Exercise Your Imagination

Scenario 1

Caring

Scenario 2

Sneaky

Scenario 3

Indifferent father and rowdy children

Scenario 4

Celebrity

Scenario 5

Angry mother

Lets evaluate our handiwork

‘ Caring Person?’

‘Sneaky?’

‘Indifferent father and rowdy children?’

‘Celebrity?’

‘Angry mother?’

Don’t put people in boxes. They are not objects.

A Proverb “No matter how thin a slice you cut, it will always have two sides.”

Hadith Make 70 excuses when a bad thought enters your mind about a Muslim brother.

Allah (swt) has said in the Qur’an, يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ “O you who believe! Avoid much suspicions; indeed some suspicions are sins.” [Surah Al Hujrat 49: verse 12]

Lazy

How does one feel when in the box? Uncomfortable Dejected Depressed Scared Claustrophobic Hopeless

Two types of boxes Created by others Created by self

Created by others Think objectively Put your feelings aside Analyze the label Accept or reject Forgive and forget Move on with life

Created by Self Difficult to identify “ I can’t ……” Accept that you have put yourself in the box Know that Allah (swt) has made life as a challenge Believe that you are the best creation of Allah (swt) Believe that you can do better Take small steps towards your goal Give your best Focus on your efforts and not on the result Know that your efforts will eventualy be rewarded Make lots of duas and seek guidance and help from Allah (swt)

Evaluate the label and make required changes

Realize that it is a very feeble box

You can break out of it

Don’t keep yourself in the box created by others or by your own self

What’s the harm in putting a bad label on someone?

You are unable to see that person’s good points

Allah Doesn’t Stay In Hearts That Have Bad Thoughts For Others

What’s the harm in putting a good label on someone?

We put them on a pedestal

Our expectations become high

They can make mistakes

We get disappointed

LESSONS I can make mistakes Others can make mistakes Tolerance

Word of Caution Make excuses for others but NOT for yourself Realize that it is not your right to make mistakes You should do your utmost to avoid them

Think outside the box Don’t put others in the box and don’t be in the box yourself Look beyond the obvious

Operating Certainty: “Everyone is sound and free of error.” No assumptions! No judgements! No suspicions!