Affection among People – How -- The Principle & The Explanations

[DawudTalut]

Peace be on you….The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) mentioned the sign of the true momin (believer) that the real momin is the one, what he likes for himself, he likes the same for his brother, for other…….It is such a path-showing principle which lays the foundation of affection and love at each level in the world -- from home to international relations. It ends discords, creates softness in hearts, draws attention to pay rights of each other.

Hazrat Khalifatul Messiah V (a.t.) said: I presented this thing before others on many occasions. They get impressed very much. But our aim is not to impress people by telling them a good thing. Our aim is to prove beauty of this and every Islamic commandment by our acts……..Other can ask us, it is very good thing but tell us how many of you act on it and when time comes they do not show selfishness. Beauty of a thing become manifest when sayer of it is acting on it too. People will know our distinctive quality when our words and deeds will match. People do not only stop short at our words they observe us too.

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On the occasion of inauguration of a mosque in Germany, the deputy commissioner of that area raised objection that you people show wrong attitude by not shaking hand with women. Huzur (a.t.) said: When I gave him some detailed answer, a person latter wrote in his impressions it is right thing as everyone has freedom and what one’s religion or tradition tells, it is one’s right to practice it while there is no harm to country and people. Your Khalifah stated it but its reality will be known when we shall see Ahmadi youth or their majority practice it or not.

So when we talk about any directive with reference to religion and in this regard talk about high morals, others observe us about our practice.

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No one can deny about what the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) told us about the high moral of a believer i.e. your being a momin will become evident when your morals will be exalted, when your feelings and passions for each other will be of high standard. What is that standard? The thing you like for yourself, same you should like for others. Not that you rasie voice for justice to get your rights but show negative attitude to fulfill others’ rights.

So as we get anxious to get our own rights, we should have same standard to give rights to others. When we do mistake, we want our mistake should be forgiven and no accountability is made and we are not punished, so when someone else does mistake which affects us we should adopt same attitude too for him to forgive him -- if he is not a habitual criminal and does not keep repeating same mistakes.

But if due to mistake of someone, Jama'at or national interests are being damaged, then it is not an individual’s mistake anymore, it become national crime. Then decision about such people is made by organizations, not by any individual.

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Anyways, it is being said, in daily dealng of society, we think there is a right for us, but do we think or give right to others or not? And the basic unit in it is home, friends, dears, sisters, brothers and other relatives. When such thought will be present on small scale in our small circle, then such thought will spread in society, selfishnesses will be finished, there shall be more talk to give rights, tendencies to forgive will increase, trend to give or ask to give punishment will be reduced.

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And Allah the Exalted in Holy Quran draws our attention to the trend of forgiveness along with apparent rights and needs. Thus He says in Holy Quran:


[3:105] Those who spend in prosperity and adversity, and those who suppress anger and pardon people; and Allah loves those who do good;

== Firstly, the attention is drawn to spend at those servants of Allah the Exalted who are needy, “mohsin” is the one who is useful for others, impart benefit to them, firm on good deeds, practice Taqwa (righteousness) …..So the one who is firm on virtues and give benefit to others for the sake of Allah the Exalted by practicing Taqwa, surely he is selfless in fulfilling rights of servants of Allah the Exalted, he spends covertly or overtly for the sake of pleasure of Him. When this state is developed in human, he does not do selfishness, he does not want bad for his brother, such people progress spiritually too, such people get included among those whom Allah the Exalted loves.

== Further Allah the Exalted tells the sign of “mohseneen” that they have control over their emotions. This is such a control in a state when getting angry is natural, they suppress anger and forgive others too. This is not a ordinary thing to expel from heart each kind of anger and passions to get revenge. It is great thing not to get angry and the emotion to get revenge are oust from heart. Not only such emotion are driven out but also to do some favour for mistake doer. It is very great. Allah the Exalted wants these qualities should be developed in a momin / believer.

An incidence is mentioned in tradition about Hazrat Hasan (r.a.) that his servant did a mistake, at this he (r.a.) became very angry and wanted to punish him, the servant read the part of verse “wal kazeminal ghaz” (and those who suppress anger), at this Hazrat Hasan lowered his hand, the servant felt more courage and read “wal aafeen” (and pardon). Upon this Hazrat Hasan (r.a.) said according to directive of Allah the Exalted (in verse)ou", “Go I forgive you” . The servant felt more courage and he read, “wallaho yohibbul mohsenin” (and Allah loves those who do favor / good). Hazrat Hasan (r.a.) told the slave that he freed him he was free to go wherever he wanted to go………..Thus these are attitudes of those who desire to have love of Allah the Exalted and who practice righteousness for Allah the Exalted that only forgive mistake of others they do favor too to him.

