DO NOT CAUSE HARM TO OTHER PEOPLE: 27

ENTER ISLAM COMPLETELY

Hazrat Thanvi was so careful about not causing psychological distress to another person to the extent that he used to say that a person should never tell their three or four chores to do at the same time. That way they pass the burden of remembering all the chores and their order to their employee. Ideally the person should tell them to do one chore first, and only after they have completed that task, then give them the next task. This way the burden of remembering all the chores remains with the employer.

Alhamdulillah (Thank God) the teachers we learnt religion from, balanced all the facets of religion. They didn’t just follow Aqa’id (beliefs) or Ibadah (acts of worship) and neglect all other aspects of Islam. In the Holy Quran Allah Ta’alah says,

يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوا ادۡخُلُوۡا فِى السِّلۡمِ کَآفَّةً (٢: ٢٠٨)

“O’ you who believe, enter Islam completely…” [2:208]

It shouldn’t be like we adopt only a few commandments of Islam like doing acts of worship, for example, Salah or fasting, but completely neglect the commandments about Ma’amlat (financial transactions), Ma’ashrat (ways of relating to people), and Akhlaq (internal purification) because these are all essential parts of Deen (religion).

SURAH AL-E-IMRAN: 200

TRANSLATION:

[3:200]
O you who believe, be patient, compete with each other in patience, and guard your frontiers {64} and fear Allah, so that you may be successful.

INTERPRETATION:

{64} In the terminology of the Holy Quran the word Sabr (patience) carries a very broad meaning. The first type of Sabr is being steadfast in following Allah Ta’alah’s commandments (صبر عن الطاعتہ), the second type of Sabr is suppressing one’s innate desires to abstain from sins (صبر عن المعاصیہ), and the third type of Sabr is enduring the sufferings one faces in life (صبر عن المصیبتہ). Here people who have faith have been ordered to exercise all three types of Sabr. The phrase “defending the frontiers” is inclusive of defending both the geographical frontiers, as well as the ideological frontiers. May Allah Ta’alah help us obey all these commandments. Ameen

DO NOT CAUSE HARM TO OTHER PEOPLE: 26

CAUSING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS TO SOMEONE IS ALSO HARA’AM (UNLAWFUL)

Hazrat Thanvi RE used to say that in this Hadith causing harm through bodily actions of hand and tongue has been mentioned. However, if one does something through one’s hand or tongue which causes psychological or mental distress to someone, then that is included within the meaning of this Hadith. For example, a person takes a loan from someone and promises that I will return this loan to you at this time or within this duration. If he is then unable to repay the loan within this duration then he should let the lender know clearly that he will be unable to repay the loan within the promised timeframe, and give the lender a clear idea of when he would be able to return it. It is not permissible to keep making vague promises, or to not let him know that you are unable to return it. The poor lender keep waiting that he will get his money back today or tomorrow, and the borrower neither returns his loan, nor lets him know when he will return it. This way the borrower is causing the lender mental anguish as he cannot make any plans about using that money because he has no idea when, or even if, he will get his money back. Such behavior is as Hara’am as causing physical harm to someone.