🆕💎The Virtue of Being Unfazed by Criticism or Praise (5): The Doorway to Wisdom & Inner-Peace

🔘 Ibn Hazm (رحمه الله) explains that indifference to praise and criticism is a tremendous door to wisdom and inner peace:

باب عظيم من الْعقل والراحة وَهُوَ: اطراح المبالاة بِكَلَام النَّاس وَاسْتِعْمَال المبالاة بِكَلَام الْخَالِق عز وَجل
بل هَذَا بَاب الْعقل والراحة كلهَا،

This is a great doorway of wisdom and peace: discarding concern for what people say and focusing concern on the words of the Creator, Glorified and Exalted be He.

من قدر أَنه يسلم من طعن النَّاس وعيبهم فَهُوَ مَجْنُون،

Indeed, this is the entirety of wisdom and peace. Whoever thinks he can escape the criticisms and people’s fault-finding of him is delusional.

من حقق النّظر وراض نَفسه على السّكُون إِلَى الْحَقَائِق وَإِن آلمتها فِي أول صدمة كَانَ اغتباطه بذم النَّاس إِيَّاه أَشد وَأكْثر من اغتباطه بمدحهم إِيَّاه،

One who deeply contemplates and reconciles himself to calmly accepting the facts, even if they hurt him at first, finds greater joy in people’s criticism than in their praise.

لِأَن مدحهم إِيَّاه إِن كَانَ بِحَق وبلغه مدحهم لَهُ أسرى ذَلِك فِيهِ الْعجب فأفسد بذلك فضائله، وَإِن كَانَ بباطل فَبَلغهُ فسره فقد صَار مَسْرُورا بِالْكَذِبِ وَهَذَا نقص شَدِيد ،

For if their praise is true and reaches him, it breeds vanity within him and thus corrupts his virtues. If what reached him of their praise is false and pleases him, he becomes happy with falsehood, which is a severe deficiency.

وَأما ذمّ النَّاس إِيَّاه فَإِن كَانَ بِحَق فَبَلغهُ فَرُبمَا كَانَ ذَلِك سَببا إِلَى تجنبه مَا يعاب عَلَيْهِ وَهَذَا حَظّ عَظِيم لَا يزهد فِيهِ إِلَّا نَاقص وَإِن كَانَ بباطل وبلغه فَصَبر اكْتسب فضلا زَائِدا بالحلم وَالصَّبْر،

As for people's criticism, if it is true and it reaches him, it may serve as a reason for him to avoid what is criticized, which is a great fortune that only a deficient person would disdain. If the criticism is false and he endures it, he gains additional merit through patience and forbearance.

وَكَانَ مَعَ ذَلِك غانما لِأَنَّهُ يَأْخُذ حَسَنَات من ذمه بِالْبَاطِلِ فيحظى بهَا فِي دَار الْجَزَاء أحْوج مَا يكون إِلَى النجَاة بأعمال لم يتعب فِيهَا وَلَا تكلفها وَهَذَا حَظّ عَظِيم لَا يزهد فِيهِ إِلَّا مَجْنُون

And with this, he benefits, for he collects good deeds from the false criticisms and gains rewards in the abode of recompense, where he is most in need of salvation through deeds that neither cost him effort nor burden him. This is a great portion of success that only a fool would disdain.

وَأما إِن لم يبلغهُ مدح النَّاس إِيَّاه فكلامهم وسكوتهم سَوَاء ، وَلَيْسَ كَذَلِك ذمهم إِيَّاه لِأَنَّهُ غَانِم لِلْأجرِ على كل حَال بلغه ذمهم أَو لم يبلغهُ وَلَوْلَا قَول رَسُول الله صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم فِي الثَّنَاء الْحسن (ذَلِك عَاجل بشرى الْمُؤمن) لوَجَبَ أَن يرغب الْعَاقِل فِي الذَّم بِالْبَاطِلِ أَكثر من رغبته فِي الْمَدْح بِالْحَقِّ

If the praise of people does not reach him, then their words and their silence are equal, and their criticism is not the same because he gains reward in any case, whether their criticism reaches him or not. Were it not for the saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about good praise ("This is the believer's prompt glad tidings"), it would be appropriate for the wise to desire false criticism more than truthful praise.

وَلَكِن إِذْ جَاءَ هَذَا القَوْل فَإِنَّمَا تكون الْبُشْرَى بِالْحَقِّ لَا بِالْبَاطِلِ فَإِنَّمَا تجب الْبُشْرَى بِمَا فِي الممدوح لَا بِنَفس الْمَدْح

But since this saying is reported, the glad tidings are due to what is truthful (of praise), not what is false. The glad tidings are indeed obligatory for what is within the praised, not for the praise itself.”

🆕New Article: The Rarity of Sincerity (1): Defining Sincerity: https://www.umarquinn.com/articles/the-rarity-of-sincerity-1-defining-sincerity

🆕 THE RARITY OF SINCERITY (2): INSINCERITY CAUSES BURNOUT IN KNOWLEDGE & ACTION: https://www.umarquinn.com/articles/the-rarity-of-sincerity-2-insincerity-causes-burnout-in-knowledge-amp-action

💎 The Sign of a Sincere Person

Imam Al-Dhahabi said:

قُلْتُ: عَلاَمَةُ المُخْلِصِ الَّذِي قَدْ يُحبُّ شُهرَةً، وَلاَ يَشعُرُ بِهَا، أَنَّهُ إِذَا عُوتِبَ فِي ذَلِكَ، لاَ يَحرَدُ وَلاَ يُبرِّئُ نَفْسَه،

I said: The sign of a sincere person who may love fame without realizing it is that if he is criticized for it, he does not get angry or defend himself.

