One who lies is a hypocrite

One who lies is a hypocrite

1987 1 January 8 One who lies is a hypocrite (78) The Prophet was asked whether a coward could be a believer, and he said yes. Then he was asked whether a miser could be a believer, and he said yes. When asked if a liar could be a believer, he no. Khuzaifa ibn’ul-Yaman remarked that in the time of the Prophet, one used to be counted as a hypocrite when one lied. “But nowadays I hear one of you uttering such lies at least ten times a day.”

Thinking of the Consequences

1987 1 January 8 Thinking of the Consequences (313) A man came before the Prophet Mohammad and asked him for some advice. “Will you heed the advice?” the Prophet asked him. The man said that he would. The Prophet said to him: “When you decide on some action, think of its consequences. If they are good, go ahead with it: and if they are bad, refrain from it.”

The Prophet’s words show that every prospective action should be weighed up according to the outcome it is likely to have. One should think before one acts: what will be the consequences of my action? If the prospects appear good one may carry on with what one is intending to do: otherwise one should rethink one’s course of action. This is the Islamic method of going about things, and it was this method the Prophet taught his followers to adopt.

Generally people just take matters at their face value and rush into them without thinking. This is not the Islamic way of doing things. A Muslim should study matters carefully from every angle before deciding on a course of action. He should particularly, take note of others’ probable reaction. Are people likely to stand in his way? If so, does he have the capability to overcome the obstacles they pose? Is he in a position to surmount all the hurdles which are likely to be strewn in his path, winning through to his final goal? He should consider what the psychological social and political repercussions of his actions will be. Only if he is confident that his work will have beneficial consequences should he embark on it.

The only initiative worth taking is one, which will yield positive results. If one embarks on a destructive course of action it will be oneself that suffers: therefore, one should steer clear of such actions, as any sensible person steers clear of destroying his own life (114:4).