Is It Permissible to Show off If It’s Not Done Out of Contempt?

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Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question: Is it permissible to show off if it’s not done out of contempt?

Answer: Assalamu alaykum,

It is not permissible to show off in religious or worldly works, even if one is not doing it out of contempt or arrogance.

It says in the Reliance of the Traveler, (p33):

Allah Most High says:

(1) “The hypocrites are trying to fool Allah, while it is He who is outwitting them. And when they stand to pray they do so lazily, showing off to people, remembering Allah but little.” (Qur`an, 4:142)

(2) “0 you who believe: do not nullify your charity by reminding recipients of having given it and by offending them, like someone who spends his money as a show for people.” (Qur`an, 2:264)

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and give him peace, said,

(1) “The first person judged on Resurrection Day will be a man martyred in battle.” He will be brought forth, Allah will reacquaint him with His blessings upon him and the man will acknowledge them, whereupon Allah will say, ‘What have you done with them?’ to which the man will respond, ‘I fought to the death for You.’ “Allah will reply, ‘You lie. You fought in order to be called a hero, and it has already been saying.’ Then he will be sentenced and dragged away on his face to be flung into the fire.” Then a man will be brought forward who learned Sacred Knowledge, taught it to others, and who recited the Koran. Allah will remind him of His gifts to him and the man will acknowledge them, and then Allah will say, ‘What have you done with them?’ The man will answer, ‘I acquired Sacred Knowledge, taught it, and recited the Koran, for Your sake.’ “Allah will say, ‘You lie. You learned so as to be called a scholar, and read the Koran so as to be called a reciter, and it has already been saying.’ Then the man will be sentenced and dragged away on his face to be flung into the fire. “Then a man will be brought forward whom Allah expansively provided for, lavishing varieties of the property upon him, and Allah will recall to him the benefits bestowed, and the man will acknowledge them, to which Allah will say, ‘And what have you done with them?’ The man will answer, ‘I have not left a single kind of expenditure You love to see made in Your cause, save that I have spent on it for Your sake.’ “Allah will say, ‘You lie. You did it so as to be called generous, and it has already been saying.’ Then he will be sentenced and dragged away on his face to be flung into the fire.” [Muslim]

(2) “The slightest bit of showing off in good works is as if worshipping others with Allah.” [Hakim]

(A: When there is an act of obedience the servant intends to conceal but Allah reveals, then it is merely gratitude for His blessings to admit it to others and thank Him for it. When asked if one is fasting, for example, and one is, then one should say “Praise be to Allah” (alhamdulillah).)

Please see the following links about showing off: Is It Haram to Like One’s Beauty and Appearance? and Showing Off

[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafseer and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.

Playing With A Conch

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Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question: Assalamualaikum, We went to the Bahamas last year and my kids bought a conch and for fun blow into it. Is this haram? My father has told them that the Hindus use it and we should not.

Answer: Wa ‘alaykum assaalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh.

I pray you are well.

It is better to discontinue the use of the conch. It is used by Hindus in their religious ceremonies, so it is superior to avoid it.

Imitating the Disbelievers

The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said, “Whoever imitates a people he is one of them.” (Abu Dawud). This hadith is intended to dissuade the believers from attempting to imitate disbelievers and the morally corrupt in matters specific to them and their identity. Doing so would be impermissible and sinful.

There is a lot of detail to this topic, but what is relevant here is the issue of the act of worship they do with the conch. It’s clear that your children do not try to imitate the Hindu ritual, but there is a strong association between the conch and the ritual so it is best avoided. (Itr, I’lam al Anam)

May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 where, for 18 months, he studied with erudite scholars such as Shaykh Adnan Darwish, Shaykh Abdurrahman Arjan, Shaykh Hussain Darwish, and Shaykh Muhammad Darwish. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic with teachers such as Dr. Ashraf Muneeb, Dr. Salah Abu’l-Hajj, Dr. Hamza al-Bakri, Shaykh Ahmad Hasanat, Dr. Mansur Abu Zina, and others. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Qur’anic recital by Shakh Samir Jabir and Shaykh Yahya Qandil. With Shaykh Ali, he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Qur’anic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.

Best Order To Study The Step One Courses

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Answer by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question: What is the best order to study the step-one courses?

Answer: Wa ‘alaykum as-salam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh

I pray you are well.

