Malfuzat – Volume III — Page 293
293 response. Seeking Clarification When a Doubt Arises is Proof of Pure-Heartedness The Promised Messiah as said: “If one reflects over the matter that arises here and contemplates from all aspects whilst keeping good intentions and righteousness in consideration, this will foster knowledge. I deem it a sign of your pure-hearted nature and good intention that you ask questions when you are unable to under- stand something. There are many people in whose heart a doubt becomes estab- lished, but they do not seek to uproot it by asking questions, and in this way, it continues to grow and cultivate within, and then the eggs of their doubt and suspicion hatch offspring and destroy the soul. Not asking questions and then forming one’s own view when one is unable to understand a certain matter is a weakness that leads one to hypocrisy. I do not consider this a sign of respect, for by doing so, a person destroys their soul. It is true, however, that it is not appro- priate either for one to raise questions on every little thing—this is forbidden. It is in this context that Allah the Exalted states: 1 َ ء ٓ عَنْ اَشْيَا تَسْئَلُوْا لَا Ask not about (minor) things. Moreover, a person is also prohibited from spying on others and picking out their faults. These are both bad practices. But if an important issue rankles a person’s heart, one should definitely present the issue and pose their question. This may be illustrated by an example. If a person were to consume contaminated food and this begins to upset the stomach, and one begins to feel nauseous, it is best for one to vomit and expel the food. However, if the person does not expel the food from their body, this will harm the digestive system and ruin a person’s health. Just as spoiled food ought to be expelled from the body immediately, anything that rankles in the heart ought to be uprooted at once. Therefore, I consider it to be a sign of your good fortune that you present your question whenever you do not understand something, and thus prevent it from turning into an objection. The first Hadith in Bukhari is: ِ َعْمَال ُ بِالنِّیَّات ْ اِنَّمَاال 1 al-Ma’idah , 5:102 p. 267