or can they? And they asked me, What do you mean by Muslim or can be said a person who is or whose heart is clean, pious, a heart which doesn't have any tendency towards
sin,
aggression, grudge, or jealousy.
in the, in the collection of Hadith by Buhari,
and the profit is different, and also says even more explicitly, when he said that, do not try to cut yourself out from each other, don't engage in too many disputes. Do not turn your back from others from your other brethren. Do not hate each other,
do not be jealous from each other, and be all the servants of God as brothers.
Indeed, he continued, saying that it is not legitimate for a Muslim, to boycott his brothers for more than three days. That's again, recognition of reality that sometimes you feel angry, you don't feel like talking to someone. Okay, that's the recognition of human nature, that's permissible, but no more than three days.
And then he said that the best of them, or the better of them is the one who starts first by offering a greeting of peace to the other. If the other person accepts it fine, if he doesn't, then the person would have done His deity and discharged his his responsibility. So this is the kind of attitude which cause people to do this. Just to give you another example of this, which is a beautiful one.
One time Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him was sitting with his companions.
And then he said,
in a couple of minutes, or now, someone would go to Paradise will pass before you. They kept looking, who's that person. And then they saw a very simple person who was making evolution before the phrase, Washington still is Viet is wet, and there is a sort of light in his face.
And the following day, at 7am, repeated the same thing, one of the people who are going to go to Paradise is going to pass before you.
And they looked, it was the same person, the third day, the same person.
So one of the companions of the Prophet by the name of Abdullah
wondered what, what qualities are there in this very simple person, that make him among the people who are destined to paradise as revealed to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. So he made a little trick find out. So he went to that fellow, he made a white lie. He said, Listen, I had some dispute with my father, and I swore that I would not stay in the house for three days. Would you be able to please take me as a guest of yours? He actually he wanted to go in his house to find out to observe his behavior. He said, Sure you You're welcome. Come over.
So Abdullah kept on night watching what what is he doing by way of worship so that he really deserved to go to Paradise. Then he noted that is just simply finished his prayers, he sleeps, but whenever he wakes up at night, he just remember God, the next application, and then he woke up early in the morning at dawn time for prayer. He watched him for three nights. It was the same pattern. So he went to him and said, Listen,
when we were sitting with the Prophet three times he said that you're though you're among the people who are going to go to Paradise. I couldn't find anything unusual about you behaviors that make you deserve that. What is it is it there's nothing but what you have seen?
And when Abdullah started going away, the man called him again he said, Listen, I want to tell you that when I sleep,
I don't feel any grudge, or envy or evil towards anyone. So that showed that just this quality of of purity of the heart of not trying to carry too many graduates, or any Gods at all, if you can help it was combined with very little work, very little worship, just the basic acts of worship and goodness of the heart, justify the person going through to paradise.
Now, are there any Is there any document or any authority which obliges the Muslim to accept an apology? In the cases of maybe it's been involved? Sometimes there's been some misunderstanding, it's been some conflict. Is there any document any documented obligation on the part of the Muslim to accept an apology? Well, there are several and of course, in the early parts of the program, we quoted the verse in the Quran one Yeah, for forgive an overlook. So the Quran itself speaks about quality of forgiveness. And this is only one example.
In terms of specific tradition, prophetic tradition, we differ, for example, to even imagine a collection of prophetic sayings in which Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him says that whoever apologize to his brothers, that's for something that something wrong that he has done to him or an appropriate action. And that person to whom the apology was offered, did not accept, he would have sin, as much as the sin of a person who takes people's property away from them without any justify Jesus, that was regarded as an evil thing as advice to reject an apology when a sincere apology is being offered to the person at the same meaning or the same basic teaching was also narrated. And
another source of irony in different words also, that whoever is apologized to that is a person apologizing to you and the person who reject that policy, then he will not come to the pond and the Day of Judgment. The point here is a symbol of a pond in Paradise, where Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him will be offering drink to those who are entered into a rise in a tub, Ronnie also, Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, ask these people do you know who are the worst, the most even among people? They said? No, you tell us. He said it is the person who wants to stay just by himself all the time. A person who
punishes or physically punish his slave is not kind to him, and the person who also prevents or withhold his help to his brother and when they are in need. And then he told them, should I tell you about someone even who is more evil than that? They said, Yes. He said, a person who hates people and who is hated by people.
