Finding Fault
A Sheikh advised his pupils:- "Do not look for faults in others; there is no end to it, so do not do it!"
But those who reported on it did not give the whole context in which the advice was given. The statement is, therefore, ambiguous.
The following comments can be made to elaborate the advice:-
(1) The Quran tells us:-
"…And that there may spring from you a nation who invite to goodness, and bid right conduct, and forbid what is wrong (or indecent); these are the successful." 3:104
"Those who when they do an evil, or wrong themselves, remember Allah, and ask forgiveness for their sins - and who forgives sins save Allah alone? - And do not knowingly repeat the wrong they did." 3:135
It is essential that we know what evil is and what faults are, and that we are able to discern them. Otherwise we cannot know what is good, what we ought to avoid, what to make amends for and what to ask forgiveness for. Nor can we bid the right and forbid the evil in others or the society as a whole. Crime and evil will spread in a society where everyone minds his own business and nothing is done to discover crime, apprehend and punish the criminal.
But it is not enough to (a) know what is evil and (b) to condemn it, but it also necessary (c) to have techniques by which evil can be removed. Three kinds are provided in the Quran - (i) Psychological ones which includes remembering, prayer, charity, exercising tolerance, forgiveness, self-control, study of the Quran, countering evil thoughts with good ones and so on. (ii) A social system which encourages good and discourages evil. (iii) Legislation which defines good and evil upholds standards and punishes evil.
(2) We must not judge and condemn others self-righteously and in ignorance. (a) We are all liable to temptations, mistakes and sins. (b) Nor do we know what difficulties the other person has had to struggle with inwardly and outwardly. It is perfectly possible that someone who appears to be good has had to make no efforts and has not been tested while another who appears to have done evil has, in fact, struggled hard against great odds. The second person may, therefore, be much better spiritually than the first. (c) Nor can we judge what motives are behind an outer action. The apparently good action can have an evil motive and an apparently evil action can have a good motive.
(3) We must not concentrate our mind or harp on the negative side of things. This can be depressing. It can also lead to demoralization so that people think evil is normal and act accordingly. Newspapers etc. report of evil rather than good and therefore, give a false impression that the frequency of evil is much greater than it is. This creates a stimulus to evil. The Prophet Muhammad (saw) is reported to have said that Muslim should not publish or broadcast the faults of others.
(4) The Prophet is also reported to have said:
"Do not ask me about evil. Ask me about good."
It is obvious that we can know evil by the absence of good. So one only needs to know good. In fact, we have a rather profound idea here - Evil does not really exist. It is like a vacuum known only because of the absence of something positive. Therefore, placing the mind on evil is to create illusions and to mislead. It is itself an evil.
Other considerations can be discerned in the following :-
(5) "Hold to forgiveness, and command what is kind, and shun the ignorant. and if an incitement from the devil wound thee, then seek refuge in Allah: verily, He is Hearer and Knower." 7:199-200
(6) "O you who believe! Let not one people deride (or ridicule) another people perchance they may be better than they, nor let women deride other women, perchance they may be better than they; and do not find fault with (or defame) your own people nor insult one another by (offensive) nicknames; evil is a bad name after faith, and whoever does not desist, these it is that are the unjust. O you who believe! Avoid most of suspicion, for surely suspicion in some cases is a sin, and do not spy nor let some of you backbite others. Does one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? But you abhor it; and be careful of (your duty to) Allah, surely Allah is Oft relenting, Merciful. " Quran 49:11-12
(7) "And whoever commits a fault or a wrong and throws it on the innocent, he has burdened himself with a falsehood and a manifest crime ( sin). " 4:112
Note: Here we have a case of what is called projection. Evil is being created to hide the vacuum within.
(8) "And rely thou upon the Living One who dies not; and celebrate His praise; He is sufficient as Knower about the faults of His servants. " 25:58
(9) "So know that there is no God but Allah, and, ask protection for your fault and for the believing men and the believing women;" 47:19
(10) "O ye who believe! Be ye steadfast in justice, witnesses for Allah, though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kindred, be it rich or poor, for Allah is nearer both than either. Follow not, then, lusts (prejudices, superstitions, passions), so as to act unjustly (or with bias); but if ye swerve or turn aside, Allah is well Aware of what you do." 4:135
Jesus (saw) is reported to have said:
"And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." Matthew 7:3-5
(11) "Cloak not truth with vanity and falsehood, nor knowingly hide the truth. Be steadfast in worship, give alms, and bow down with those who bow. Will ye order men to piety and forget it yourselves? Ye read the Book, do ye not then understand? Seek aid with patience and prayer, though it is a hard thing save for the humble, who know that they will meet their Lord, and that to Him they are returning." 2:42-2:46
(12) Jesus is reported to have said:-
"Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven." Luke 6:37
The person who judges others harshly tends to judge himself harshly consciously or unconsciously. If he is tolerant towards others, then he is tolerant towards himself also. But also vice versa, if he judges himself harshly or leniently he will do the same to others. The mind tends to be just in using the same standards for all.
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