The step one courses are best studied in the following order:

1. Absolute Essentials of Islam (Hanafi or Shafi’i)

2. What Muslims Believe and Why: Dardir’s Kharida al-Bahiyya

3. How Islam Works: What is Religion, and How It Is Preserved, Transmitted, and Interpreted

4. On Worship (Purification, Prayer, Fasting, Zakat, and Hajj) – Hanafi, or Shafi’i

5. On Spirituality: Living the Sunna, Leaving Sin, and Acquiring Good Character: Ghazali’s Beginning of Guidance

6. Living Right: Halal and Haram and Living Prophetic Excellence (Hanafi or Shafi’i).

7. On Spirituality: Living the Sunna, Leaving Sin, and Acquiring Good Character: Ghazali’s Beginning of Guidance

The supplementary, self-study courses can be taken in any order. Whatever works best for you.

We only provide these courses in English, but you are welcome to study them elsewhere in Arabic if you have the opportunity. We also have a number of courses in Arabic in our Arabiyya catalog.

For spirituality, in addition to the courses in this step, there are a number of courses in our On-Demand library. Please consult those. You ask to contact your course instructor for more information.

I hope that helps. May Allah bless you with the best of both worlds.

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 where, for 18 months, he studied with erudite scholars such as Shaykh Adnan Darwish, Shaykh Abdurrahman Arjan, Shaykh Hussain Darwish, and Shaykh Muhammad Darwish. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic with teachers such as Dr. Ashraf Muneeb, Dr. Salah Abu’l-Hajj, Dr. Hamza al-Bakri, Shaykh Ahmad Hasanat, Dr. Mansur Abu Zina, and others. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Qur’anic recital by Shakh Samir Jabir and Shaykh Yahya Qandil. With Shaykh Ali, he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Qur’anic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.

Taking A Non Muslim As A Role Model

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Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question: Is it permissible to admire and take non-Muslim as a role model for their humility and good qualities without wanting anything to do with their disbelief?

Answer: Wa ‘alaykum assalam wa rahmatullah wa barkatuh

I pray you are well.

Yes, this admiration of good conduct and character is permissible. The Messenger of Allah said, “Clearly, I have only been sent to complete righteous character.” (Ahmad). This hadith indicates that other nations have good character, but its pinnacle is found in the teachings of Islam.

Follow the Messenger of Allah

Allah told us the He sent us the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, as an excellent role model for us to follow: “Indeed there is for you, in the Messenger of Allah, an excellent exemplar…” (33:21). Make him the person who you emulate, you’ll never be let down.

From amongst the living, there are many righteous people and scholars who embody some aspects of his perfect conduct. No one can embody it all besides him, Allah bless him and give him peace. This is safer, as they are likely to uplift and inspire you in every way. More than someone who does not know or embody the sunna can.

Islam recognizes the virtue of individuals, Muslims, and non-Muslims alike. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, honored the daughter of Hatim al Tayyi’, a man is known for his great generosity, simply because his father was an honorable man.

A sounder approach is to pray for those non-Muslims within whom we recognize virtue. Ask Allah to guide them to Islam, and they’ll have the virtue of iman to add to their list.

May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 where, for 18 months, he studied with erudite scholars such as Shaykh Adnan Darwish, Shaykh Abdurrahman Arjan, Shaykh Hussain Darwish, and Shaykh Muhammad Darwish. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic with teachers such as Dr. Ashraf Muneeb, Dr. Salah Abu’l-Hajj, Dr Hamza al-Bakri, Shaykh Ahmad Hasanat, Dr. Mansur Abu Zina, and others. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Qur’anic recital by Shakh Samir Jabir and Shaykh Yahya Qandil. With Shaykh Ali, he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Qur’anic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.

What Should I Do If I Hear The Prayer Call After Finishing My Current Prayer?

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Answered by Ustadh Farid Dingle

Question: As-salam Alaykum, What should I do if I hear the azan after finishing the current obligatory prayer?

Answer: Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Thank you for your important and valued question.

The prayer is valid as long as the prayer time has actually entered. You can work out when the prayer enters by following accurate timetables like those found on Islamicfinder.com. As long as you pray after that time, the prayer is find.

Whether or not there is an azan, or when exactly someone calls the azan is another issue: sometimes people call the azan late, especially in non-Muslim countries where people are far from the mosque. In fact, even in Muslim countries, the azan is often called for a whole region/city 5 mins or so late so as to account for the difference of the position of the sun in respect to the different parts of the region/city.

