Everyone Makes Mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes, everyone stumbles. It is natural for human beings to commit mistakes. Anas ibn Mālik (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Every son of Adam is a sinner, and the best of sinners are those who repent.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2499]
When a person thinks that by repenting he can return to a normal life, mix again with people, and that no one will think badly of him because of his sins, then repentance becomes easier for him. This is why the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had the habit of not searching out people’s faults. He disliked one person’s sin being exposed to another. One reason was because he knew that every human being makes mistakes. The second reason was so that repentance would remain easy whenever someone wished to repent. From this perspective, he forbade pursuing people’s faults.
Ibn ‘Umar (RA) said: Once the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ascended the pulpit and called out loudly: “O community who have accepted Islam with your tongues but faith has not entered your hearts! Do not harm the believers, do not shame them, and do not seek out their hidden faults. For whoever seeks out his Muslim brother’s faults, Allah will expose his own faults. And whoever Allah exposes, He will disgrace him, even if he is inside the privacy of his home.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2032]
This was the beautiful Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). But it requires continuous effort. For human nature is such that it enjoys spreading the faults of others. Imagine yourself in that position, and it will become easier for you to abandon this habit. Then no one will want to expose another’s fault.
In one hadith, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) indicated this by saying: “One of you sees the speck of dust in his brother’s eye, but does not notice the trunk of a tree in his own eye.” [Sahih Ibn Hibbān: 5761]
Where is a small speck of dust, and where is the trunk of a tree! Whenever you notice someone’s fault, think of yourself instead. Remind yourself that within us are far greater faults, ten times worse. Therefore, what is required is not to look at others, but to always keep our eyes on our own shortcomings and remain busy correcting them.
1. Every son of Adam is a sinner
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Every son of Adam sins, and the best of sinners are those who repent.”
— Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2499, Hasan
2. Do not seek others’ faults
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“O you who have believed with your tongues but faith has not entered your hearts! Do not harm the Muslims, do not shame them, and do not search for their faults. For whoever searches for the faults of his Muslim brother, Allah will search for his faults. And if Allah searches for his faults, He will expose him, even if he is in the privacy of his house.”
— Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2032, Hasan Sahih
3. Covering faults brings Allah’s mercy
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever conceals (the faults of) a Muslim, Allah will conceal his faults in this world and the Hereafter.”
— Sahih Muslim 2699
4. Do not rejoice at others’ faults
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Do not gloat over the misfortune of your brother, lest Allah have mercy on him and test you with it.”
— Jami‘ al-Tirmidhī 2506, Hasan
5. Focus on your own faults
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“A man sees the speck in his brother’s eye, but does not see the log in his own eye.”
— Sahih Ibn Hibban 5761
Collected.
Read More: freeislamicimage.com
