Saying 114 - Ḥusn Dhan and Soo’ Dhan [1 of 2]

This week and next week, we will discuss Saying 114, where Amīr al-Muʾminīn (ʿa) guides on the important topic of having opinions about others.

﷽

In the Name of Allah, the All-Beneficent, the All-Merciful

وَ قَالَ عليه السلام: إِذَا اسْتَوْلَى الصَّلَاحُ عَلَى الزَّمَانِ وَ أَهْلِهِ ثُمَّ أَسَاءَ رَجُلٌ الظَّنَّ بِرَجُلٍ لَمْ تَظْهَرْ مِنْهُ حَوْبَةٌ فَقَدْ ظَلَمَ وَ إِذَا اسْتَوْلَى الْفَسَادُ عَلَى الزَّمَانِ وَ أَهْلِهِ فَأَحْسَنَ رَجُلٌ الظَّنَّ بِرَجُلٍ فَقَدْ غَرَّرَ

Amīr al-Muʾminīn, peace be upon him, said: At a time when virtue is in vogue in the world and among people, if a person entertains an evil suspicion about another person from whom nothing evil has ever been seen, then he has been unjust. And at a time when vice is in vogue in the world and among people, if a man entertains a good idea about another person he has flung himself in peril.

Imām ʿAlī (ʿa) provides guidance on a critical ethical matter that can significantly benefit us in our everyday lives. He addresses the topic of "Dhan" (الظَّنَّ), which refers to an opinion, suspicion, or conjecture. Whenever we form an opinion, it can be either "Ḥusn Dhan" (good opinion) or "Soo Dhan" (bad opinion).

The Qurʾān says: 

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

“O you who have faith! Avoid much suspicion; indeed some suspicions are sins.” (49:12). 

In saying 114, Imām (ʿa) offers guidance on how to discern the direction of one's 'dhan'. This can be summarized as follows:

When a community is characterized by goodness, truth, and purity, it is appropriate to have Husne Dhan (positive thoughts) towards others.

However, in a corrupt society, it is important to exercise caution and refrain from being overly trusting, so as not to fall prey to conspiracy and corruption and compromise one's beliefs. This does not imply that one should make accusations or express suspicions about others, but rather one should remain vigilant and aware without insulting anyone.

In some cases, a community may be comprised of a mixture of good and corrupt individuals. In such situations, it is advisable to treat good people with Husne Dhan while exercising caution towards those with a history of negative behavior.

Islamic teachings include the principle of "قاعده فقهی اصالة الصحة" (the principle of correctness), which asserts that the actions of others should be presumed to be legitimate and lawful unless there is reason to believe otherwise (this principle is relevant primarily in communities composed mostly of good people).

لإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): ضَعْ أمرَ أخيكَ على أحسَنِهِ حتّى يَأتِيَكَ مِنهُ ما يَغلِبُكَ، ولا تَظُنَّنَّ بكَلِمَةٍ خَرَجَت مِن أخيكَ سُوءاً وأنتَ تَجِدُ لَها في الخَيرِ مَحمِلاً .

Imām ʿAlī (ʿa) said, ‘See the best in any situation involving a fellow brother, until you experience something from him which proves you wrong, and do not assume the worst about something that your brother may say if you can find the possibility for good therein.”

عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: إِذَا اِتَّهَمَ اَلْمُؤْمِنُ أَخَاهُ اِنْمَاثَ اَلْإِيمَانُ مِنْ قَلْبِهِ كَمَا يَنْمَاثُ اَلْمِلْحُ فِي اَلْمَاءِ .

Imām Jaʿfar aṣ-Ṣādiq (ʿa) said: “Whenever a believer accuses one of his believing brothers, his faith will disappear just as salt dissolves in water.”

(For the rest of the discussion on Saying 114, we will be mainly looking at Soo’ Dhan, this information will automatically help us to understand Husn Dhan)  

Soo Dhan can be of three types, two of which are negative and one is positive: 

1. Soo Dhan will Allah (negative) 

2. Soo Dhan with people (negative) 

3. Soo Dhan with oneself (mostly positive) 

Let’s discuss each one: 

1. Soo Dhan will Allah - (the worst kind) 

This refers to holding negative thoughts about Allah's divine decree. For instance, when a person believes (and vocalizes) that Allah is unjust in restricting their income while blessing their relatives with wealth. Or when someone perceives their sibling to have a perfect life, with a good job, a loving spouse, and children. Such individuals may have negative thoughts about Allah, such as:

“Why me?” 

“Why did I get this trial?”

“ Allah, was I the only one you could choose for this?”

