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Flame of Hope
03-19-2011, 08:58 PM
What do you think are the qualities of a righteous man? What about the qualities of a righteous woman?

I think some qualities would differ due to the differences in gender. But anyway, fire away your thoughts on this matter.
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Reflections
03-19-2011, 09:11 PM
AsSalaamu Aalaykum WarahmatAllah

Taqwa-for both.
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Flame of Hope
03-19-2011, 09:13 PM
I think for the righteous man, he is particular about how he treats his mother and prefers her to his wife. As for the righteous woman, she is particular about how she treats her husband.

Ummm. I could be wrong about this, so please correct me if it's incorrect.
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Ghazalah
03-19-2011, 09:34 PM
Man:
Generous
Understanding
Well spoken words

^(Personal view)

I'll get back to the woman qualities :D
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Ghazalah
03-19-2011, 09:34 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Flame
how he treats his mother and prefers her to his wife.
What do you mean by this?
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Flame of Hope
03-20-2011, 12:58 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by Ghazalah
What do you mean by this?
I had read a story about a sahabah who was on his death bed and was unable to say the shahadah. So the Prophet (saws) asked if he had a mother. It was later found that the dying man had given preference to his wife over his mother and had displeased her. So that was the reason why he couldn't say the shahadah. It was only after the mother forgave him that he was able to say the shahadah.

But if I'm wrong about this, please correct me.
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Ghazalah
03-20-2011, 03:11 PM
^Hmm... I think if the husband gives both parties their right then there would be no need for preference.
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tigerkhan
03-20-2011, 04:29 PM
ok i my mind i think the most imp things are
1. softness
2. caring
3. firmness/ decision maker / or u say had courage to stand in difficulties
4. simplicity and non proudy nature
5. kind heart and merciful

Plz dont think that my choice resembles with ladies......lol.
actually that i took from the life of our beloved Prophet PBUH bcz He is a model for us.
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Danah
03-20-2011, 04:49 PM
my view of righteousness for both genders:

1. Seeking the pleasure of Allah in every single action in home, work, mosque...and every place.

2. they should not think of religion as something applied in Masjid only or read in Quran

3. They should do what they say......(especially if they are giving advice to others)

4. They should always purify their intention and do good deeds seeking the pleasure of Allah not hearing good words from people.

5. Treat others as they would like to be treated
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Abdul-Raouf
03-20-2011, 05:07 PM
Both Should respect each other...also..

The man should obey/treat well his mother (if what she commands is islamically right) and the woman should obey her husband (if what he commands is islamically right)




- I remember reading the above in an islamic book... i forgot if the above is a hadith or not.
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Revert 2010
03-20-2011, 10:37 PM
Salaam, for me these things denote the qualities that reflect a righteous women:
1. Character/Deen
2. Patience
3. Being honest with themselves and who they are
4. Treating everybody they meet with dignity and respect

These are a few traits that I would associate with a righteous women.
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Woodrow
03-21-2011, 01:57 AM
:sl:

I think the same qualities would apply to both men and women. the only difference would be in the manner they apply them.

1. An understanding that none of us are righteous, we can only do our best to be so.

2, To always recognize it is Allaah(swt) alone who controls this Dunya

3. The ability to walk without fear, by being secure in knowing that things of this Dunya can not harm our soul unless we let them

4. Treat all of Allaah(swt)'s creation with kindness and mercy, striving to be just

5. Know that our rights end when they infringe upon the rights of another.

6. Live life with the knowledge that one day we will be required to justify all of our actions, inactions and thoughts.
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Ummu Sufyaan
03-21-2011, 02:03 AM
for both men and women, righteousness is having one's heart attached to Allah in the form of "shivering" upon hearing His verses, worrying about where your place will be in the aakhira, and constantly repenting. righteousness (in the scope that i am speaking of) is what good dwells in the heart.
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Sawdah
03-21-2011, 02:09 AM
:sl:

Allah SWT describes righteousness in surah al Baqarah:


2:177. It is not Al-Birr (piety, righteousness, and each and every act of obedience to Allah, etc.) that you turn your faces towards east and (or) west (in prayers); but Al-Birr is (the quality of) the one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, the Prophets and gives his wealth, in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, and to Al-Masakin (the poor), and to the wayfarer, and to those who ask, and to set slaves free, performs As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), and gives the Zakat, and who fulfill their covenant when they make it, and who are As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.) in extreme poverty and ailment (disease) and at the time of fighting (during the battles). Such are the people of the truth and they are Al-Muttaqun (pious - see V.2:2).
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PouringRain
03-21-2011, 03:18 AM
Flame, did you make this thread in response to the thread that Glo made? :p


I like this verse: "Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light...." (Psalm 37:3-6)

I like that last line, "He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light." Man's righteousness is shown by God, not by man's own doing. It is God who declares us righteous. It suggests humility as one quality of a righteous man. Other qualities in that verse are: trust in God, do good, feed on God's faithfulness, and commit your ways to God.