Hazrat Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) says with respect to this verse:

“Remember the person who does harshness, and becomes angry, knowledge and words of wisdom can never be uttered by his tongue. That heart is made deprive of words of wisdom which loses control by getting angry soon in front of his opponent. Bad mouth and lips of unbridlded are made deprive of from the spring of fine points (name caller, uncontrolled talker is deprived of words of wisdom, deep things and things which are liked by Allah the Exalted ). Anger and wisdom cannot be together. The one who is defeated by rage, his wisdom is crude and understating is blunt. Never he is given dominance and help in any field. Rage is half insanity when it ignites much, it can become full insanity…………….Remember there is dangerours animosity between wisdom and excitement. When excitement and anger come, wisdom cannot stay firm, but the one who show patience and show model of tolerance, he is given a nur / light, by which a new light is born in his powers of wisdom and pondering, then nur is born from nur. Because the heart and the mind are dark in the state of anger and excitement that is why darkness is born from darkness.”

Thus, the teaching of Islam is of great wisdom so while making decisions, if one is against some person and there is a matter about mistake and penalty even then decision should be made about him by pondering, not by being defeated by rage. On some occasions, strictness has to be practiced, but to pratice it in rage and anger is not allowed. There is concept of punishments in Islam, but there are principles and rules. To issue punishment in rage takes away from wisdom and justice. That is he (a.s.) said if you will give punishment while in rage, it will become hardness of heart. When heart is hardened, knowledge and words of wisdom do not come out of mouth, rather the wisdom dies. That is why Allah the Exalted has commanded to suppress anger. Cool the mind then decide whether to give punishment or not, provided you have authority to do so. It does not mean everyone has right to issue chastisement.


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[DawudTalut]

The patience is essential to suppress anger. So ther is need to increase the quality of patience. Hazrat Promised Messiah (a.s.) said that a light is given to powers of those who practice patience. Their thoughts are ripened. They get light. They get guidance form Allah the Exalted too. If a momin (believer) decides with wisdom even in disliked matter, there is no haste in their decision, they decide with patience and by pondering, rather they see positive and negative sides an go in depth, then decide. It should be clear that everyone does not have authority to give punishment that I thought and my wisdom tells to issue chastisement. In this era, it is duty of related organizations to issue punishment. A person can himself surely forgive his guilty one, but the help of law or the related organization is required to give punishment anyway.

If people keep these matter in view always then there would be no mutual feuds over little things. There would be no wastage of time and money which take place due to filing cases against each other. If a court declares someone not-guilty when the case is taken to court, then anger and rage of other party gets ignited more why he is let go or why punishment is light and he takes the case to next court. The matter are not outstanding these are very trivial matter……In Qadha [administration of justice within Jama'at] such matters come too, and some Ahmadis go to worldly court instead of Qadha eventhough matters are not worthy of filing petitions in courts. For this reason they make their own losses.

Allah the Exalted has commanded us to forgive after suppressing anger. It is not said to keep forgiving without wisdom but He told us to do decision after teaching the wisdom of forgiveness and punishment. Thus Allah the Exalted said:



[42:14] And the recompense of an injury is an injury the like thereof; but whoso forgives and his act brings about reformation, his reward is with Allah. Surely, He loves not the wrongdoers.

So the real thing is to reform by making the responsible feel his crime, not to take revenge or to entrap others in court-cases and wasting own and others’ wealth and time. In case, if matter goes to offices of Jama'at then they begin ill-thoughts.

If reform is achieved by forgiving then it is better to forgive. If chastisement is essential for reform then demand of wisdom is to give punishment. The matter may be taken to related organizations.

Hazrat Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) has written about this wise directive at many places. He writes in Taryaqul Qolub:

“With respect to law of justice the punishment of each evil is evil of same amount, but if someone forgive his guilty one with the condition that by this forgiving there is reform to that guilty person, not that he become more bold due to forgiveness and become fearless. Such individual (i.e the forgiver) will get great reward form God the Exalted.”

In Brahin e Amadiyya, he (a.s.) says:

“In the punishment of evil, the getting of justice is that the bad natured person deserves that much evil as much he did evil. But the person who does a matter of reform by excusing. It means the excusing should not be such that its result is any ill. Thus his reward is with God.”

Thus afw and forgiving is at time when the attitude of guilty is seen that he will not do this wrong thing in future. Some people are habitual criminals and ask for forgiveness everytime after doing crime. For such people chastisement is necessary, and it should be such that there is angle of his reform.

Hazrat Promised Messiah (a.s.) said:

“The revenge of evil is that much evil which was done but the person who does afw (pardom) and forgive sin and with this afw a reform is developed, not any ill then God is pleased with him, and will reward him for that. Thus by Quran, the revenge at every place is not praised worthy and not at every place afw is laudable. Rather occasion should be seen. And the characters of taking revenge and doing afw should be with observing the occasion and advantageousness, not in color of unrestrictedness. It is what Quran means.”

