Friday sermon: Repel evil through good deeds

This week's sermon tells worshippers to repel wrongdoing through acts of kindness.

The best way to repel evil and wrongdoing is to act in kindness and perform good deeds, worshippers will hear on Friday.

Allah says: “And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon, the one who between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend. But none is granted it except those who are patient, and none is granted it except one having a great portion [of good].” (Fussilat: 34-35).

The sermon recalls a saying of Aysha, the Prophet’s wife. When she was asked about her husband’s merits, she said: “Allah’s Messenger neither talked in an insulting manner nor did he ever speak evil intentionally. Nor did he shout in the bazaar.

“He did not avenge a bad deed with a bad one, but forgave it, and thereafter overlooked it.”

The sermon also recalls Uqba Ibn Nafei’s account of asking the Prophet about the best of deeds and hearing him reply: “‘O Uqba, reconcile with whoever cuts you off, give to whoever deprives you and turn away from whoever wrongs you.”

The sermon says that those who are confronted with evil and respond by doing good will find that enemies will quickly become close friends as is inherent in the contagious nature of kind deeds.

Umar Ibn Al Khattab, one of the Prophet’s most trusted companions, said: “There is no better punishment for one who has disobeyed Allah with regard to you, than your obeying Allah with regard to him.”

Furthermore, those who display the attribute of tolerance can be regarded as possessing wisdom and will be rewarded in this world and the hereafter.

“And the retribution for an evil act is an evil one like it, but whoever pardons and makes reconciliation, his reward is [due] from Allah.” (Ash-Shura: 40).