Treat people how you would like to be treated

“Good and evil are not equal. Repel evil with good and you will find that your enemy has become your close friend.” (Qur’an41:34)

One of the most profound examples of the Prophet’s (pbuh) compassion is illustrated in the story of an old woman who lived in the same neighborhood as him and would throw trash at him every day. On one particular day, the Prophet (pbuh) noticed that his neighbor was not outside as usual waiting to harass him. When he inquired about her whereabouts and found out she was sick, he went to visit her to see if there was anything she needed. When she saw him, she was humbled by his compassion and amazed by the gentleness of his spirit. It was not his words, but the message of Islam in actionthat inspired her to become a Muslim.

As Muslims we are not called to just return our heartsto God, but being Muslim is also about returning to the creation as a mirror of God’s mercy, compassion, and forgiving nature. When you forgive others, it is like pointing a flashlight into the mirror, you get back the grace you gave. Allah says, “Good and evil are not equal. Repel evil with good and you will find that your enemy has become your close friend.” (41:34) Choose to see a person for their innate goodness, not their manifested evil. Choose to see someone for who God created them to be, rather than define them by their worst actions. Responding to someone who wronged you by wronging them would be like trying to put out a wild fire by pouring gasoline on it. As the Civil Rights activist, Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”