But these are more qualities of the righteous man: Merciful, humble, fear of God, keeps God's covenants and testimonies, obedient to God, walks in integrity, pure heart, giving, blesses God, seeks God, keeps his oaths at all costs, is wise and not hasty in making oaths, clean hands, speaks wisely, his words give life, they desire only good, hates lying, regards the life of animals, ponders his answers..... (This list in not exhaustive and comes from scripture throughout the Bible.)
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Flame of Hope
03-21-2011, 03:53 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by PouringRain
But these are more qualities of the righteous man: Merciful, humble, fear of God, keeps God's covenants and testimonies, obedient to God, walks in integrity, pure heart, giving, blesses God, seeks God, keeps his oaths at all costs, is wise and not hasty in making oaths, clean hands, speaks wisely, his words give life, they desire only good, hates lying, regards the life of animals, ponders his answers..... (This list in not exhaustive and comes from scripture throughout the Bible.)
Thanks PouringRain for your contribution. :) Righteousness is something that people of all faiths and religions recognize. It consists of many sterling, extraordinary qualities, doesn't it? I'm rather fascinated by the variety of answers given so far.

I'd like to add in two qualities to the list:

1. A righteous man never feels secure.

2. A righteous man never considers himself to be righteous. (somewhat a similar point given by Bro. Woodrow...that none of us are righteous, we can only strive to be so.)
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Muhammad Aseem
03-21-2011, 04:11 AM
Being righteous is not an absolute - this is a degree of measure.

There isn't anyone who isn't righteous at some level and at the same scale there isn't anyone who is perfectly righteous.
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Flame of Hope
03-21-2011, 06:22 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by Muhammad Aseem
Being righteous is not an absolute - this is a degree of measure.

There isn't anyone who isn't righteous at some level and at the same scale there isn't anyone who is perfectly righteous.
That's very interesting. Still, whatever the degree may be, righteousness can be recognized by its various qualities given to it.

Righteousness makes me think of the word "right". So it brings to mind a man who is upright, straight and who walks on the Right Path, doing what's right and avoiding what's not right.
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PouringRain
03-21-2011, 12:26 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Muhammad Aseem
Being righteous is not an absolute - this is a degree of measure.

There isn't anyone who isn't righteous at some level and at the same scale there isn't anyone who is perfectly righteous.
I would agree with this for the most part. Christians consider only two to be perfect in their righteousness: God and Jesus (who is believed to be the only man who was sinless). I know Islam considers all the prophets to be sinless. Would you say that it also considers them all to be perfect in righteousness?

In accordance with your words, the Bible also says there is none righteous, yet it calls many righteous (refers to them as such). The statements only seem contradictory if examined as two discrete categories. But they are really the way you describe. This is seen also when Jesus says that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and pharisees then we will not enter the kingdom of heaven. (The scribes and pharisees were counted among the most righteous of that day, but Jesus also liked to point out their hypocrisy.)
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Flame of Hope
03-21-2011, 04:07 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Muhammad Aseem
Being righteous is not an absolute - this is a degree of measure.

There isn't anyone who isn't righteous at some level and at the same scale there isn't anyone who is perfectly righteous.
I've been thinking about this. I don't think I quite agree.

Righteousness is an absolute thing. There are just varying degrees to it.

Other people can observe the quality of righteousness in you but one may not observe it within himself. In other words, we can call others righteous, but not ourselves. Don't we describe the sahabah and scholars as being righteous?

I don't think one can say that being righteous is a degree of measure and then state that sometimes one is NOT righteous:
There isn't anyone who isn't righteous at some level
As human beings we of course make mistakes, but that doesn't mean that we cease to be righteous because of it.

A righteous man is he who makes mistakes but is quick to repent. A hadith clearly states this principle. It goes somewhat along the lines of, "All the children of Adam make mistakes and the best of you who make mistakes are those who repent."

