THE RELIGION OF HUMANITY: Islam’s Ethical and Spiritual Outlook

Caliph, he had been leading the prayers. In his absence, the rebel leader Al-Ghafiqi ibn Harb al-‘Akki assumed the role of imam (the one who leads the prayer) and began leading the prayers in the mosque of Madinah. This was a difficult test for the Muslims of Madinah. On the one hand, they considered it essential to pray in congregation at the mosque; on the other hand, they saw that the man leading the prayer was clearly a troublemaker and wrongdoer. In this delicate situation, one person went to Uthman and asked what they should do. Uthman gave the instruction that they should pray behind him. He said: “When people do good, join them in their goodness; and when they do wrong, avoid their wrongdoing.” (Sahih alBukhari, Hadith No. 695) In this incident from the life of the third Caliph of Islam, there is a powerful example. It shows that no matter how strong our grievance with someone may be, we must always uphold justice in how we speak about them. We must keep our disagreements within limits, and not allow them to carry us beyond the bounds of fairness. HEALTHY RESULT Sa‘id ibn Abi ‘Arubah (d. 157 AH), a well-known Tabi‘i scholar, the disciples of the Companions of the Prophet once defined a true scholar, saying:“Do not consider someone a