REPEL EVIL WITH GOODNESS

  IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL REPEL EVIL WITH GOODNESS With the rioting in the UK that are affecting the Muslims here, we must react in accordance to what Allah has Instructed us in the Qur’an in surah Fussilat (41) verses 34-36: وَلَا تَسْتَوِى ٱلْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا ٱلسَّيِّئَةُ ۚ ٱدْفَعْ بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا ٱلَّذِى بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُۥ عَدَٰوَةٌۭ كَأَنَّهُۥ وَلِىٌّ حَمِيمٌۭ وَمَا يُلَقَّىٰهَآ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا۟ وَمَا يُلَقَّىٰهَآ إِلَّا ذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٍۢ وَإِمَّا يَنزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ نَزْغٌۭ فَٱسْتَعِذْ بِٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ “The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel (the evil) with one which is better (i.e. Allah ordered the faithful believers to be patient at the time of anger, and to excuse those who treat them badly), then verily! he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend. But none is granted it (the above quality) except those who are patient, and none is granted it except the owner of the great portion (of the happiness in the Hereafter i.e. Paradise and in this world of a high moral character). And if an evil whisper from Shaitan (Satan) tries to turn you away (from doing good, etc.), then seek refuge in Allah. Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.” How do we react as a Muslim community which has the Holy Qur’an as our prefect guidance and the best person in humanity as our best example – Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam? Ibn Abbas commented on this verse, saying: Allah commands the believers to be patient when they feel angry, to be forbearing when confronted with ignorance, and to forgive when they are mistreated. If they do this, Allah will save them from Satan and subdue their enemies to them until they become like close friends. Therefore we must:

1. Repel evil with good acts
2. Be patient – control anger
3. Forgive others
4. Seek protection in Allah from shaytan

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1. REPEL EVIL WITH GOOD ACTS

وَٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا۟ ٱبْتِغَآءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِمْ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَنفَقُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ سِرًّۭا وَعَلَانِيَةًۭ وَيَدْرَءُونَ بِٱلْحَسَنَةِ ٱلسَّيِّئَةَ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ عُقْبَى ٱلدَّارِ Those who are patient, seeking the countenance of their Lord, and establish prayer and spend from what We have provided for them, secretly and publicly, and repel evil with good, for those will have the good end.     Surah ar-Ra’d 13:22 أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ يُؤْتَوْنَ أَجْرَهُم مَّرَّتَيْنِ بِمَا صَبَرُوا۟ وَيَدْرَءُونَ بِٱلْحَسَنَةِ ٱلسَّيِّئَةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ Those will be given their reward twice for what they patiently endured and they repel evil with good, and they spend from what We have provided them.Surah al-Qasas 28:54 ٱدْفَعْ بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ ٱلسَّيِّئَةَ ۚ نَحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَصِفُونَ Repel evil with what is better. We are most knowing of what they describe.                             Surah al-Mu’minun 23:96 Examples of repelling evil with goodness in the Qur’an:

