Tolerance and lack thereof

Salam-o-Alaikum,

I hope you are all doing well. I am doing very well, Alhamdulillah. It is becoming ever so hard to stay calm and peaceful in the light of all the events taking place all around us.

There is so much fitna, blasphemy, and other factors that lead many to lose their cool and fall prey to the whispers of the wicked satan. When you look around, you see so much injustice and a total lack of tolerance. Luckily there still are many who preach of peace and love. The path of peace is becoming like a narrow alley that gets tighter and tigher with every step. It has come to a point where you cannot live in the society w/out being bothered by what surrounds you, and often rubbing shoulders against the walls surrounding your sovereignty and faith.

One of the biggest problems seems to be the lack of tolerance for each other. We find it much easier to just let out our anger, rather than to control it and fight the evil within us. I read somewhere that Whenever you get angry, it is the Satan that puts a burning coal on your heart and forces you to scream out and say things which you otherwise would not have, had you not lost your cool. It is a sunnah to do wudu whenever you're angry because it cools you.

We all are in desperate need of outreach and spreading forgiveness and blessing others even when they speak wickedly of you.

It would be perfect to cite the words of wisdom and a narration of the beloved Prophet (PBUH):

The Prophet (may peace be upon him) was the most forgiving person. He was ever ready to forgive his enemies. When he went to Ta’if to preach the message of Allah, its people mistreated him, abused him and hit him with stones. He left the city humiliated and wounded. When he took shelter under a tree, the angel of Allah visited him and told him that Allah sent him to destroy the people of Ta’if because of their sin of maltreating their Prophet. Muhammad (may peace be upon him) prayed to Allah to save the people of Ta’if, because what they did was out of their ignorance. (from wikipedia)

If our beloved Prophet (PBUH) and we're meant to follow his way and adhere to the way of the Prophet, then we should strive to do the same. It does more to spread the message of Islam than to show disrespect and stoop to the level of those who mock you.

It is mentioned in a Hadith that:

Forgive others because do you not want Allah to forgive you?


Instead of letting it out, here we are told to be patient by our Lord who is Knower and Hearer of all things.
We are encouraged by our Creator over and over to forgive others, so that He may forgive our mistakes. It is a double reward with Allah for implementing this characteristic, because Allah says in the Qur’an which means:
“...Let them pardon and forgive. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Surah An-Noor 24:22)It is much easier said than done. But that is the inner Jihad. A struggle for the safety of the soul from becoming corrupted. A peaceful mind and soul is a soul bound for reward with Allah (SWT).

I too am guilty of being tempermental at times but Alhamdulillah, i have been able to change my ways so far. I am in a constant struggle to fight the evil within me and become a more loving person, a more peaceful human, and a better Muslim.

Moreover, If we could even follow this simple hadith of the Prophet who said:

“He who conceals (the faults) of a Muslim, Allah would conceal his faults in this world and in the Hereafter,” not only would we benefit immensely, but our brother would be saved of being humiliated at the same time.
I pray to Allah that he give us the understanding to forgive each other and to refrain from being angry at each other. Ameen.

I pray and hope that Allah (SWT) give us all the strength to struggle, and become the best muslims. Ameen.