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glo
04-19-2008, 09:12 AM
Have u heard of the saying by a scholar Dr. Tahir Ul Qadri?

"Gunnah se nafrat karo, gunehgaar se nahin"
Hate the sin, not the sinner.
Greeting, all. :)

I am posting this, after having read the above post.

The saying 'Hate the sin, but love the sinner' is quite commonly used in Christianity, but I must admit that I was slightly surprised to read it in an Islamic context.

From a Christian perspective I interpret the saying to mean the following:
  • To be forgiving towards those who wrong me
  • To be aware that we are all sinners, therefore I am not better than the next person - in comparison to God we all fall short!
  • To never give up on people who are engaged in 'sinful' behaviours, to continue walking with them, talking with them, praying for them (as others do for me)

Would that interpretation be acceptable in Islam?

The reason I am asking is that it doesn't seem to add up, when I hear about Islamic rulings which call for the stoning of adulterous women, and the hanging of men who are actively gay.
Killing people seems in direct contrast to loving them.

The only way it would make sense was if the killing of the sinful person was actually seen as an act of love towards them ... :?
Is that the case? :?
Can somebody help me understand this?
Reply

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glo
04-19-2008, 04:59 PM
Bumping this up ...
Reply

Al-Zaara
04-19-2008, 09:38 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by glo
Greeting, all. :)

I am posting this, after having read the above post.

The saying 'Hate the sin, but love the sinner' is quite commonly used in Christianity, but I must admit that I was slightly surprised to read it in an Islamic context.


From a Christian perspective I interpret the saying to mean the following:
  • To be forgiving towards those who wrong me
  • To be aware that we are all sinners, therefore I am not better than the next person - in comparison to God we all fall short!
  • To never give up on people who are engaged in 'sinful' behaviours, to continue walking with them, talking with them, praying for them (as others do for me)
Would that interpretation be acceptable in Islam?

The reason I am asking is that it doesn't seem to add up, when I hear about Islamic rulings which call for the stoning of adulterous women, and the hanging of men who are actively gay.
Killing people seems in direct contrast to loving them.

The only way it would make sense was if the killing of the sinful person was actually seen as an act of love towards them ... :?
Is that the case? :?
Can somebody help me understand this?
I'm not talking here for Islam, for I might say something wrong 'cause I'm on a hurry, but your comparsion to the Islamic rulings and that quote made me think this way, so these are my own thoughts mixed with many things I guess.

You hate the sin, yes. You do not hate the sinner, 'cause we all make mistakes, sure. Hate is a strong word. But that doesn't mean you do not punish the sinner for the hateful sin that is committed. Neither does it need to mean you do it out of love, to punish that is.

Just my thoughts, inshaAllah someone else will give you a good answer.
Reply

Fishman
04-19-2008, 09:52 PM
:sl:
It appears that some Muslims have invented the phrase 'hate the sin, not the sinner' independently from Jesus (peace be upon him), but it might not be true...

Disclaimer: This post was made solely for the purpose of conquering the most recent posts. If it lacks content, don't bother complaining to me...
:w:
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glo
04-20-2008, 06:36 AM
Thank you both, for your comments.
format_quote Originally Posted by Al-Zaara
I'm not talking here for Islam, for I might say something wrong 'cause I'm on a hurry, but your comparsion to the Islamic rulings and that quote made me think this way, so these are my own thoughts mixed with many things I guess.

You hate the sin, yes. You do not hate the sinner, 'cause we all make mistakes, sure. Hate is a strong word. But that doesn't mean you do not punish the sinner for the hateful sin that is committed. Neither does it need to mean you do it out of love, to punish that is.

Just my thoughts, inshaAllah someone else will give you a good answer.
Thank you, Al-Saara. I appreciate that these are your personal views.