1. Prophet Yusuf (AS)
2. Habil and Qabil
3. Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and his father

قَالَ أَرَاغِبٌ أَنتَ عَنْ ءَالِهَتِى يَـٰٓإِبْرَٰهِيمُ ۖ لَئِن لَّمْ تَنتَهِ لَأَرْجُمَنَّكَ ۖ وَٱهْجُرْنِى مَلِيًّۭا قَالَ سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكَ ۖ سَأَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكَ رَبِّىٓ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ بِى حَفِيًّۭا وَأَعْتَزِلُكُمْ وَمَا تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَأَدْعُوا۟ رَبِّى عَسَىٰٓ أَلَّآ أَكُونَ بِدُعَآءِ رَبِّى شَقِيًّۭا “He (the father) said: “Do you reject my gods, O Ibrahim (Abraham)? If you stop not (this), I will indeed stone you. So get away from me safely before I punish you.” Ibrahim (Abraham) said: “Peace be on you! I will ask Forgiveness of my Lord for you. Verily! He is unto me, Ever Most Gracious. “And I shall turn away from you and from those whom you invoke besides Allah. And I shall call on my Lord; and I hope that I shall not be unblest in my invocation to my Lord.” Qur’an surah Maryam (19) verses 46-48 Examples from prophet Muhammad SallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: The Prophet SallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was exhausted from trying to give da’wah to the Makkans, so with a companion, he exited Makkah and went to Ta’if to preach. There he first visited the the rulers of Ta’if to preach to them, but instead of accepting, or even treating the Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam kindly, they replied extremely harshly. Just imagine…a man walks to another city for days, finally reaches, tired and exhausted. Then he visits the city’s leaders and gets even rougher treatment. Well, the rulers not only commanded him to flee the city, they appointed a bunch of loafers to stone the Prophet SallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam out of Ta’if. The Prophet SallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam finally sat somewhere, and the boys reached him there too, they pulled him up saying that he was not even allowed to sit in the city for rest. They stoned him, until his sandals were clogged with blood. When he got extremely injured, his companion lifted The Prophet SallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam on his shoulders and took him out of his city. And then what happens? There comes an angel to the Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam “O’ Messenger of Allah! Permit me to squeeze the two mountains between which is the valley of Ta’if!” The Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam replies: “No, don’t. Maybe any of their generations turn out to be good people?” Oh God… On the Day of Uhud, Hazrat Aishah Siddiqah R.A asks the Prophet SallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. “Is Uhud the most painful day for you?” Reply: “No Aishah, the Day of Ta’if was.” And he (SallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) still pleaded to keep the citizens of Ta’if safe.   Also Abu Jahal poured intestines of animals onto prophet (SallAllahu ‘alayhoi wa sallam) while he was in sujood. ——————————————————————————-

2. BE PATIENT – CONTROL ANGER

“O you who believe! Seek help in patience and As-Salat (the prayer). Truly! Allah is with As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.). And say not of those who are killed in the Way of Allah, “They are dead.” Nay, they are living, but you perceive (it) not.  And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.). Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: “Truly! To Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.” They are those on whom are the Salawat (i.e. blessings, etc.) (i.e. who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided-ones. Qur’an surah al Baqarah (2) verses 153-157 Allaah tells us if we are patient and pious, the plot of the enemy cannot do any harm, even if he is powerful, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):   وَإِن تَصْبِرُوا۟ وَتَتَّقُوا۟ لَا يَضُرُّكُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْـًٔا ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌۭ “But if you remain patient and become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious), not the least harm will their cunning do to you. Surely, Allaah surrounds all that they do” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:120] Allaah tells us that He loves those who are patient, and that is the greatest encouragement. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ  “And Allaah loves As-Saabiroon (the patient)” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:146] Patience is the foundation of the believer’s faith which has no other foundation. The one who has no patience has no faith, and if he has any, then it is only a little faith and it is very weak, and such a person worships Allaah as it were upon the edge (i.e. in doubt): if good befalls him, he is content therewith; but if a trial befalls him he turns back on his face (i.e. reverts to disbelief after embracing Islam). He loses both this world and the Hereafter (cf. al-Hajj 22:11). All he gets from them is a losing deal. The best life is attained by the blessed through patience, and they rise to the highest degrees through their gratitude. So they fly on the wings of patience and gratitude to gardens of delight (i.e., Paradise). That is the bounty of Allaah that He bestows upon whomsoever He will, and Allaah is the Owner of Great Bounty.  End quote from ‘Uddat al-Saabireen by Ibn al-Qayyim, p. 3-5. Al-Bukhaari (1496) and Muslim (1053) narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “…whoever is patient Allaah will bestow patience upon him, and no one is ever given anything better and more generous than patience.” And Muslim (918) narrated that Umm Salamah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (S) say: “There is no Muslim who is stricken with a calamity and says what Allaah has enjoined – ‘Verily to Allaah we belong and unto Him is our return. “Allahumma’ jurni fi museebati wakhlifli khayran minha” O Allaah, reward me for my affliction and compensate me with something better’ – but Allaah will compensate him with something better.” And Muslim (2999) narrated that Suhayb (may Allaah be pleased with him)said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “How wonderful is the affair of the believer, for his affairs are all good, and this applies to no one but the believer. If something good happens to him, he is thankful for it and that is good for him. If something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience and that is good for him.” For more ahaadeeth about the virtue of patience and exhortation to be patient, please see al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb by al-Mundhiri (4/274-302). ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: Allaah has not bestowed any blessing upon His slaves then taken it away and replaced it with patience, but what He has compensated them with is better than what He has taken away. ———————————————————————————-