I would just check the app’s settings with Islamicfinder.com. If it seems complete off, then I would repeat the prayer.

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid Dingle

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to crafts lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.

We Created You In Pairs Meaning

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Answered by Ustadh Farid Dingle

Question: So the concept of everyone being created in pairs, how does it apply to modern day life/ this generation? Many divorces/ separations/ men having more than one wife. So how does the concept of Allah creating us all in pairs work?

Answer: Assalamu alaykumwa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Regarding the verse of the Quran ‘And of everything single things we have created in pairs.’ [51: 49], Imam al-Alusi says,

‘This means two types that are different and distinguishable from its other, such as the male and the female, the sky and the earth … light and darkness, white and black … salvation and damnation … all of which indicate that all created beings are composite, and that they need a creator and that He alone is the One … As has been explained by Al-Kharraz (Allah sanctify his soul) that the meaning of Allah’s godhood and oneness is that He creates things in combinations, and less all singularity to Himself.’

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid Dingle

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to crafts lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.

Can Muslim Women Be Imams?

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Answered by Ustadh Farid Dingle

Question: assalam alaykum, I´m from Italy and here some people think that Islam is for man and the woman have a second place in Islam. I see a program on tv, about women can be Imam, and they say this is a revolution inside Islam. So my question are: woman can be Imam in a community? She can be Imam for women and men? Where in the Holy Qur’an say that woman can’t be Imam for the Ummah?

Answer: Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Gender equality in Islam

Allah looks at everyone equally and everyone is welcomed to draw near to Him in sincerity, dedication, fear and hope. Whoever excels another in these is greater in Allah’s eyes, regardless of race or gender.

Allah Most High says, ‘Verily, Muslim men and Muslim women, believing men and believing women, worshipful men and worshipful women, true men and true women, patient men and patient women, humbled men and humbled women, men and women who give in charity, men who fast and women who fast, men who protect their chastity and women, and men who remember Allah much and women, Allah has prepared for them [indescribable] forgiveness and a tremendous reward.’ [33: 35]

So All men and women are equal before Allah, irrespective of gender.

That said, Allah has also told us in the Quran that He has not given everyone in this life the same provision, and rights and responsibilities:

´It is We who have divided up each person’s livelihood in the Lower Life, and we have raised some over other whole categories such that some should be subject to others. And your Lord’s mercy is better than that which they amass’ [43: 32]

Some people are rich, and that gives them the right to buy things that others can’t; that also gives them the responsibility to support others. Some people are strong and healthy, and that gives them the right to enjoy their health, and the responsibility to defend the weak. Some people are really intelligent and have the ability and therefore the responsibility to fulfill certain communal obligations, such as being a brain surgeon or a mufti. Some others do not have such capabilities, such opportunities, etc., and this is all from the wisdom and mercy of Allah.

None of this “favouritism” reflects how Allah looks at His slaves: they are all equal and their true and ultimate rank is how they are morally.

And one such way that Allah has apportioned and organised temporal life in this “Lower Life” is that He has not made men and women the same, and has not given them the same rights and responsibilities.

Allah has said in the Quran, ‘Men are in charge of women because We have given more to some than others.’ [4: 34]

Men are not women, and women are not men. Allah has made two genders to compliment one another, and has put one in charge of the other in this life, even though they are equal before Allah’s eyes in the next.

Well, to what degree are men in charge of women?

Generally speaking, no man has any control or say in what another man or woman does. However the general tack in Islam is that men are in charge of leadership roles, such as being the caliph, judgeship, leading the household, and leading the Eid and Friday prayers.

Woman can be and do many things: they can be politicians, muftis, CEOs, millionaires, writers, revolutionists, mothers, astronauts, you name it! But there is a general hierarchy in things that touch the structure and performance of the Muslim community.

This responsibility, dictates that one follow the other, and the other show mercy, consideration, stewardship to the other in light of the grave responsibility that rests on his shoulders. This hierarchy is for everyone’s benefit: emotionally, physically, financially, politically, economically …

Responsibility means answerability: so men, or women, who abuse their rights and do not fulfill their what is required of them, must provide an answer for their transgressions before a Sharia court in this life, and Allah’s court in the next.

For more details on Women’s active role in the authority, please see: Do the Hadiths Say Women Can’t Be Leaders?

