skills/sistani-guidance/references/books/west/pages-157-168.md

# A Code of Practice for Muslims in the West

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Previous block: [pages 145 to 156](pages-145-156.md).

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## PDF PAGE 157

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[evil persons] among them will have hegemony over the
others; and they shall have no helper neither on the earth nor in
the heaven.”  )٨٢( ١
Imam Ja‘far as-Sadiq (a.s.) qualted the Messenger of Allah
(s.a.w.) as saying, “How will it be with you when your women
will become corrupt and, your youths sinful while you will not
be enjoining the good nor forbidding the evil?” The people
said, “Will this happen, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied,
“Yes; and even worse than that. How will it be with you when
you will be enjoining the evil and forbidding the good?” The
people said, “O Messenger of Allah! will this actually
happen?” He said, “Yes, and even worse than that. How will it
be with you when you will think of good as evil and of evil as
good?”   )٩٢(٢
These two obligations become more pressing when the person
neglecting the good or committing the evil is one of your
family members. You might find someone among your family
who neglects some obligations or takes them lightly; you might
find some of them performing wudhu or tayammum or ghusl
incorrectly, or does not purify his body and clothes from
impurities correctly. Or does not recite the two surahs and the
obligatory recitations in salat correctly; or does not purify his
wealth by paying khums and zakat.
You might find someone among your family members
committing some sins like masturbation or gambling or
 ١Al-Hurr al-'Amili, Wasa'ilu 'sh-Shi'a, vol.  ,٦١p.  .٦٩٣
 ٢Ibid, vol.  ,٦١p.  .٢٢١
```

## PDF PAGE 158

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listening to songs or drinking intoxicants or eating haram meat
or devouring people’s property unlawfully or cheating and
stealing.
You might find someone among the women in your family not
observing hijab, not concealing her hair; and you might find
that she does not remove the nail polish at the time of wudhu or
ghusl. You might even find among them someone who wears
perfume for men other than her husband; and does not conceal
her hair or body from the eyes of her cousins (maternal or
paternal), brother-in-law, or husband’s friend with the
justification that they all live in the same house, and under the
pretext that he is like her brother, or other similar groundless
excuses.
You might find someone in your family who habitually lies,
backbites and infringes upon the rights of others, usurps
people’s property, supports the wrong-doers in their unjust
activities, and harasses his neighbour, etc.
If you find any such situations, you should enjoin the good and
forbid the evil by applying the first two methods: that is,
expressing your displeasure at the situation, and then speaking
about it. If these two methods do not work, then apply the third
method (after asking the permission from the mujtahid):
adopting practical [or physical] measures moving from softer
to harsher ones. If that person is ignorant of the religious rules,
it is your duty to teach them, if they have the intention of
learning and acting accordingly.
Kindness towards People
```

## PDF PAGE 159

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Kindness towards people, all the people, is among the
recommended rituals that have been emphasized by our
religion. The Messenger of Allah said, “My Lord has
commanded me to be kind towards the people just as He has
commanded me to fulfill the obligatory [prayers].” He also
said, “If a person does not have three things, his deeds are not
complete: [spiritual] armor that prevents him from disobeying
Allah; noble character by which he shows kindness towards the
people; and forbearance by which he repels the foolishness of
the ignorant person.”   )٠٣(١
Kindness is not limited to the Muslims only. It has been
narrated that Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) became a travelling companion
of a non-Muslim on the way to Kufa. When they reached to a
crossroad, the Imam walked with him for a distance before
saying farewell. The non-Muslim asked him why he walked
that extra distance, the Imam replied, “This is the right of
companionship, i.e. see them through for a short distance when
they separate. This is what our Prophet has ordered us to do.”
 )١٣(٢That man accepted Islam because of this noble gesture.
An interesting story was narrated by ash-Sha‘bi concerning the
justice of Imam ‘Ali with one of his non-Muslim subjects. He
narrated that one day ‘Ali bin Abi Talib went to the market and
saw a Christian selling a coat of arms. ‘Ali (a.s.) recognized
that coat of arms and said to the seller, “This is my body
armour; let us go to the judge of the Muslims.” The Muslim
 ١Wasa'ilu 'sh-Shi'a, vol.  ,٢١p.  .٠٠٢
 ٢Ibid, p.  .٥٣١
```

## PDF PAGE 160

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judge was Shurayh, and ‘Ali himself had appointed him in that
position.
When they went to Shurayh, he said, “What is the matter, O
Amiru ’l-mu’mineen?” ‘Ali (a.s.) said, “This is my coat of arms
which I have lost since a long time now.” Then Shurayh asked
the seller, “O Christian, what do you have to say?” The
Christian seller said, “I am not accusing Amiru ’l-mu’mineen of
lying, but the coat of arms is my property.” So Shurayh turned
to ‘Ali (a.s.) and said, “I do not see [any ground on which] you
can take it from his possession. Do you have a proof
[supporting your claim]?” Since ‘Ali (a.s.) had no proof, he
said, “Shurayh is correct [in his judgement].”  )٢٣( ١
On hearing the judgement, the Christian seller said, “I bear
witness that these are the laws of the prophets: the Leader of
the Believers comes to a judge appointed by himself, and the
judge passes a judgement against him! By God, O Amiru ’l-
mu’mineen, this coat of arms is yours—I followed you in the
army, and the coat of arms slipped down from your camel, so I
took it. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” ‘Ali (a.s.) said, “Now
that you have become a Muslim, it belongs to you.” Then he
carried it on a horse. Sha‘bi said that he subsequently saw the
 ١Translator's Note: Shurayh's judgement was based on the
principle that possession is itself a proof of ownership, and
that the claimant has to provide the proof in support of his
claim.
```