3. FORGIVING OTHERS IN ISLAM

Let’s look at one part of this beautiful ayah: وَلْيَعْفُوا۟ وَلْيَصْفَحُوٓا۟ ۗ أَلَا تُحِبُّونَ أَن يَغْفِرَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌ “. . . and let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” [Quran 24:22]   Aisha reported: The Prophet was not indecent, he was not obscene, he would not shout in the markets, and he would not respond to an evil deed with an evil deed, but rather he would pardon and overlook. Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2016, Grade: Sahih Anas ibn Malik reported: We were sitting with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he said, “Coming upon you now is a man from the people of Paradise.” A man from the Ansar came whose beard was disheveled by the water of ablution and he was carrying both of his shoes with his left hand. The next day the Prophet repeated the same words, and the man came in the same condition. The third day the Prophet repeated the same again, and the man came in the same condition. When the Prophet stood up to leave, Abdullah ibn Amr followed the man and he said, “I am in a dispute with my father and I have sworn not to enter my home for three days. May I stay with you?” The man said yes. Abdullah stayed three nights with the man but he never saw him praying at night. Whenever he went to bed, he would remember Allah and rest until he woke up for morning prayer. Abdullah said that he never heard anything but good words from his mouth. When three nights had passed and he did not see anything special about his actions, Abdullah asked him, “O servant of Allah, I have not been in dispute with my father nor have I cut relations with him. I heard the Prophet say three times that a man from the people of Paradise was coming to us and then you came. I thought I should stay with you to see what you are doing that I should follow, but I did not see you do anything special. Why did the Prophet speak highly of you?” The man said, “I am as you have seen.” When Abdullah was about to leave, the man said, “I am as you have seen, except that I do not find dishonesty in my soul towards the Muslims and I do not envy anyone because of the good that Allah has given them.” Abdullah said, “This is what you have achieved and it is something we have not accomplished.” Source: Musnad Aḥmad 12286   Look at this beautiful treasure:   I guarantee a house in Jannah (Paradise) for one who gives up arguing, even if he is in the right; and I guarantee a house in the middle of Jannah for one who abandons lying even for the sake of fun; and I guarantee a house in the highest part of Jannah for one who has good manners. [Imam Abu Dawud] The Prophet salallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam said: It is not permissible for a man to forsake his Muslim brother for more than three days, each of them turning away from the other when they meet. The better of them is the one who gives the greeting of salaam first. [al-Bukhari, 5727; Muslim, 2560].   Narrated Abu Hurairah: Allah’s Messenger (Peace And Blessings Of Allah Be Upon Him.) said:-  The Gates Of Paradise are opened on Mondays and Thursdays, and then every slave of Allah is granted forgiveness if he does not associate anything with Allah in worship. But the person in whose heart there is rancour against his Muslim brother, they will not be pardoned and with regard to them it will be said twice:- “Hold Both Of Them Until They Are Reconciled With Each Other.” (Sahih Muslim) To inspire us to fight our ego and really try to forgive with our hearts and not only with our lips, Abu Sa’id al Khudri reported Allah’s Messenger as saying: When the believers pass safely over (the bridge across) Hell, they will be stopped at a bridge (the siraat)  between Hell and Paradise where they will retaliate against one another for the injustices done among them in the world, and when they are purified of all their sins, they will be admitted to Paradise. By Him in Whose hands the life of Muhammad is, everybody will recognize his dwelling in Paradise better than he recognizes his dwelling in this world. [al-Bukhari, Fath Al-Bari]    