It is not such that chastisement is done without any principle, or forgiveness is granted without any reason. There are limits which should be observed and it should be seen where is benefit. So it is the wisdom of Islamic chastisement and forgiveness. Reform should be in view.

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These days we see, in worldly laws, punishment of each crime is given and criminals are kept in jail for reformation. But the analysts from the advanced countries have started writing that when the criminals come out of jails after completion of time they are increased in crimes.

Reason is that, the punishers and criminals both follow the laws and none of them has fear of Allah the Exalted in them.

Anyway, the general guidance for believers is that they should have habit to forgive faults, and decision should be according to kind of fault and condition of guilty and according to past attitude.

Allah the Exalted does not want that one should keep forgiving with closed eyes, not that trend should be to keep giving punishments by being in rage.

Continous forgiving cause deformation in society and keep issuing chastisement cause increase in estrangement and rancor and walls of hatred stand in society and unrest continue to spread.

If we look around in our environment we see those people who are faulted upon, they demand with intensity that guilty must be punished to make him means of lesson for others, and no one should have courage to do mistakes. The guilty one says he should be pardoned.

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These days, many human rights organizations have been formed. Where they are involved in many good deeds, at the same time they are excessively engaged in trying to get pardon for every criminal.

Similarly, those criminals who know a little bit of commandments of Allah the Exalted they say it is directive of Allah the Exalted to forgive so they should be forgiven as God Himself forgive His servants too thus you too forgive by fulfilling rights of people; at individual level everyone should pardon his guilty and at Jama'at level everyone should be forgiven regardless it is beneficial or harmful to Jama'at so that rights of people are fulfilled.

These sayers who speak excessively, from both sides are either habitual criminals or the ones who want the decisions in their favor beyond justice.

They commit crimes on one hand and on the other hand want to escape punishment by illegitimately citing God's commandments.

These are selfish people.

When someone do fault against them they never forgive.

They do excessive effort to cause punishment to guilty. Their principle change here. They forget the directive, then, like for other what you like for yourself.

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Similalry those who do not want to forgive others and wants their guilty must be penalized they too ask for pardon saying forgiveness is good.

Islam rejects what these selfish people say and decides on the basis of ultimate justice that if it is sure that reformation will come out of pardon, then, forgiving is better and if it is clear that there is no way without punishment, then, the punishment becomes necessary.

Anyways this is a principled teaching of Islam.

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[DawudTalut]

Now, we see how far did the Holy Prophet (peace be on him) go in forgiving and this regard what advices he delivered to his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) about it.

Earlier an example was given when Hazrat Imam Hasan (r.a.) forgave but that was a small mistake. The acme of forgiveness, we see in the life of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.).

He forgave the people even when the decision had been taken to punish them. He did not pardon others' offenders but pardoned those who wronged him and even murderer of his children because they were reformed.

It is related that a man named Habbar Bin Aswad attacked daughter of Messenger (s.a.w.) of Allah Hazrat Zainab (r.a) with a spear during her flight from Makkah to Medina while she was pregnant. She was injured, her pregnancy was terminated and eventually she died of those wounds. For that crime, Habbar was sentenced to death.

At the conquest of Makkah, he fled.

But when Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) returned to Medina, Habbar came to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) and said: I beg mercy from you. First I ran away for your fear, but your forgiveness and mercy has brought me back. O prophet of God! We were ignorant and idol worshippers, God gave us guidance through you and saved us from destruction, I accept my excesses, thus by ignoring my ignorance forgive me.

Thus Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) forgave this murderer of his daughter and said: Go Habbar, I forgave you, this is Allah the Exalted's favor on you that He enabled you to accept Islam.

When he (s.a.w.) saw that reformation has taken place, he forgave even his daughter's murderer.

Hazrat Ayesha (May Allah be pleased with her) says that he (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) never avenged any of the excesses done to him. He forgave the lady (of a previous faith) who fed him poisoned food despite the effect of the poison on the companions.

Hind, the wife of Abu Sufian, who, in battle of Ohad was guilty of mutilating the dead body, and chewing the liver of Hazrat Hamza (r.a.), the Holy Prophet's (s.a.w.) uncle, did the Bai'at along with other ladies at the occasion of the conquest of Makkah. Because of her asking certain questions, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) recognized her and asked if she was Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan. She answered: Yes Messenger of Allah. Now I have become Muslim from heart, what had taken place before in past, forgive it. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) forgave Hind. She was so much impressed by his forgiving that she had a complete change of her nature and became very faithful. On the evening of same day, she invited the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) to a feast and presented two roasted lambs saying that there was a shortage of animals those days this humble gift is presented. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) prayed: O Allah bless very much in her herds. It is reported that as a result of this prayer, such blessing came her herds became immensely large to be controlled.

