“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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