We can see what people say and do. Who gets to judge what is inside their hearts?
Islamic Studies · 40 Hadith, 9th and 10th Grade · 60 to 75 minutes
Last lesson, we learned that naseehah is at the core of the religion: being sincere, and truly wanting good, toward Allah (SWT), His (SWT) Book, His Messenger (pbuh), the leaders of the Muslims, and every Muslim.
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: "الدِّينُ النَّصِيحَةُ". قُلْنَا: لِمَنْ؟ قَالَ: "لِلَّهِ، وَلِكِتَابِهِ، وَلِرَسُولِهِ، وَلِأَئِمَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَعَامَّتِهِمْ".
The Prophet (pbuh) said: "The religion is naseehah (sincerity)." We said: "To whom?" He (pbuh) said: "To Allah (SWT), to His (SWT) Book, to His Messenger (pbuh), to the leaders of the Muslims, and to their common people."
Wanting good for other Muslims includes not thinking the worst of them. Today's hadith draws a clear line between what we can see in people and what only Allah (SWT) can see.
Before we read anything, take this question seriously. There is no wrong first answer.
What do people usually look at when they decide how religious someone is?
Has anyone ever judged you wrongly from how you looked or from one thing they saw you do? What did they miss?
Keep your answer in mind. Today's hadith ends with a phrase about exactly this.
عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: "أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أُقَاتِلَ النَّاسَ حَتَّى يَشْهَدُوا أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ، وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ؛
Abdullah ibn Umar (RA) reported that the Messenger of Allah (SWT) (pbuh) said: "I have been commanded to fight the people until they testify that there is no god but Allah (SWT) and that Muhammad (pbuh) is the Messenger of Allah (SWT), and establish the prayer, and pay the zakah.
Three things are named in this part. Where have you seen all three before in this course?
People sometimes quote this sentence on its own, without its setting. Read it slowly. After the second part, we will read it together with the Quran.
فَإِذَا فَعَلُوا ذَلِكَ عَصَمُوا مِنِّي دِمَاءَهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُمْ إِلَّا بِحَقِّ الْإِسْلَامِ، وَحِسَابُهُمْ عَلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى".
If they do that, they have protected their blood and their wealth from me, except by the right of Islam, and their reckoning is with Allah (SWT)."
What two things does the hadith say become protected?
Write down your first guess: what does "their reckoning is with Allah (SWT)" mean?
A hadith is always read together with the Quran and the rest of the Sunnah, never on its own. The next three slides are ayat of the Quran to read alongside it.
لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ ۖ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ ۚ فَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىٰ لَا انفِصَامَ لَهَا ۗ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become distinct from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in taghut and believes in Allah (SWT) has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allah (SWT) is Hearing and Knowing.
Taghut means false objects of worship, anything worshipped other than Allah (SWT).
Why can belief never be forced? Think back to Hadith 1 and what it taught about intention.
لَّا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ
Allah (SWT) does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes - from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah (SWT) loves those who act justly.
The ayah names two things: birr, being righteous and good to someone, and qist, being just. What do they look like with a neighbor, a classmate, or a relative of another faith?
Many of us have family members, neighbors and friends of other faiths. This ayah speaks to how we treat them.
وَقَاتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ وَلَا تَعْتَدُوا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ
Fight in the way of Allah (SWT) those who fight against you but do not transgress. Indeed, Allah (SWT) does not like transgressors.
This ayah speaks about people who were fighting the Muslims. What limit does it set, even then?
Why do you think the ayah ends by telling us what Allah (SWT) does not like?
Many scholars explain this hadith in the setting of the wars of the Prophet's (pbuh) own time, against those who were fighting the Muslims.
It does not mean forcing anyone to believe. The Quran says there is no compulsion in religion (2:256), and belief lives in the heart, which no one can force. Later today you will see the Prophet (pbuh) teach that no one can see inside another person's heart.
The same Quran says Allah (SWT) does not forbid goodness and justice toward people who do not fight the Muslims, and that He (SWT) loves those who act justly (60:8). It says "do not transgress" even toward those who do fight (2:190).
