In societies where people do not live by the morality of the Qur’an, people may feel uncomfortable with one another for many reasons. Sometimes a person’s face, nose, mouth, voice, the way he laughs, his accent, his stature, be it tall or diminutive , his hair style, color or his neighborhood, his job, car, house or a mimic, in brief anything related to him may cause this feeling. However these traits cited here may not in any event, be of a disturbing nature. Sometimes people feel annoyed with another only because one has a better nature than himself, consider him as a rival, or because he does not conform to his culture, pleasure or habits.
Sometimes this irritation and anger may have no grounds whatsoever. Indeed in many cases, these people may not actually know why they harbor such negative feelings towards this person. The reason for this attitude, which they express with the words, “I am annoyed with him” is that they remain under the influence of satan.
What is the difference between “being annoyed with someone” and “Not liking for Allah’s good pleasure”?
Believers may also feel displeased with the flaws or weaknesses of one another . A flawed attitude of a person may indeed cause material and spiritual harm to the people around. Alternatively, a person’s weakness in living by the morality of the Qur’an may negatively influence the trust and closeness felt towards that person. However, just like the love of a believer, the only measure of this annoyance is again the Qur’an. A believer feels disturbed only when one shows weakness in conducting himself in compliance with the morality of the Qur’an. Otherwise, he does not feel unease because of how a person laughs, his stature or the level of his culture. This feeling, (which is completely compatible with the morality of the Qur’an) a person of faith feels towards another believer is “disliking for Allah’s good pleasure.” This feeling is legitimate as long as the person does not correct his attitude which is not in compliance with the morality of the Qur’an. However having this feeling does not mean to “completely turn one’s face from that person.” Within this time during when one “dislikes a person for Allah’s consent”, he still engages in a wholehearted struggle to compassionately communicate the truth to that person, to support him and to eliminate his weakness. Meanwhile, this feeling in no way impairs his love for him because he has faith in Allah, for there is no human being in this world who does not err. As a requisite of His law, Allah created everyone with flaws and weaknesses. Allah creates flaws in people so that they can notice their weaknesses and seek refuge in Allah, ask for repentance, struggle to become better servants of Allah, enjoin goodness and forbid from the wicked. Consequently believers do not expect one another to be “flawless.” When they see a flaw, they simply enjoin the good in compliance with the Qur’an. This superior attribute of believers is related in a verse as follows:
The men and women of the believers are friends of one another. They command what is right and forbid what is wrong, and establish prayer and pay alms, and obey Allah and His Messenger. They are the people on whom Allah will have mercy. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. (Surat at-Tawba, 71)