One of the qualities that I had put forward to describe a righteous man was that he never feels secure. Perhaps brother Muhammad Aseem objects to the use of the word "never" because one sometimes does slip and fall into the trap of feeling secure. However, I am pointing out the qualities of righteousness. A righteous man NEVER feels secure because if he were to do so, he would cease to strive and in ceasing to strive, he would lose his righteousness. The same thing can be said with the second quality I had stated. A righteous man NEVER thinks of himself as righteous. Because if at any point he begins to believe that he is righteous, he becomes proud. And thus, he would lose the quality of righteousness.
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Flame of Hope
03-21-2011, 04:15 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by PouringRain
I know Islam considers all the prophets to be sinless.
I don't think this is true. On the contrary, we have been informed by the Prophet (saws) that all the children of Adam make mistakes. I guess I'll have to look up that hadith.
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Ramadhan
03-21-2011, 05:05 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by
I don't think this is true. On the contrary, we have been informed by the Prophet (saws) that all the children of Adam make mistakes. I guess I'll have to look up that hadith.
There is a big difference between mistakes and sins.

Do Prophets sin? Do they need forgiveness?

Question:
I have been told by someone claiming to be a Muslim that all God's prophets, including Mohammed, were without sin, (perfect), never requiring forgiveness. Is this a view held officially by Islam as a whole?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

We thank you for sending this question in an effort to find the right answer instead of merely accepting what you have heard from someone who claims to be a Muslim.

“The ummah (Muslim nation) is agreed that the Messengers are infallible in carrying out their mission – they do not forget anything that Allaah has revealed to them except with regard to matters that have been abrogated. They are also infallible in conveying the Message – they do not conceal anything that Allaah has revealed to them, for that would be a betrayal and it is impossible to imagine that they could do such a thing. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘O Messenger! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to you from your Lord. And if you do not ,then you have not conveyed His Message…’ [al-Maa’idah 5:67]. If anything is concealed or changed, then the punishment of Allaah will befall the one who is guilty of doing these things, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘And if he [Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] had forged a false saying concerning Us [Allaah], We surely would have seized him by his right hand (or with power and might), and then certainly should have cut off his life artery (aorta).’ [al-Haqqah 69:44-46]. One aspect of infallibility is that they (the Prophets) do not forget anything of that which Allaah has revealed to them, and thus no part of the revelation is lost.”

[Al-rusul wa’l-risaalaat (The Messengers and their missions), ‘Omar al-Ashqar, p. 97]

‘Omar al-Ashqar also said (op. cit., p.102): “The Prophets and Messengers may also strive to find the right judgement in the situations with which they are faced, and they judge according to what they themselves see and hear – they do not have knowledge of the Unseen. They may make an incorrect judgement, as happened to the Prophet of Allaah Dawood (David), who failed to do so, and Allaah helped his son Sulaymaan (Solomon) to come up with the right answer in that particular case. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: ‘There were two women, each of whom had a son. A wolf came and carried off the son of one of them, who said to the other, “The wolf has taken your son.” The other said, “No, he took your son.” They came to Dawood to ask him to judge between them, and he ruled in favour of the older woman. Then they went to Sulaymaan the son of Dawood and told him what had happened. He said, “Bring a knife and divide the child between them.” The younger woman said, “Do not do that, may Allaah have mercy on you! He is her son.” So Sulaymaan ruled in favour of the younger woman.’ (Reported by al-Bukhaari).

“The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained this story: Umm Salamah, the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) narrated that he heard a dispute going on at the door of his apartment, so he went out and told them: ‘I am no more than a human being. Disputing parties may come to me, and one of you may be more eloquent and persuasive than the other, so I may think that he is telling the truth and rule in favour of him. Whoever has a judgement in favour of him to the detriment of a fellow-Muslim’s rights, this is a piece of the Fire – let him take it or leave it.’

When it comes to the idea of the Prophets committing major sins (kabaa’ir), Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said (in al-Fataawaa, 4/319): “…The belief that the Prophets are free of major sins, but not of minor sins, is the opinion of the majority of Islamic scholars and of all (Muslim) groups… It is the opinion of most mufassireen (commentators on the Qur’an), scholars of hadeeth and fuqaha’ (jurists).”

With regard to whether it is possible for the Prophets to commit minor sins, in Lawaami’ al-Anwaar al-Bahiyyah (2/214), al-Safaareeni quoted from Ibn Hamdaan who said in Nihaayat al-Mubtadi’een: “They are infallible in conveying the commands and message of Allaah, but they are not infallible in any other regard. They may make mistakes, forget things, or commit minor sins – according to the most well-known opinion (of the scholars) – but they will not be approved for these mistakes.”