The words "except by the right of Islam" and the laws connected to this hadith are studied in depth with qualified scholars, who differ on some of the details, and they are not part of this lesson. If you have questions about them, take them to your imam.
Today we focus on the parts of this hadith that shape how you treat people every day: the weight of the shahadah, the deeds people can see, and the hearts that only Allah (SWT) can see.
Saying that there is no god but Allah (SWT) and that Muhammad (pbuh) is His (SWT) Messenger is not a small thing. In this hadith, it comes first among the things that protect a person's life and wealth. It is the door into Islam and the first pillar of Hadith 3.
The prayer and the zakah are named next. With the shahadah, they are the first three pillars of Hadith 3, which the same Companion, Abdullah ibn Umar (RA), narrated. All three are outward acts that other people can know about.
"Their reckoning is with Allah (SWT)." People deal with each other by what is apparent. Whether a person truly means it in their heart is between them and Allah (SWT).
Look back at your guess from the hadith slide. How close were you?
بَعَثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي سَرِيَّةٍ، فَصَبَّحْنَا الْحُرَقَاتِ مِنْ جُهَيْنَةَ، فَأَدْرَكْتُ رَجُلاً فَقَالَ: لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ، فَطَعَنْتُهُ، فَوَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي مِنْ ذَلِكَ، فَذَكَرْتُهُ لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: "أَقَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَقَتَلْتَهُ؟"
Usamah ibn Zayd (RA) said: "The Messenger of Allah (SWT) (pbuh) sent us out in a small detachment, and we came upon al-Huruqat of Juhaynah in the early morning. I caught up with a man, and he said, 'There is no god but Allah (SWT),' and I stabbed him. That troubled me, so I mentioned it to the Prophet (pbuh). The Messenger of Allah (SWT) (pbuh) said, 'He said there is no god but Allah (SWT), and you killed him?'
Usamah (RA) was a young Companion whom the Prophet (pbuh) loved dearly. This happened during a battle. Before the next slide, think about what you expect the Prophet (pbuh) to say to him.
قَالَ: قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، إِنَّمَا قَالَهَا خَوْفًا مِنَ السِّلاَحِ. قَالَ: "أَفَلاَ شَقَقْتَ عَنْ قَلْبِهِ حَتَّى تَعْلَمَ أَقَالَهَا أَمْ لاَ؟" فَمَازَالَ يُكَرِّرُهَا عَلَيَّ حَتَّى تَمَنَّيْتُ أَنِّي أَسْلَمْتُ يَوْمَئِذٍ.
I said, 'O Messenger of Allah (SWT) (pbuh), he only said it out of fear of the weapon.' He said, 'Then why did you not cut open his heart, so that you would know whether it had said it or not?' He kept repeating it to me until I wished that I had become Muslim on that day."
Usamah (RA) was sure he knew what the man really meant. What was the Prophet's (pbuh) answer to that certainty?
Why do you think the Prophet (pbuh) kept repeating the question instead of saying it once?
He could hear the man's words. The man said there is no god but Allah (SWT), out loud, in front of him.
He could not see whether the man meant it. That was inside his heart, and no person can open a heart to check.
Many scholars explain that this story shows what "their reckoning is with Allah (SWT)" means. We deal with people by what is apparent, their words and their actions, and we leave their hearts to Him (SWT).
Scholars also explain why Usamah (RA) wished he had become Muslim only on that day: a person's past sins are forgiven when they enter Islam, so he wished this mistake had come before his Islam rather than after it. That is how heavily it weighed on him.
When have you been sure you knew what someone "really" meant, and later found out you were wrong?
Hadith 8 speaks of a person's blood and wealth becoming protected. During his Farewell Hajj, on the Day of Sacrifice, the Prophet (pbuh) named a third thing alongside them.
