Deal with it... Know its nature
It is difficult, perhaps impossible, to evaluate any person by words, phrases, or prayers that come from their tongue and are heard from them, nor even by looking at their prayer, fasting, or recitation of the Quran, even though all of these are required and obligatory toward their Creator, glorified and exalted. Nor can one judge them by their appearance and attire in various diwaniyas and gatherings; all of these are merely outward manifestations that do not reveal the true nature of the person before you, nor can they be relied upon as indicators of a person’s integrity, piety, conduct, or ethics. The primary basis for judging any individual is their behavior and treatment of others, whether positive or negative.
Religion is about conduct, as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, who spoke neither from whim nor desire, but only from divine revelation. Or as he (peace be upon him) said, and as the popular saying goes: “People are tested, not merely observed.” This means that many people may impress you with their neatness, grooming, and speech, which never strays from truthfulness, honesty, and love for people, especially the poor. They may speak to you about their prayer, charity, and their role as advisors and trusted figures, sporting a beard, short shirt, and prayer beads—all the outward trappings of piety and righteousness. Yet behind the scenes, their reality is different: they steal others’ money, lie about people, harbor hatred toward the poor, and display arrogance toward those around them, feeling superior and believing themselves better than others, while in the eyes of those who truly know them, they are worth less than a mosquito’s wing.
We read in newspapers about cases of embezzlement of public funds, disputes among brothers and relatives over one of them stealing their inheritance, manipulation of official financial and real estate documents, and court cases. When you go to identify the “hero” behind all this, you discover that it is the very person who talks to you about honesty, truthfulness, prayer, and calling for virtue and piety, with a heart supposedly pure and bright.
The rope of deceiving people is short. Prayer, fasting, and charity are obligations from the Creator to the creature, with punishment for neglecting them. However, honesty and truthfulness with people, a sense of the forbidden and avoidance of it, adherence to the permissible, humility, and striving to meet the needs of those in need are the keys that allow a person to enter the hearts of those around them. Without these, there is no trust in them, and they have no place in society. The liar, the defrauder, and those who consume people’s wealth have nothing but a darkened face in this world and on the Day of Judgment, “a Day when neither wealth nor sons will avail, except for one who comes to Allah with a sound heart.”
In Japan, to encourage farmers’ role in supplying fruits and vegetables in markets and to increase production, thereby lowering prices, government market authorities place farmers’ photos on the boxes of their products in markets. This serves to encourage them to increase production and to urge others to follow their example.
When will we see photos of real farmers on the boxes of their produce in our markets and cooperatives? It is a dream I do not think will come true. Long may you live.
Yousef Al-Shahab
