Asalamu alikum
Some Examples
1a) A young Muslim woman lives in a Muslim country where many women wear Islamic hijaab yet she openly flaunts her beauty by taking off hijaab and even accentuating that beauty with perfume and make-up because she enjoys the admiration of others. If told to wear hijaab she just takes the admonition lightly or ignores it altogether making it clear that her desires have precedence over eeman.
1b) Another Muslim woman does the practically the same thing as above but she has been raised in a very un-Islamic environment yet she is diligent in her prayers and fasting nor does she flirt or mix with the opposite sex. On top of it, the few Muslims in her area don't make an issue of hijaab at all and it is common place to see women wearing the flimsiest of scarves or very attractive covering even with jilbaabs or scarves.
1c) A Muslimah who wears full hijaab but who has been through a series of bad marriages and divorces until she is intimately known by many men and it is known that a major contributing factor to those failures is her fierce temper and verbal abuse and vulgar speech and threats to her husband when angered.
2a) A Muslim who wears a suit and tie, shaves his beard and wears his slacks too long but he attends the masjid, gives zakat and treats his family with love and kindness not ever neglecting their rights upon him. He even supports all the efforts of the Muslims with his time and money and sends his wife to women's classes at the masjid but he rarely finds time to sit in the circles of learning. He believes in the Qur'aan and Sunnah but asks for rulings and opinions here and there and is given some incorrect rulings based on weak evidence or opinions and acts upon them.
2b) A Muslim who is also clean shaven and not readily or easily identifiable as a Muslim and who gives nothing to the Muslims nor takes any care with regard to the haraam and the halaal and only attends the masjid for Jumu'ah khutbah and even then gets out as quickly as possible. When he does show up at the masjid he avoids those "bearded ones" like the plague.
2c) A Muslim who who wears a full beard, is careful to make sure his thobe is above his ankles and when he speaks he only speaks of the Qur'aan and the Sunnah and the way of the Salaf yet at home he is brutal to his wife and children when angered and views spending a little extra on them as a sin or leaves his wife to collect assistance from outside sources (even non-Muslims) to support herself and her children.
Distinctions Should Be Made
Should there not be a distinction made between the two ladies (1 a and b) in how they are approached, taught or admonished even though the ruling of hijaab is the same upon both? What do you think will be the likely result when either of those women is exposed to sisters who wear full hijaab and they are both shunned as "brazen hussies" but in the company of those who do not wear proper hijaab (albeit incorrect) they are treated with kindness, support and love? Is it fair that 1c is treated with more tolerance and understanding because she looks the part but it is she whose behavior is perhaps more reprehensible?
In the case of the men, 2a and b may be lambasted as innovators or open sinners and even get approached by an intimidating group of well-meaning, "sticking-to-the-manhaj" brothers aiming to "set them straight". Is it likely that either will be amenable to such an approach or treatment? Yet 2c, because he "walks the walk and talks the talk" among those brothers they overlook what is known to others and always greet him with a smile and bend over backwards to treat him with kindness over and over again before tactfully chastising him for his negligence or cajoling him to do right by his family.
We should all agree as lovers of the truth and adherents to the Sunnah that innovations (bid'ah) are detestable and should be avoided and warned against. When we see or read of innovation it should be detested in our hearts and we should hate to see it manifest in ourselves or other Muslims. Yet we must not let our distaste for this evil, partisanship or any other external factor cloud our judgment and even-handed treatment of others.
Each case above is that of a sinful Muslim, in some cases openly so, and evident innovation is present, yet they are not equal nor should they be treated in the same way nor with a double standard based upon how they look or whom they associate with. Certainly, class, nationality or race should have no place in determining the equality of treatment. They all need to be guided in the best possible manner and with careful consideration. It is not an easy task or a "black and white" one. This is why the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) was so outstanding in his ability to assess the situation of different believers and was able to affect their hearts and correct them.
Some Examples
1a) A young Muslim woman lives in a Muslim country where many women wear Islamic hijaab yet she openly flaunts her beauty by taking off hijaab and even accentuating that beauty with perfume and make-up because she enjoys the admiration of others. If told to wear hijaab she just takes the admonition lightly or ignores it altogether making it clear that her desires have precedence over eeman.
1b) Another Muslim woman does the practically the same thing as above but she has been raised in a very un-Islamic environment yet she is diligent in her prayers and fasting nor does she flirt or mix with the opposite sex. On top of it, the few Muslims in her area don't make an issue of hijaab at all and it is common place to see women wearing the flimsiest of scarves or very attractive covering even with jilbaabs or scarves.
1c) A Muslimah who wears full hijaab but who has been through a series of bad marriages and divorces until she is intimately known by many men and it is known that a major contributing factor to those failures is her fierce temper and verbal abuse and vulgar speech and threats to her husband when angered.
2a) A Muslim who wears a suit and tie, shaves his beard and wears his slacks too long but he attends the masjid, gives zakat and treats his family with love and kindness not ever neglecting their rights upon him. He even supports all the efforts of the Muslims with his time and money and sends his wife to women's classes at the masjid but he rarely finds time to sit in the circles of learning. He believes in the Qur'aan and Sunnah but asks for rulings and opinions here and there and is given some incorrect rulings based on weak evidence or opinions and acts upon them.
2b) A Muslim who is also clean shaven and not readily or easily identifiable as a Muslim and who gives nothing to the Muslims nor takes any care with regard to the haraam and the halaal and only attends the masjid for Jumu'ah khutbah and even then gets out as quickly as possible. When he does show up at the masjid he avoids those "bearded ones" like the plague.
2c) A Muslim who who wears a full beard, is careful to make sure his thobe is above his ankles and when he speaks he only speaks of the Qur'aan and the Sunnah and the way of the Salaf yet at home he is brutal to his wife and children when angered and views spending a little extra on them as a sin or leaves his wife to collect assistance from outside sources (even non-Muslims) to support herself and her children.
Distinctions Should Be Made
Should there not be a distinction made between the two ladies (1 a and b) in how they are approached, taught or admonished even though the ruling of hijaab is the same upon both? What do you think will be the likely result when either of those women is exposed to sisters who wear full hijaab and they are both shunned as "brazen hussies" but in the company of those who do not wear proper hijaab (albeit incorrect) they are treated with kindness, support and love? Is it fair that 1c is treated with more tolerance and understanding because she looks the part but it is she whose behavior is perhaps more reprehensible?
In the case of the men, 2a and b may be lambasted as innovators or open sinners and even get approached by an intimidating group of well-meaning, "sticking-to-the-manhaj" brothers aiming to "set them straight". Is it likely that either will be amenable to such an approach or treatment? Yet 2c, because he "walks the walk and talks the talk" among those brothers they overlook what is known to others and always greet him with a smile and bend over backwards to treat him with kindness over and over again before tactfully chastising him for his negligence or cajoling him to do right by his family.
We should all agree as lovers of the truth and adherents to the Sunnah that innovations (bid'ah) are detestable and should be avoided and warned against. When we see or read of innovation it should be detested in our hearts and we should hate to see it manifest in ourselves or other Muslims. Yet we must not let our distaste for this evil, partisanship or any other external factor cloud our judgment and even-handed treatment of others.
Each case above is that of a sinful Muslim, in some cases openly so, and evident innovation is present, yet they are not equal nor should they be treated in the same way nor with a double standard based upon how they look or whom they associate with. Certainly, class, nationality or race should have no place in determining the equality of treatment. They all need to be guided in the best possible manner and with careful consideration. It is not an easy task or a "black and white" one. This is why the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) was so outstanding in his ability to assess the situation of different believers and was able to affect their hearts and correct them.
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