I understand that you can love somebdoy, but still punish them ...
Is it then the case, that the punishment in Islam is carried out as an act of love, you think?
I can punish my children for some small dismeanor, knowing that I am doing so as a loving and responsible mother - are executions of sinners in Islam carried out with a similar attitude?
I suppose there is a difference, which lies in the finality of executing somebody.

format_quote Originally Posted by Fishman
:sl:
It appears that some Muslims have invented the phrase 'hate the sin, not the sinner' independently from Jesus (peace be upon him), but it might not be true...

Disclaimer: This post was made solely for the purpose of conquering the most recent posts. If it lacks content, don't bother complaining to me...
:w:
Thank you, Fishman.

I have tried googling Dr. Tahir Ul Qadri. It sounds like he is a reputable and well liked scholar. Do you know if that is the case?

Peace
Reply

Al-Zaara
04-20-2008, 06:56 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by glo
Thank you both, for your comments.

Thank you, Al-Saara. I appreciate that these are your personal views.

I understand that you can love somebdoy, but still punish them ...
Is it then the case, that the punishment in Islam is carried out as an act of love, you think?
I can punish my children for some small dismeanor, knowing that I am doing so as a loving and responsible mother - are executions of sinners in Islam carried out with a similar attitude?
I suppose there is a difference, which lies in the finality of executing somebody.
You are most welcome.

No, what I was saying is you can punish someone without getting those feelings of love or hate involved, acccording to me that is.
A judgde does that, he/she follows the rules that have been set and punishes according to it (well then there can be emotional things involved etc, but if we keep it real simple now).

When you punish, you do it 'cause the person was disobedient to the rules, isn't it like that? You show what happens when you do not follow the rules.

A mother to a child is much different, there is love involved, while when giving out an judgment it is according to what one has done wrong, I guess as I already said it's more to show to others 'this is what happens if you don't listen'.
Reply

MustafaMc
04-20-2008, 07:30 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by glo
From a Christian perspective I interpret the saying to mean the following:
  • To be forgiving towards those who wrong me For me, it depends upon the magnitude of the offense and if the person expresses remorse desiring reconciliation.
  • To be aware that we are all sinners, therefore I am not better than the next person - in comparison to God we all fall short! "There, but for the Grace of God, so go I." However, one that prays regularly and strives to abstain from sinning can be said to be better than one who gets drunk and beats his wife.
  • To never give up on people who are engaged in 'sinful' behaviours, to continue walking with them, talking with them, praying for them (as others do for me) I don't agree with socializing with "sinful" people just so they can benefit from a better influence. What about their influence on you?

Would that interpretation be acceptable in Islam?

The reason I am asking is that it doesn't seem to add up, when I hear about Islamic rulings which call for the stoning of adulterous women, and the hanging of men who are actively gay.
Killing people seems in direct contrast to loving them.

The only way it would make sense was if the killing of the sinful person was actually seen as an act of love towards them ... :?
Is that the case? :?
Can somebody help me understand this?
This concept is foreign to my understanding of Islam. Punishment for certain acts - 100 lashes for fornication, stoning for adultery, cutting off hand for stealing, execution for murder - is not done in a "spirit of love".
Reply

glo
04-20-2008, 07:44 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by MustafaMc
This concept is foreign to my understanding of Islam. Punishment for certain acts - 100 lashes for fornication, stoning for adultery, cutting off hand for stealing, execution for murder - is not done in a "spirit of love".
It puzzled me too, Mustafa.
That's why I asked the question.
I will try to find out more about in which context Dr. Tahir Ul Qadri used the expression.

Peace
Reply

Snowflake
04-20-2008, 10:30 AM
Originally Posted by MustafaMc
This concept is foreign to my understanding of Islam. Punishment for certain acts - 100 lashes for fornication, stoning for adultery, cutting off hand for stealing, execution for murder - is not done in a "spirit of love".

format_quote Originally Posted by glo
It puzzled me too, Mustafa.
That's why I asked the question.
I will try to find out more about in which context Dr. Tahir Ul Qadri used the expression.

