Author: Abu Raef
The Role of Muslims in the Formation and Development of Science (Part 70)
The Role of Muslims in Science and Civilization
The Graces of Spiritual Taste
We have already mentioned in previous discussions about taste: Taste is clear spiritual sense that compels its owner to respect the feelings, conditions, and circumstances of others, and taste is, in fact, the manners of socializing with people and the beautiful art of relating to others.
In the previous part, we mentioned some of the manifestations of the beauty of sensory and external taste that appeared in Islamic civilization; and now we will briefly list a few titles that are considered to be the beauty of spiritual and moral taste in Islamic civilization; including:
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The beauty of taste in not hurting the feelings of others
The Holy Prophet ( peace be upon him) tried not to expose people to direct reprimand; Rather, he would say: “مَا بَالُ أَقْوَامٍ …” Translation: “What is the matter with the people…”. There are countless such expressions and hadiths in the life and important statements of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and their basic purpose is to avoid harming and harassing the individual or individuals in question. [1]
Also in this context, Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “إِذَا كُنْتُمْ ثَلاثَةٌ فَلا يَتَنَاجَى رَجُلانِ دُونَ الآخَرِ، حَتَّى تَخْتَلِطُوا بِالنَّاسِ أَجْلَ أَنْ يُحْزِنَهُ” Translation: “When you are three, two should not whisper to each other and leave the third to join another group, for that would make him sad.” [2]
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The beauty of taste in respecting the elder, having mercy on the younger, and placing people in their rightful status
In this regard, Islamic civilization is very rich and instructive, as Hazrat Ubadah bin Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “لَيْسَ مِنَّا مَنْ لَمْ يَرْحَمْ صَغِيرَنَا وَيُوَقِّرْ كَبِيرَنَا” Translation: “He is not one of us who does not have mercy on the younger and does not honor the older.” [3]
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The beauty of taste in thanking people
The religion of Islam encourages its followers to thank others for their kindness. The Holy Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) said: “لا يَشْكُرُ اللهَ مَنْ لا يَشْكُرُ النَّاسَ” Translation: “He who does not thank people does not thank Allah.” [4]
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The beauty of taste in visiting
Allah Almighty has said: “لا تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتًا غَيْرَ بُيُوتِكُمْ حَتَّى تَسْتَأْنِسُوا وَتُسَلِّمُوا عَلَى أَهْلِهَا” Translation: “Do not enter houses other than your own until you have known them and greeted their people.” [5]
In this verse, two conditions for entry are mentioned: “Istinas” and “Salam” and “Istinas” has a meaning superior to “Istizān” (seeking permission); because it means seeking and knowing the willingness of the household to accept or reject the guest; and this is a spiritual taste that is superior to merely asking permission. [6]
Another taste in Istizān: When the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) was invited to a meal by one of the Ansar. A man came with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to the owner of the house: “إِنَّ هَذَا قَدْ تَبِعَنَا، فَإِنْ شِئْتَ أَنْ تَأْذَنَ لَهُ فَأْذَنْ لَهُ، وَإِنْ شِئْتَ أَنْ يَرْجِعَ رَجَعَ” Translation: “This man has come with us, so if you wish to give him permission, then give him permission, and if you wish to let him go back, then let him go back.” The owner of the house Said: No, I gave him permission. [7]
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The beauty of taste in addressing a servant or slave
The Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) said: “لَا يَقُولَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ: عَبْدِي وَأَمَتِي. كُلُّكُمْ عَبِيدُ الله، وَكُلُّ نِسَائِكُمْ إِمَاءُ الله، وَلَكِنْ لِيَقُلْ: غُلَامِي وَجَارِيَتِي، وَفَتَايَ وَفَتَاتِي” Translation: “None of you should say: My slave or my maidservant; for all of you are servants of Allah, and all of your women are handmaids of Allah; but he should say: My servant, my son or my daughter.” [8]
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The beauty of taste in choosing names
A man came to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his name was «أصرم» “Asram” meaning needy man. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked: «مَا اسْمُكَ؟» Translation: “What is your name?” He said: “Asram”. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: «بَلْ أَنْتَ زُرْعَةٌ» Translation: “No, you are a Zora” Meaning the rich land. [9]
And another man came to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). He asked him: «مَا اسْمُكَ؟» Translation: “What is your name?” He said: “حَزن”. It means sadness. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: «أَنْتَ سَهْل» Translation: “You are Sahl.” It means ease. [10]
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The beauty of taste with the wife
In the previous chapter, we gave examples of apparent taste; and here we narrate what the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had to Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) when she narrated to him the hadith of “Umm Zura “. This hadith was long; but the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) listened to it all without getting bored, even though he was the leader of the Islamic state; Then – and this was a higher teaching – at the end, in the way that Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) liked, he said: “يَا عَائِشَةُ كُنْتُ لَكِ كَأَبِي زَرْعٍ لأُمْ زَرْعٍ، إِلَّا أَنَّ أَبَا زَرْعٍ طَلَّقَ، وَأَنَا لَا أُطَلِّقُ” Translation: “O Aisha, I am to you as Abu Zura was to Umm Zura , except that Abu Zura divorced his wife, and I will not divorce you.” [11]
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The beauty of taste in the midst of trouble and crisis
One of the most important examples of this taste is the moment of consideration of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) with Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). When a tray of food was brought to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) by Umm Salma, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her), and Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) became jealous of this. Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on her) narrated from Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with her) that: One day the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was near one of his wives when one of the “Mothers of the Believers” (may Allah be pleased with her) sent him a dish of food. The wife with whom the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was with hit the servant’s hand and the dish fell and broke. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) collected the pieces of the dish and put the food in it and said: «غَارَتْ أُمُّكُمْ» Translation: “Your mother has become jealous.” Then he kept the servant until an intact dish from the same wife was brought; he returned it to the wife whose dish was broken and left the broken dish with the same wife who had broken it. [11]
He neither rebuked his wife in front of the servant nor responded to her jealousy with violence; rather, he said gently: «غَارَتْ أُمُّكُمْ» Translation: “Your mother has become jealous” and in this expression, he addressed her respectfully as “your mother,” not by a personal name or a derogatory term.
These are examples of what Islamic civilization brought in terms of the beauties of taste and the beauties of morality; beauties that no Sharia law brought before or after it, and it is still a sign of the companionship of human feelings by Islamic civilization and its beauty and greatness.
Continues…
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References:
- For example, this type of hadith can be found in Sahih Bukhari, Book of Sales (2060) and Sahih Muslim, Book of Emancipation (1505).
- Sahih Bukhari: 5932.
- Tirmidhi: 1919.
- Abu Dawood: 4811.
- Noor: 27.
- What did Muslims give to the world? P. 669.
- Bukhari: 1975.
- Bukhari: 2414.
- Abu Dawood: 4954.
- Bukhari: 4893.
- Bukhari: 4927.