Can women lead the prayer

Please see: How a Female Imam Should Lead a Congregation of Women in Prayer? [Shafi’i School]

An Explanation of the Hanafi School’s Position on Women’s Congregational Prayer

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid Dingle

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to crafts lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language.

How Can Someone Always Have Trust In Allah?

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Question: Assalamu Aleykum

1. How can someone always have trust [tawakkul] in Allah in all their affairs, when asking from Allah, and not having fear or doubt. Is this a quality that can only be firm in people who have a lot of knowledge of Allah and islam?

2. How do you always keep a good opinion of Allah in all circumstances?

3. when praying and doing other acts of worship i keep thinking of trauma that i’ve been threw in the past. I feel bad because my heart feels distracted with it all the time, and i haven’t been focusing in prayer because of it.

4. When you make tawbah should you have hope or fear or both?

 

Answer: Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

Dear questioner,

The hand teaches the heart

None of us were born angels and few of us can take an honest look at themselves and say that they are morally perfect. That said, Allah has given us a means to work on ourselves and change: the practice of Islam.

By applying the sunna of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace), and by fulfilling our obligations towards Allah and His slaves with excellence, one cannot but change internally.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said that Allah Most High said, ‘Never does My slave draw nearer to Me with anything more bleoved to Me than that which I have made obligatory upon him; and My slave keeps on getting closer and closer to Me until I love him. And when I love him, I am the hearing with which he hears, and the seeing with which he sees, and the hand with which he strikes, and the foot with which the walks.’ [Bukhari]

So by applying the teachings of Islam with one’s body, one changes internally and wins the love of Allah. At this point, Allah gives one a new way of looking at life: things no longer cause other things, but rather Allah is the direct cause of everything around one, and one cannot but love, fear and rely upon him totally.

What it costs

One of the Early Muslims mentioned how hard it was to get to this degree, and what work it involved. He said:

‘I was for twelve years the blacksmith of my ego, then for five years I became the mirror of my heart, then for a year I looked at what lay between the two of them and I saw around me a visible belt [i.e. of disbelief, = the sign of a non-Muslim subject of the Islamic state]. So I strove to cut it for twelve years and then looked again, and I saw around me a hidden belt. So I worked to cut it for five years, looking to see how to cut. Then it was unveiled for me and I looked at creation and saw that they were all dead. So I recited the funeral prayer over them.’ [Bustan al-Arifin, al-Nawawi]

So it is a tall order of business to change completely and become so much imbued in faith that you see everything and everyone as totally unable to harm or benefit you, and see Allah as the one and only Harmer and Benefiter.

The good news is that we are all weak, and all we have to do is give it our all, even if we don’t succeed. Allah Most High says, ‘He has already succeeded who purifies himself; and remembers his Lord and prays.’ [84: 14-15]

So we have to strive with might and mane, but even rely on Allah in attainment true reliance upon Him.

Good opinion of Allah

If you love Allah, it is only because He loves you; and if He loves you, then what He has in store for you is far greater than what you can try to achieve for yourself in this life or the next.

To help you keep thinking the best of Allah, one should always remember that Allah is omnipotent and can make anything come out of anything, and that Allah has more concern for one than one does oneself.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said that Allah said, ‘I am close to whatever My slave thinks I will do for him.’ [Bukhari and Muslim] Based on this hadith, we should always be the utmost optimism about everything we experience in life, and know that it is, without exception, always to our advantage: ‘How peculiar is the matter of the believer! Everything is always to his advantage! And that doesn’t apply to anyone save a believer. If he enjoys a benefit, he is grateful and it is even better for him; and if he suffers a difficulty, he is patient and it is even better for him.’ [Muslim]

The true way to show patience is to actually thank Allah for the affliction, knowing that is in reality a gift from Him and sign of His affection and concern. But this is easier said than done.

Dealing with Trauma and worship

The point is that the trauma should not turn one away from Allah, but turn one to Allah. We have to turn to Allah in our needs and pains. The Prophet Jacob (upon whom be peace) said, ‘I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah.’ [12: 86]

It may be necessary to seek clinical help to deal with trauma, but a lot can be done by turning, and even crying, to Allah.

We have to know that everything comes from Allah and return to Him. We have to train our hearts to be like that. As Amherst D. Tyssen put it:

Oh, may we thus through life’s rough voyage,
With all its tempests cope;
Make God the Rock whereon we cast
The anchor of our hope.

Come weal: to Him we give the praise;
Come woe: on Him we rest;
E’en death is bliss to hearts assured
Whate’er He sends is best.