Three examples of Soo Dhan for Allah, from the Qurʾān (look out for the word ظن in the āyāt) : 

Example One : Prophet Yūnus (ʿa)

The first āyah is about Prophet Yūnus (ʿa) 

وَذَا النُّونِ إِذ ذَّهَبَ مُغَاضِبًا فَظَنَّ أَن لَّن نَّقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَنَادَىٰ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ أَن لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ

And [remember] the Man of the Fish, when he left in a rage, thinking that We would not put him to hardship. Then he cried out in the darkness, ‘There is no god except You! You are immaculate! I have indeed been among the wrongdoers!’ (21:87)

The ‘Man of The Fish’ refers to Prophet Yūnus (ʿa). His predicament was that despite preaching for 30 years, almost no one among his people accepted the message of monotheism that he was propagating. The most that this verse says is that Prophet Yūnus (ʿa) went away in anger; it does not say that he was angry with Allah.

ِExplaining the ظن that Prophet Yūnus (ʿa) had:

Firstly, we need to understand that under no circumstance would a Prophet of Allah harbour feelings of Soo’Dhan (bad opinion), about Allah (swt). 

The commentators of the Quran explain that Prophet Yunus decided to leave his disbelieving people, not having the ظن that his sustenance and his life would get straitened to such an extent. He never imagined being in the belly of a whale and suffering extreme hunger and thirst as he did.

The word “naqdira” (which is found in the āyah above) has been used a few times in the Qur'ān for “restricting of the provision” by Allah. 

For example, in chapter 13, verse 26, Allah swt says, 

اللَّهُ يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَيَقْدِرُ

“Allah expands and straitens (yaqdiru) the provision for whomsoever He pleases.” 

Or, for instance, in chapter 89, verses 15-16, Allah says: 

فَأَمَّا الْإِنسَانُ إِذَا مَا ابْتَلَاهُ رَبُّهُ فَأَكْرَمَهُ وَنَعَّمَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّي أَكْرَمَنِ ‎

وَأَمَّا إِذَا مَا ابْتَلَاهُ فَقَدَرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقَهُ فَيَقُولُ رَبِّي أَهَانَنِ

“As for man: when his Lord tries him by treating him with honour and giving him an easy life, he says 'My Lords honours me.' But when He tries him by straitening (qadara) his provision for him he says, 'My Lord has disgraced me.'”

In conclusion, Prophet Yūnus (ʿa) did not expect that his sustenance and life would be affected by leaving his disbelieving people, which is the reason he left without harboring any bad opinion about Allah (swt).

Example 2: The Soo Dhan During the Battle of Uhud

In the Battle of Uhud, the Muslims lost and the opposition won. When the hypocrites in the Prophet’s army gathered, they were humiliated and disappointed that they had lost and missed a chance to gather booty. So they started to do Soo’ Dhan, and presented their tainted ideas saying that if Allah didn’t help the Noble Prophet (ṣ), then who else has a chance to be helped. To add weight to their negative comments, they quoted Qurʾānic verses such as: 

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِن تَنصُرُوا اللَّهَ يَنصُرْكُمْ

O you who have faith! If you help Allah, He will help you (47:7) 

وَمَا النَّصْرُ إِلَّا مِنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ

….and victory comes only from Allah… (3:126)

They conjectured (basing their misguided thoughts on the above āyāt) that had Allah been on the side of the Prophet (ṣ), he would surely have won. 

 They totally disregarded the fact that it was disobedience on their part, that the Muslim army weakened and they had to succumb to the enemy. Simply put, events follow a natural cause and effect pattern. When this Soo’Dhan mindset was expressed, this āyah was revealed: 

ثُمَّ أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّن بَعْدِ الْغَمِّ أَمَنَةً نُّعَاسًا يَغْشَىٰ طَائِفَةً مِّنكُمْ ۖ وَطَائِفَةٌ قَدْ أَهَمَّتْهُمْ أَنفُسُهُمْ يَظُنُّونَ بِاللَّهِ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ ظَنَّ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ ۖ

Then He sent down to you safety after grief—a drowsiness that came over a group of you—while another group, anxious only about themselves, entertained false notions about Allah, notions of [pagan] ignorance. (Aale Imran:154) 

Example 3: The Soo Dhan During the Treaty of Hudaybiyah:

In the month of Dhul Qaʿdah, the sixth year after Hijrah, the Prophet (ṣ) left Madinah for Makkah to perform `Umrah and Hajj. He ordered that the camels for sacrifice be marked and be led along. However, as soon as they arrived at Hudaybiyyah, about two farsakhs (approximately 12 km) from Makkah, the Quraysh took sides to prevent the entry of the Muslims; this, although it was in the forbidden month, when in accordance with the law of jāhiliyyah (period of pre-Islamic ignorance in Arabia), even the Quraysh did not have the right to deny them admittance.

