أم البنات
06-10-2010, 09:02 PM
The Prophet's Compassion for those Who Make Mistakes
This applies in the case of those who deserve compassion, who feel remorse and show that they have repented, as is sometimes the case when people come to ask questions to learn or when they come to express their remorse, as in the following story.
Abu Hurayrah said: "Whilst we were sitting with the Prophet (SAWS), a man came to him and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I am doomed! He said, 'What is the matter with you?' The man said, 'I had intercourse with my wife whilst I was fasting.' The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said, 'Are you able to set a slave free?' He said, 'No.' He (SAWS) said, 'Can you fast for two consecutive months?' He said, 'No.' He (SAWS) said, 'Do you have the wherewithal to feed sixty poor persons?' He said, 'No.'
The Prophet (SAWS) said nothing more about the matter for a while, and whilst we were sitting there like that, a large basket full of dates was brought to the Prophet (SAWS). He said, 'Where is the one who was asking?' The man said, Here I am'. He (SAWS) said, 'Take this and give it in charity.' The man said, 'who is poorer than me, O Messenger of Allah? By Allah, there is no family in Madinah poorer than mine.' The Prophet (SAWS) smiled until his teeth were visible, then he said, 'Feed your family with it.'" (Bukhari)
This person who had made a mistake and came to ask about it was not joking or taking the matter lightly. He felt remorseful and guilty, as is clear from his saying "I am doomed." For this reason, he deserved pity and compassion.
Not hastening to tell someone he is wrong
Something happened to 'Umar (RA) which he himself told about: "I heard Hisham Ibn Hakeem Ibn Hizam reciting Soorat al-Furqan (a Quranic chapter) during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (SAWS). I listened to his recitation, and he was reciting it in a way different to that in which the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) used to recite it. I nearly interrupted his prayer, but I waited until he had said the salam (finished his prayer), then I grabbed him by his cloak and said, 'Who taught you to recite this Soorah I heard you reciting?' He said, 'The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) taught me to recite it.' I said, 'You are lying! The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) taught me to recite it differently.'
I took him to the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) and said, 'I heard him reciting Soorat al-Furqan differently than the way you taught me to recite it.' The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said,"Let him go. Recite, O Hisham.' He recited it as I had heard him recite it. The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said, 'This is how it was revealed.' Then he said, 'recite, O 'Umar.' So I recited it as he had taught me. The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said, 'This is how it was revealed. This Qur'an was revealed with seven ways of recitation for ease, so recite it in the way that is easiest to you.'" (Bukhari)
Among the educational methods we learn from this story are the following:
- Telling each one to recite in front of the other and approving their recitation was more effective in confirming that both were correct and neither was wrong.
- When the Prophet (SAWS) told 'Umar (RA) to let Hisham go, this was preparing both parties to listen in a calm manner. This was an indication that 'Umar (RA) had been too hasty.
- A person who is seeking knowledge should not be too hasty to condemn any opinion that differs from that with which he is familiar; he should first be sure of what he is saying, because that opinion may turn out to be a valid scholarly opinion.
Another relevant point is that one should not hasten to punish someone who makes a mistake, as we see in the following story.
An-Nisa'i reported from 'Abbad Ibn Sharhabeel (RA) who said: "I came with my (paternal) uncles to Madinah, and we entered one of the gardens there. I robbed some of the wheat, and the owner of the garden came and took my cloak and hit me. I came to the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) asking for his help. He sent for that man and they brought him to the Prophet (SAWS).
He said to him, 'What made you do that?' He said, 'O Messenger of Allah (SAWS), he went into my garden and robbed some of my wheat.' The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said, 'You did not teach him if it was the matter of him not knowing, and you did not feed him if it was the matter of him being hungry. Give him back his cloak.' And the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) ordered that I should be given a wasq or half a wasq (measure of wheat)." (An-Nasa'i)
From this story we learn that we should find out the circumstances of the one who is making a mistake or acting in an aggressive manner, so that we may know the right way to deal with him.
We may also note that the Prophet (SAWS) did not punish the owner of the garden, because he was in the right, but he had handled the matter wrong. He pointed out to him that the way he had dealt with someone who knew not better was inappropriate in such circumstances, then he taught him how to handle the matter properly, and told him to give back the garment he had taken from the hungry man.
