Mufti Menk – What should we do to the criminal?

Salam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato.

smilla hamdu lillahi wa Salatu was Salam ala rasulillah Allah, Allah, he was happy.

We praise Allah subhanho wa Taala we send blessings and salutations upon Muhammad Sallallahu sallam, his household, his companions, we ask Allah Subhana Allah to Allah to bless them and to bless every one of us. And to grant us goodness, my brothers and sisters, when someone does something wrong, when someone does something wrong, be to mistake or intentional. How do you react? It's a question that we need to ask. And we need to go back to the lives of the companions of the Prophet sallallahu sallam, and the Rasulullah sallallahu Sallam and take a look at how a Muslim should actually look at it.

So if we go back to Rasulullah sallallahu sallam, we will find from the very beginning when Islam was just starting to be spread among the people of Quraysh. We find that the Prophet sallallahu wasallam, when they try to hurt him, when they swore at him when they threw things at him, when they belied him when they mocked and jeered at him, when they came out to even try to kill him. His intention was always to try and correct them. That's the best intention. The intention was never to harm them back. It was never to destroy them. It was never to hurt them. It was to correct them. If they stopped doing what they did. That was good enough. If they then had the remorse and regret, and

they made amends and apologized, it was even better for them. So when someone does wrong to us, the intention of a Muslim should be how can this man be helped? How can this woman be helped? How can this group of people be helped? How can we assist them? And this is the reason why, in part if when the Prophet sallallaahu salam was given the option of destroying the people between the mountains, instead he complained about his own weakness. He wanted to help them but he couldn't help them to see they didn't want the help. Actually, it was in the hands of Allah. So he says Allahumma inni, escuela la Cava fakuma t O Allah. I'm complaining to you about my own weakness. What was the

weakness? There was no weakness, actually. But he felt so much grieved. For those people who were doing something they didn't realize. They didn't know they didn't understand. So he says Allah who madico me for

the moon, Oh Allah guide my people they don't know. They don't realize what they're doing. Sometimes you harm someone who is a friend of Allah, you don't realize what you're doing. So May Allah help us because if that continues, Allah may release the rope for a little bit. It's like a dog leash, it is released for a bit. Once that rope is finished, and there's no more rope left. He pulls it to the degree that the punishment comes and there is nothing that will actually help at that moment. May Allah subhanho wa Taala Have mercy on all of us. If I were to make a mistake, a genuine heart would actually reach out to me to assist me to help me to try and let me see that particular light that is

a Muslim. That is what the Sahaba the Allahu were taught by the doing of the Prophet sallallahu Sallam his own actions. Take a look at

the long run. What did the Prophet sallallahu Sallam say about him and about Abu Jamal Abu Jamal was a man who harmed the prophets of Salaam he did so much. He was the main perpetrator of the crimes that were committed against the Muslims at the time, the prophets of Salaam

in the night, he said to Allah, Allah Houma is an Islamic marine. Oh Allah. Grant the strength to Islam through the acceptance of Islam by one of these two men who are haters, they hate Islam. They are trying to cause destruction they are harming. Look at the Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam, the Messenger of Allah peace be upon him, look at him. He's actually concerned about them coming to Islam. What would we do? Someone slapped us someone harmed us someone is an enemy, someone rejected Islam and walked away etc, etc. We should firstly pray for them. We should ask Allah for guidance for them and for us. We are not even prophets of Allah and nowhere near. We need guidance ourselves.

We have our own weaknesses that Allah has covered from the eyes of

The people so we look good. But if Allah were to expose us, perhaps we would look worse than those whom we think are bad. So this is why I make a do I learn from the Prophet sallallahu sallam, you know, someone who commits a huge crime. A true believer will Yes, a true believer wants justice, that is part of your belief as well. We need justice, we will see the justice, but let the Justice come minus the hate. That's what it is, we will serve justice, this person may even get the penalty that they deserve, which is very harsh, but we are doing it for their benefit. Sometimes. Sometimes we are doing it for the broader benefit in Islam. punishments are such that they act as a deterrent.

