Mind Your Own Business

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

One of the signs of nobility is minding our own business. Something that does not concern us, we are not curious about it and we don't meddle into it.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "Part of being a good person is minding your own business."

While there is a duty to command good and forbid evil (with certain conditions and proper manners), it is impermissible to find fault in others and belittle them. This can lead to undermining the character of people and to destroying relationships.

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "The worst of people are those engaged in slandering others, those who ruin relationships between dear ones and who try to find fault with innocent people."

He, Allah bless him and grant him peace, warned "those who unduly pursue the shortcomings of others will have their own faults exposed."

He, Allah bless him and grant him peace, taught us to "refrain from having bad opinions of people."

Negativity can harm a person. Fault-finders tend to be miserable themselves. Since much of their focus is blaming others, they become resentful; and rather than cherish people, they tend to develop a desire to undermine and discredit people. The negative feelings that a fault-finder harbors against others eventually consumes the person and this negativity eventually becomes part of the fault-finder's character.

Prophet 'Isa, Allah bless him, is reported to have said; "Why do you look at the little speck in your brother's eye and forget the plank in your own eye".

Sayyidina 'Ali, Allah be pleased with him, said: "The worst of people is the person who searches for faults in others while being blind to his own faults".

We must be careful of the power of the tongue. The wise people caution the fact that affliction caused by the tongue is more severe than the harm caused by the sword. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, provided a basic rule of good character when he responded to a question regarding salvation. He replied: "It is necessary for you to control your tongue and weep for your own faults".

Our speech reflects the culture of our heart. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "None of your faith is correct unless your heart is upright and your heart will not be rectified until your tongue is in order". So consider carefully how you feel about others, why you feel the way you feel and what you say about people. Always reflect on the Prophet's saying: "Glad tidings to the person more concerned about his own faults than bothering about the faults of others".

O Allah, forgive that which I did secretly and what I did publicly; what I did inadvertently and what I did deliberately; what I did knowingly and what I did out of ignorance.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam