Hawzah News Agency | Imam Sajjad, peace be upon him, prays to God in Sahifa Sajjadiuyah in the following way:
«اَللَّهُمَّ أَلْبِسْنِی زِینَةَ الْمُتَّقِینَ فِی ... تَرْکِ التَّعْیِیرِ.»
"O God! Clothe me in the garment of the pious by refraining from fault-finding in others."
Supplication no. 20 - (Known as "Du'a Makarim al-Akhlaq"; "the Prayer of Noble Morals")
Explanation:
To understand this passage from the Prayer of Noble Morals (Du'a Makarim al-Akhlaq), it is sufficient to refer to the words of Imam Ali, peace be upon him, in Nahj al-Balaghah.
«وَ إِنَّمَا یَنْبَغِی لِأَهْلِ الْعِصْمَةِ وَ الْمَصْنُوعِ إِلَیْهِمْ فِی السَّلَامَةِ، أَنْ یَرْحَمُوا أَهْلَ الذُّنُوبِ وَ الْمَعْصِیَةِ، وَ یَکُونَ الشُّکْرُ هُوَ الْغَالِبَ عَلَیْهِمْ وَ الْحَاجِزَ لَهُمْ عَنْهُمْ. فَکَیْفَ بِالْعَائِبِ الَّذِی عَابَ أَخَاهُ وَ عَیَّرَهُ بِبَلْوَاهُ، أَ مَا ذَکَرَ مَوْضِعَ سَتْرِ اللَّهِ عَلَیْهِ مِنْ ذُنُوبِهِ مِمَّا هُوَ أَعْظَمُ مِنَ الذَّنْبِ الَّذِی عَابَهُ، بِهِ وَ کَیْفَ یَذُمُّهُ بِذَنْبٍ قَدْ رَکِبَ مِثْلَهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ یَکُنْ رَکِبَ ذَلِکَ الذَّنْبَ بِعَیْنِهِ فَقَدْ عَصَی اللَّهَ فِیمَا سِوَاهُ مِمَّا هُوَ أَعْظَمُ مِنْهُ؛ وَ ایْمُ اللَّهِ لَئِنْ لَمْ یَکُنْ عَصَاهُ فِی الْکَبِیرِ وَ عَصَاهُ فِی الصَّغِیرِ [لَجُرْأَتُهُ] لَجَرَاءَتُهُ عَلَی عَیْبِ النَّاسِ أَکْبَرُ.»
It is appropriate for those who are free from faults and have been safeguarded from sins to show mercy towards sinners and those who commit wrongdoings. Their gratitude and praise for God should be so overwhelming that it prevents them from fault-finding and backbiting others. How can someone who finds fault in others criticize his brother for a fault or sin he has committed, while he himself is not free from flaws and God has concealed those flaws with His grace? Does he not remember that the sins God has hidden for him might be greater than the fault he criticizes in others? Truly, how can one condemn another for a sin that he himself has committed, or for a sin he might not have committed but has committed something even greater? Should he not instead focus on correcting himself? "By God, even if someone has not disobeyed God in major sins and has only committed minor ones, his audacity in criticizing others is itself a greater sin.
«یَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ لَا تَعْجَلْ فِی عَیْبِ أَحَدٍ بِذَنْبِهِ، فَلَعَلَّهُ مَغْفُورٌ لَهُ، وَ لَا تَأْمَنْ عَلَی نَفْسِکَ صَغِیرَ مَعْصِیَةٍ، فَلَعَلَّکَ مُعَذَّبٌ عَلَیْهِ. فَلْیَکْفُفْ مَنْ عَلِمَ مِنْکُمْ عَیْبَ غَیْرِهِ لِمَا یَعْلَمُ مِنْ عَیْبِ نَفْسِهِ، وَ لْیَکُنِ الشُّکْرُ شَاغِلًا لَهُ عَلَی مُعَافَاتِهِ مِمَّا ابْتُلِیَ [غَیْرُهُ بِهِ] بِهِ غَیْرُهُ.»
O servant of God! Do not rush to find fault with someone for a sin he committed, for perhaps he has been forgiven. And do not feel safe from the consequences of a small sin you yourself have committed, for perhaps you will be punished for it. Therefore, if any of you becomes aware of another's fault, let him refrain from criticizing it because of what he knows about his own faults. And if someone is free from faults and sins, then gratitude for this blessing should prevent him from fault-finding in others who are afflicted by sin. (Wisdom no. 40)
For this reason, Imam Sajjad, peace be upon him, has described "avoiding fault-finding" as one of the adornments of the pious. Thus, we must ask God Almighty to bless us with this divine virtue.
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