PRACTICAL WISDOM

An educated Muslim was employed in a good position in a government department. He had a dispute with his senior officer. When he returned home, he was under intense stress. He feared that the officer might damage his service record and, as a result, block his promotion. Because of this tension, he developed such a severe headache that he lay down as soon as he reached home and was unable to do any further work.

I met him and told him that what he did was wrong. I shared a Hadith with him. The chief of a tribe came to Madinah to see Prophet Muhammad (e). The Prophet told his companions to go and welcome him. On this occasion, the Prophet stated a principle: ‘Treat people according to their status.’ (Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith No. 4842)

The commands of Shariah are all based on natural principles. It is a necessity of nature that people treat each other with respect. When one person interacts with another, they should do so in a way that does not cause humiliation. Everyone should feel they are being given proper respect according to their position. In a society where these customs are maintained, mutual love grows, and the foundation of social conflict is removed.

This is a principle of nature that has been repeated in various forms since ancient times. It is expressed in an English proverb as:

‘The boss is always right.’

This is essentially transactional wisdom or transactional Shariah. Observing it is extremely important for everyone. A society that does not follow this principle can never become a good society.