The majority of scholars take the following as evidence to support their claim that the Prophets are not free from minor sins:

1.
Adam’s sin in eating from the tree from which Allaah had forbidden him to eat. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And (remember) when We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate yourselves to Adam.’ They prostrated (all) except Iblees (Satan), who refused. Then We said, ‘O Adam! Verily, this is an enemy to you and to your wife. So let him not get you both out of Paradise, so that you be distressed in misery. Verily, you have (a promise from Us) that you will never be hungry therein nor naked. And you (will) suffer not from thirst therein nor from the sun’s heat. Then Shaytaan whispered to him, saying: ‘O Adam! Shall I lead you to the Tree of Eternity and to a kingdom that shall never waste away?’ Then they both ate of the tree, and so their private parts appeared to them, and they began to stick on themselves leaves from Paradise for their covering. Thus did Adam disobey his Lord, so he went astray.” [Ta-Ha 20:116-121]

2.
When Nooh prayed for his kaafir son, Allaah rebuked him for doing so, and taught him that this person was not a member of his family, and that this prayer was not a righteous deed on his part. So Nooh sought forgiveness from his Lord, repented and returned to Allaah: “Nooh said: ‘O my Lord! I seek refuge with You from asking You that of which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have Mercy on me, I would indeed be one of the losers.’” [Hood 11:47 – interpretation of the meaning].

3.

When Dawood realized that he had been too quick to judge, without listening to what the second disputant had to say, he hastened to repent: “… and he sought Forgiveness of his Lord, and he fell down prostrate and turned (to Allaah) in repentance.” [Saad 38:24 – interpretation of the meaning].

Everyone, even the Prophets, is in need of the forgiveness of Allaah. Allaah has blessed His Prophets by forgiving their sins, and He has blessed our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as He said (interpretation of the meaning): “That Allaah may forgive you your sins of the past and the future, and complete His favour upon you, and guide you on the Straight Path.” [al-Fath 48:2]

4.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said, in al-Fataawaa 10/296, “Concerning the issue of forgiveness of the Prophets’ sins: Allaah, may He be exalted, does not speak of any Prophet in the Qur’aan, except He also mentions repentance and seeking forgiveness. For example, Adam and his wife said: ‘Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers.” [al-A’raaf 7:23 – interpretation of the meaning]. Nooh said: “O my Lord! I seek refuge with You from asking You that of which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have Mercy on me, I would indeed be one of the losers.’” [Hood 11:47 – interpretation of the meaning]. Ibraaheem said: “Our Lord! Forgive me and my parents, and (all) the Believers on the Day when the reckoning will be established.” [Ibraaheem 14:41 – interpretation of the meaning] and “… You are our wali (Protector), so forgive us and have Mercy on us, for You are the Best of those who forgive. And ordain for us good in this world, and in the Hereafter. Certainly we have turned unto You…” [al-A’raaf 7:155-156 – interpretation of the meaning]. Moosa said: ‘…You are our wali (Protector), so forgive us and have Mercy on us, for You are the Best of those who forgive.’ [al-A’raaf 7:155 – interpretation of the meaning]. Then he [Ibn Taymiyah, may Allaah have mercy on him] gave further examples, but what we have mentioned here is sufficient. And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
http://islamqa.com/index.php?ref=1684&ln=eng

Did the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commit sin?

Question:
My question is about the Prophet( ). Some muslims believe that he was sinless while others say he was not. I personally dont think he was sinless cause he was just a human. Can u tell me which is true using Quran or Hadith, please? Thank you very much. Allahu Akbar

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly: the use of the word “sin” in the question is a grave mistake, because sin (khatee’ah, pl. khataayaa) is impossible in the case of the Messengers. It is more correct to say mistakes, because a mistake may be made unintentionally, which is not the case with sins.

Secondly: with regard to sins, the Messengers, including Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), never committed any sin intentionally as an act of disobedience towards Allaah after receiving their Mission (risaalah). This is according to the consensus of the Muslims. They were protected from major sins (kabaa’ir) but not from minor sins (saghaa’ir).

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

The view that the Prophets were protected from major sins (kabaa’ir) but not from minor sins (saghaa’ir) is the view of the majority of the scholars of Islam and all the sects… It is also the view of the majority of the scholars of tafseer and hadeeth, and of the fuqahaa’. Nothing was reported from any of the Salaf, Imaams, Sahaabah, Taabi’een or the successive generation that does not agree with this view.

