Friday Nasiha

Forgiveness includes many features, apart from the fundamental sense of overlooking others' lapses. It also covers self-restraint, patience and forbearance. As two persons foster a relationship, it is natural that they may do something which may cause unpleasantness, bitterness, pain and torment to the other party. It naturally angers them and they may legitimately seek revenge for it. However, the love permeating their relationship will help them overcome their anger. They will be so broad in their outlooks as to restrain their anger, which will, in turn, prevent any retaliation. In this way, they would rather exercise self-restraint and forgive one another.

This was a valuable feature of the Prophet's conduct. Allah directed him to profess and practise forgiveness (Al-Imran 3:134). It is perfectly lawful to take revenge for any wrong done to someone. However, one who pardons is entitled to Allah's special reward (al-Shura 42:40). Allah will pardon those who forgive others.

It is, of course, hard to develop this trait to pardon. Undoubtedly, it calls for firm resolve. However, forgiveness certainly improves mutual relations and is reckoned as an important trait.

Combating Illiteracy

Al Tabarani relates in Al Kabir, quoting Bakir Ben Ma'rouf quoting Alqamah Ben Said Ben Abdurrahman Ben Abzii quoting his father and grandfather, he said, "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) gave a speech once, and made good comments about some groups of Muslims and then he said, "How can some people not educate, teach, advise and admonish their neighbours, and how can some people not learn, not be enlightened or advised by their neighbours? By Allah, people should teach, enlighten, advise, enjoin and admonish their neighbours, and others should learn, be enlightened and be advised by their neighbours, otherwise I will speed up punishment to them".

So the Messenger of Allah descended and some people said, "Who do you think he meant by these people?" Somebody said: "Al Ash'ariyn [Ten most knowledgable Companions of the Prophet] are knowledgeable people, and they have neighbours who are useless, people of the water and from foreign lands". This reached the Ash'ariyn and they went to the Messenger of Allah, and said: "Messenger of Allah, you talked kindly about some people and you talked about us unkindly, what is wrong with us?" He said: "People should educate, advise, enjoin, and admonish their neighbours, and people should learn, be enlightened and advised by their neighbours, otherwise I will speed up punishment to them in this world". They said: "Should we understand people other than us?" He repeated his words to them and they repeated theirs to him "Should we understand people other than us?" He repeated his words again. Then, they said: "Give us one year", and he gave them one year to teach, educate and enlighten their neighbours. Then the Messenger of Allah read the following verse, "Those of the Children of Israel who went astray were cursed by the tongue of David, and of Jesus, son of Mary. That was because they rebelled and used to transgress. They restrained not one another from the wickedness they did. Verily evil was that they used to do!" (Surah 5, Verses 78-79.)

Dr. and Professor Mustapha Subai, May Allah have his soul, commented on this Hadith and said: "You read in this Hadith truths that should be pointed out,

1- The Messenger could not accept that people be ignorant when they are in the vicinity of knowledgeable people.

2- He considered the remaining of ignorant people in their state and the refusal of learned people to educate them a disobedience to the commands of Allah and His law.

3- He also considered that as an aggression and a sin which require reprimand and punishment.

4- He declared war on the two parties and promised to punish them so that they hasten to learn (for some of them) and to teach (for the others).

5- He gave them a deadline of one year to erase all of ignorance amongst them.

6- Even if the incident referred to the Ash'ariyn scholars and their ignorant neighbours, the Messenger proclaimed the principle in a general manner, not concerning the Ash'aryin alone, with the proof that when the Ash'ariyin came to ask him about the reason why they were especially accused of this denial as the people construed it, he did not tell them that they were the ones that were meant by the Hadith. He repeated the general comment that had been repeated three times earlier without specifying it to the Ash'ariyin, in order to point out that the matter was one of general principle that is not specific to any particular group or period of time.

That is how the Messenger announced the battle against illiteracy fourteen centuries earlier than its proclamation by the modern countries in our time, and all this is surprising to come from an illiterate Prophet who lived in an illiterate environment, except that he was the Messenger of Allah.

Source:
"Toward a Sound Awakening" - Yusuf Al-Qaradawi