Peace
How do you define 'spirit of love'? A mother smacking the hand of her child who is constantly reaching for the fire, is not love because it involved a form of punishment? To show a certain act is abhorrent to islam it needs to be met with punishment as a lesson to the offender as well as a deterrent to others. This does not mean the offender should be ostracized thereon. Neither should one consider himself superior to the offender and harbour hatred in his heart. He should be treated like any other. That is the 'spirit of love' that is the islamic concept of hating the sin - not the sinner. Hating the sinner would lead to more evil if this principle is neglected.
Reply

barney
04-20-2008, 10:37 AM
A mum who smacks her child who cant speak or understand,if theyre about to stick their hand into a plug socket. That soulds like a act of desperation to protect the child. So it's in the end loving.

A Mum who follows scripture and stones their child to death for disrespecting her (deutronomy 21:18), might not have quite so firm a basis that their act was a loving one.

So what is Sin?
Reply

------
04-20-2008, 10:46 AM
:salamext:

Glo, I heard that expression from another friend. I'll try to get more information on it for you. :)

EDIT: It's also in someone's signature here, in the first post:

http://www.pakin.no/discuss/topic.asp?tid=7550&fid=19

EDIT 2: Also, there seems to be a discussion from post 7 (hate the sin, not the sinner) in here:

http://www.therevival.co.uk/node/1781?page=1

Edit 3:

HIV, AIDS, Stigma, and Discrimination ...

Would that we Pakistanis could learn the maxim:

“Hate the sin, not the sinner”

The stigma and discrimination against HIV/AIDS isn’t going to end until we follow this maxim, but it will take a revolution of sorts if we want people to think the way this maxim wants us to think. This revolution will have to begin with you. But you got to realize that HIV/AIDS isn’t the only stigma in Pakistan. All sorts of things become a stigma in my beloved country, for example:
· You are stigmatized if you are black in color (I am talking about color here, not race).
· You are stigmatized if you are poor
· You are stigmatized if you belong to a lesser caste
· You are stigmatized if you suffer from a mental disorder (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, etc)
· You are stigmatized if you are “low” in “status”
· You are stigmatized if you are infertile (this holds true for both men and women, but especially for women)
· You are stigmatized if you are ugly

I speak from personal experience in a public health setting. Many people would try to hide a family member’s mental illness or the fact that their child is an adopted one and not their biological child. Most poor people will take loan and spend at least a hundred thousand rupees on their daughter’s wedding only to save them from being stigmatized. If you are an infertile woman, then the people around you will give you less respect. If you belong to a lesser caste, you would wish you could lie about it. If your dad were a sweeper at the hospital, you would work your way out of this by telling people that your father is “employed” at the hospital.

Historically speaking, this stigmatism that has pervaded all strata of Pakistani society was (and still is) the mark of Hindu society. Our one-and-a-half-millennium long affair with the Hindu culture gave us this gift of stigmatization. Now it is time for us to throw it into the dustbin.

Pakistani society is a sexually corrupt society (yes, it is) sitting at the brink of a general HIV epidemic. While we are expecting the numbers of HIV-infected persons to rise in the coming years, I am not foreseeing any amount of reduction in stigma and discrimination against HIV/AIDS until you and I start caring for the HIV-infected person. Till then, the people living with HIV/AIDS will have to live in Hell.
Source
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------
04-20-2008, 10:48 AM
:salamext:

* To be forgiving towards those who wrong me
* To be aware that we are all sinners, therefore I am not better than the next person - in comparison to God we all fall short!
* To never give up on people who are engaged in 'sinful' behaviours, to continue walking with them, talking with them, praying for them (as others do for me)
Yeh we agree with these... *someone correct me if I'm wrong*
Reply

Umar001
04-20-2008, 10:58 AM
I don't think it is as simple as yes we agree or no we dont agree.

