God has set for us in His fully detailed
scripture, Quran, the best examples of the highest standards
of morality and manners. Coming from God, the Most Wise, the
Supreme, these manners are the most compatible ones to our
human nature, while at the same time are perfectly designed
and measured to lead to righteous communities with enriched
and healthy souls..
As is human nature, our egos sometimes get
boosted and become objects of idolization without our
knowledge. An example is that we sometimes introduce our
personal opinions and tragically prefer our very own
standards and measures over the ones set by God
almighty. In an ignorant, transgressing and hypocritical
attitude,
humans sometimes tend to exhibit gracious and peaceful
personas inappropriately, in the wrong situation,
and with the wrong people, thinking that they are being
righteous.
In reality, and due to the ignorance of
the detailed teachings within the context of the whole
Quran, this awkward exhibition is nothing but the work
of our own egos and our very own limited measures that
has nothing to do with God's infallible standards in the
Quran. At this point, the divine system is that Satan
adorns these crippled standards in the eyes of their
advocates.
[40:35] They argue against GOD's
revelations, without any basis.
This is a trait that is most abhorred by GOD and by
those who believe. GOD thus seals the hearts of
every arrogant tyrant.
[35:8] Note the one whose
evil work is adorned in his eyes, until he thinks that
it is righteous. GOD thus sends astray whoever
wills (to go astray), and He guides whoever wills (to be
guided). Therefore, do not grieve over them. GOD is
fully aware of everything they do.
The purpose of this reminder is to bring to the
attention of those who take heed, that the best possible
manner that we need to follow are set for us by God
according to His standards and based on on His infinite
wisdom. Our health and salvation as individuals rely on
that. It is not up to us to impose our own measures and
our personal preferences under the banner of the divine
best possible manner. This would a continuation of the
human's egoistic history of transgression and idol
worship.
To expand on this issue, we first need to
understand that what generally leads to our own
inventions of the "best possible manner," is accepting
only parts of the Quran, picking and choosing our
favorite verses while ignoring a whole set of other
verses that should be applicable in various situations.
This is not very surprising, as God Himself has informed
us that his teachings could guide and misguide and He
specifically warned us against applying part of the
scripture and ignoring other parts. In other words, God
is fully aware of the fact that we all tend to fall
into the trap of selectively applying His teachings.
Healing and Mercy
[17:82] We send down in the Quran
healing and mercy for the believers.
At the same time, it only
increases the wickedness of the transgressors.
[15:90] We will deal with
the dividers.
[15:91] They accept the Quran
only partially.
[15:92] By your Lord, we
will question them all,
[15:93] about everything
they have done.
[15:94] Therefore,
carry out the orders given to you, and disregard
the idol worshipers.
[2:85] ... Do you believe
in part of the scripture and disbelieve in part?
What should be the retribution for those among
you who do this, except humiliation in this life, and a
far worse retribution on the Day of Resurrection?
GOD is never unaware of anything you do.
Here are some of the beautiful but mostly abused
verses under the topic of the best possible manners:
How to Spread God's Message
[16:125] You shall invite to the
path of your Lord with wisdom and
kind enlightenment, and debate
with them in the best possible manner. Your
Lord knows best who has strayed from His path, and He
knows best who are the guided ones.
[16:126] And if you punish, you
shall inflict an equivalent punishment. But if
you resort to patience (instead of revenge), it would be
better for the patient ones.
[16:127] You shall resort
to patience - and your patience is attainable
only with GOD's help. Do not grieve over them, and do
not be annoyed by their schemes.
[73:10] And remain steadfast in
the face of their utterances, and disregard them
in a nice manner.
[73:11] And let Me deal with the
rejectors, who have been generously blessed; just give
them a little time.
Treat Each Other Amicably
[17:53] Tell My servants
to treat each other in the best possible manner,
for the devil will always try to drive a wedge among
them. Surely, the devil is man's most ardent enemy.
To believe that the above verses along with all
the similar ones that advocate peace, tolerance and
patience are applicable for all kinds of encountered
circumstances would be a poor analysis of the Quran, a
deficient understanding and a misrepresentation of God's
infallible teachings. There are many aggressive
situations believers face in which they are commanded by
God to apply and inflict various measures of
manners. When they do so, they are often poorly judged
by others, who tend to brush away these other manners as
if they don't exist, thinking that they might be more
gracious than God and have better "best possible
manners" than His.
It is important to learn that upholding all of
God's teachings appropriately and under various
circumstances without being selective is still by all
means following the "best possible manners" of the Quran.
We need to stop spreading our false standards, and our
personal preferences which in reality are crippled and
against our human nature, and above all against
God's wisdom and systems.
