93: Good Relationships (Part 9) ~ General Social Relations [A]

 

الخلق عيا ل الله فأحب الخلق الى الله من نفع عيا ل الله The creation of Allah are all dependants of Allah; and the most loved of Allah’s creation are those most beneficial to His dependants. [Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)]
Principle of Human Relationships A cardinal principle in the equation of human relationships is that all members of every human community should learn …
  1. to care deeply...
    • about themselves
    • about others
  2. to act in ways that are supportive of the vital interests...
    • of themselves
    • of others

Wise ones have said that among the most important ingredients in the formula for a successful and fulfilling life, is knowing how to get along with people. Implementing the Golden Rule As human beings we must recognize our common humanity; we are all the creation of the Creator of all existence, and each one of us is a potential khalifatullah / vicegerents of Allah on earth We also acknowledge the universal acceptance of the Golden Rule … ان تحب للناس ما تحب لنفسك “desiring for others what you desire for yourself.” The essence of the Golden Rule is not to merely treat other people well because it is to our advantage but rather due to the universal moral obligation to treat others ethically because it is the proper thing to do; not because of expediency but because of who we are and what we represent. Sayyedna 'Ali said: “Be the standard in social conduct (between yourself and others), love for others what you love for yourself and dislike for others what you dislike for yourself. Do not wrong others just as you do not wish others to wrong you; rather do good as you would wish that good be done to yourself.”

واجعل نفسك ميزانا فيما بينك و بين غيرك ، فأحبب لغيرك ما تحبُ لنفسك ، و أكرَهُ له ما َتكرَهُ لنفسك ، و لا َتظلَم كما لا تُحِبُّ أن ُتظلم ، و أحسِن كما ُتحِبُّ أن يُحسَنَ اليك
The very presence of the Believer should be a source of benefit, a resource for goodness whose every action reflects ihsaan/goodness. The Prophet (pbuh) said; المؤمن من أمنه الناس على دمائهم و اموالهم و أنفسهم The believer is one in whom humanity at large find safety and security regarding their lives, their property and their honor. Manifest Ihsaan / Goodness In keeping with the divine injunction, و أحسن كما أحسن الله اليك manifest goodness as Allah has been good to you [Q 28:77]. Irrespective of people’s ideological affiliation/beliefs, it is a moral duty to be fair and just to all [Q5:8].
لَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ
Allah in no way forbids you from being just and good to those who do not oppose you because of your faith; surely Allah loves those who are just [Qur’an 60:8]. The commands for ihsaan = benevolence /goodness, and ‘adl / qist = justice; are the most comprehensive commands of Islam after attestation to faith [Q 16:90]. We are instructed وَأَحْسِنُوَاْ Do good, for surely إِنَّ اللّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ Allah loves the doers of good [Q 2:195]. The sage, Bayazid al-Bustami said, that person is truly good who does good to others because such doers of good manifest the goodness of Allah. There is an ancient African saying; no people do as much harm as those who refuse to do good. Being Involved with Society Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said الدين معاملة “the deen is about inter-human relationship”. This emphasis on mu'amalah / social relations as an essential component of the deen / Islamic Way of Life, clearly indicates the significance of social relations to human existence. We are in fact instructed to engage with society rather than distance ourselves from it. Prophet Muhammad advised; The Believer who engages in society’s matters and patiently bears the inconvenience of social involvement, is better than a believer who abstains from social involvement and avoids having to bear unpleasant experiences. Co-operation & Goodwill As part of a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious community, every Muslim (as member of a community of faith with moral values) has the responsibility of being …

We are thus instructed in the Qur’an,

وَتَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى الْبرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلاَ تَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى الإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ
Cooperate with one another on the basis of righteousness and God-consciousness, and do not indulge in that which leads to sin and animosity [Qur'an 5:2] .

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