Here the Prophet (ṣ) made a peace treaty with the Quraysh, while it seemed, the ظن or the opinion was, that he had ‘surrendered’ and many were very upset with him. However, this treaty was actually a great victory for Islam! Those who were displeased with the Prophet's decision and actions, fostered feelings of Soo’ Dhan and expressed their displeasure quite clearly. It was at this point, that the āyah quoted below was revealed: 

وَيُعَذِّبَ الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَالْمُنَافِقَاتِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ وَالْمُشْرِكَاتِ الظَّانِّينَ بِاللَّهِ ظَنَّ السَّوْءِ ۚ عَلَيْهِمْ دَائِرَةُ السَّوْءِ ۖ وَغَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَنَهُمْ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَهَنَّمَ ۖ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا

That He may punish the hypocrites, men and women, and the polytheists, men and women, who entertain a bad opinion of Allah. For them shall be an adverse turn of fortune: Allah is wrathful with them and He has cursed them, and prepared hell for them and it is an evil destination. - Sūrah al-Fatḥ āyah 6

رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): حُسنُ الظَّنِّ باللّه‏ِ مِن عِبادَةِ اللّه‏ِ تعالى .

The Prophet (ṣ) said, ‘Entertaining the best opinion about Allah is a form of worship of Allah, most High.

We are required to have Husne Dhan (positive thinking) regarding Allah's decisions.

Some examples: 

• Allah has given me only sons, or only daughters.. He knows best! 

• Allah hasn’t answered my Du’a for the past 6 years. Surely, it is not good for me, or the timing is not right. 

It is important to note that having bad opinions about someone may be understandable if that person lacks knowledge, power, and insight. However, Allah is characterized by His knowledge, hearing, and sight, among many other attributes. Therefore, having complete faith and knowledge about the absolute power and knowledge of Allah can lead to thinking positively of Allah, which is called Husne Dhan!

Let’s conclude this discussion with this profound hadith, 

ابْنُ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ جَمِيلِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ عَنْ بُرَيْدِ بْنِ مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع قَالَ: وَجَدْنَا فِي كِتَابِ عَلِيٍّ ع أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص قَالَ وَ هُوَ عَلَى مِنْبَرِهِ وَ الَّذِي‌ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ مَا أُعْطِيَ مُؤْمِنٌ قَطُّ خَيْرَ الدُّنْيَا وَ الْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا بِحُسْنِ ظَنِّهِ بِاللَّهِ وَ رَجَائِهِ لَهُ وَ حُسْنِ خُلُقِهِ وَ الْكَفِّ عَنِ اغْتِيَابِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ لَا يُعَذِّبُ اللَّهُ مُؤْمِناً بَعْدَ التَّوْبَةِ وَ الِاسْتِغْفَارِ إِلَّا بِسُوءِ ظَنِّهِ بِاللَّهِ وَ تَقْصِيرِهِ مِنْ رَجَائِهِ وَ سُوءِ خُلُقِهِ وَ اغْتِيَابِهِ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ لَا يَحْسُنُ ظَنُّ عَبْدٍ مُؤْمِنٍ بِاللَّهِ إِلَّا كَانَ اللَّهُ عِنْدَ ظَنِّ عَبْدِهِ الْمُؤْمِنِ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ كَرِيمٌ بِيَدِهِ الْخَيْرَاتُ يَسْتَحْيِي أَنْ يَكُونَ عَبْدُهُ الْمُؤْمِنُ قَدْ أَحْسَنَ بِهِ الظَّنَّ ثُمَّ يُخْلِفَ ظَنَّهُ وَ رَجَاءَهُ فَأَحْسِنُوا بِاللَّهِ الظَّنَّ وَ ارْغَبُوا إِلَيْهِ.

In Al-Mahasin it is narrated that Imām Muḥammad al-Bāqir (ʿa) said: “We find in (Imām) ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib’s (ʿa) book that God's Prophet (ṣ) used to say the following when he gave a sermon on the mosque pulpit: “I swear by God who has no partners that no good of this world or the Hereafter has been granted to any believer, except due to his good opinion about God, his good behavior, and his avoidance of gossiping and slandering. And I swear by God who has no partners that God will not punish anyone after repentance and seeking forgiveness except due to his bad opinion about God, insufficient hope in God, bad behavior, and gossiping about believers. I swear by God who has no partners that there are no believers who have a good opinion about God and receive anything less than they expect from Him. This is so since God is Benevolent and has authority over all that is good, and is ashamed of one of his servants having a good opinion about Him and He acting otherwise. Therefore have a good opinion about God and be inclined to Him.”