For those who may be considering such in the future. You have a man, he slaps this man, he slaps the other man, he slaps the other man, because he's big in size. Everybody just says, Thank you very much. And they get the slap, until he comes to someone who says, hang on, hang on, I will face you for the sake of Allah and for the sake of the rest of the society and the rest of the community. But we pray for the person, may Allah guide them. So we will take them to task because we want to see justice so that it's not repeated, the crime is not repeated. But at the same time, we want to protect the society and community together with helping the individual realize and understand I

cannot do this. Imagine if that same person were to go back to each one of those whom he has harmed, and really and sincerely said, without being asked that you know what, I was wrong. And I'm very sorry, please forgive me. Isn't it a change in society and community? So panela? Isn't it something massive? You know, an apology is only an apology truly, when it comes without being requested. The minute you say I demand an apology, you are asking for hypocrisy. Why? People don't say, I'm sorry. Did they mean it? No, you extracted it from me. This thing is not going to go forward until you apologize. I'm sorry. That's what they said. What does that mean? Nothing. It just means because you

said it's not going to progress. They apologize. A true apology is that which comes without being requested. I'm sorry, I really believe I was wrong, etc, etc. That is a true apology. The Prophet sallallahu wasallam needed to and no sooner did he make the dua for the two Omar's

one was among Indonesian who was known as Abu jihad. And the other one was on top of the Allah and later to be known as, and the heart of one was softened by Allah as for the other one another do out of the prophets Allah Salaam came into play. You see, the prophet SAW Selim, when he went to war with those who went to war with him. He didn't enjoy it. It wasn't some past time that he loved. No. He prayed for their guidance even at that time. And he called his army and he told them to be just he told Allah tala de la Who do you know if even one of them is to be guided to the deen through you and your effort, it's better for you than anything very valuable, the most valuable thing that this

world has. So he says Allah who McPhee know whom Bheema sheet sheeta Oh Allah, He used to make on one hand to ask for guidance for them. And on the other hand, he said, Oh Allah, if you haven't written guidance for them, then protect us from their harm in whatever way you feel fit. Whatever you know, is best. If you want them to die, they may die if you want them to live, and you've paralyze them, they may paralyze, if you want to occupy them with something else so that they cannot harm us then do that whatever you know, is best for them and for us, you do it Oh Allah, but protect us from their harm. And this is why Allah subhanho wa Taala has granted that to the prophets, Allah,

Allah, another day of the prophets, Allah Salam was also that Oh Allah, I should really have been f CE, O Allah, this person, make him occupied with his own problems so that he stops troubling me look at the dual. So the person has one problem after another after third and the fourth and they are so occupied, they can't even look to the right side to say, Wait, I'm coming for you. We can't come for you. Because you know what? You're already so occupied. That was a that was made. We don't want to harm you. But because we don't want you to harm us. We are asking Allah guide him if you haven't written guidance for him, occupy him with himself. So hon Allah, may Allah subhanho wa Taala grant

us an understanding. This was the love of the prophets, Allah sallam, he still cared. You know, if you look at more of the companions, and those who have actually prior to the acceptance of Islam caused a lot of damage against the Muslims, a lot of damage, even death. One of the ones who has caused the greatest damage was a man known as hard

mahira later to be known as the Allah and Homer, he was a powerful man, he has killed so many Muslims, so many, so many.

And the Prophet has taught us Yes, Justice is one thing. Justice is one thing. But pray for the men that Allah gives him guidance. Let him come. Imagine he's so powerful, he's done so much, he has so much strategy. If that power could be used on the other side, what would happen? We would gain strength. The same applies to Magna Carta. He was such a solid man, the professor Selim says, Grant strength to Islam through the acceptance of one of the two of them of Islam. Why would he say that? Because they're so powerful. If that power was channeled in the right direction, it would achieve results that were actually positive. Now that it's being channeled in the wrong direction, it is

achieving negative results. Do we K, do we have this mentality? Do we have this attitude? with us, we see one guy doing something wrong. Next thing 200 we are up at three 4pm Allah destroy him, break him, break his bones, kill him, make sure that he's gone in the next few days, and so on. This is what people say, unfortunately, it's a weakness. The reason I raised this today is because we look at the lives of the Sahaba their loved one home, and we don't realize what they may have done prior to Islam. Yet it was the calmness of Islam that brought them to the dean, you know, the brother of holiday, every one of my favorite stories. His name was actually the vanilla lead or the Allahumma.

He accepted Islam before harlot.

