Nothing relieves the heart and makes one happy more than thinking well of others. It protects one from the harm of worrisome thoughts that disturb his peace of mind and exhaust the body. Thinking well of others leads to a sound heart, strengthens the ties of cordiality and love among the individuals of a community, and frees the hearts from hatred and rancor. The Prophet, , said: “Beware of assumptions, for assumption is the falsest of speech, and do not be inquisitive, and do not spy upon one another, and do not vie with one another, and do not envy one another, and do not hate one another, and do not shun one another; be fellow-brothers and slaves of Allah.”If only the members of the Muslim community would adhere to this sublime behavior, their enemies would never dare to attack them and their famous policy of “divide and rule” will never succeed because the hearts are united and the souls are pure.

Ways to Think Well of Others 


There are certainly many ways that a Muslim can think well of others; some of which are: 


1-    Supplication 


Supplicating to Allah The Almighty is the gate to every goodness. The Prophet, , would ask his Lord to grant him a sound heart. 


2-    Putting Oneself in the Place of Others 


If each one of us puts himself in the place of his brother when the latter does or says something, this will help him think well of others. Allah The Almighty directs His slaves to this meaning in the verse where He Says (what means): {Why, when you heard it [the falsehood against ‘Ai'shah, may Allah be pleased with her], did not the believing men and believing women think good of one another?}[Quran 24:12] In another verse, Allah The Almighty makes the believers feel as if they are one single entity, to the extent that when one of them meets his brother and greets him, it is as if he is greeting himself. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {But when you enter houses, give greetings of peace upon yourselves - a greeting from Allah.} [Quran 24:61] 


3-    Interpreting the Words of Others in the Best Possible Way 


This was the habit of the righteous predecessors. ‘Umar  said, “Do not think ill of a word that your believing brother utters as long as it can be interpreted in a good way.” 


Imam Ash-Shafi‘i  was ill once, and some of his brothers came to visit him; one of them said, “May Allah strengthen your weakness [He intended to supplicate to Allah in order to eliminate his weakness].” Ash-Shafi‘i  said, “If Allah strengthens my weakness, it would kill me!”  The man said, “By Allah, I intended nothing but goodness.” Ash-Shafi‘i  replied, “Even if you insulted me, I know that you sought goodness.” Thinking well of others is true brotherhood, even in things that cannot be interpreted in a good way. 


4-    Making Excuses for Others 


When anyone says or does something that annoys or grieves one, he should try to find excuses for him and recall the status of the righteous who used to think well of their fellows and make excuses for them. They would say, “You should make seventy excuses for your brother.” Ibn Seereen  said, “If you come to know that a brother has harmed you with either a word or a deed, you should make an excuse for him; if you did not find one, you should say, ‘There may be an excuse that I do not know of.’” When you exert your utmost to make excuses for the words and deeds of others, you will save yourself the trouble of assuming and you will avoid blaming your fellows excessively. 


5-    Abstaining from Judging the Intentions of Others 


This is one of the greatest causes that help one think well of others. One leaves the intentions to the only One who knows them: Allah The Almighty, for He did not command us to check each others' hearts and intentions, and thus we have to avoid harboring ill-thoughts about others.  


6-    Recalling the Harmful Consequences of Evil Assumptions 


The one who thinks ill of others lives in endless trouble and grief, to say nothing of the fact that he loses all those who socialize with him, even the closest people to him. It is natural that people make mistakes, even unintentionally. Accusing others along with thinking well of oneself is one of the evil consequences of thinking ill of others. This is one way a person may be guilty of ascribing purity to oneself that Allah The Exalted forbade in His Book. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {So do not claim yourselves to be pure; He is most knowing of who fears Him.} [Quran 53:32] In another verse, Allah The Exalted criticizes the Jews when they ascribed purity to themselves. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {Have you not seen those who claim themselves to be pure? Rather, Allah purifies whom He wills, and injustice is not done to them, [even] as much as a thread [inside a date seed].} [Quran 4:49] 


Thinking well of others requires extensive training and striving against one’s self, particularly because the devil is inseparable from man like the blood that runs through his body. He never stops his attempts to sow dissension within the Muslims and stir up disputes among them. Thinking well of others is one of the greatest means to block this way before the devil. We ask Allah The Almighty to Grant us sound hearts and Help us to think well of our brothers and sisters.