4. SEEK HELP IN ALLAH FROM SHAYTAN

  وَقُل لِّعِبَادِى يَقُولُوا۟ ٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ يَنزَغُ بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنَ كَانَ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ عَدُوًّۭا مُّبِينًۭا “And say to My slaves (i.e. the true believers of Islamic Monotheism) that they should (only) say those words that are the best. (Because) Shaitan (Satan) verily, sows disagreements among them. Surely, Shaitan (Satan) is to man a plain enemy.” 17: 53   Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) as saying, “The Satan has despaired of being worshipped by those who engage in prayer in the Arabian Peninsula but (has not lost hope) in creating dissension among them.”  [Muslim].   “O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa [i.e. one of the Muttaqun (pious – see V.2:2)]. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” 49: 13   Allah told us about that in the Quran,       “(Iblees) said: ‘Because You have sent me astray, surely, I will sit in wait against them (human beings) on Your straight path. Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them as thankful ones (i.e. they will not be dutiful to You)’” (Quran, Al-Aaraf: 16,17).   Surely, Shaitan (Satan) is an enemy to you, so take (treat) him as an enemy. He only invites his Hizb (followers) that they may become the dwellers of the blazing Fire. 35: 6   Satan works on a common human weakness related to making one quickly assume something negative about the other. He thus infuses suspicion and doubt in the hearts of Muslims making them think badly about one another, and provoking them against one another. For example, Satan considers sowing the seeds of discord between a husband and wife as one of his greatest achievements. The Prophet (SallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Iblis places his throne upon water; he then sends detachments (for creating dissension between people); the nearer to him in rank are those who are most notorious in creating dissension. One of them comes and says: “I did so and so.” And he says: “You have done nothing.” Then one amongst them comes and says: “I did not spare so and so until I sowed the seed of discogrd between a husband and a wife.” Satan goes near him and says: “You have done well.” He then embraces him” (Sahih Muslim and narrated by Jabir Ibn ‘Abdullah).   ——————————————————————————-   WHAT OTHER THINGS WE CAN DO IN THE WAKE OF THE RECENT RIOTING BY RIGHT WING PEOPLE IN THE UK?  

1. Make du’a for Allah to Protect us.

• Remember 12: 21,
• and He is our Rabb.
• Dua for patience 7: 126 and 2: 250

رَبَّنَآ أَفْرِغْ عَلَيْنَا صَبْرًۭا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ “Our Lord! Shower us with perseverance, make our steps firm, and give us victory over the disbelieving people.”

1. Unity among the Muslims

• Don’t allow these acts prevent you from worshipping Allah in the mosque
• Qadr of Allah on why things happened

 

• Trust Allah

 

• Say “Hasbunallah wa ni’mal wakeel, Ni’mal mawla and ni’wal wakeel

 

1. Maintain good manners on dealing with non Muslims

How Allah ordered Musa (AS) and his brother to go to the pharaoh and speak to him nicely فَقُولَا لَهُۥ قَوْلًۭا لَّيِّنًۭا لَّعَلَّهُۥ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشَىٰ Speak to him gently, so perhaps he may be mindful ˹of Me˺ or fearful ˹of My punishment˺.” 20: 44

1. Donate if the victims need financial help.
2. Be careful of spreading disinformation in social media – many AI

• Write to MPs requesting for more police and more protection on mosques, etc

  MAY ALLAH CONTINUE TO PROTECT THE MUSLIMS AROUND THE WORLD, INCREASE OUR IMAN AND TAQWA, INSTIL STEADFASTNESS ON THE DEEN AND GRANT US PATIENCE AND COMMITMENT TO WORSHIP HIM.