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Imam Zijad’s Corner: PRACTICING KINDNESS

Reported by ‘Aishah (r) that Muhammad (S) said: “God is Kind and likes kindness in all things.” (Bukhari, Muslim & Ibn Majah)

Transliteration: “Innallaha Rafiq; Yuhibbur Rifqa Fil Amri Kullihi.”

Note: Mercy, compassion, kindness all emanate from God and these constitute His supreme attributes. Rifq (kindness) is related to a very special set of attributes of God that include Most Compassionate (Ar Rahman) and Most Merciful (Ar Rahim) by which He wants us to remember Him most.

Chapters in the Qur’an begin with the affirmation of these attributes and Muslims are instructed by Muhammad (s) to invoke God’s name with these attributes in the beginning of any action in their lives.

These attributes of God are not in exclusion of His other attributes, but at the core of the relationship between God and His creation are these attributes of Kindness, Compassion and Mercy.

When believers develop their appreciation of this primary character of Creator-creation relationship, an extraordinary transformation of human personality takes place.

Thus, kindness is the sweetest and ineffaceable dimension of a believer’s personality and should dominate a Muslim’s way of life. Among all those aspects of human personality that can really make a society loving, harmonious, and strong, kindness and compassion rank supreme.