And in Medina, the prophet SAW Selim used to call him and ask him, tell me about your brother, what's happening with him? So they used to get responses, whatever some is narrated to us, some is not narrated to us. So he used to give the news. And the prophets are seldom used to say he's a very intelligent man. Imagine this is talking about who a man who caused the disaster on the day of author. On the day of boyhood, there was a man who caused the disaster. Who was he holiday vanilla? Well, he didn't. They feared him. But the professor Salam had hope. What was the hope? He says, Yeah, TB, Hilah. Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allah will bring him Allah will bring him He is a man

did he say Allah destroy him all of this, the process Allah knows the power and intellect of this man and only saying Allah let him jump camps, let him come to the right side, at least he can do something good. Today, he became our champion didn t he was also their champion at one stage. You see, now people in their emotions tend to forget that Islamic history and they tend to forget the real sooner of the prophets of Salaam to make dua. When we say make dua for the perpetrator of the crime that was committed in Christ Church, for example. We are not saying that he should not face justice. No, those are two separate matters. To face justice is one thing. It's the right of Olia or

dumb. It's the right of the heirs of those who were killed to decide whether each one of them wants to forgive him or not. That's a separate matter altogether. All we're saying is imagine if he has to say the Shahada while sitting in prison

between him and Allah, hasn't he sorted at least one part of his life out? Hasn't he sorted a major thing out? That will come when we make do out for him when we pray for him? This is one example. I can give you so many other examples. So then the prophets of Allah Salam says about Holly who led mahira, rhodiola and Houma. He says, mom is no holiday near Johanna Islam.

A man as intelligent and as bright as Holly can never be ignorant of the fact that Islam is the correct religion. It's impossible. If he with his brain, he knows that this is the right religion. Few days later, Holly the leader of the Allahu comes to Madina, munawwara and cutting a long story short, he sees the prophets of Salaam and he has a problem. What is the problem? I've killed so many people what's going to happen to me? The process someone says yeah, Khalid in Islam I do bamaca blah. Oh, Khalid. You know, when you declare the Shahada, it wipes out whatever bad you've done before.

The man was stunned. I can only imagine what a criminal who's killed the best to tread the earth after the prophets of Allah, the companions of Muhammad Sallallahu sallam, a person, you know, Subhana Allah, which it's not even imaginable as to their status. He killed them. He murdered them in cold blood, he planned and plotted with them

against them. And you know what? Today he's coming in, he's saying to the prophets of Allah.

Allah Derek, is that really the condition upon that

condition.

This is what you're telling me that I would really be forgiven if I declare the Shahada. And he came on his own. He could have continued with that arm. But he came, because if he didn't come, and he came on the day of the victory of Makkah, perhaps it would have been different. But when they went on the victory of Mecca, he was part of that victory.

Allah wanted him to be part of the victory, something he fought against, he was now part of the victory

of that particular force. So panela so then when he said that, yes, you are totally forgiven, all the bad you've done wiped out, he declared his Shahada, who, a man who nobody would have believed

that he would have accepted Islam. I give you another example. The prayer of the prophets of Allah on the day of power, if I've already told you one or two of them, the professor Sam, when he made do alpha guidance, he was offered to destroy them. He was offered. You want we can just bring these two mountains together, crushed. He says, I am sent as a mercy. So panela your centers What? I'm sent as a mercy. My brothers, my sisters, let's listen very carefully. Do we feel that we were part or we are part of the followers of the one who was sent as a mercy.

No matter what you have in your heart, the hate factor, you need to take it out. You may hate a deed. Definitely we will hate deeds. There are deeds that we hate with a passion,

sins, murder, etc. We hate with a passion, but the person and the individual, we always have hope for them. We always have to have hope. Just like if it's your child on drugs, may Allah safeguard us from this from this problem and the issue. If your child is on drugs, one year, two years, you are crying, three years, four years, five years, 10 years, 15 years, one day, you still have hope that inshallah My son will come back, am I right? You have hope. And if 20 years later, the child comes back, you as a father or as a mother are so happy, so delighted you embrace them as though nothing ever happened.

Do you not think the mercy of Allah is higher than that? You have to keep having hope we are living in a free world. We are living in a world that is so difficult. The environment is very challenging to say the least. Where there are so many wrong things happening around us to stay on the straight path is like walking through a thorn bush. And even worse, in fact, it is similar to holding on to a red hot coal.

That's holding on to your dean. When people falter and go left and right. Let's understand. Number one, pray for them. Yes, if you have it within your means to stop them, you shall stop them that is also an act of worship.

But do so with respect with dignity. This is the Sunnah of the Prophet Our solemn, this is what the teaching of the prophets of Salaam has brought to us. The one who was sent Allah says, Allah Subhan Allah,

Allah Allah me, Allah is a blessing his beloved messenger Muhammad peace be upon him saying, and we have not sent you all Muhammad peace be upon him, except as a mercy for the world's for all for all completely as a mercy.