## PDF PAGE 161

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man fighting the non-Muslims. This version of the hadith has
been narrated from Abu Zakariyya.   )٣٣(١
Similarly, we have heard from Amiru ’l-mu’mineen ‘Ali (a.s.)
what could be considered as a historical precedence of social
security that is so commonly practiced at present in the
Western world. ‘Ali did not differentiate between a Muslim
and a non-Muslim in the Islamic state. The narrator said that
one day an old blind person passed by him begging. Imam ‘Ali
(a.s.), “What is this?” Those who were around him said, “O
said, he is a Christian!” Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) answered, “You have
used him until he became old and incapable, and now you are
depriving him [of the benefits]! Provide for him from the
public treasury.” )٤٣( ٢It has also been narrated from Imam as-
Sadiq (a.s.), “If a Jewish person comes to sit with you, make
that a good meeting.”  )٥٣( ٣
Making Peace Between People
There is a great reward in making peace between people,
reconciling their differences, making them friends of one
another, and lessening the gulf of disagreement between them.
More so when making peace is done in a non-Muslim land far
away from the homeland, family, relations, and friends. Imam
‘Ali (a.s.) had given certain advice to his sons, al-Hassan and
 ١As-Sayyid al-Milani in Qadatuna, quoting al-Bayhaqi, as-
Sunanu 'l-Kubra, vol.  ,٤p.  .٥٣١
 ٢At-Tusi, at-Tahdhib, vol.  ,٦p.  .٢٩٢
 ٣Wasa'ilu 'sh-Shi'a, vol.  ,٢١p.  .١٠٢
```

## PDF PAGE 162

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al-Husayn, just before his death after the Kharijite Ibn Muljim
al-Muradi had injured him. He said, “I advise you both, all my
children and family members, and whosoever to whom this
letter of mine reaches: to fear Allah, to organize your affairs, to
establish peace because I have heard your grandfather (s.a.w.)
say, ‘Making peace is better than a whole year of praying and
fasting.’”  )٦٣( ١
Sincere Advice for Muslim Brethren
Sincere advice —that is, to wish that the blessings of Allah
may continue on the believing brethren, to dislike that evil may
afflict them, and to exert efforts in guiding them towards what
is good for them— is among the deeds loved by the Almighty
Allah.
There are countless ahadith on the importance of sincere
counsel. For instance, the Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “The person
with greatest status in the eyes of Allah on the Day of
Judgement will be the person who worked most in His earth to
give sincere counsel to His creatures.” )٧٣( ٢Imam al-Baqir (a.s.)
said, “The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) said, ‘A person from
among you should give sincere advice to his brother in faith as
if he is advising himself.’”  )٨٣(٣Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) said, “It is
necessary for a believer to sincerely advise another believer in
his presence as well as in his absence.” )٩٣( ٤He also said, “You
 ١Nahju 'l-Balagha (Subhi as-Salih's edition) p.  .١٢٤
 ٢Al-Usûl mina 'l-Kafi, vol.  ,٢p.  .٨٠٢
 ٣Ibid; also see Jami'u 's-Sa'adat, vol.  ,٢p.  .٣١٢
 ٤Ibid.
```