The reasons for antipathy and hatred toward the worldly life are varied. Some people dislike this transient life out of their desire for the reward from Allah Almighty and love to meet Him. Hence, one of the righteous predecessors said: "The gift of a believer is death." Such a person detests the worldly life because his life is attached to the hereafter. Although he dislikes the life of the world, he fulfills the right of Allah Almighty and the right of His servants and endeavors to do good as much as he can – in compliance with the verse that reads (what means): {And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty (death).} [Quran 15:99]

There are other people who dislike the worldly life not because of their love for the hereafter, but because they regard themselves as unlucky while others are more fortunate. Undoubtedly, this is a kind of displeasure with the predestination of Allah, the Exalted, Who grants and distributes sustenance. In the Quran, He says (what means): {And if Allah had extended [excessively] provision for His servants, they would have committed tyranny throughout the earth. But He sends [it] down in an amount which He wills. Indeed He is, of His servants, Acquainted and Seeing.} [Quran 42:27]

There is another type of people who hate the worldly life due to their afflictions, tiredness, and toil in it. Certainly, such people do not know the reality of this world, which is an abode for trial, hard work, and tiredness, especially for the righteous believer. Believers experience many sorts of afflictions which serve as a means of expiation for their sins and elevation of their ranks. Allah, the Exalted, says (what means): {We have certainly created man into hardship.} [Quran 90:4]. He also says (what means): {Do the people think that they will be left to say, “We believe,” and they will not be tried? But We have certainly tried those before them, and Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars.} [Quran 29:2-3] In another verse, He says (what means): {Allah would not leave the believers in that [state] you are in [presently] until He separates the evil from the good. Nor would Allah reveal to you the unseen. But [instead], Allah chooses of His messengers whom He wills, so believe in Allah and His messengers. And if you believe and fear Him, then for you is a great reward.} [Quran 3:179] And He says (what means): {And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, who, when disaster strikes them, say: "Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return." Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided.} [Quran 2:155-157]

My dear brother and sister, to which of these preceding types do you belong?

Remember how hard the Prophet  was afflicted. His people showed hostility to him and he was opposed by the closest persons to him. Some people cursed him and others hurt him. He was expelled from his home and put under a harsh blockade. The disbelievers joined forces to assassinate him. His wife Khadeejah, may Allah be pleased with her, passed away in the most critical and hardest time for him. He would pass a month or two months with nothing to eat but water and dried dates. All of this happened to him, even though he is the Prophet and Messenger of Allah, the Exalted, and the one entrusted with His revelation. All this happened to him, even though he is the one with the praised station and the crowded basin, and even though all his faults, past and future, had already been forgiven.


So, what about us, the sinners, disobedient and negligent?

First: Engage a lot in supplication and draw close to Allah Almighty through different acts of worship, such as prayer, zakah, and fasting. Implore your Lord to remove the discomfort in your heart and replace it with relief. In the Quran, Allah, the Exalted, says (what means): {Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.} [Quran 13:28] He also says (what means): {Indeed, those who fear Allah – when an impulse touches them from Satan, they remember [Him] and at once they have insight.} [Quran 7:201]

Second: Know that what Allah Almighty predetermined for His servants is all good for them. Know that no matter how hard your worldly conditions become, the treasures of the heavens and the earth lie with the Almighty Lord. So, establish a good relationship with Him, and He will suffice you and spare you from asking people.

Third: You may feel distressed and grieved over something that passed and which you could not attain. In such a case, you should know that many a person asks persistently for something while he is not aware that it will cause his destruction, and many a person grieves over his failure to attain the things he wanted and he does not know that if he attained them, he would lose both his religious and worldly life. So, be pleased with the predestination and destiny of Allah, the Exalted, and seek help from Him, and do not lose heart.

Fourth: Check your heart and your relationship with the Almighty Lord closely. Indeed, a servant may be deprived of sustenance for a sin that he has committed.

Fifth: You may have personal or family problems. The solution to these problems lies in setting your priorities right and seeking help from Allah Almighty and then from experienced people for solving them.

Sixth: Know that the most afflicted among people are the Prophets and then the most pious and then the next in piety. Mus‘ab ibn Sa‘d narrated that his father related:


I said: "O Messenger of Allah ! Which of the people is tried most severely?" He  said: "The Prophets, then those nearest to them, then those nearest to them. A man is tried according to his religion; if he is firm in his religion, his trials are more severe, and if he is frail in his religion, he is tried accordingly. The servant shall continue to be tried until he is left walking upon the earth without any sins." [Ahmad, Al-Albani: authentic]

Seventh: Engage regularly in worship and asking for forgiveness. Indeed, this is better for you than all worldly fortunes, no matter how abundant they are. This also serves to relieve your distress. It is reported in some traditions that he who keeps asking for forgiveness, Allah Almighty will make, for him, a way out of every distress and relief out of every hardship, and He will provide him from where he does not expect.

So, persist in obedience to Allah, the Exalted, and comply with the verse that reads (what means): {And worship your Lord until there comes to you the certainty (death).} [Quran 15:99], and the verse that says (what means): {And do not extend your eyes toward that by which We have given enjoyment to [some] categories of them, [its being but] the splendor of worldly life by which We test them. And the provision of your Lord is better and more enduring.} [Quran 20:131] May Allah Almighty guide all of us to good words and deeds.