Repentance

Repentance is the very essence of change and the only way we can become better slaves of Allah, for which reason the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, ‘O people, repent to Allah and seek his forgiveness, for indeed I repent to Him and seek him forgiveness 100 times every single day.’ [Ahmad]

We should repent out of fear and hope, and continue on to do good deeps out of fear and hope. We stay between hope and fear, and fear and hope until we die. ‘Who forsake their beds to cry unto their Lord in fear and hope, and spend of that We have bestowed on them.’ [32: 16]

I pray this helps.

Wassalam,

[Ustadh] Farid Dingle

Checked and approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to crafts lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language

How Do I Protect Myself From The Evil Eye?

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Shaykh Farid Dingle answers a question on how to protect oneself from the evil eye.

 

Question:

Salam,

How do we protect ourselves from the evil eye and jealousy, but without being excessive? For example if you have a child and you want to protect him/her from evil eye, do you just not post a photo of your baby? I don’t understand how to be moderate in it without being excessive in it. Please provide some guidance on this matter.

 

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

The Evil Eye

Please read this article first: http://seekershub.org/ans-blog/2010/03/19/the-evil-eye-a-reality/

Ostentation

Showing off in one’s acts of worship, or in worldly possessions or achievements is forbidden. What is wrong with it is that one looks at a blessing that is from Allah, and ascribes it to one’s ownself. Then one seeks that it be seen by others so that one’s rank my rise in their eyes. This results in pride, and has been compared to polytheism: ‘Indeed even a slight amount of showing off is worshipping gods besides Allah.’ [Hakim]

Talking about one’s baby and showing pictures to others can be ostentation and haram. You have to look at your heart when you are doing it and after when people respond. If you are eager to get likes on your Facebook page, for example, or you are waiting for someone to show that they are impressed, or the opposite, you are crestfallen when you don’t get the attention you wanted, then it is ostentation.

If you feel this, you have to get it out of you heart and change your intention before you take an action. Otherwise, you will be acting upon ostentation and doing something forbidden and hated in Allah’s eyes.

It can also be a way of sharing the joy and thanking Allah. If all you want is to show others how happy you are with Allah, and there is not hankering in your heart for their praise then it is not ostentation, inshaAllah.

Breaking others’ hearts

Sometimes, even if we don’t mean to, we break other people’s hearts by mentioning a blessing in our lives that others don’t have. You mention how your baby is staying to coo and you hurt the person you are talking to because she doesn’t have a baby, or her baby has a disability.

This is not sinful if you don’t intend to harm them and you don’t know that it will hurt they feelings, but you do have to be careful.

‘The Most-Merciful only shows mercy to those who are merciful. Show mercy to those on Earth, and He upon high shall show you mercy.’ [Tirmidhi and others]

So you have to look at the scenario, and many other similar scenarios, from these three angles.

I pray this helps.

Farid

 

Checked and approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

 

What is the Etiquette in Warning Others from Slandering?

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Shaykh Farid Dingle outlines the approach and etiquette that one should adopt when advising others to stop slandering.

 

Question:

As-salaam alaikum,

If someone is being slandered by someone else and I defend them saying that what the person who’s slandering is saying is wrong by way of insulting the words that they used to refer to the person slandered. Does that mean I slandered that person by insulting what they said?

 

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

An even keel

The believer sees the world and other people from a certain vista that prevents him from lowering his standards to harsh words or insults.

Allah Most High has described his slaves:

‘And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk lightly upon the earth, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say, ‘Peace!’ ‘ [25: 63]

And the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, ‘The believer  neither curses, nor backstabs, nor is he immoral in words, nor foul.’ [Tirmidhi and Hakim]

In light of this, the believer does not respond in an insulting, demeaning, or pontifical way to anyone, be they on the right or wrong. The believers hatred to directly solely to the actions or words that are being done or said, no the person who is saying or doing them.

The case at hand

If one were to hear, for example, some say, ‘Zayd is an idiot.’ and then you defended him by saying, for example, ‘No, you are the idiot,’ that would be verbal abuse and it would not be halal. If you were to say, ‘These are stupid words,’ or ‘That is a stupid thing to say,’ you are attacking the action (the initial insult), and what you are saying is true.

If what you said was clearly condescending or vulgar, then it would be a different kettle of fish.

I pray this helps,
Farid

Checked and approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.