ISLAMIC SOCIETY

Islamic Society ~ 152 ~ compassionate towards his fellowmen. He will forgive others for the excesses they commit against him, hoping that in this way he will earn God’s forgiveness for his own excesses. He will be generous to others in the hope that God will be generous to him. He will give to others more than he receives from them, for he hopes that, in return for even the most paltry of his good deeds, great rewards will be bestowed upon him by God. In an Islamic society, the individual should be more conscious of his responsibilities than of his rights; when there is cause for disagreement, or he has a grudge against someone, he should be ready to acknowledge his own errors whenever he himself is in the wrong. Abu Hurayrah tells of how one of the Prophet’s creditors, a Bedouin, demanded repayment of his debt in the most uncouth manner. The Prophet’s companions, who happened to be present at the time, took offence at the way the man had expressed himself and made to strike him. But the Prophet restrained them, saying, “Leave him alone, for one who is in the right can say whatever he pleases”. Thus, taking the blame for the Bedouin’s behaviour upon his own shoulder, he set