(Majmaa’ al-Fataawaa, 4/319).

This question was posed to the Standing Committee on this topic:

Question:

Some people, including the heretics, say that the Prophets and Messengers could make mistakes, i.e., they could make mistakes like all other people. They say that the first mistake ever made was when the son of Adam, Qaabeel, killed Haabeel… and when the two angels came to Dawood, he listened to the first and did not listen to what the second had to say… and the story of Yoonus when the big fish swallowed him; and the story of the Messenger with Zayd ibn Haarithah, they say that he concealed something which he should have declared openly; and with his Sahaabah, he told them, “You know better about your worldly affairs,” and they say that this is because he made a mistake in this regard; and what happened with the blind man, which is referred to in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning), “(The Prophet) frowned and turned away, because there came to him the blind man…” [‘Abasa 80:1-2]. Could the Prophets and Messengers really make mistakes? How can we respond to these sinners [who say these things]?

Answer:

Yes, the Prophets and Messengers made mistakes, but Allaah did not approve of their mistakes; rather, He pointed out their mistakes as a Mercy to them and their ummahs, and He forgave their mistakes and accepted their repentance as a Grace and Mercy, for Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. This will be clear to anyone who checks out the aayaat of the Qur’aan in which the matters raised in the question are discussed… With regard to the sons of Aadam, even though they were not Prophets… Allaah explained how evil was the deed which he did to his brother…

(Fataawaa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, no. 6290, 3/194).

Thirdly: before they were given their Mission (risaalah), the scholars have said that it is possible that they may have committed some minor sins, but they were protected from committing major sins such as zinaa, drinking wine, etc.

But after they received their Mission, the correct view is that they may have committed some minor mistakes but this was not approved of and they were rebuked.

Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] said:

Most of the reports from the majority of scholars state that they were not infallible with regard to minor mistakes, but they were not allowed to persist in them; they do not say that this could never happen at all. The first suggestion that they were completely infallible came from the Raafidis, who say that they are so infallible that they could never make any mistake even by way of forgetfulness and misunderstanding.

(Majmoo’ al-Fataawaa, 4/320).

They are infallible with regard to conveying the Message from Allaah, may He be exalted.

Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

The aayaat which indicate the Prophethood of the Prophets also indicate that they are infallible with regard to the conveying of the Message from Allaah; so what they say can only be true. This is the meaning of Prophethood, which implies that Allaah tells the Prophet something of the Unseen and he tells it to the people. And the Messenger is commanded to call the people to Allaah and to convey the message of his Lord.

(Majmoo’ al-Fataawaa, 18/7)

Fourthly: mistakes which are committed unintentionally are of two types:

With regard to worldly matters: this happened to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). With regard to agriculture, medicine, carpentry, etc., he was like all other people. Allaah did not tell us that he was sent to us as a businessman or a farmer or a carpenter or a doctor. His mistakes in these fields are quite natural and do not impact on his Message at all.

It was reported that Raafi’ ibn Khudayj said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to Madeenah, and they were pollinating the date-palms. He said, “What are you doing?” They said, “We always used to pollinate them.” He said, “Perhaps if you do not do that, it will be better.” So they did not do it, and the harvest was lacking. They mentioned that to him, and he said, “I am only a human being like you. If I tell you to do something with regard to religion, then follow it, but if I tell you to do something based on my own opinion, I am only a human being.” (narrated by Muslim, 2361).

We note that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made a mistake in this worldly matter, because he was like all other human beings, but with regard to matters of religion he did not make mistakes.

With regard to unintentional mistakes concerning matters of religion:

The most correct view among the scholars is that the way this happened with regard to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is that he might do something which is OK but it was not the more appropriate choice.

He was sometimes faced with issues concerning which there was no shar’i text on which he could base his decision, so he sought to make ijtihaad based on his own opinion, just as any Muslim scholar may make ijtihaad, and if he makes the right decision, he will be given two rewards, and if he makes the wrong decision, he will still be given one reward. This is what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If the judge makes ijtihaad and gets it right, he will have two rewards, and if he makes ijtihaad and gets it wrong, he will have one reward.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6919; Muslim, 1716, from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah).

This also happened to him concerning the prisoners of Badr.

