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Manners of Visiting
Jun 30th, 2009 by Ahmed.
3.1 KEEPING APPOINTMENTS, DELAYS AND CANCELLATION
In the first verse of Surat Al-Mai’da, Allah called upon the
believers ‘O’ you the Believers, fulfill your promises.’ In Surat Maryam Allah
also praised Prophet Ismail may peace be upon him ‘He was true to his promise.
He was a Messenger and a Prophet.’
To keep an appointment is vital to our lives, since time is
the most precious commodity, once wasted it could not be replaced. If you made
an appointment, whether to a friend, colleague or for business you should do
your utmost to keep this appointment. This is the right of the other person who
gave you part of their time and may have declined other appointments. Not only
have you disrupted their schedule but you have marred your image and
personality. If your punctuality becomes lousy you will lose people’s respect.
You should keep all your appointments whether it was with an important person,a
close friend or someone else. You will be responding to the call of Allah in
Surat Al-Issra’ ‘and keep your promises. The promise is a responsibility.’
It is enough to know that our kind Prophet gave an
appointment to one of his companions. The companion came three days later. The
Prophet gently reprimanded him ‘You have caused me some trouble. I have been
waiting expecting you since three days.’ The companion probably had an excuse
for this delay. Then, he had no means to inform the Prophet about his inability
to meet the appointment.
Today, fast and reliable communication means are available
everywhere. As soon as you realize you will not be able to keep an appointment,
you should inform the other parties to enable them to utilize their time. Do
not be careless or irresponsible. Do not think that the appointment is so
unimportant that it does not merit a notice or an apology. This is totally
irrelevant. Regardless of its importance an appointment is a commitment. It
must be kept or canceled properly in advance.
Never make a promise while you do not intend to keep it or
fulfill it. This is forbidden as it falls within lying and hypocrisy.
Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated that the Prophet said: ‘Three traits single out
hypocrites, even if he prayed and/or fast and claimed to be Muslim: If he
talks, he lies. If he promises, he does not keep it. If he is entrusted, he betrays
the trust.’
Imam Ghazali in Al-Ihya said that this Hadith fits those who
promise while intending not to fulfill it, or those who, without excuse, decide
later not to fulfill a promise. Those who promise but could not fulfill, their
promise due to a proper excuse are not hypocrites. But we should be careful not
to create excuses that are not valid. Allah knows our inner thoughts and
intentions.
3.2 DECLINING A VISIT
If you visit friends with or without an appointment and they
apologize for not being able to receive you, accept their apology without
ill-feeling. You should understand that something may have come up compelling
them to decline your visit. Their own affairs, or the state of their house, may
have made your visit inconvenient. It is perfectly all right for them to ask to
be excused.
The follower (Tabi’ee) Qatada bin Di‘ama Al-Sadüsy said: ‘Do
not hang around at the door of those who declined your visit. Accept their
reason, leave to attend your business, and let them attend their own business.’
Do not ask for reason or explanations. Imam Malik used to say: ‘Not all people
can disclose their reasons.’ Accordingly, when it comes to visiting, our
righteous ancestors used to say to their hosts: ‘Perhaps you just became busy
and cannot receive us,’ making them feel at ease in case they wanted to be
excused. Imam Al-Tabari in his Tafseer (18:113) reported that a man of
Muhajirin said: ‘All my life, I wanted to practice this Sura ‘If you are told
to turn back then do so, it is much better for you’ but I could not. I was
hoping I will seek permission to visit a brother and he will tell me: Go back!
I gladly will go back fulfilling this directive to Allah.
This particular etiquette is very important in order to
remove any ill-feelings that could linger because of declining of a visit.
Allah SWT said, ‘If you are asked to go back, go back: that makes for greater
purity.’
Many people do not know what to do, and become disturbed by
the visit of someone whom they do not want to receive under the circumstances,
and may resort to lying. Not only their children learn these bad manners, but
such behaviour may lead to antipathy.
The Quranic etiquette provides a better alternative to such
unpleasantness and guards us against lying. It provides for the host to kindly
present a reason to visitors and asks that they accept it in good faith and
without hesitation: ‘If you are asked to go back, go back: that makes for
greater purity.’
Subhan allah
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