This is Someone’s Home…

Someone's Home

You see a picture of this random house.

If you could ask one question about it,

What would you ask?

One possibility might be, “Who’s house is this?”  Not a surprising or illogical question to ask, right? Nothing out of the ordinary?  You might ask where it is located, how old it is, or a number of other questions.

Hassan bin Sinan-a Tabi’ee (someone from the generation after the companions)- once came across a house he had never seen.  He asked himself, “When was this house built?”

He immediatley followed that question with another one.  A  pressing one.  A serious one.

Scolding his nafs, he asked himself rhetorically, “Do you ask about that which does not concern you!?”

He then scolded, “I shall punish you by fasting for a year!”

And he fasted it.

***

The Issue

Hassan bin Sinan, however trivial this matter seems to us, shows us in this story the true character of a Muslim: Does not concern himself with that which is not of his concern, i.e minds his own buisness.  Hassan’s story may seem too extreme, fasting a whole year for just a simple question.   Indeed, the mercy of Islam does not order such harsh punishments, all we are asked for is sincere repentance.

The Personality

Three things that are noteworthy about the character of Hassan bin Sinan:  First, immediate self-evaluation.  Nobody needed to tell him or remind him.  The word came out of his mouth and he accounted himself for it, before he was to be held accountable.

Second, self-discipline.  He ‘punished’ himself by fasting a year.  Dear readers, self-discipline is A MUST! We need to learn to constrain ourselves, to discipline our character and be firm with ourselves. Do we even remember, let alone discipline ourselves, all the matters that we concerned ourselves with that was not of our concern?! I remind myself before anyone.

Finally, extreme sensitivty to sin/wrong, even before it manifested. Sharpen your internal radar regarding words and actions, whether they are sins or potential-sins.  It is much easier to take care of those small, “trivial” matters before they turn into bad habits and character.

Related to this:

On the authority of Abu Hurairah, radiyallahu ‘anhu, who said : The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, said :

“Part of the perfection of someone’s Islam is his leaving alone that which does not concern him.”

Minding-Your-Own-Buisness vs. Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil

Don’t be fooled!!! We live in a society where sometimes, in the name of “Minding our own buisness” we neglect Allah’s command of “enjoining good and forbidding evil”.  There is a difference between the two, and we must learn what does concern us and what does not.  Often we may see someone doing something, but we don’t open our mouth for the sake of, “It’s none of my buisness what he/she does or does not do.”   Big mistake! The Quran emphasizes the virtue and necessity of enjoining good and forbidding evil.

Think of it this way: when someone cuts down a tree in a forest (not for a legitimate purpose) do you think environmentalists  will just let it go? Of course not!  They would enforce laws against cutting down random trees and at the same time will probably be active in telling people to plant new trees and recycle their garbage.   What if they didn’t do that? The environment would go to waste.

Each individual, however “far-from-the-deen” or “muslim-only-by-name” is a building block of our Ummah.  The Ummah is that envirnoment we must protect.  Minding the state of your Ummah IS minding your own buisness.

Brainstorming

I quickly put together a list of possible consequences of not minding your own buisness.  It’s just a list.  Feel free to add or comment on the list:

• Backbiting and Gossip
• Idle Talk
• Wasting time
• Blindness to your own faults
• Arrogance
• Unrestrained glances (not lowering gaze)
• Bothering or harming others
• Lose focus on your own concerns

Let’s-Apply-Together:

-Next time you are caught in a conversation or situation in which someone is not minding their own buisness, mention either this story or the hadith as a reminder.  Of course, use wisdom in doing so.  If they persist, try to change the subject.

-Remember minding your own buisness comes in many forms. It is not a matter reserved only for the older “aunties” or “khalahas” as they prod for information (common generalization).  It can be as simple as casting a glance at a group of people at school as they are talking or socializing.

Note on Lineage:

-The book I referred to (mukhtasar minhaj alqasideen) referred to the Tabi’ee as “Hassan bin Sinan”.  Other sources call him “Hassan bin abi Sinan”.  In (albidaya wal nihaya) it mentions that “Abu Sinan” was also called “Sinan bin Abi Sinan”.  As always,  Allah knows best.

And Allah Knows Best