Abdullah bin Abi Salool, who is known to everybody as the leader of the hypocrites, was forgiven by the Holy Prophet (peace be on him) despite his mischiefs and lead his funeral-prayer despite Hazrat Umar's (r.a.) multiple requests to not to say the funeral prayers for him.

Ka'ab Bin Zair, who was a famous poet and had needed sentenced for certain offences. After the conquest of Makkah, his brother wrote him that he should come to ask for forgiveness from the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) so he came to Medina and stayed with an acquaintance. He offered the Fajr Salaat in Masjid Nabwi, behind the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.). After the prayers, he said that Ka'ab has come with repentance and is seek for forgiveness. Since the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) did not recognize him by face. Ka'ab asked if he could be presented if permitted? On permission being granted, he told that he was Ka'ab Bin Zair. At that moment, one of the Ansars got up (as Ka'ab had been sentenced to death) to slay him, but the Holy Prophet asked to leave him alone because he had come for forgiveness…….After that Ka'ab presented a Qaseedah for the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.), he liked it and placed his Chader on Kaab.

This was his standard of pardoning. Not only he forgave but said goodbye with gift.

There are countless examples of forgiveness by Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). His afw (forgiveness) was at such pinnacle that make a human astonished.

Hazrat Promised Messiah (on whom be peace) says:

“Great name calling was done to those who were close to God, thet were wronged badly, but they were asked “aariz anil jahelin” (avoid the ignorant). The self of Perfect Human, our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) was troubled in very severe way. And name calling, foul language and excesses were employed. But what did this Moral-Corporeal being do in reposnse to this? He prayed for them. Since Allah the Exalted had make promise that if you will ignore the ignorant, your honor and life We shall keep safe and these street-people will not be able to attack on him. So, it happened like that. Thus the opponents of Huzur could not tarnish his honor and themselves fell at his feet by being humiliated or were destroyed in front (of him).

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What kind of advice did he (s.a.w.) give to his companions to acquire high standard of forgiveness?

In this regard there are many events are mentioned….Once a man came to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) and asked if he could give corporal punishment to his slave for the mistakes that he makes. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) : "forgive him 70 times daily” (i.e. forgive him very much).

This is the standard that has been set by the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) for the employees and subordinates. It should be clear that there is no slavery these days, so, a believer as an employee is expected to discharge his duties rightfully. It would be wrong if he wrongs every work because of presence of directive of forgiveness.

It is the directive that the right of assigned work should be fulfilled fully.

This responsibility lies both with the employer and the employee. The employer should not be angry at small matters and the employee has the responsibility to discharge his duties well.

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Advising us about forgiving and overlooking, Hazrat Promised Messiah (peace be on him) says:

"The purpose of preparing the Jama't is that taqwah (righteousness) permeates through tongue, ears, eyes and every part of the body. The light of taqwah should be inside and outside his body, he should be a great model elegant morals and should be completely devoid of undue anger and fury etc."…………….."I have observed that the defect of anger is still found in the majority of the people in the Jama'at. Rancor and ill result from petty matters and they clash among themselves. Such people don't have any part from the Jama'at”…………………. “I understand, what difficulty is faced if one calls names and the other keeps silent and doesn't respond. Every community's reformation starts first with moral. It is needed that he patiently makes progress in the training in the start. The best way is that if someone talks foul, then, he should pray for doer from the aching heart.”


First, train yourself patiently, and then train others as well. The way to do that is that pray May Allah the Exalted reform him.


“ and he should not increase ill will in his heart". …… "Allah doesn't like at all that the kindness, patience, and forgiveness that are excellent properties be replaced by animalism. If you make progress in excellent properties, you will very soon reach closer to God"…………” It is true that all human are not of same temperament. That is why it is in Holy Quran : “qulluen yamalo ala shakelatehi” i.e everyone acts according to his own way [from 17:85]


Hazrat Promised Messiah (a.s.) further says, "Some people are excellent in one kind of conduct but weak in another. If one behavior has a good tinge the other one is bad, but this doesn't necessarily mean that reformation is impossible".


Humans have different natures. Some morals of some people are very high but there is weakness in other ones. But it does not mean that reform is impossible and all morals are not gained. Not doubt dispositions are different , those with weaknesses have some goods in them too. But Hazrat Promised Messiah (a.s.) wants from us that we should make effort to reform ourselves by following commandments of Allah the Exalted and those high morals should adopt which are standards of a true believer. We should always try to get rid of weaknesses and always make effort to make the atmosphere peaceful. For that, the principle told to us by the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) is, what you like or want for yourself, want it for your brother too.


May Allah the Exalted enable us to achieve these standards. [Aameen]

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Based on Friday sermon (23 September 2016) by Hazrat Khalifatul Messiah V (may Allah the Exalted help him with His Mighty help), UK, alislam.org -- and-- mta.tv