You will be judged by your intentions!
Question:-
There are women who say that they don’t wear Hijab because Allah Ta’ala will judge you according to your intention, which is in the heart. Your Imaan and sincerity is known to Allah alone. Some go by what a certain Mufti from across the border said in a video, that we can’t judge anyone by their dressing. What these women claim is that, they don’t wear a scarf, don’t cover their hair, as their intention and what is in their heart, is important.
What’s frightening is that some of these women who believe they don’t have to cover their hair for example, are involved in Dawah. Now, the sad part is that these women will present a false understanding of the beautiful Deenul Islam to the reverts, just as the World Cup falsely represented Islam as being one of wastage, fun, games, ostentation etc. when it is in total contradiction to what Allah Ta’ala expects of us. This is far from the teachings of our beloved Nabi Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam. The reverts will be made to believe that it’s ok to walk around revealing one’s Aura, when this is not what we are told in the Quraan Sharif. Furthermore, these women are adamant that they are right in what they are doing and refuse to accept Haqq. They are proud to say they don’t cover themselves and they are comfortable in their western garb.
Answer:-
Hadrat Hakim Akhtar Saheb Rahimahullah cited a beautiful example to explain the scenario under discussion. He mentioned that, if a pilot who is flying an aeroplane, tells the passengers that we have the best tyres on this plane but we don’t want to show these tyres to the rest of the world, so we will be landing the aeroplane without making the tyres apparent. The passengers will tell the captain, “Keep your Ikhlaas for another time but practice upon Riyaa and show the tyres at this stage, else we will all lose our lives.”
Similarly, we are required to show our Islam by dressing in accordance to the laws of the Shariah and abiding by the laws of Allah Ta’ala, and not claim that Islam is in our hearts. If a person shaves his beard, then he will be referred to as a ‘Faasiq’ – an open violator of the laws of Shariah, even though he may be a good person at heart. It is Makrooh to appoint him as the Imaam and perform Salaah behind him. This clearly indicates that we are required to judge on the outward appearance of a person in this world.
If a man flirts and intermingles with females, he is categorised as a Faasiq. He may claim that he has no evil intentions, and his heart is clean, hence we should not judge him, but in the light of the Shariah, he will considered as an open violator of the Shariah as his actions are against the teachings of the Quraan and Sunnah.
Another may state that his heart is clean hence, he doesn’t have to perform Salaah, or he doesn’t have to fast, or perform Hajj etc. No person has the right to judge his actions, whereas these actions are in violation with the laws of Shariah. Such a person would be taken to task if he was living in a country where the Shariah law is implemented.
If everything was connected to the heart, then Imaan would have been a matter of the heart only, whereas one is required to bring Imaan in the heart and verbally recite the Kalimah-e-Shahaadah as well. This clearly indicates that you are required to practically live Islam. These are just some of the examples which we have cited above to explain the matter. In conclusion, those that state that “nobody should judge them”, are using this argument to suit their whims and fancies, and to live a modern life against the Shariah. They are filled with pride and are therefore, not prepared to accept the truth when its presented to them. Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam is reported to have said, “A person with an atom’s weight of pride will not enter Jannah.” For these people, it is a double fold sin, as they are treading the wrong path themselves and further misleading innocent people that are reverts to Islam. The Hadith states that whosoever initiates an evil practice, then the sin will be upon him and those that act upon that practice. They should, therefore, sincerely repent, rectify their lives and live in accordance to the Shariah.
ALLAH TA’ALA KNOWS BEST!
ANSWERED BY:-
Mufti Mohammed Desai
Date: 26 Jumadal Ula 1444 / 21 December 2022