Good thinking of others

Good thinking of others is one of the manners to which the Shari`ah called and natural dispositions approve it. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "O you who believe! Avoid much suspicions, indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not." [Surat Al Hujurat: 12].

Al Qurtuby (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said his Tafsir: i.e., Do not ill-think of the people of goodness if you know they are good.

Second, it is authentically proven in Sahih Al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Beware of suspicion (about others), as suspicion is the falsest talk. Do not follow the defects of others. Do not spy upon each other. Do not deal in Najash (a dweller of the town sells the merchandise of a villager or outbidding in a sale (in order that another might fall into a snare). Do not envy one another. Do not hate one another. Do not desert one another, and O servants of Allah, be brothers." These are the wordings of Al Bukhari. Our scholars said: The meaning of ill-thinking here and in the Ayah is accusation. The reason of warning and prohibition is accusation without a legal proof such as accusing someone of adultery or wine drinking. The proof to the meaning of ill-think here is Allah's Saying: "And do not spy." [Surat Al Hujurat: 12].

A person may accuse a person by assumption then he wants to spy on him to make sure of that, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) prohibited that.

If you want to say: The person who distinguishes ill-thinking as should be avoided knows that any assumption that has no clear proof should be avoided.[1]

Ibn Muflih Al Maqdisy (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said about the previous Ayah: Al Baghawy mentioned that the meaning of the Ayah is ill-thinking, then he Al Qurtuby reported from Al Mahdawy that the view of most scholars is: Ill-thinking of good people is not permissible, and there is no harm to ill-think of evil people."[2]

Ibn Muflih Al Maqdisy (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said: "A chapter on good-thinking of people, i.e., Muslims."[3] The apparent meaning of Ibn Muflih's view is that good thinking should only be applicable to Muslims.

Then Ibn Muflih Al Maqdisy (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said: The apparent meaning of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is: "Beware of suspicion (about others), as suspicion is the falsest talk."

It is not permissible to ill-think of others, and some scholars interpreted it as judging on the Shari`ah matters by supposition without a proof.[4]

Ibn Muflih Al Maqdisy (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) explained when man becomes sinful by ill-thinking: At-Tirmidhy narrated on the authority of Sufyan: Ill-thinking for which a person is sinful is the spoken, but if he does not utter it, he shall not be sinful."[5]

Then Ibn Muflih Al Maqdisy mentioned the division of ill-thinking into two categories from the words of Al Qady Abu Ya`la, who said:

A- Ill-thinking is divided into forbidden which is ill-thinking of Allah, but it is obligatory to think well of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He). Likewise, ill-thinking of a Muslim who seems to be good and trustworthy is forbidden.

B- A commanded thinking such as the testimony of a just person, ascertaining the Qiblah, assessment of losses, and Arsh (indemnity paid for inflicting certain wounds). Permissible thinking such as he who doubts his Salah. He may act according to his thinking and may act according to certainty.[6]

Ibn Muflih Al Maqdisy (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) explained the impermissibility of ill-thinking of your Muslim brother without proof: Ibn `Abdul-Bar said in the book of Bahjat Al Majalis: `Umar ibn Al Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: It is not permissible for a Muslim to hear a word from his Muslim brother which he believes it bears ill-thinking while it may be interpreted in a good way.[7]

Ibn Muflih Al Maqdisy (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said: Al Hakim reported in his history on the authority of Bishr ibn Al Harith Al Hafy who said: Accompanying bad people generates ill-thinking of good people.[8]

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[1] Al Qurtuby, Abu `Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abu Bakr ibn Farah Al Ansary Al Khazrajy Shamsud-Din Al Qurtuby. Al Jami` Li Ahkam Al Qur'an Tafsir Al Qurtuby: (The previous reference). Vol. 16, P. 330.

[2] Al Maqdisy, Muhammad ibn Muflih. Al Adab Ash-Shar`iyyah. (The previous reference), Vol. 1, P. 89.

[3] (The previous reference): Vol. 1, p. 88.

[4] (The previous reference): Vol. 1, p. 88.

[5] (The previous reference): Vol. 1, p. 88.

[6] (The previous reference): Vol. 1, P. 89.

[7] (The previous reference): Vol. 1, p. 92.

[8] (The previous reference): Vol. 1, p. 94.