watawaa shaubil haq

Islam teaches us to enjoin each other in righteousness. However, there are a few pointers that we must remember:

1. We must keep our intentions purely for Allah. Afterall, we all answer to Him individually.

2. Be open to the possibility that it is us that might be mistaken. Be open to the possibility of being corrected

3. Another person doing a bad deed (which you yourself don’t do) does not mean that you are better than the person. Beware of arrogance, they might be hiding tons of better deeds than you!

4. Committing a bad deed does not necessarily amount to being an evil person. We do not know the intentions, that is Allah’s part to play.

5. If you are the one given advise, do not take No.4 lightly. Deliberate disregard of islamic law might amount to an act of kufr. Does not automatically make you a kafir, but deliberate disregarding of Quran and Sunnah is the main evidence of a kafir. That’s between you and Allah.

6. Do so in the best of manners and with all the compassion. Their weakness will not harm you. But advising with ill manners will harm yourself, and might bring that other person away from your advise. In fact, doing so with compassion and respect will benefit both the advisor and the advised.

7. Remember that there is no compulsion in religion. It is our duty to advise, but not to enforce. Afterall, guidance is Allah’s prerogative.

8. Everyone has their own tests and battles to fight, adjusted with their own strengths and situations. “Putting yourself into their shoes” may be harder than it seems. Maybe this is one of the virtues why after ‘watawaa shaubil haq’ but also ‘watawaa shaubis sabr’

9. Our ummah is divided in so many groups, not just by creed, but even by ill-manners. We need to do as much as we can to unite the ummah. Content matters, but compassion is what brings even different faiths together.

10. Manners must be kept, methods of approach may differ, but never compromise between what is haq and what is bathil