In some cases we agree and in some cases we dont, it depends.
Reply

Muezzin
04-20-2008, 11:38 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by MustafaMc
This concept is foreign to my understanding of Islam. Punishment for certain acts - 100 lashes for fornication, stoning for adultery, cutting off hand for stealing, execution for murder - is not done in a "spirit of love".
That isn't, no. The "spirit of love" part of it comes before that. Contrary to popular belief, we must not hasten to punish people. Punishment should be seen as an absolute last resort, but that's a rant for another day, and another member with better knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence than I.
Reply

Ahmed.
04-20-2008, 12:35 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by AhLÄÄM
:salamext:



Yeh we agree with these... *someone correct me if I'm wrong*
There are opinions within the four madhabs such as 'dont give salaam to an alcoholic' [or is it, 'dont reply to their salaams'?] etc, thus the 'continue to walk with them and talk with them' may not be agreed upon by all Muslims, but ofcourse we continue to give them dawah [call them towards righteousness] and praying for their salavation.

Salaam
Reply

Umar001
04-20-2008, 12:45 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by glo
Greeting, all. :)

I am posting this, after having read the above post.

The saying 'Hate the sin, but love the sinner' is quite commonly used in Christianity, but I must admit that I was slightly surprised to read it in an Islamic context.

From a Christian perspective I interpret the saying to mean the following:
  • To be forgiving towards those who wrong me
  • To be aware that we are all sinners, therefore I am not better than the next person - in comparison to God we all fall short!
  • To never give up on people who are engaged in 'sinful' behaviours, to continue walking with them, talking with them, praying for them (as others do for me)

Would that interpretation be acceptable in Islam?

The reason I am asking is that it doesn't seem to add up, when I hear about Islamic rulings which call for the stoning of adulterous women, and the hanging of men who are actively gay.
Killing people seems in direct contrast to loving them.

The only way it would make sense was if the killing of the sinful person was actually seen as an act of love towards them ... :?
Is that the case? :?
Can somebody help me understand this?
Hey,

As I mentioned before it depends on who you are speaking of, you as a Christian might claim to hate the sin and love the sinner but do you love satan? If you believe that there is a being called the devil/lucifer or anything who willingly opposes God do you love him? Can someone you love be an enemy? Do you also mean that you love someone more than God loves them? Because God will punish some people who sin.

Of course we are all sinners but there are different types of sinners, some who sin out of weakness for example and some out of arrogance, obviously they are different in station with regardst to love.

Also with regards to your not understanding the punishment, sometimes the punishment may be expiation, so through it they are forgiven in the next world?

EDIT:Thought I'd add this video didnt know whether I should but anyways here it goes:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=5oVkHM...eature=related

I dont know if what the brother is saying is coveyed fully in those clips.
Reply

glo
04-20-2008, 01:19 PM
Greetings Al Habeshi

You raise some very interesting points.
Since we are in the 'Learn about Islam' section here, I am reluctant to enter into a discussion about Christianity.
Better to take that into the 'Comparative Religions' section. (It would make a great debate there, I am sure)
I merely explained my own understanding of 'Hate the sin, but love the sinner' in my OP to have something to measure the Islamic understanding against.

Thanks for your contributions, all. :)
This is turning into an interesting discussion. People are bringing very different points of view.

Salaam
Reply

anonymous
04-20-2008, 01:31 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Al Habeshi
Hey,

As I mentioned before it depends on who you are speaking of, you as a Christian might claim to hate the sin and love the sinner but do you love satan? If you believe that there is a being called the devil/lucifer or anything who willingly opposes God do you love him? Can someone you love be an enemy? Do you also mean that you love someone more than God loves them? Because God will punish some people who sin.

Of course we are all sinners but there are different types of sinners, some who sin out of weakness for example and some out of arrogance, obviously they are different in station with regardst to love.

Also with regards to your not understanding the punishment, sometimes the punishment may be expiation, so through it they are forgiven in the next world?

