Soul Purification, - The scale of morals

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All perfect praise be to Allaah, Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and messenger.
A sage once said,“Three types of persons are known only under three circumstances: a forbearing person is known only in times of anger, a courageous person is known only in times of war, and a brother is known only in times of need.”This is true because hardships reveal hidden morals and disclose real personalities. Therefore, the Arabs would say,“Travel is the scale of people”. This is because it reveals many of their morals and dispositions. Similarly, one cannot be known at times of agreement, but only at times of disagreement, which reveals his piety, forbearance and adherence to justice and other virtues which all people approve of at the time of agreement but differ about at the time of disagreement. Hence, Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}...And do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness...{]Quran 5:8[. Also, the Prophet,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would supplicate to Allaah, saying:“Wa asa’luka kalimata al-haqqi fi al-ridha wal ghadhab.]And I ask You to make me utter words of truth at the time of satisfaction and at the time of anger.”]Ahmad and An-Nasaa’i, Al-Albaani and Al-Arnaa'oot -Saheeh[
Disagreement also reveals one’s mentality, the extent of his open-mindedness, the depth of his insight, and how comprehensive his vision is.
Demonstrating the correct notion which is disputed about, and correcting dubious methodologies are two requirements that should be fulfilled, but mercy and benevolence are two qualities that should not be overlooked when doing so. Moreover, thinking well of others, accepting excuses and asking for forgiveness for a person who has made a mistake are also indispensable manners for a person who seeks what is correct, as well as justice, advice and reform. Innate dispositions like irascibility, hot temper and stubbornness are hidden diseases which appear at times of disagreement to control one’s attitude and prevent him from seeing things as they really are. They make him misinterpret them, whether consciously or not, as a type of protective jealousy for the sake of justice or anger for the sake of Allaah The Exalted. However, this is not true for he is only acting in accordance with his hidden morals and dispositions, forgetting that protective jealousy for the sake of what is correct does not contradict with the forbearance and deliberateness which Allaah The Exalted and His Messenger,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, love. He also forgets that being angry for the sake of Allaah does not lead to oppression or exceeding the boundaries of theSharee'ahin forbidding evil. Hence, taming and disciplining one’s personal dispositions through long striving against one’s self in order to act in conformity with the texts ofSharee'ahis a form of piety. This is supported by theHadeethwhere the Prophet,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:“A strong person is not the one who overpowers others; rather, a strong person is the one who controls himself at the time of anger.”]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
The validity of refuting a scholar who gave an incorrect opinion based on hisIjtihaad)personal effort( is in no way meant for oppressing, harming or scorning him, nor is it meant for disuniting theUmmah)Muslim nation(. Correcting the mistake of a person does not mean exposing or scolding him, especially if he is known for his honesty and trustworthiness. Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said,
The people of the Sunnah, knowledge and faith know what is correct, follow the Sunnah of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, have mercy on people, treat them fairly and excuse those who make Ijtihaad to reach the right but fail. They only vilify those whom Allaah The Almighty and His Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, vilify. They vilify those who neglect truth-seeking due to abandoning their duties and obligations, and those who transgress and follow their desires without knowing that what they commit is prohibited. In other words, they dispraise only those who abandon the obligations and commit the unlawful. They punish them only after informing them of Islam beyond ignorance and doubt. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And never would We punish until we sent a messenger.{]Quran 17:15[This should be taken into consideration, especially in disputable issues that are not known to most people.
Many are capable of refuting mistakes; however, only a few are capable of elaborating the truth with mercy and pity and of helping the mistaken party to get back on track. Only the pioneers and the intelligent of theUmmahare capable of creating a balanced scientific environment and a serious intellectual atmosphere that appreciates scientific dialogue and revives the etiquettes of difference. Only these people are capable of restoring the balance to theUmmahthrough their patience and forbearance, especially when theFitnah)tribulations( of divergence appears and the low minded people - who speak about critical common issues - abound. These pioneers are responsible for correcting the wrong and clarifying the right with evidence. At the same time, they are keen on the unity and strength of theUmmah. They realize that neglecting any of these two pillars will result in disastrous fractures, disunity and loss of strength.
Disagreement and divergence represent the most devastatingFitnahamong the righteous. WhenFitnahemerges, arguments and gossip increase and it becomes the people’s habit to accuse each other of being wrong. When theFitnahbegins, the devil accompanies some of the irascible people to urge them to start its fire. Some of the rabbles and people of weak faith become full of joy upon hearing the call of dispute, and they try to follow the points of difference and dissention. You only hear from them the roaring of quarrels and arguments. They dispute and wrangle with people relying on their loud voice and clamor. They sometimes do so under the pretext of jealousy for the right and defending it as previously mentioned.
When theFitnahof disagreement intensifies, disputes increase, disunity emerges, old files are reopened, thoughts and desires are summoned and personal endeavors are interpreted from a suspicious and doubtful perspective until the banner of failure, which Allaah The Almighty mentioned in His book, is raised. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And do not dispute and ]thus[ lose courage and ]then[ your strength would depart.{]Quran 8:46[
Some people, when they differ with others, may become like the man from Banu Azd who jumped into the water to rescue another man who sought his help. This man swam until he became close to the drowning man and then asked him,“Where are you from?”he replied,“From Banu Tameem.”The man from Banu Azd said,“Go ahead, by Allaah!”He then said, later on,“I moved away from him only one cubit and he sank! By Allaah, had I had a stone, I would have hit his head with it!”
The pioneers of theUmmahstand on a firm ground of insight and piety. They are not provoked by arguments or moved by people’s desires. Rather, they follow the way of advice and exhort one another to truth and patience. Not everyone can see the consequences of matters, and not everyone who can see them can ward them off. A blessed man might see the sedition starting to agitate, and his Lord helps him to absorb it and extinguish its flames through the guidance, wisdom, and open-mindedness that He has granted him. Such a wise man does not judge by appearances; rather, he tries to reach the essence of the problem. Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said,“The light of intellect illuminates in the night of desires, bringing what is correct in sight and helping the insightful to see the consequences of matters.”Though clarifying the right is obligatory and silence in the face of the wrong is a wrongdoing, a knowledgeable, sympathetic and pious adviser takes into consideration other interests, eliminates the evil that is likely to occur, and looks at matters with the eye of a reformer who considers theSharee'ahpurposes he is ordered to observe. After that, he gives priority to the worthiest of them and the nearest to what Allaah The Almighty wants and likes.
Hence, some of the Imaams would abandon some of their opinions andIjtihaadsfor the sake of uniting the Muslims’ word and thwartingFitnah. They would do so to follow the guidance of the Prophet,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, who abandoned building theKa’bahon the foundations laid by Ibraaheem )Abraham(, may Allaah exalt his mention, and told ‘Aaishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, about the wisdom behind that saying:“If your people were not new converts to faith, and I did not apprehend that their hearts would feel agitated at this, I would have definitely included ]the area of[ this wall in the House and would have brought the door to the level of the ground.”]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
Muslims are in dire need of the kind of upbringing that concentrates on faith and discipline, one that refines the souls and leads them
to the insightful balance in theirIjtihaadsand guides them to moderation in their stances and reactions. The absence of this kind of upbringing makes us more vulnerable to disruption and disunity. We seek refuge with Allaah The Almighty from hidden and apparentFitnahs!

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