Anas said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) consulted the people concerning the prisoners who had been captured on the day of Badr. He said, “Allaah has given you power over them.” ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab stood up and said, “O Messenger of Allaah, strike their necks [execute them]!” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) turned away from him. Then the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came back and said, “O people, Allaah has given you power over them and they were your brothers.” ‘Umar stood up and said, “O Messenger of Allaah, strike their necks [execute them]!” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) turned away from him. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came back and said something similar to the people. Abu Bakr stood up and said, “O Messenger of Allaah, why don’t you forgive them and accept payment of ransom from them?” The worried expression left the face of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and he forgave them and accepted their payment of ransom. Then Allaah revealed the words (interpretation of the meaning):

“It is not for a Prophet that he should have prisoners of war (and free them with ransom) until he had made a great slaughter (among his enemies) in the land. You desire the good of this world (i.e. the money of ransom for freeing the captives), but Allaah desires (for you) the Hereafter. And Allaah is All-Mighty, All-Wise” [al-Anfaal 8:67]

Narrated by Ahmad (13143).

We may note that in this case, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not have any clear text so he made ijtihaad and consulted his companions, and he made a mistake in deciding what was the best thing to do.

Cases like this are few in the Sunnah. We have to believe that the Messengers and Prophets are infallible, and we know that they did not disobey Allaah. We should also beware of the words of those who want to cast aspersions on his conveying of the Message by referring to the fact that he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) made some mistakes with regard to earthly matters. There is a huge difference between the former and the latter. We should also beware of those misguided people who say that some of the rulings of sharee’ah which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us about are his own personal ijtihaad which could be right or wrong. What would these misguided people say in response to the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): “Nor does he speak of his own desire. It is only an Inspiration that is inspired” [al-Najm 53:3]? We ask Allaah to protect us from confusion and misguidance, And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
http://islamqa.com/index.php?ref=7208&ln=eng
Reply

Flame of Hope
03-21-2011, 05:25 PM
I found the hadith I was looking for. Alhamdulillah!

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Every son of Adam makes mistakes, and the best of those who make mistakes are those who repent.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, no. 2499, and by Ibn Maajah, who narrated this version – al-Sunan, ed. by ‘Abd al-Baqi, no. 4251)
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Flame of Hope
03-21-2011, 08:25 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by PouringRain
God and Jesus (who is believed to be the only man who was sinless). I know Islam considers all the prophets to be sinless. Would you say that it also considers them all to be perfect in righteousness?
Dear PouringRain, you have raised a very interesting question. Perfection in righteousness you ask. The way I see it, there is only ONE who is perfect in righteousness. And that's God. Righteousness in the absolute is a term that can be applicable only to God. All good qualities and attributes in the absolute degree belong to God.

However, there is one absolute quality which belongs to God alone which man can never come near to. That quality is pride. God is known as Al Mutakabbir, The Most Proud. He is the only one who has the right to be proud since all power and dominion belongs to Him alone.

Any man or creature who dares to compete with God regarding this quality will find himself promptly hurled into Hell. Let's recall the sin of Iblis or Satan. It's said that he was a very pious and devoted worshipper of God. But all his deeds of worship, no matter how vast and numerous they were didn't help Iblis one bit when he became proud and refused to obey God's command to bow down before Adam. All his deeds of piety and righteousness were in vain. Iblis fell because of pride. And so will man if he follows the example of Iblis.

God created Adam peace be upon him from clay. And the children of Adam were created from a sperm drop, from a despised fluid. Then God causes man to grow in strength and then causes him to die and return to dust. Such is man, a being who is completely dependent on God for his every need. A being who is lost unless he is guided. A being who is born ignorant, imperfect and who makes mistakes. A being to whom belongs nothing, not even his own deeds, for to God belong all things in heaven and earth.

I thought it was necessary to talk about the true status of human beings with relation to God in order to bring home the point that the only fitting quality that a human being can have before God is that of utter humility.

The virtue of humility is what all the prophets and messengers of God had. They were the most righteous of all people because they recognized their true worth before God and they accepted the fact that were prone to making mistakes and falling into error. They also recognized that they needed to constantly ask God for guidance and were foremost of all people in repentance.

Regarding Jesus, peace be upon him. There's no doubt in the least that he was humble. He knew very well his true position before God and he knew that the possibility of making mistakes was always there. Jesus peace be upon him, never felt secure from the plan of God. Even if he did not commit any sin, he recognized the need to constantly ask God for forgiveness and he would pray to God with fear in his heart, knowing very well what the outcome would be if he proved false to his mission of delivering God's message to the people he was sent to. All the prophets and messengers feared God greatly. This fear increased in them their humility and repentance.