So let's have a little bit of mercy. The Hadith says, Camilla, whom Allah meanness Allah does not have mercy on the one who doesn't have mercy on the people. He didn't say the Muslims. He said the people. In fact, in another narration, the prophets of Salaam has told us about the mercy of Allah subhanho wa Taala. And he says, Your hammelmann will have been the year hum comfy sama the beginning of that Hadith, or Rahim owner Hama Hama, ramen hammelmann fill out of the hem Comanche sama, or Rahim, Allah, those who have mercy on one another, the Most Merciful will always have mercy on them.

And then he goes on to say, have mercy upon those on earth. And the sun in the sky is when the heavens will have mercy on you. Amazing, amazing. May Allah subhanho wa Taala help us to make dua for one another, to make dua for those we dislike to make dua for those who have harmed us to make dua for our enemies. And like I said, that does not mean we are compromising justice. Don't get me wrong. Allah says in the Quran, beautiful verse, which we hear almost every Friday. In Allah hi yah Moo bill Adeney. 171. Eat

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Allah instructs you three things

And the order is very important. Number one, justice. Number two, goodness. Number three, to make sure that your relatives are taken care of love.

Make sure your relatives are taken care of, etc. It will corba to give to your relatives. How can you be such a wealthy person with so much of ease? Your brother, your cousin, your auntie, your uncle? Whoever is suffering and struggling? They don't even have medication? No, no, no, no, no, you haven't understood the plan of Allah. Allah made you related to one another to test you. That's why he gave you a mother or a father otherwise we would have just been growing from the ground, like trees or what have you. Even trees are related through their seeds. Subhana Allah, imagine if you weren't related who was going to be connected to you who was going to look after you? Allah created

love automatically through blood, automatically through marriage, automatically through the fact that you're human species. Today we are struggling across the globe. If it were not for those who have ease, to reach out to those who were in a difficult situation, what would have happened, we would be witnessing people die and they will come a day when others will witness us die. Finished.

So listen to the order. Allah says, He orders you in. He instructs you to be just when he says he instructs you thereafter to be kind. Kindness comes after justice. What does that mean? That is one of the most powerful verses in the Holy Quran. Allah is telling you, you cannot keep on telling someone be good. Forgive them be good. Leave them be good. Leave them. Allah asked you to be good Leave it, brother. He'll steal me he'll take me he'll * he will do he will slap he will murder must I keep on forgiving. That's not Goodness. Goodness is when you stand up and face them. Because justice comes before goodness. Remember this part of goodness is to be just why? Imagine if we all

and this happens a lot. In community when something goes wrong. Everyone goes to the good person that says Never mind. You're a good man forgiving. Every time this happens in community with all of us when you have a problem with someone and you know they are wrong, completely wrong. community will come to the better of the two and tell them nevermind, have a big heart. Forgive them. Hang on, hang on, hang on.

What if they stole 100,000 of mine have a big heart Subhanallah I have such a big heart that I will nail them so that they don't steal 100,000 from another man, that's called justice. You understand? We need to stand up firm for those who are wronged. It's part of the duty we have. That's another topic on its own in Sharla, perhaps On another occasion. So this is it. Allah says justice comes first goodness come second. And make sure that you look after and you take care of your relatives to begin with thereafter, entire humanity and after you've taken care of humanity, even the other creatures of Allah, make sure that you take care of them such as the animals whether whether they

are thought ahead or not. Even if it is a dog you may you you will be rewarded for reaching out to that particular dog at the time of need. May Allah Subhana Allah Allah grant us all goodness, may he soften the hearts of the enemies. May he bring them to remorse to regret their bad deeds? May he make us not from among those who have bad deeds, may he soften us if we are doing wrong against someone. Trust me, the heart that will go into Jenna first is the one that is the cleanest. Allah says Yama, Allah,

Allah,

lamb and

Sally, on the day of judgment, your children won't be able to help you your wealth will never be able to help you except the one who comes to Allah with a screen hot. Number one, that cleanliness firstly is referring to not associating partners with Allah. Your Worship is straight with Allah and thereafter, every other form of cleanliness and purity of the heart is included in it. May Allah subhanahu wa taala grant that grant us that clean heart and grant agenda to fit those akuto Cali hada Allahu wa Sallim wa barik ala nabina Muhammad