Words of Advice From the Lectures of Maulana Imran Attari (Part 5)

A Heartfelt Plea

Useful Tips

Mawlana Muhammad Imran Attari

Chairman of Dawat-e-Islami’s Central Executive Committee

On Tuesday 22^nd October 2024, Mawlana Muhammad Imran Attari, Chairman of Dawat-e-Islami’s Central Executive Committee held a training session in Faizan-e-Madinah for employees of all departments. Here is a summary of the important points from the session with revisions and additions:

1.    Your hygiene reveals 70% of your personality.

2.    Your success is dependent upon your discipline in the workplace.

3.    No matter how talented you are, you will not progress if you are not capable of teamwork.

4.    The individual with good character, manners and the ability to communicate well with others is made the leader of a department.

5.    Our worldly efforts mean nothing if we do not pray in congregation consistently.

6.    Do not consider Dawat-e-Islami as only a means of earning wealth, rather make it a way of preparing yourself for success in the Hereafter.

7.    Your office desk tells people a lot about yourself. A disorganised desk is a reflection of your scattered thinking and personality.

8.    You must begin fulfilling your duties as soon as your shift starts. Refrain from useless discussions and give your full attention and effort in fulfilling your responsibilities.

9.    Do not blame your supervisors or the organisation for your lack of progress, but focus on your shortcomings too. Rude employees are never promoted in any institution.

10.    The attainment of wealth or rank can reveal someone’s true colours. Some people receive the blessings of Sayyidunā ꜤUmar b, ꜤAbd al- ꜤAzīz رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه  and are just and kind, whereas some people exude the evil character of Yazīd.

11.    Consideration of religious endowment in relation to duty hours, property and resources is necessary. Use the A/C, fans, lights, water and other resources cautiously because they are not owned by any person. Here, not even Rukn-e-Shura can extend a pardon. Paying recompense is the only way of making amends in this affair.

12.    Participate in the weekly gatherings, Madani Muzakaras, and Dawat-e-Islami’s religious activities.

13.    It is not appropriate to complain to your co-workers about your domestic life. For example, “My wife did not make me breakfast today”, “My wife had an argument with me in the morning”, etc.

14.    Do not be so open with your friends that they make inappropriate comments about your mother, sister or wife.

15.    We generally commit sins during our lives without considering them to be improper. Here are verses 11 and 12 of Surah al-Ḥujurāt along with their brief exegesis:

یٰۤاَیُّہَا  الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا لَا یَسْخَرْ قَوْمٌ مِّنْ قَوْمٍ عَسٰۤی اَنْ یَّکُوْنُوْا خَیْرًا مِّنْہُمْ وَ لَا نِسَآءٌ  مِّنْ  نِّسَآءٍ  عَسٰۤی اَنْ یَّکُنَّ خَیْرًا مِّنْہُنَّ ۚ وَ لَا تَلْمِزُوْۤا اَنْفُسَکُمْ وَ لَا تَنَابَزُوْا بِالْاَلْقَابِ ؕ بِئْسَ الِاسْمُ الْفُسُوْقُ بَعْدَ الْاِیْمَانِ ۚ وَ مَنْ لَّمْ یَتُبْ فَاُولٰٓئِکَ ھُمُ الظّٰلِمُوْنَ (۱۱)

O you who believe! No nation should ridicule another nation, it may be that they are better than those who ridicule, and no women should ridicule other women, it may be that they (the latter) are better than those who ridicule. And do not defame one another nor offend one another with nicknames. What an evil name it is, being called an evildoer after faith. And whosoever does not repent, so they are the oppressors.^[1]

If someone exhibits signs of poverty and neediness, do not ridicule him due to this because it is possible that the one ridiculed is far better than the mocker from the perspective of religiosity.^[2]

ꜤAllāmah ꜤAbd al-Muṣṭafā al-AꜤẓamī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه explains the ruling of mocking others, saying, “It is forbidden and a sin to make fun of and humiliate a Muslim through language and gestures. This is because demeaning and hurting a Muslim is strictly forbidden and leads to hell.”^[3]

There are many Aḥādīth prohibiting and severely condemning this action. Sayyidunā ꜤAbbās رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ reports that the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Do not argue with your brother, do not mock him, and do not make a promise only to not fulfil it.”^[4]

