Think Good of People but Don’t Be Cheated

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ

‘Yā ‘Ayyuhā Al-Ladhīna ‘Āmanū Ajtanibū Kathīrāan Mina Až-Žanni ‘Inna Ba`đa Až-Žanni ‘Ithmun’

(Qur’ān 49:12)

‘O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin.’ Ṣadaqa Llāhu l-‘Aẓīm.

Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla says to stay away from su’ zann (bad presumptions). Su’ zann means thinking bad of others; it occupies a person’s mind, they misunderstand things. When they think badly, they see good as bad. Therefore, Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla says to stay away from that. All of Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla’s commands are for our good, for our goodness in this world and the hereafter.

A person should not think ill of their brother. They should not think ill of their ṭarīqah brothers. Allāh ﷻ protects those whose intentions are pure. Of course, since many people now don’t know what is ḥalāl and ḥarām, so they sometimes do things wrong, often trying to deceive innocent people. So, when we say don’t have bad presumptions, we mean don’t be like that either.

Our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam said, “لستُ بالخِبِّ ولا الخِبُّ يخدعني,” “Lastu bil-khubbi wala l-khubbu yakhda’uni,” “I am not a swindler nor does a swindler deceive me.” He ﷺ also says, “لاَ يُلْدَغُ الْمُؤْمِنُ مِنْ جُحْرٍ مَرَّتَيْنِ ‏”, “Lā yuldaghu l-mu’minu min juḥrin wāḥidin marratayn”, “The believer should not be stung from the same hole twice.”

Firstly, our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam said, “I am not a deceiver, and no one can deceive me.” Secondly, “A believer should not be bitten twice from the same hole.” The hole he ﷺ refers to is the hole of a snake. Once you’ve passed through that path, once it has harmed you, you should be careful. So, don’t insist on going; saying, “I think positively, I’m don’t have bad presumptions. This happened once, it won’t happen a second time,” and then strive sticking your foot and hand in again.

Be vigilant! As our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam said, don’t make su’ zann, but if someone comes to you trying to deceive you, say to them, “That’s not right. Brother, goodbye. Don’t lead me into sin. Don’t make me think badly. What you’re saying doesn’t suit me. Shukr to Allāh ﷻ, with the barakah of our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam, I have chosen the right way. I am with good people. I conduct business well, that’s how I do things.” Then you can act accordingly.

If you’re going to buy something, it’s not about having bad assumptions, it’s about whether it suits you or not. The person there has offered you something or suggested something. If it suits you, fine. If not, it’s also fine. He says, “I will take you to the Shaykh.” If your heart is satisfied with the Shaykh, then okay. If not, then don’t. Not harboring suspicion or thinking ill of him, is one thing; – ḥāshā mina l-ḥuḍūr [expression of respect: saving your presence] – and foolishness is another. Allāh ﷻ has given you intellect, you must use it in everything.

As our Prophet ﷺ said, don’t let anyone deceive you. Now, many Muslims have been deceived. They have abandoned the way of haqq. They have abandoned the beautiful way of our Prophet ﷺ. They are going on according to their own minds. They say they are Muslims. They accept things that are not in the Sunnah, things that are not from what our Prophet ﷺ said. They even call the Sunnah Bid’ah. Not following them is not Su’ Zann, it is vigilance. Not following them is vigilance, it is wisdom. Following them means harming yourself.

So, it’s necessary to distinguish between these things: wisdom, good, evil, everything. Allāh ﷻ has given you both intellect and the light of īmān. With that light, in shā’a Llāh, you won’t be deceived. Pay attention to that. May Allāh ﷻ protect us. In the time we live in, all sorts of things exist. As we said, even good people are subjected to accusations. But it becomes clear which is good and which is bad. So don’t worry at all.

“I thought the good was bad, and the bad was good.” It can happen. Then, when you find the truth, you repent, or if you have wronged someone, you apologize and ask for their forgiveness. May Allāh ﷻ protect us. May Allāh ﷻ not make us harbor ill thoughts about good people, in shā’a Llāh. If we have done anything to them knowingly or unknowingly, may Allāh ﷻ forgive us for the honor of these blessed days, in shā’a Llāh.

Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq.

Al-Fatiha.

•⁠ ⁠Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbaniق

4 March 2026/ 14 Ramadan 1447

Lefke, Cyprus