Thinking well of others relieves the heart

Nothing relieves the heart and makes one happy more than thinking well of others. It protects one from the harm of worrisome thoughts that disturb his peace of mind and exhaust the body.

The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “Beware of assumptions, for assumption is the falsest of speech, and do not be inquisitive, and do not spy upon one another, and do not vie with one another, and do not envy one another, and do not hate one another, and do not shun one another; be fellow-brothers and slaves of Allah.”

How to condition ourselves to think good of others ?

1. Supplication

Supplicating to Allah The Almighty is the gate to every goodness. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) would ask his Lord to grant him a sound heart.

2. Putting yourself in the other person's place

If each one of us puts himself in the place of his brother when the latter does or says something, this will help him think well of others.

3. Interpreting the Words of Others in the Best Possible Way

This was the habit of the righteous predecessors. ‘Umar (رضي الله عنه) said, “Do not think ill of a word that your believing brother utters as long as it can be interpreted in a good way.” (Majmoo Fataawa Ibn Baz (26/365))

4. Making Excuses for Others

Ibn Seereen (رحمه الله) said, “If you come to know that a brother has harmed you with either a word or a deed, you should make an excuse for him; if you did not find one, you should say, ‘There may be an excuse that I do not know of.” When you exert your utmost to make excuses for the words and deeds of others, you will save yourself the trouble of assuming and you will avoid blaming others excessively.

5. Abstaining from Judging the Intentions of Others

This is one of the greatest causes that help a person think well of others. We should leave the intentions to the only One who knows them: Allah The Almighty, for He did not command us to check each others' hearts and intentions, and thus we have to avoid harboring ill-thoughts about others.

6. Recalling the Harmful Consequences of Evil Assumptions

The one who thinks ill of others lives in endless trouble and grief. Accusing others along with thinking well of oneself is one of the evil consequences of thinking ill of others. This is one way a person may be guilty of ascribing purity to himself that Allah The Exalted forbade in His Book. Allah The Almighty Says: {So do not claim yourselves to be pure; He is most knowing of who fears Him.} [Quran 53:32]

Thinking well of others requires extensive training and striving against one’s self, particularly because the devil is inseparable from man like the blood that runs through his body. He never stops his attempts to sow dissension within the Muslims and stir up disputes among them.

May Allah The Almighty grant us sound hearts and help us to think well of our brothers and sisters.

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