## PDF PAGE 163

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should be careful about advising Allah’s creatures sincerely for
His sake because you can never meet Allah with a deed better
than that.”  )٠٤( ١
Spying
Spying —that is, snooping in order to gain information and
embarrass people— is forbidden in Islamic laws. Almighty
Allah has said in His Book: “O You who believe, refrain from
most of suspicions because some suspicions are sins, and do
not spy…” ( )٢١:٩٤
Ishaq bin ‘ammar, a companion of Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.), said: I
heard as-Sadiq (a.s.) saying, “The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.)
said, ‘O you who have accepted Islam with your tongue [i.e.,
with your verbal declarations of faith] and faith is yet to enter
your hearts! Do not disparage the Muslims nor disclose their
frailties, because whosoever discloses their shortcomings,
Allah shall disclose his; and he whose weaknesses are
disclosed by Allah, will indeed be disgraced, even if he is
inside his house.’”  )١٤( ٢
Backbiting, Namimah
Backbiting means “speaking ill of a believer in their absence
with the purpose of disparaging or not, and no matter whether
the alleged shortcoming was related to his body, lineage,
 ١Ibid, vol.  ,٢p.  ;٤٦١for more information see the relevent
sections in Wasa'ilu 'sh-Shi'a, vol.  ,٦١p. ١٨٣- .٤٨٣
 ٢Ibid, vol.  ,٢١p.  .٥٧٢
```

## PDF PAGE 164

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behaviour, deeds, statements, religion, or life, and other defects
which are [usually] concealed from the people. Similarly, it
does not matter whether the description was done by words or
by gesture.”   )٢٤(١
Almighty Allah condemned backbiting in His noble Book and
has described it such that mind and body feel abhorrence
towards it. He said, “And some of you should not backbite the
others: would anyone of you like to eat the flesh of his dead
brother? No, you abhor it.” ( )٢١:٩٤
The Prophet (s.a.w.) said, “Be careful of backbiting because
backbiting is worse than adultery, in that a person who
commits adultery can repent and ask forgiveness from God,
and Allah can forgive him whereas Allah will not forgive the
backbiter until the person who was at the receiving end
forgives him.”  )٣٤( ٢
It is not appropriate for a believer to listen to backbiting against
his believing brother. Indeed, it appears from the sayings of the
Prophet and the Imams (may Allah bless them all) that it is
obligatory upon one who hears backbiting to support the
person who is being disparaged; and that if he does not repel
the backbiting [against his believing brother], Allah will
abandon him in this world as well as in the hereafter, and he
shall be held accountable just like the one who did the
backbiting.
 ١As-Sayyid as-Sistani, Minhaju 's-Saliheen, vol.  ,١p.  .٧١
 ٢An-Naraqi, Jami'u 's-Sa'adat, vol.  ,٢p.  .٢٠٣
```

