Guidance regarding basic Islamic issues that Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, has given on various occasions in his written correspondence and during MTA programmes is being published officially below for everyone’s benefit.
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What is the Islamic principle for forgiving mistakes according to the Holy Quran?
Someone wrote to Hazrat Amirul Momineen, Khalifatul Masih Vaa, asking, “Should one forgive if an apology is asked for or not? Is it correct to take money to get someone a job? If a man commits adultery, raises his hand against a woman, does not respect her parents and taunts the woman, he has no sin and will be forgiven; but a woman must remain silent in every situation and say nothing, because she will go to Hell in any case due to her tongue? If a wife desires intimacy and the husband makes an excuse of being tired every time, there is no sin on the husband; but if the woman refuses, there is sin on her and the angels curse the woman but not the man? It seems as if the woman is bad in every respect and the man is right in every respect? I request guidance on this matter.”
“In his letter dated 5 September 2023, Huzoor-e-Anwaraa provided the following guidance on this matter:
“To forgive someone for their mistake is very pleasing to Allah the Exalted and His Messengersa and the Holy Quran and the Prophetic traditions are replete with this subject. However, the Holy Quran has attached only one condition to forgiveness: that the person being forgiven should reform themselves through this forgiveness. Accordingly, it is stated:
وَ جَزٰٓؤُا سَیِّئَۃٍ سَیِّئَۃٌ مِّثۡلُہَا ۚ فَمَنۡ عَفَا وَاَصۡلَحَ فَاَجۡرُہٗ عَلَی اللّٰہِ
“‘And the recompense of an injury is an injury the like thereof; but whoso forgives and [his act] brings about reformation, his reward is with Allah.’ (Surah ash-Shura, Ch.42: V.41)
“The Promised Messiahas, interpreting this verse, states:
“‘This verse shows that the Quran does not teach non-resistance to evil on all occasions, or that mischief makers and wrongdoers should never be punished. Its teaching is that one must consider whether the occasion calls for forgiveness or punishment and to adopt the course which would be best in the interests of both the offender and the public. Sometimes an offender turns away from wrongdoing in consequence of being forgiven and sometimes forgiveness incites him to further wrongdoing. Therefore, God Almighty directs that we should not develop the habit of forgiving blindly on all occasions, but should consider carefully whether forgiveness or punishment would be most appropriate and, therefore, a virtue, in each particular case and should adopt that course.’ (Islami Usul ki Falasafi, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 10, pp. 351-352)”
Is it permissible in Islam to charge a fee for finding someone a job?
“The answer to your second question is that to take money from someone illegitimately to get them a job is by no means correct; this falls under the category of bribery. However, if someone has made an effort with honesty to get another brother a job and in this effort some of his own expenses have been incurred, then there is no harm in recovering his amount in accordance with those expenses. Similarly, if someone’s business is that they arrange employment by charging a fee etc. in the name of administrative charges or commission and the person seeking employment is aware of all these matters beforehand and then, knowing all this, obtains employment through that person, then, since this is the other person’s business, there is no harm in receiving such fees etc.”
Does Islam differentiate between men and women in matters of sin and reward?
“Regarding your question about the difference between men and women, it is written that Islam has made no distinction between men and women in the matter of sin and reward. Accordingly, Allah the Exalted states:
مَنْ عَمِلَ سَيِّئَةً فَلَا يُجْزَى إِلَّا مِثْلَهَا وَمَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِنْ ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنْثَى وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُولَئِكَ يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ يُرْزَقُونَ فِيهَا بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ
“‘Whoso does evil will be requited only with the like of it; but whoso does good, whether male or female and is a believer — these will enter the Garden; they will be provided therein without measure.’ (Surah al-Mu’min, Ch.40: V.41)
“Therefore, your assertion is not correct that if a man commits a mistake, he is forgiven and if a woman commits a mistake, she is not forgiven. In the matter of reward and punishment, there is no difference between men and women. However, if a husband or wife commits an excess against their partner in this world and causes them unjustified suffering and for some reason they are not seized for it in this world, the party committing the excess will, in any case, be answerable before God the Exalted on the Day of Judgement.”
Does the hadith about angels cursing a wife who refuses intimacy apply to husbands, too?
“As for what you have written regarding the marital relations of husband and wife, mention of this has also come in a hadith that when a husband calls his wife to his bed and the wife refuses due to some grievance, the angels send curses upon her all night long. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab bad’i l-khalq, Bab dhikri l-mala’ikah). But remember that the application of this hadith is not only on the wife; rather, in the converse situation, this hadith will also apply to the husband.
“In reality, the meaning of this hadith is that the Holy Prophetsa has apparently admonished the wife for refusing without any valid excuse due to the husband’s impatience for sexual desire. Otherwise, just as it is incumbent upon the wife to fulfil the husband’s sexual need along with his other rights, similarly, it is also the husband’s duty to fulfil the wife’s sexual rights along with her other needs. Therefore, if a husband does not fulfil his wife’s sexual rights upon her desire without any compelling circumstances, he too will be liable to be seized by Allah the Exalted in the same way as a wife deserves the displeasure of Allah the Exalted in the case of refusing the fulfilment of her husband’s sexual need without any valid excuse.
“Accordingly, it is narrated from Hazrat Abu Musa al-Ash‘arira that once the wife of Hazrat Uthman bin Maz‘unra came to the wives of the Holy Prophetsa. Upon seeing her dishevelled state, the pure wives asked her what had happened to her, for there was no man among the Quraish wealthier than her husband. Upon this, she said, ‘We derive no benefit from that, for my husband’s day is spent in fasting and his night in praying.’ Then, when the Holy Prophetsa came to his wives, the pure wives mentioned this matter to the Holy Prophetsa. The narrator says that the Holy Prophetsa met Hazrat Uthman bin Maz‘unra and said to him [expressing displeasure], ‘Is my person not a model for you?’ At this, Hazrat Uthman bin Maz‘unra submitted, ‘May my father and mother be your ransom; what is the matter?’ The Holy Prophetsa said, ‘You spend the night praying and the day fasting, whereas your family also has a right upon you and your body also has a right upon you. Therefore, pray, but also sleep; and sometimes fast and sometimes leave it.’ The narrator says that after some time, the same woman came again to the pure wives; she had applied perfume liberally and was adorned like a bride. Seeing her, the pure wives expressed their joy and said, ‘What is the matter?’ Upon which she told them, ‘Now we too have available to us all that other people have.’ (Majma‘ az-Zawa’id, Kitab an-nikah, Bab haqqi l-mar’ati ‘ala z-zawj)
“Furthermore, with reference to the hadith under consideration mentioned above, this point should also be remembered: that in the case of refusing this act on the basis of a valid excuse or compulsion, neither party becomes the recipient of Allah the Exalted’s displeasure. As it comes in a hadith that when the Holy Prophetsa set out for the Battle of Tabuk, a Companion who had gone on a journey returned to Medina after the Holy Prophetsa had marched out for the battle. And when he advanced towards his wife to show affection, the wife pushed him back, saying, ‘Do you not feel ashamed that the Holy Prophetsa has gone out to fight the enemy in such heat and you are concerned with showing affection and coming to me?’ (Dibacha Tafsir-ul-Quran, 1948, pp. 343-344)
“Thus, if either party refuses due to some excuse or compulsion, they will not be deserving of any punishment. However, if a husband or wife comes close to the other party and, after inflaming their emotions, moves away from them with the intention of distressing them, then the one doing so will certainly be the recipient of the displeasure of Allah the Exalted.”
(Compiled by Zaheer Ahmad Khan, Head of Records Department, Private Secretariat, London and translated by Al Hakam)