God who invites us to follow the above
verses,16:125-127, 17:53 , 73:10-11, and all similar
verses, is the same Merciful God who issued for us the
following commands when we are under attack,
experiencing aggression and injustice, when our religion
is being corrupted and all the way to being oppressed.
There is a wide range of reactions from benign neglect
to confronting by proclaiming the truth, to responding
by an equivalent action to fighting. All depends on the
severity of the situation we go through, the amount of
aggression and our personal capability of withstanding
or tolerating bad behavior.
Please examine the following "best possible manners" :
- Benign neglect or peaceful desertion is
indeed one of the choices available for us. However, and
like all kinds of choices, a judgment has to be made in
order to choose our action and decide who we are to
neglect or disregard. It is only logical to resort to
this approach when there is no harm/damage or aggression
or may be there is but very mild with minimal side
effects. Peaceful desertion is sometimes judged as
"rude, " or a "bad manner." In the sight of God, it
is one of God's best possible manners when applied with
the right parties in the right situations:
Traits of the Righteous
[25:63] The worshipers of the
Most Gracious are those who tread the earth gently,
and when the ignorant speak to them, they
only utter peace.
[6:106] Follow what is
revealed to you from your Lord, there is no god
except He, and disregard the idol
worshipers.
[33:48] Do not obey
the disbelievers and the hypocrites, disregard their
insults, and put your trust in GOD; GOD
suffices as an advocate.
Choose Your Friends Carefully
[53:29] You shall
disregard those who turn away from our message, and
become preoccupied with this worldly life.
Do Not Befriend Hypocrites
[3:118] O you who believe,
do not befriend outsiders
who never cease to wish you harm; they even wish to
see you suffer. Hatred flows out of
their mouths and what they hide in their chests is
far worse. We thus clarify the revelations
for you, if you understand.
Choose Your Friends
[58:14] Have you
noted those who befriended people with whom GOD is
angry? They neither belong with
you, nor with them. They deliberately swear
lies!
Which Jews and Christians
[5:57] O you who
believe, do not befriend those among the recipients
of previous scripture who mock and ridicule your
religion, nor shall you befriend the disbelievers.
You shall reverence GOD, if you are really
believers.
- Confronting others with their wrong
actions and violations is not cruel, or harsh as
some of us might think. This has a special
importance when there is public damage and/or
violation of God's commands. Some of us tend to
sympathize with those who are not worthy of our
sympathy. We forget God's teachings and honor
our personal wishes and human emotions. God has
informed us that we validate righteousness
by inviting to its standards and forbidding evil
(3:104, 9:71, 22:41). We are also commanded to
be straightforward and to not beat around the
bush (2:189.) We are not following the best
possible manner by ignoring aggressors,
hypocrites or liars. In fact we serve their
souls when we remind them with their wrong
actions:
Do Not Defend the Transgressors
[4:107] Do
not argue on behalf of those who have
wronged their own souls; GOD does not love
any betrayer, guilty.
[4:108] They
hide from the people, and do not care to
hide from GOD, though He is with them as
they harbor ideas He dislikes. GOD is fully
aware of everything they do.
You Do Not Help Them by Being
"Nice"
[4:109] Here
you are arguing on their behalf in this
world; who is going to argue with GOD on
their behalf on the Day of Resurrection? Who
is going to be their advocate?
[4:138] Inform
the hypocrites that they have incurred painful
retribution.
[33:60] Unless
the hypocrites, and those with
disease in their hearts, and
the vicious liars of the city refrain
(from persecuting you), we will surely
grant you the upper hand, then they will be
forced to leave within a short while.
[33:61] They have
incurred condemnation wherever they go; (unless
they stop attacking you,) they may be taken and
killed.
- Using bad language is
sometimes permissible. Is God now inviting us to
bad manners? Of course not. It is our
shortcoming and ignorance to classify bad
language, at all times, as bad manners. Again,
the same Merciful God who knows us best and is
fully aware of our differences in dealing with
aggression and emotional stress is the one who
allows us to address the unjust and point out
their aggression with an equivalent
response/punishment:
Do Not Use Bad Language
[4:148] GOD does
not like the utterance of bad language,
unless one is treated with gross
injustice. GOD is Hearer, Knower.
[4:149] If you
work righteousness - either
declared or concealed - or pardon a
transgression, GOD is Pardoner, Omnipotent.
One God/One Religion
[29:46] Do not
argue with the people of the scripture (Jews,
Christians, and Muslims) except in the nicest
possible manner - unless they transgress -
and say, "We believe in what was
revealed to us and in what was revealed to you,
and our god and your god is one and the same; to
Him we are submitters."