## PDF PAGE 165

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When we talk about backbiting, another religious terminology
also comes to the mind of the believer that has been equally
forbidden by Islam for the sake of holding the society together.
It is the term known as “an-namimah” which means sowing
dissension by statements like “So and so was saying this and
that about you” with the intention of damaging the relationship
between the believers or increasing bitterness between them.
The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) has said, “Shall I not inform
you of the worst person among you?” People said, “Yes, O
Messenger of Allah!” He said, “Those who spread slanderous
rumours; those who divide friends.”  )٤٤(١Imam al-Baqir (a.s.)
said, “Paradise is forbidden upon the backbiters and those who
spread slanderous rumours.” )٥٤( ٢Similarly, Imam as-Sadiq
(a.s.) said, “The spiller of blood [i.e., murderer], the alcoholic,
and the one who spreads slanderous rumours will not enter
Paradise.”   )٦٤(٣
Suspicion. Almighty Allah has forbidden us from having
suspicious thoughts. He says in His noble Book, “O you who
believe! Refrain from most of the suspicions because some
suspicions are a sin.” ( )٢١:٩٤
Based on this noble Qur’anic verse, it is not permissible for a
believer to entertain suspicious thoughts about his fellow
Muslim without any clear proof and evidence, because no one
other than Allah knows the inner-most thoughts of a person.
 ١An-Naraqi, Jami'u 's-Sa'adat, vol.  ,٢p.  .٦٧٢
 ٢Al-Usûl mina 'l-Kafi, vol.  ,٢p.  .٩٦٣
 ٣As-Sadûq, Thawabu 'l-A'mal, p.  .٢٦٢
```

## PDF PAGE 166

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So, as long as it is possible to place the action of a believer in a
proper context, we should do so until it is proven otherwise.
Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) said, “Place the affair of your brother in the
best possible [context] until you get a proof which convinces
you [of the contrary]. And do not have suspicious thoughts
about a word that comes out of your brother [in faith] while
you have a positive context for it.”   )٧٤(١
Extravagance and Waste
Extravagance and waste are two bad qualities condemned by
Almighty Allah. He says, “Eat and drink but do not waste
because He does not like the squanderors.” ( )١٣:٧He has also
condemned those who engage in waste by saying, “Verily the
wastrels are brethren of the Satans, and verily the Satan was
ungrateful to his Lord.” ( )٧٢:٩١
Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) wrote a letter to Ziyad in which he condemned
wastage and squandering. He wrote: “Give up lavishness and
be moderate. Every day remember the coming day. Hold back
from the funds what you need and send forward the balance for
the day of your need. Do you expect that Allah may give you
the reward of the humble while you yourself are arrogant in
His view? And do you covet that He may give you the reward
of those doing charity while you enjoy comforts and deny them
to the weak and the widows? Certainly, a man is rewarded
 ١Wasa'ilu 'sh-Shi'a, vol.  ,٨chapter  .١٦١
```

## PDF PAGE 167

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according to what he has done, and he shall meet what he has
sent forth.”  )٨٤( ١
Charity for the sake of Allah: Allah has encouraged us in His
noble Book to give charity for His sake and has described it as
a deal which will never go sour. He says, “Those who recite
the Book of Allah, establish the prayer, and give in charity
secretly as well as openly out of what We have given them, they
hope for a deal that will never go sour. Allah shall pay them
their rewards in full and give them more out of His grace;
indeed He is Forgiving, Multiplier of rewards.” (٩٢:٥٣- )٠٣In
another chapter, He says, “Who is there that will offer to Allah
a good loan so that He will double it for him, and he shall have
an excellent reward. On that day you will see the believing men
and the believing women while their light shall be running
before them and on their right side—[they will be told:] ‘good
news to you today: gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide
therein, that is the great achievement.’” (١١:٧٥- )٢١
In a third verse, Allah reminds us to hasten to giving charity
before death strikes. He says, “And give in charity out of what
We have given you before death comes to one of you, so that he
should say, ‘My Lord! Why did Thou not respite me to a near
term, so that I should have given alms and been of the doers of
good deeds?’ And Allah does not respite a soul when its
appointed term has come, and Allah is Aware of what you do.”
(٠١:٣٦- )١١
Then Allah clarifies the end of those who hoard wealth and do
 ١Nahju 'l-Balagha, letter no.  .١٢
```

## PDF PAGE 168

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not spend in charity for His sake. He says, “(As for) those who
hoard up gold and silver and do not spend it in Allah’s way,
announce to them a painful chastisement on the day when it
shall be heated in the fire of hell, then their foreheads and their
sides and their backs shall be branded with it; this is what you
hoarded up for yourselves, therefore taste what you hoarded.”
(٤٣:٩- )٥٣
Imam ‘Ali (a.s.) was the living example and the embodiment of
the great values of Islam; he gave in charity whatever his hands
could hold, preferring frugality in this transitory world and
avoiding its beauties and luxuries while he had the control of
the entire public treasury of the Muslims. He describes himself
[in letter to his governor in Basra] as follows:
“If I wished I could have taken the way leading towards
(worldly pleasures like) pure honey, fine wheat and silk
clothes, but it cannot be that my passions lead me and greed
takes me to choosing good meals while there may be people in
the Hijaz and in Yamamah who have no hope of getting bread
or who do not have a full meal. Shall I lie with a full belly
while around me there may be hungry bellies and thirsty
livers? Or shall I be as the poet has said,
It is enough for you to have a disease
that you lie with your belly full
While around you people may be badly yearning
for dried meat?”   )٩٤(١
 ١Nahju 'l-Balaghah, letter no.  .٥٤
```