God has detailed for us in the
Quran the best examples of the highest standards
of morality and manners. Coming from God, the
Most Wise, these manners are the most suitable
ones to 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 to become objects of idolization
without perceiving. 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, in wrong
situations, and with the wrong people, thinking
that they are being righteous. This awkwardness
is nothing but the work of our own egos
and shortsightedness, augmented by our ignorance
of all the teachings of the Quran within its
general context. Once we fall to that, Satan
adorns these crippled standards in our eyes:
[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 God
is the only entity to set for us the best
possible manner we need to follow according to
His divine 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 wishes
under the banner of the divine best possible
manner. This would be 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
innovating our own "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 applied in other various situations. This
selectivity whether it is deliberate or
not explains why the Quranic teachings could
guide and misguide!
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 most
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 others that advocate peace, tolerance,
and patience are applicable for all kinds of
encountered circumstances would be a poor
analysis of the Quran, 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 badly 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 those various measures provided
by God, appropriately, in the
right circumstances without being selective, or
driven by our own weaknesses is by all means
following the "best possible manners" of the
Quran. We need to refrain from advocating our
false standards, and our personal preferences.
Failing to do so would actually cripple us as
communities, and spread evil. More importantly,
it would be against God's wisdom and systems.
True believers act according to God's systems -
they never contradict them.
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 His
words and laws become under attack or when we
are, personally, experiencing aggression, 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. The kind of situation we go through,
the extent of injustice, and our
personal thresholds of withstanding bad behavior
would determine the divine reaction we are
entitled to.
Please examine the following divine 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 or when the
encountered damage is minimal. Peaceful
desertion is sometimes judged as "rude, " or
"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. It is actually a righteous
stand in the sight of God when there is
public damage and/or violation of God's
commands in order to forbid evil and set
a moral example for others. Some of
us tend to sympathize with those who are
not worthy of our sympathy. We forget
God's teachings and honor our
personal motives and human emotions. God
has informed us that we validate
righteousness by 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? Not
at all. 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, and stern in dealing
with the hypocrites, the idol
worshipers, and the disbeliever is
prescribed by God and one of His best
possible manners in specific situations.
Logically, that would be in aggressive
situations:
[9:3] A proclamation
is herein issued from GOD and His messenger
to all the people on
the great day of pilgrimage, that
GOD has disowned the idol worshipers, and so
did His messenger. Thus, if you
repent, it would be better for you. But if
you turn away, then know that you can never
escape from GOD. Promise those who
disbelieve a painful retribution.
[9:11] If
they repent and observe the
Contact Prayers (Salat) and give the
obligatory charity (Zakat), then
they are your brethren in religion.
We thus explain the revelations for
people who know.
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 a
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 when they
were aggressive against him. 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 of these manners 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 obedience
of God, a misrepresentation of His
teachings, and going against His set
systems. 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.. It is
Satan who brings up our personal agendas and
preferences on the expense of the word of
God. His aim is to only spread evil, dilute
the facts, and let the compromisers get away
with their foolish, unjust, and undignified
stands.
[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 God bless.