Note: In the aforementioned verse, women were mentioned separately because they have a greater habit of mocking others and looking down on people. It does not mean they cannot laugh and joke with each other, but it is permissible under certain conditions. Imām Aḥmad Razā Khān رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه said, “Women laughing and joking with each other is permissible if it occurs at an appropriate time and place, does not involve immodesty, harming of Muslims, disrespecting elders, treating children unkindly, and does not happen excessively.”^[5]

(“Do not taunt one another”) through statement or gestures because believers are like one body, so humiliating others is like mocking yourself.^[6]

The exegetes have different opinions regarding what is meant by (“nor offend one another with nicknames.”) Here are three:

1.    Sayyidunā ꜤAbdullāh b. ꜤAbbās رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا said, “This refers to when someone commits a sin and repents from it, but he is called by a name highlighting that sin. This verse prohibits this action.” There is a threat against this action within the noble Aḥādīth. Sayyidunā MuꜤādh b. Jabal رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ reports that the beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Whoever shames his brother for a sin of his shall not die until he commits it himself.”^[7]

2.    Some scholars said, “Giving evil nicknames is to call a Muslim a dog, donkey or pig.”

3.    Other scholars said it refers to the evil and inappropriate titles given to Muslims. (Truthful and praiseworthy titles are not prohibited. For example, ꜤAtīq is the title of Sayyidunā Abū Bakr رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ, Fārūq is the title of Sayyidunā ꜤUmar رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ, Dhū al-Nūrayn is the title of Sayyidunā ꜤUthmān رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ, Abū Turāb is the title of Sayyidunā ꜤAlī رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ, and Sayfullāh is the title of Sayyidunā Khālid رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ.) The titles which have become names and the person they are given to is not offended by them are also not prohibited, like AꜤmash and AꜤraj.^[8]

یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیْنَ  اٰمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوْا کَثِیْرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّ ۫ اِنَّ  بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ   اِثْمٌ وَّ لَا تَجَسَّسُوْا وَ لَا یَغْتَبْ بَّعْضُکُمْ بَعْضًا ؕ اَیُحِبُّ  اَحَدُکُمْ  اَنْ یَّاْکُلَ  لَحْمَ اَخِیْہِ  مَیْتًا فَکَرِہْتُمُوْہُ ؕ  وَ اتَّقُوا اللّٰہَ ؕ اِنَّ  اللّٰہَ  تَوَّابٌ  رَّحِیْمٌ )۱۲(

O you who believe! Refrain from excessive speculation—˹for˺ some speculation is sinful—and do not spy on each other nor backbite one another. Would anyone among you like to consume the flesh of his dead brother? So you would loathe it. And fear Allah; indeed Allah is Most Accepting of repentance, Most-Merciful.^[9]

In the initial part of the verse, (“O you who believe! Refrain from excessive speculation”), Allah Almighty prohibits the believers from excessive speculation because some mere speculation is absolute sin. Therefore, being cautious in this regard necessitates that one refrain from excessive speculation.^[10]

ꜤAllāmah ꜤAbdullāh b. ꜤUmar al-Bayḍāwi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه said:

The type of excessive assumption here in the verse is ambiguous so Muslims remain cautious and mindful regarding every assumption until it becomes apparent which form it relates to. This is because some assumption is necessary, other assumption is forbidden, and some is permissible.^[11]

The second command of the verse is to not find faults within Muslims, and to not seek out their private states which Allah Almighty has concealed with His veiling. We deduce from this verse that searching for hidden faults in Muslims and revealing them is prohibited. Here is a Hadith we can learn from. Sayyidunā Abū Barzah al-Aslamī رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ reports that the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said:

O community of people who believed by their tongue but belief did not enter their hearts! Do not backbite Muslims, and do not search for their faults, for if anyone searches for their faults, Allah will reveal his fault, and if Allah reveals the fault of anyone, He disgraces him, even if he is in his own house.”^[12]

(“Nor backbite one another.”) The third command in the verse is to not backbite. Would anyone among you like to consume the flesh of his dead brother? So you would loathe it. Consequently, you should despise the thought of backbiting your Muslim brother because it is likened to eating his flesh after he dies. Just as cutting someone’s flesh causes pain, speaking ill of him hurts his heart, and in reality, honour is dearer than flesh.^[13]