فَإِنَّ دِمَاءَكُمْ وَأَمْوَالَكُمْ وَأَعْرَاضَكُمْ بَيْنَكُمْ حَرَامٌ، كَحُرْمَةِ يَوْمِكُمْ هَذَا، فِي شَهْرِكُمْ هَذَا، فِي بَلَدِكُمْ هَذَا
The Prophet (pbuh) said: "Truly, your blood, your wealth and your honor are sacred between you, like the sacredness of this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this land of yours. ..."
Honor is a person's good name: what people say and believe about them. A rumor, a mocking post, or a careless label can damage it, even when no one touches the person or their money.
Why do you think the Prophet (pbuh) compared these three to the most sacred day, month and place the people knew?
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى صُوَرِكُمْ وَأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى قُلُوبِكُمْ وَأَعْمَالِكُمْ
The Messenger of Allah (SWT) (pbuh) said: "Truly, Allah (SWT) does not look at your outward forms or your wealth, but He (SWT) looks at your hearts and your deeds."
This works in both directions. Someone who does not look very religious may have a heart that is close to Allah (SWT). Someone who looks very religious is still a human being who makes mistakes. In both cases, what is inside is not ours to measure.
The hadith names hearts and deeds. Which of the two can other people see, and which can they not?
Ask yourself: when I decide how religious someone is, am I looking at what Allah (SWT) looks at?
أَيُّمَا امْرِئٍ قَالَ لأَخِيهِ: يَا كَافِرُ، فَقَدْ بَاءَ بِهَا أَحَدُهُمَا، إِنْ كَانَ كَمَا قَالَ، وَإِلاَّ رَجَعَتْ عَلَيْهِ
The Messenger of Allah (SWT) (pbuh) said: "If any person says to his brother, 'O disbeliever,' then it falls on one of them: if it is as he said, [it is so], and if not, it comes back on him."
This hadith comes from the same Companion who narrated Hadith 8, Abdullah ibn Umar (RA). Both teach us to be very careful about judging another person's faith, and this one warns that the word can come back on the one who says it.
Where do you hear words like this thrown around carelessly, in an argument, a joke, or a comment section?
If you ever have a real question about someone's beliefs, take it to your imam, not to a group chat.
Each group is given one card. Talk through the three questions for about 6 minutes, then share your answers with the class in one minute.
A new classmate became Muslim last month. He doesn't know how to pray yet, and someone whispers, "Is he even serious?"
A girl started wearing hijab this year. Someone says she's only doing it for attention.
A boy prays every prayer at the masjid, but he is rude to people. Someone says, "His prayers are fake."
During an argument in a group chat, someone calls another Muslim a kafir.
A classmate's family is still learning about the deen. Someone says, "They're not even real Muslims."
A student looks very religious, so people believe whatever he says about others without checking.
The rudeness is something you can see, and kind, private advice about it can be naseehah. Whether his prayers are accepted is something no one can see. That is between him and Allah (SWT).
Judging by appearance can go the other way too. Looking religious does not show what is in a heart, and believing a rumor because of who said it can harm someone else's honor.
In every card the line is the same: we respond to what we can see, gently and fairly, and we leave hearts to Allah (SWT).
Take out a sheet of paper and write your three answers quietly.
Your writing stays with you.
Today we learned to leave other people's hearts to Allah (SWT). When a judging thought about someone comes to mind, make dua for that person instead. The Prophet (pbuh) told us what happens when a Muslim does this where the other person cannot hear it.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: "مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ مُسْلِمٍ يَدْعُو لأَخِيهِ بِظَهْرِ الْغَيْبِ إِلاَّ قَالَ الْمَلَكُ وَلَكَ بِمِثْلٍ".
Abu ad-Darda (RA) reported that the Messenger of Allah (SWT) (pbuh) said: "There is no Muslim servant who makes dua for his brother in his absence except that the angel says: 'And for you the like of it.'"
When you catch yourself judging someone's faith by how they look or by one thing they did, stop and remind yourself: their reckoning is with Allah (SWT). Then make a short dua for that person, quietly, where they cannot hear it.
At the end of the week, ask yourself: did making dua for someone change the way I think about them?