EDIT:Thought I'd add this video didnt know whether I should but anyways here it goes:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=5oVkHM...eature=related

I dont know if what the brother is saying is coveyed fully in those clips.
:sl: All praise to Allaah, may He reward you and increase your knowledge, JazakAllahu Khayr for that excellent post
Reply

Umar001
04-20-2008, 01:44 PM
Hey Glo,

Yes, I only brought the point to you because I find it it helps me understand when someone puts something into 'my' context.

But yes, what I was trying to show is that there are different types of sinners therefore different ways of dealing with them.
Reply

glo
04-20-2008, 01:51 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Al Habeshi
Hey Glo,

Yes, I only brought the point to you because I find it it helps me understand when someone puts something into 'my' context.

But yes, what I was trying to show is that there are different types of sinners therefore different ways of dealing with them.
Thank you, Al Habeshi

Do you think it is a personal choice to what extend one might find it in oneself to 'love the sinner'?
For example, you might be able to love and forgive somebody who burgled your house, but not somebody who murdered a loved one?

In the Islamic context, is there any specific teaching which instructs Muslims ' 'hate the sin, but not the sinner'?
(Apart from Dr. Tahir Ul Qadri, who I am still trying to find ut about)

It may be that the Islamic interpretation of such a saying is quite different from my own ...
Reply

------
04-20-2008, 01:54 PM
:salamext:

^ Check this post out:

http://www.islamicboard.com/seeking-...tml#post930017
Reply

anonymous
04-20-2008, 01:57 PM
Hi Glo :) I hope you are well

I'm tempted to contribute to this very interesting thread when I have more time, please bear with me inshaAllah.

and Al Habeshi didn't say ameen and give me the same duaa back. Anon has feelings too u know :hmm:

Fi aman Allah everyone,
Reply

MustafaMc
04-20-2008, 02:00 PM
Could it be that we are confusing the terms mercy and love? If I remember correctly, mercy is often spoken of in Islam (Qur'an and hadith), but rarely is "love".
format_quote Originally Posted by Al Habeshi
Do you also mean that you love someone more than God loves them? Because God will punish some people who sin.
Does one think that Allah loves someone whom He has sentenced to eternal punishment in the Hellfire? We should not focus on the Mercy of Allah to the extent that we forget the Wrath of Allah. In Islam, we have a balance between hope in Allah's Mercy and fear of His Wrath.
Also with regards to your not understanding the punishment, sometimes the punishment may be expiation, so through it they are forgiven in the next world?
Yes, I agree with you. A hadith that comes to my mind follows. A woman from Juhaynah came to Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) and she had become pregnant because of adultery. She said: Allah's Apostle, I have done something for which (prescribed punishment) must be imposed upon me, so impose that. Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) called her master and said: Treat her well, and when she gives birth bring her to me. He did accordingly. Then Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) pronounced judgment on her. Her clothes were tied around her and then he gave the order and she was stoned to death. He then prayed over her (dead body). Thereupon Umar said to him: Allah's Apostle, you offer prayer for her although she had committed adultery! Thereupon he said: She has made such a repentance that if it were to be divided among seventy men of Medina, it would be enough. Have you found any repentance better than that she sacrificed her life for Allah, the Majestic? (Muslim 792)
Reply

Umar001
04-20-2008, 02:00 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by glo
Thank you, Al Habeshi

Do you think it is a personal choice to what extend one might find it in oneself to 'love the sinner'?
For example, you might be able to love and forgive somebody who burgled your house, but not somebody who murdered a loved one?
I think there are boundaries, which are not our personal choice, but within those boundaries we choose how much to love.

