Misunderstanding

Misunderstanding

1992 5 May 9 Misunderstanding (303) One night Aisha found that the Prophet was missing from the house, and immediately came to the conclusion that he had gone to one of his other wives. She went in search of him, and found him in the mosque in the posture of ruku (bowed in prayer, with his hands on his knees) and he was repeating the words. “0 Allah, you are pure, all praise to you, there is no God but you.” Then Aisha said to him.

What different states of mind we are in. I in a worldly state of mind, and you in an unworldly.

When Aisha could not find the Prophet at home, she assumed that he had gone to another wife, while, in actuality, he had gone to the house of God. She imagined him remembering one of his other wives while, in fact, he had remembered the Almighty. In the same way any man may make guesses about his fellow men which are based on the obvious. At a first glance, he thinks he is right. But after probing, he finds that his initial information was inadequate and his conclusion was just guesswork. His assumptions were very far from the reality.

There could be misunderstandings even in the case of a Companion. The common man would, therefore, be even more prone to place wrong constructions on other’s actions. It is certainly necessary to investigate misunderstandings, whatever their nature. One should never rely entirely on opinion without being in possession of all of the relevant facts.

It is a sin not to make proper investigations. No excuse in this regard will be acceptable to God. Anyone who forms an opinion about a servant of God without having fully informed himself about the latter’s character and actions shall have to answer for his sins to the Almighty.

The cure for anger is silence

1992 5 May 9 The cure for anger is silence (26) Abdullah ibn Abbas records the Prophet as saying: “When anyone of you becomes angry, he should remain silent.” This the Prophet repeated three times.

(Ahmad, Musnad)