بَلْ يَعترِفُ، وَيَقُوْلُ: رَحِمَ اللهُ مَنْ أَهدَى إِلَيَّ عُيُوبِي،

Rather, he acknowledges it and says: "May Allah have mercy on the one who shows me my faults."

وَلاَ يَكُنْ مُعجَباً بِنَفْسِهِ؛ لاَ يَشعرُ بِعُيُوبِهَا، بَلْ لاَ يَشعرُ أَنَّهُ لاَ يَشعرُ، فَإِنَّ هَذَا دَاءٌ مُزْمِنٌ.

Let him not be amazed with himself, unaware of his flaws, much less unaware that he is unaware, which is a chronic disease.”

💎 [Don’t Allow Rivalry & Discord to Malign the Image of Our Da’wah]


The esteemed scholar ‘Abd Allah b. ‘Abd al-Raḥīm al Bukhārī (حفظه الله) said:

‘يا إخوتاه لا نجعل أفعال بعض إخواننا سُبّةً على هذا المنهج الطاهر النقيِّ، هذه الدعوة المباركة السنية السلفية الطاهرة النقيّة المبرأة من الأحقاد والضغائن والقلاقل،

“O brothers, let us not allow the actions of some of our brothers to tarnish this pure and pristine methodology, this blessed and Sunnah-based Salafi dawah, which is free from hatred, grudges, and turmoil.

هذه دعوة النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم احفظوها حافظوا عليها اتقوا الله جلّ وعلا فيها لا تشوهوها لا تذمروا الناس منها ومن أهلها،

This is the call of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). Preserve it, protect it, and fear Allah, the Most High, in regards to it. Do not distort it or cause people to detest it and its adherents.

اتقوا الله يا جماعة الخير في هذه الدعوة، لا نكون مَعَاول هدمٍ نأتي على هذه الدعوة! احترموا هذه الدعوة قوموا بحقها

Fear Allah, O people of goodness, in this dawah. Let us not become instruments of destruction that undermine this dawah! Respect this dawah and fulfill its rights.

اتقوا الله في مشايخها وعلمائها و طلبة العلم فيها،

Fear Allah in regards to its scholars, its learned ones, and its students of knowledge.

ما هذا التناحر والتدابر كأنه صارت عند كثيرٍ من الناس الآن سلفي يعني ماذا تناحر! يعني تدابر يعني تنابز يعني كذا

What is this rivalry and discord, as if, to many people now, being Salafi means rivalry, discord, and mutual abuse?

هكذا صارت كثيرٌ من الناس من العامة والدهماء تشوه هذه الدعوة النقية الصافية الرحيمة، تشوه في أذهان كثير من الناس بسبب من؟، بسبب بعض السفهاء وبعض الرويبضات المنتسبين إليها صحيح؟،

This is how it has become for many of the common people and the ignorant ones, distorting this pure and merciful dawah in the minds of many. And who is to blame? Some foolish individuals and some insignificant people who claim to be part of it, isn't that correct?

سبحان الله العلي العظيم تسمع عجبا وتقرأ عجباً هل هذا من دين الله؟، أقسم برب السماء والله وبالله وتالله هذه اليمين المغلظة لا أكفر عنها والله إن هذا ليس من شرع الله وليس من هديٍ رسول الله وليس من الدعوة السلفية في شيء، ولو لبّست هذا هذا الأمر ألف عبائة، لا يمكن أن يكون هذا من دين الله،

Glory be to Allah, the Most High. You hear astonishing things and read astonishing things. Is this part of the religion of Allah? I swear by the Lord of the heavens, by Allah, and by Allah, this severe oath requires no expiation. This is not from the Shariah of Allah, nor from the guidance of the Messenger of Allah, nor from the Salafi dawah in any way. Even if you disguise it in a thousand cloaks, it cannot be from the religion of Allah.

اتقوا الله في أنفسكم يا إخوتاه، اتقوا الله في هذه الدعوة احترموها،

Fear Allah in regards to yourselves, O brothers. Fear Allah in this dawah and respect it.

أين الرفق ؟ أين اللين ؟ أين الرحمة ؟ أين العطف ؟ أين نشر المودة ؟ أين نشر المحبة ؟ أين نشر الألفة بين الإخوة بعضهم بعضاً ؟ أين إظهار بياض هذه الدعوة النقية ؟ أين إظهار صفاء هذه الدعوة ووضوحها للناس ؟!

Where is the gentleness? Where is the kindness? Where is the mercy? Where is the compassion? Where is the spreading of love and affection among brothers towards one another? Where is the demonstration of the purity and clarity of this dawah? Where is the demonstration of its purity and clarity to the people?

هل معنى الصفاء والوضوح هو تدمير الغير حتى تتوضح ؟

Does clarity and purity mean destroying others to make it clear?

هل معنى الصفاء والنقاء أن أقتل أخي وأطعن في أخي الذي معي صباح مساء عقيدًة ومنهاجاً حتى أقول أني من الواضحين ومن الأنقياء والأصفياء ؟

Does purity and clarity mean killing my brother who shares my creed and methodology and criticizing him morning and evening to claim that I am clear and pure?

من قال هذا ؟ من قال هذا؟ لا يقول هذا إلاّ دسيسة دخيلٌ على الدعوة ليس منها أجنبيٌ عنها ما عرفها ولا شمّ رائحتها،

Who said this? Who said this? Only an infiltrator foreign to the dawah, not from it, would say this, someone who does not know it and has never smelled its fragrance.