[16:126] And if
you punish, you shall inflict an equivalent
punishment. But if you resort to
patience (instead of revenge), it would be
better for the patient ones.
[42:39] When gross
injustice befalls them, they stand up for their
rights.
[42:40] Although
the just requital for an injustice is an
equivalent retribution, those
who pardon and maintain righteousness are
rewarded by GOD. He does not love the unjust.
[42:41]
Certainly, those who stand up for their rights,
when injustice befalls them, are not committing
any error.
[42:42] The wrong
ones are those who treat the people unjustly,
and resort to aggression without provocation.
These have incurred a painful retribution.
- Being firm, harsh and stern in dealing with
the hypocrites/liars and the disbeliever is
prescribed by God and one of His best possible
manners in specific situations.
Logically, that would be in aggressive situations:
You Shall Be Stern With the Disbelievers
[9:73] O you prophet,
strive against the disbelievers and the
hypocrites, and be stern in dealing with
them. Their destiny is Hell; what a
miserable abode!
[66:9] O prophet,
struggle against the disbelievers and the
hypocrites and be stern with them.
Their abode is Gehenna, and a miserable destiny.
The Disbelievers
[9:123] O you who believe,
you shall fight the disbelievers who attack
you - let them find you stern - and know
that GOD is with the righteous.
- What kind of best possible manners we can
apply when we are attacked, persecuted or oppressed?
Severe situations as such mandate prompt judgment,
and an appropriately severe reaction as dictated by
God. In doing that, we are following the best
possible manners and God has promised us the upper
hand. Does God contradict himself by advocating such
severe reactions? Never. We can never find
contradictions in His infallible scripture. It is us
who lack the guidance and the right understanding.
[2:191] You may kill
those who wage war against you, and
you may evict them whence they evicted you.
Oppression is worse than murder. Do
not fight them at the Sacred Masjid, unless they
attack you therein. If they attack you, you
may kill them. This is the just retribution for
those disbelievers.
[2:192] If they
refrain, then GOD is Forgiver, Most
Merciful.
[2:193] You may also
fight them to eliminate oppression, and to worship
GOD freely. If they refrain, you shall not
aggress; aggression is permitted only
against the aggressors.
Divine Help for the Oppressed
[22:60] It is decreed
that if one avenges an injustice that was inflicted
upon him, equitably, then he is
persecuted because of this, GOD will surely support
him. GOD is Pardoner, Forgiving.
Let's now reflect on Abraham's example which
was declared by God as a good example and was
rendered as an everlasting lesson for those who wish
to take heed. Abraham proclaimed disowning his
father and the tribe he grew up in. He also
expressed his hatred to all of them.This is one of
the tough tests that some of us might face.
According to God, this is indeed one of His best
possible manner and a good example to be set for
future generations:
Abraham's Example
[43:26] Abraham said to his
father and his people, "I disown what you worship.
[43:27] "Only the One who
initiated me can guide me."
[43:28] This example
(of Abraham) was rendered an everlasting lesson for
subsequent generations; perhaps they redeem their
souls.
Abraham: An Example
[60:4] A good example
has been set for you by Abraham and those with him.
They said to their people, "We disown you
and the idols that you worship besides GOD. We
denounce you, and you will see nothing from us
except animosity and hatred until you believe in GOD
ALONE."* However, a mistake was commited by
Abraham when he said to his father, "I will pray for
your forgiveness,** but I possess no power to
protect you from GOD." "Our Lord, we trust in You,
and submit to You; to You is the final destiny.
[60:5] "Our Lord, let us not
be oppressed by those who disbelieved, and forgive
us. You are the Almighty, Most Wise."
[60:6] A good example
has been set by them for those who seek GOD and the
Last Day. As for those who turn away, GOD
is in no need (of them), Most Praiseworthy.
In conclusion, Quran is a complete and
infallible scripture that sets for us different
manners of different severity depending on the
different situations we may encounter. All are
subscribed for our salvation as societies and
individuals. To be trapped in one or two verses
about the best possible manners and ignore the rest
would be partial obeying of God. We are truly
righteous and following the best possible manners of
the Quran when we are able to judge, choose and
apply the right command for the right situation with
the right person. There is no room for personal
standards and preferences when it comes to God and
His words in the Quran. We cannot compromise and
exhibit our own foolish standards to pursue peace,
unity or our own personal/social gains:
[47:35] Therefore,
you shall not waver and surrender in pursuit of
peace, for you are guaranteed victory, and GOD is
with you. He will never waste your efforts.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and may God bless you.