For example, we may have the boundary of 1(hate)-10(love) that boundary is imposed on us, and we have the choice of what is in that boundary, if that makes sense. SO we may choose anything between one and ten but we cant choose 11.

format_quote Originally Posted by glo
In the Islamic context, is there any specific teaching which instructs Muslims ' 'hate the sin, but not the sinner'?
(Apart from Dr. Tahir Ul Qadri, who I am still trying to find ut about)

It may be that the Islamic interpretation of such a saying is quite different from my own ...
I dont know, I dont have a clue if these words even occur in Islamic Teachings. I have not heard them. If they do, then we also have to understand what type of love or hate it should be because that can make all the difference.
Reply

glo
04-20-2008, 02:01 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by AhLÄÄM
I read your links, sis, but they didn't make much sense (Perhaps I am a bit dim today ... I also have to confess that I haven't really have enough peace and quiet at the moment to read them thoroughly. I will persevere though ...:))

format_quote Originally Posted by anonymous
Hi Glo :) I hope you are well

I'm tempted to contribute to this very interesting thread when I have more time, please bear with me inshaAllah.

and Al Habeshi didn't say ameen and give me the same duaa back. Anon has feelings too u know imsad

Fi aman Allah everyone,
Thank you anon. I am sure that Al Habeshi will make du'a for you.
Here is your chance to put aside your hurt feelings and be forgiving yourself! :D

Looking forward to your contributions. :)
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anonymous
04-20-2008, 02:10 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by glo
Thank you anon. I am sure that Al Habeshi will make du'a for you.
Here is your chance to put aside your hurt feelings and be forgiving yourself! :D

Looking forward to your contributions. :)
you are welcome glo, and anon is not hurt at all. Anon knows that when you give someone a good duaa the angels give same duaa back to you! :)
Reply

Umar001
04-20-2008, 02:16 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by MustafaMc
Does one think that Allah loves someone whom He has sentenced to eternal punishment in the Hellfire? We should not focus on the Mercy of Allah to the extent that we forget the Wrath of Allah. In Islam, we have a balance between hope in Allah's Mercy and fear of His Wrath.
I think you've misunderstood me akhi.

format_quote Originally Posted by anonymous
and Al Habeshi didn't say ameen and give me the same duaa back. Anon has feelings too u know :hmm:

Fi aman Allah everyone,
He did say Ameen, and Wa Iyyak
Reply

Ahmed.
04-20-2008, 02:22 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by glo
In the Islamic context, is there any specific teaching which instructs Muslims ' 'hate the sin, but not the sinner'?
(Apart from Dr. Tahir Ul Qadri, who I am still trying to find ut about)

It may be that the Islamic interpretation of such a saying is quite different from my own ...
Hi Glow,

Here is [excerpts of] an article in which an Imam explains how we should deal with sinners [non-Muslim sinners to be more precise] in terms of loving them, and in the process he explains that we only hate the sin and not the sinner, so this may include an insight to the answer your looking for :):

Islam is a religion of mercy, tolerance and moderation. It teaches its followers to be moderate in all fields and walks of life, in aspects of worship, in dealing with others and in interaction with members of other faiths. Being extreme in one way or another would entail going against the pristine teachings of Allah Most High and His beloved Messenger (Allah bless him & give him peace).

...neither does Islam teach its followers to have hatred for fellow human beings even if they be from another faith. The reality is that Islam teaches moderation. It allows Muslims to have a good relationship with non-Muslims but to a certain limit.

...The beloved Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace), who was sent as a mercy for the whole of mankind, demonstrated such kindness, compassion, generosity and politeness towards non-Muslims that it is difficult to find similar examples in history.