In conclusion then, humility is at the core of righteousness. And a humble man is always repenting and asking God for forgiveness because he knows he is human and makes mistakes and even if he has come to a point where he makes no mistakes, he knows that the possibility of slipping and falling into error would only disappear when he dies.
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Alpha Dude
03-21-2011, 09:46 PM
Righteous would be that person who sins little, has a lot of taqwa/God consciousness and does many virtuous deeds.
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PouringRain
03-21-2011, 10:54 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Flame
In conclusion then, humility is at the core of righteousness. And a humble man is always repenting and asking God for forgiveness because he knows he is human and makes mistakes and even if he has come to a point where he makes no mistakes, he knows that the possibility of slipping and falling into error would only disappear when he dies.
Thanks for sharing your opinion.

I agree with this. Humility was the first quality I listed in my first post in this thread.
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Flame of Hope
03-22-2011, 01:55 AM
Another very distinguished quality in a righteous man: he uses his God-given gift of reason to know what's true and what's false. He holds on to the truth and he rejects all that which is false. A righteous man couldn't do what was right unless he used his intelligence to know what was right. Right? ;D
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Ummu Sufyaan
03-24-2011, 07:14 AM
to be honest, i wont reply to what you just asked for the simple reason that i cant guarantee that i wont be labeled as paranoid or irrational (like its happened here before). so i'll leave it out.


EDIT: actually, no i wont. some people here seem to find it a light matter and a means of mockery at the Prophets, peace be upon them.

Reasons why i believe there are people on this thread who are mocking the Prophets:

1) It was a clever way to cast doubt on the Prophets by acknowledging that the Prophets were sinless, but then using the arguments of righteousness in rhetoric. why why the issue of sins of the Prophets in a thread about righteousness was bought up is beyond me.
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Flame of Hope
03-24-2011, 05:02 PM
Do you challenge the saying of Prophet Muhammad (saws), sister Ummu Sufyaan? Do you doubt this hadith...?

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Every son of Adam makes mistakes, and the best of those who make mistakes are those who repent.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, no. 2499, and by Ibn Maajah, who narrated this version – al-Sunan, ed. by ‘Abd al-Baqi, no. 4251).

If every son of Adam makes mistakes, then the prophets and messengers too made mistakes and could make mistakes because they are the sons of Adam. But they are the best among the children of Adam because they were the foremost in seeking God's forgiveness. And in that is a big lesson to all of us. If we want to follow the prophets, we too must follow their example and be foremost in repenting. And it is this quality of being repentant that marks the peak of a man of true righteousness.
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S.Belle
03-24-2011, 05:21 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Flame
What do you think are the qualities of a righteous man? What about the qualities of a righteous woman?

I think some qualities would differ due to the differences in gender. But anyway, fire away your thoughts on this matter.
why would the qualities differ?
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Flame of Hope
03-24-2011, 08:27 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by S.Belle
why would the qualities differ?
The differences arise due to differences in their duties.

Isn't the righteous wife one who is obedient to her husband? This quality is so much emphasized in Islam that a hadith states that a woman can enter Jannah from whichever gate she wishes if her husband is pleased with her.

A righteous husband provides for his wife and looks after her, whereas the same thing is not expected from the wife. He would not be a righteous man if he were to sit at home and expect his wife to go out and work to provide for the family.

There are also differences in the way men and women worship. Men are obligated to pray in congregation in the masjid whereas women do not have this obligation and it's considered better for them to pray in their homes.
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Hamza Asadullah
03-24-2011, 09:24 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Flame
Do you challenge the saying of Prophet Muhammad (saws), sister Ummu Sufyaan? Do you doubt this hadith...?

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Every son of Adam makes mistakes, and the best of those who make mistakes are those who repent.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, no. 2499, and by Ibn Maajah, who narrated this version – al-Sunan, ed. by ‘Abd al-Baqi, no. 4251).

