Quote Interpretation: And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

[Beardo]

“One thing I have come to see is that one is well served by a degree of both humility and charity when judging the inner workings of another person’s heart.” (pg. 89) from "And the Mountains Echoed" by Khaled Hosseini.

He's an amazing author. Anyway, what does this quote mean to you? How would you interpret it? For me, I thought it meant something along the lines of taking other people's feelings into consideration.

 

[Aprender]

I'm not on that page yet. I'll get back to you when I reach that chapter and look deeper into the context of it. I purchased the book a few days after it came out in the U.S. and I haven't had the time to read past the first chapter yet.

 

[Alpha Dude]

From what I guess: having humility when judging another person's heart implies not being arrogant and assuming that their behaviour/words are wrong/bad by default and the charity bit implies making excuses for anything we assume wrong.

 

[Muhammad]

:salamext:

Sounds like an interesting book.

“One thing I have come to see is that one is well served by a degree of both humility and charity when judging the inner workings of another person’s heart.”

I think it could mean not making assumptions about other people's hearts, giving the benefit of the doubt, making excuses, judging them with good thoughts, kindness and forgiveness. This attitude will benefit the one who carries it, as well as the person it is directed towards. And it resonates with Islamic teachings in this regard.

It is interesting that the word 'charity' is used in this context. In Islam, it is not spending money alone that counts as charity:

Abu Dharr narrated that the Messenger of Allah :saws: said:
"Your smiling in the face of your brother is charity, commanding good and forbidding evil is charity, your giving directions to a man lost in the land is charity for you. Your seeing for a man with bad sight is a charity for you, your removal of a rock, a thorn or a bone from the road is charity for you. Your pouring what remains from your bucket into the bucket of your brother is charity for you."
[At-Tirmidhi, Vol. 4, Book 1, Hadith 1956]

Abu Hurairah, radiyallahu 'anhu, reported that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, said:
"On every person's joints or small bones (i.e. fingers and toes), there is sadaqah (charity) every day the sun rises. Doing justice between two people is sadaqah; assisting a man to mount his animal, or lifting up his belongings onto it is sadaqah; a good word is sadaqah; every step you take towards prayer is sadaqah; and removing harmful things from pathways is sadaqah."
[Al-Bukhari & Muslim]