When Makka al-Mukarrama was in the grip of famine, he personally went out to help his enemies who had made him leave his home town. At the conquest of Makka, all his enemies came under his power and control, yet he set them all free saying that not only are you being given amnesty today but rather you are also forgiven for what you have done in the past. When non-Muslim prisoners of war were presented before him, he treated them with such kindness and tenderness as one would treat his own children. His enemies inflicted upon him all sorts of injuries and pain but he never raised his hand in revenge neither did he wish ill for them, rather he would pray for their guidance. A delegation from the tribe of Banu Thaqifa (who had yet not accepted Islam) came to visit him, and was given the honour of staying in the Mosque of the Prophet, a place regarded by Muslims to be the most sacred of places. (See: Ma’arif al-Qur’an, 2/51)

Finally, one should always remember that our love, hate, respect and dislike relate to actions and not the person committing these actions. Thus, we dislike the act of disbelief (kufr) but we do not hate non-Muslims as they are also the creation of Allah, hence non-Muslims deserve the same rights as Muslims. May Allah Most High give us the ability to live a life that is in accordance with His and His beloved Messenger’s (Allah bless him & give him peace) pleasure, Ameen.

ref: http://daruliftaa.com/question.asp?t...nID=q-09004611

Hope that helps

Peace.
Reply

Abdul Fattah
04-20-2008, 02:30 PM
The reason why one should "Judge the sin, not the sinner". We cannot judge other people for the following reasons:

* We don't have the right (permission)
* We don't have the responsibility (it is not our job, nor is it expected from us)
* We don't have the power (to enforce judgment of a person in a correct manner, a judgment without enforcing is meaningless)
* We don't have the ability (to judge a person by pure standards, to weigh of the total of good and bad acts a person has done)
* We don't have the insight (we can't be certain about what the intention, background of a person was)

The reason why not to hate the sinner, and only the sin:
First of all; one shouldn't hate something/someone when it is not for the sake of Allah (subhana wa ta'ala). Secondly, we know that Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) hates sin, but he doesn't hate every person that has committed a sin (if not he would hate everybody). And since we cannot judge a person, we don't know who is hated by Allah (subhana wa ta'ala). In fact in many hadeeth the prophet (peace be upon him) told us about people that were considered sinners by society, but in the end will be forgiven by Allah (subhana wa ta'ala). So when you hate a sinner, it could be that you hate someone who is loved by Allah subhana wa ta'ala.

Ps: this is actually the same thing as you'll find in western law. As example, a person who is on trial for racism cannot be convicted for being a racist (he cannot be convicted merely on the basis that the jury indeed establishes that he holds racial views and opinions), but he can be convicted of committing racism or spreading racism. So he is on trial for his actions, not for who he is.
Reply

glo
04-20-2008, 08:08 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Abdul Fattah
The reason why not to hate the sinner, and only the sin:
First of all; one shouldn't hate something/someone when it is not for the sake of Allah (subhana wa ta'ala). Secondly, we know that Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) hates sin, but he doesn't hate every person that has committed a sin (if not he would hate everybody). And since we cannot judge a person, we don't know who is hated by Allah (subhana wa ta'ala). In fact in many hadeeth the prophet (peace be upon him) told us about people that were considered sinners by society, but in the end will be forgiven by Allah (subhana wa ta'ala). So when you hate a sinner, it could be that you hate someone who is loved by Allah subhana wa ta'ala.
That's a wonderful outlook, Abdul Fattah.
Thanks for sharing. :)
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barney
04-20-2008, 10:39 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by MustafaMc
Yes, I agree with you. A hadith that comes to my mind follows. A woman from Juhaynah came to Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) and she had become pregnant because of adultery. She said: Allah's Apostle, I have done something for which (prescribed punishment) must be imposed upon me, so impose that. Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) called her master and said: Treat her well, and when she gives birth bring her to me. He did accordingly. Then Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) pronounced judgment on her. Her clothes were tied around her and then he gave the order and she was stoned to death. He then prayed over her (dead body). Thereupon Umar said to him: Allah's Apostle, you offer prayer for her although she had committed adultery! Thereupon he said: She has made such a repentance that if it were to be divided among seventy men of Medina, it would be enough. Have you found any repentance better than that she sacrificed her life for Allah, the Majestic? (Muslim 792)
I had forgotten about that hadith. Thanks for the reminder. Amazing stuff.
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