If every son of Adam makes mistakes, then the prophets and messengers too made mistakes and could make mistakes because they are the sons of Adam. But they are the best among the children of Adam because they were the foremost in seeking God's forgiveness. And in that is a big lesson to all of us. If we want to follow the prophets, we too must follow their example and be foremost in repenting. And it is this quality of being repentant that marks the peak of a man of true righteousness.
Asalaamu Alaikum, i do not want to steer the thread in another direction but just wanted to clarify the Islamic position with regards to the Prophets and sin. According to Sheikh Mufti Ebrahim Desai:

All the scholars, of Ilmul Kalaam (experts in the field of Aqaaid and
beliefs) are unanimous that every prophet was free from Shirk (ascribing
partnership with Allah), Kufr (disbelief) and sins. (Shahul Aqaaid)

Allah Ta'ala has mentioned incidents of some prophets who were rebuked by
Allah for making decisions that were not contextually appropriate (judgment
by error). That is not a sin. However, due to their lofty status in the
sight of Allah Ta'ala, they were rebuked. An example of that is Rasulullah
(Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) granting freedom to the captives of the battle
of Badr. Allah Ta'ala rebuked Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) for
that. Granting freedom to captives was not a sin but an error in judgment.

and Allah Ta'ala Knows Best
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Ummu Sufyaan
03-25-2011, 12:26 AM
Do you challenge the saying of Prophet Muhammad (saws), sister Ummu Sufyaan? Do you doubt this hadith...?

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Every son of Adam makes mistakes, and the best of those who make mistakes are those who repent.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, no. 2499, and by Ibn Maajah, who narrated this version – al-Sunan, ed. by ‘Abd al-Baqi, no. 4251).

If every son of Adam makes mistakes, then the prophets and messengers too made mistakes and could make mistakes because they are the sons of Adam. But they are the best among the children of Adam because they were the foremost in seeking God's forgiveness. And in that is a big lesson to all of us. If we want to follow the prophets, we too must follow their example and be foremost in repenting. And it is this quality of being repentant that marks the peak of a man of true righteousness.
did i say i did, did i?
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PouringRain
03-25-2011, 12:40 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by Ummu Sufyaan

Reasons why i believe there are people on this thread who are mocking the Prophets:

1) It was a clever way to cast doubt on the Prophets by acknowledging that the Prophets were sinless, but then using the arguments of righteousness in rhetoric. why why the issue of sins of the Prophets in a thread about righteousness was bought up is beyond me.

Ummu Sufyaan, if I was one of the people you felt was casting "doubt" on the prophets, then I apologize as that was not my intention.

I wanted to explain to you why I asked about it to begin with. In Islam the prophets are viewed as sinless, but in Christianity only Jesus is viewed as sinless (not the prophets). For me as a Christian, I do not feel as though the message of the prophets is in any way compromised or lessened by this belief. (But that is another topic that I won't go off on.)

My question was, that if we consider righteousness as a continuum, rather than as discrete categories, than I wondered in Islam if they would be viewed at a similar level of righteousness that Christians view Jesus. My intention was not to disparage the prophets by asking this. I do not feel any disparagement towards them in my belief that they were not sinless. I would agree that all of them would be called righteous, and display qualities of righteous men.

So, if I was one of the offenders, then I do sincerely apologize, as it was not at all my intention to cast a negative light upon the prophets.

If anyone wants to further share their thoughts on my question, I would more than appreciate a PM, so as not to disrupt the thread anymore, nor to have anyone put any potentially negative words about the prophets in here.
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Ummu Sufyaan
03-25-2011, 01:11 AM
^no worries then :)
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Flame of Hope
03-25-2011, 05:45 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by PouringRain
In Islam the prophets are viewed as sinless, but in Christianity only Jesus is viewed as sinless (not the prophets). For me as a Christian, I do not feel as though the message of the prophets is in any way compromised or lessened by this belief. (But that is another topic that I won't go off on.)
I know very well that in Christianity only Jesus is viewed as sinless. I believe there are certain denominations in Christianity that believe that Jesus was God because of this reason. The logic goes that if Jesus was the only one who was sinless, it meant that he was perfect. And only God could be perfect. So Jesus must be God.

It was for this reason that I had quoted the hadith of the Prophet (saws). Here it is again:

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Every son of Adam makes mistakes, and the best of those who make mistakes are those who repent.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, no. 2499, and by Ibn Maajah, who narrated this version – al-Sunan, ed. by ‘Abd al-Baqi, no. 4251).

This was to prove that though Jesus was sinless, it didn't mean that he was perfect or that he was God.
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YieldedOne
03-26-2011, 01:10 PM
What are the qualities of a righteous person? Unbounded Love, Joy, and Peace of a life surrendered to God.

I cannot see an UNrighteous person expressing these virtues in their spheres of influence.

It is the "light that shines in the darkness" of within hearts and within our world.

If there is light in the soul, there will be beauty in the person.
If there is beauty in the person, there will be harmony in the house.
If there is harmony in the house, there will be order in the nation.
If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.
--Chinese Proverb
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