Summarized from: The Prophet's Methods of Correcting People's Mistakes
This applies in the case of those who deserve compassion, who feel remorse and show that they have repented, as is sometimes the case when people come to ask questions to learn or when they come to express their remorse, as in the following story.
Abu Hurayrah said: "Whilst we were sitting with the Prophet (SAWS), a man came to him and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I am doomed! He said, 'What is the matter with you?' The man said, 'I had intercourse with my wife whilst I was fasting.' The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said, 'Are you able to set a slave free?' He said, 'No.' He (SAWS) said, 'Can you fast for two consecutive months?' He said, 'No.' He (SAWS) said, 'Do you have the wherewithal to feed sixty poor persons?' He said, 'No.'
The Prophet (SAWS) said nothing more about the matter for a while, and whilst we were sitting there like that, a large basket full of dates was brought to the Prophet (SAWS). He said, 'Where is the one who was asking?' The man said, Here I am'. He (SAWS) said, 'Take this and give it in charity.' The man said, 'who is poorer than me, O Messenger of Allah? By Allah, there is no family in Madinah poorer than mine.' The Prophet (SAWS) smiled until his teeth were visible, then he said, 'Feed your family with it.'" (Bukhari)
This person who had made a mistake and came to ask about it was not joking or taking the matter lightly. He felt remorseful and guilty, as is clear from his saying "I am doomed." For this reason, he deserved pity and compassion.
Not hastening to tell someone he is wrong
Something happened to 'Umar (RA) which he himself told about: "I heard Hisham Ibn Hakeem Ibn Hizam reciting Soorat al-Furqan (a Quranic chapter) during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (SAWS). I listened to his recitation, and he was reciting it in a way different to that in which the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) used to recite it. I nearly interrupted his prayer, but I waited until he had said the salam (finished his prayer), then I grabbed him by his cloak and said, 'Who taught you to recite this Soorah I heard you reciting?' He said, 'The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) taught me to recite it.' I said, 'You are lying! The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) taught me to recite it differently.'
I took him to the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) and said, 'I heard him reciting Soorat al-Furqan differently than the way you taught me to recite it.' The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said,"Let him go. Recite, O Hisham.' He recited it as I had heard him recite it. The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said, 'This is how it was revealed.' Then he said, 'recite, O 'Umar.' So I recited it as he had taught me. The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said, 'This is how it was revealed. This Qur'an was revealed with seven ways of recitation for ease, so recite it in the way that is easiest to you.'" (Bukhari)
Among the educational methods we learn from this story are the following:
- Telling each one to recite in front of the other and approving their recitation was more effective in confirming that both were correct and neither was wrong.
- When the Prophet (SAWS) told 'Umar (RA) to let Hisham go, this was preparing both parties to listen in a calm manner. This was an indication that 'Umar (RA) had been too hasty.
- A person who is seeking knowledge should not be too hasty to condemn any opinion that differs from that with which he is familiar; he should first be sure of what he is saying, because that opinion may turn out to be a valid scholarly opinion.
Another relevant point is that one should not hasten to punish someone who makes a mistake, as we see in the following story.
An-Nisa'i reported from 'Abbad Ibn Sharhabeel (RA) who said: "I came with my (paternal) uncles to Madinah, and we entered one of the gardens there. I robbed some of the wheat, and the owner of the garden came and took my cloak and hit me. I came to the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) asking for his help. He sent for that man and they brought him to the Prophet (SAWS).
He said to him, 'What made you do that?' He said, 'O Messenger of Allah (SAWS), he went into my garden and robbed some of my wheat.' The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said, 'You did not teach him if it was the matter of him not knowing, and you did not feed him if it was the matter of him being hungry. Give him back his cloak.' And the Messenger of Allah (SAWS) ordered that I should be given a wasq or half a wasq (measure of wheat)." (An-Nasa'i)
From this story we learn that we should find out the circumstances of the one who is making a mistake or acting in an aggressive manner, so that we may know the right way to deal with him.
We may also note that the Prophet (SAWS) did not punish the owner of the garden, because he was in the right, but he had handled the matter wrong. He pointed out to him that the way he had dealt with someone who knew not better was inappropriate in such circumstances, then he taught him how to handle the matter properly, and told him to give back the garment he had taken from the hungry man.
Summarized from: The Prophet's Methods of Correcting People's Mistakes