And then he said, should I tell you about somebody who is even more evil than that? They said yes, he said, Those who do not accept an apology, and do not try to correct a situation like that, and never had the attitude to forgive or mistake of someone else. So it's quite obvious from this as only a few examples that
the the idea when an apology is offered is not to humiliate the person apologizing to you, but to accept it in good faith and in good
spirit.
See, there's so much of not just trying to get the past every time like when there's a family problem, for example, husband and wife and somebody made a mistake, and it's always happened. The husband apologized to the wife or wife apologize, apologize to the husband, as Oh, yeah. Okay, but you forgot that last month, you did so and so on last year, seven years ago, you did 10 years back, say this is the attitude of trying always to be overly critical of people forgetting that we ourselves also make mistakes, and we do expect the courtesy also of forgiveness.
I like to look at another aspect now that's related to this whole question of purity of heart. And that's the question of jealousy. What is Islam's view of that? Well, jealousy in fact, is a source of
price or implication of price.
The Quran indicated as was covered in a previous program. That's one of the reasons why Satan was ousted from the from Paradise was this attitude of envy.
In the Quran, for example, fsfe Luna, who was a realtor Oh, yeah, I mean, he was addressing God. Not only that, you created mankind from clay, and I am in a superior, a superior creature from fire. But he said, Are you
To take this mankind and his progeny, or Adam and his progeny, as you know people who are close to you more than me. So the jealousy also in the heart of Satan was one aspect of his deviation, which led to his disobedience of God's command.
The result of this type of
jealousy is that a person becomes a loser. And sometimes even in the height of jealousy, a person would harm other people, as he harms himself like in the Arabic proverb sometimes it says Allah Allah is some people say that, okay, if I am harmed, I don't mind if I am hurt and my enemies also are hurt. That's not the type of attitude that that Islam teaches.
Because that was the attitude of Satan in chapter seven, verse 16. In the Quran, when Satan was ousted from Paradise, he said, okay, because that happened to me. I've tried to mislead that mankind, because you know, he's going to go to the hellfire. So he wanted to get as many people to get him company there. So that again reflects an outcome of this kind of jealousy. And no wonder then that we find that inauthentic collections of prophetic sayings like in Abu Dawood and and by hockey, for example, Prophet peace be upon him said, for example, in the first one, watch or keep away, be beware of jealousy, because jealousy eats your good deeds as fire each word in by hockey,
for example, is it two things can never combined in the same heart of the believer, belief, and jealousy, they can be in the same heart of a believer. Now, in the two or so minutes that we have remaining on today's program, I wonder if there's any practical suggestions that you can make as to how one can deal with with a very common thing like anger?
Particularly should he or she be provoked? For example, is there any practical suggestion you can make? Well, the first thing is to ask oneself first.
Is it really jealousy, or envy, because Islam is not against envy, in a positive sense, envy in the sense of saying, if you see someone who has been blessed by God with certain things,
you don't see it or even hope that he would be destroyed, or you try to destroy him in order to get it yourself, but to say, may God bless him, or God gives me also, that's one thing to make sure, first, that you're really talking about jealousy rather than envy. Secondly, one should ask himself, am I really getting angry for God's sake, or for my own sake, and it would be good to remember here is that the Prophet peace be upon him, indicated that
or people around him actually said that he never really took revenge for himself. Unless the boundaries of God were just passed, but for his own personal
ego, he never really took revenge from anyone.
Another
practical recommendation given by the prophet peace be upon him what to do in the case of anger that was narrated in utter misery. He said, don't you notice that anger has some kind of burning character? He said, when somebody is very angry, don't you look at the redness in his eye, and the swirl is in his cheeks. He said, should anyone feel something like that this rage or anger, lets him stay or get keep close to us. That is to say this place, don't, don't try to know because if you start doing something, it could be quite disastrous. And another thing he said, if a person happened to get angry,
if he is, if he's walking, let him stand. If he's standing, let him sit. If he's sitting, let him sleep. That means again, try to, you know, quiet yourself a little bit and keep code. One recommendation is to get to take a cold shower, just to take that heat off that was also
recommended.
Above all, one should also try to learn to be patient and control that anger rather than starting to curse, every, every everything and when something doesn't go right, the car doesn't start you start cursing the car and possibly the mechanic and everybody else. So to try to get this quality of dependence on God, keeping cool as much as one can.
I will leave it at that for today's program.
We want to invite you back next week when we'll have our next program in the series dealing with more teaching.
Thank you for watching Assalamu alaikum peace