GM sb made a fool of himself by falsely accusing me of saying that the principle of Ahsan is first revealed in the Quran abrogating the principle of reciprocity in the Bible when in fact I never said any such thing because both are contrary to the facts. He is now trying to cover up his discomfort by arguing that the two are different. He is entitled to his opinion. How does it hurt him or anyone else if I think that the Principle of Ahsan is the same and superior and it abrogates the previous rule? Is this an issue for him to work up such a mad frenzy?
The following is for those who wish to understand how the Principle of Ahsan is superior to the Principle of Reciprocity and not for windbags who merely wish to argue without any substance.
The Principle of Reciprocity asks us to do justice to the other applying the same standard that we expect to be applied to ourselves. The Principle of Ahsan is superior to the maxim of reciprocity and is a unilateral moral commitment to do the best we can without expecting the same from the other and without even desiring the same from the other under identical circumstances. It is applying a differential standard and not the same standard to the other and self. It asks us to apply a lighter more forgiving standard to the other than what we desire from the other. The Principle asks us to repel evil with what is good. It is conceivable that when wronged, we may think that the person who has caused us injury, or we ourselves in the same position, will not expect to be treated well, and may act according to such reasoning. The Quran gives no scope for such reasoning and instructs us to repel evil with what is good. For example, I neither expect nor desire that a person wronged by me overlook my fault. I would like to be told that I did wrong so that I can make amends. I wouldn’t like to go into the Hereafter having wronged and not made amends for it. However, the principle of Ahsan expects a much lower standard be applied to the other. It expects forgiveness, overlooking the wrong and not demanding or expecting compensation. This means that I do unto others what is better than what I would have them do unto me.
41:34. Nor can goodness and Evil be equal. Repel (Evil) with what is better: Then will he between whom and you was hatred become as it were your friend and intimate!
35. And no one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint,- none but persons of the greatest good fortune.
36. And if (at any time) an incitement to discord is made to you by the Evil One, seek refuge in Allah. He is the One Who hears and knows all things.
The Quran acknowledges that behaviour of such a high moral standard is difficult but shows the way to achieve such a standard and encourages us to follow the rule. This is more than forgiveness since forgiveness does not require returning what is good for the evil.
"Repel Evil with Good and Forgiveness:
This is the principle of Ahsan and an improvement over the principle of reciprocity " do unto others as you would have do unto you" in the previous scriptures."
Why can't you just quote a good principle such as the Ahsan principle without claiming that it is an "improvement" over the Biblical "Golden Rule"? They are both excellent principles. Your crazed one-up-manship is not just silly; it is offensive.
Good collection. Would like to add on item 47
Repel Evil with Good and Forgiveness:
This is the principle of Ahsan and an improvement over the principle of reciprocity " do unto others as you would have do unto you" in the previous scriptures. In verse 2:106, Allah says that Allah substitutes previous revelations by what is better, and this is one example of it.
41:34 Nor can goodness and Evil be equal. Repel (Evil) with what is better: Then will he between whom and you was hatred become as it were your friend and intimate! (35) And no one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint,- none but persons of the greatest good fortune. (36) And if (at any time) an incitement to discord is made to you by Satan, seek refuge in Allah. He is the One Who hears and knows all things.( (41:34 -36)
Repel evil with good to make enemy become an intimate friend. The verse also teaches that to act in such a manner requires a person to exercise patience and practice self-restraint. Such a person is described as the most fortunate person. Who would not like to become "most fortunate"? The verse shows a way to resist the temptation to return evil with evil by invoking God’s protection. Not only is the instruction to repel evil with good but how this may be achieved is also shown.
(3:133) Be quick in the race for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a Garden whose width is that (of the whole) of the heavens and of the earth, prepared for the righteous,-
(134) Those who spend (freely), whether in prosperity, or in adversity; who restrain anger, and pardon (all) men;- for Allah loves those who do good;-
(135) And those who, having done something to be ashamed of, or wronged their own souls, earnestly bring Allah to mind, and ask for forgiveness for their sins,- and who can forgive sins except Allah?- and are never obstinate in persisting knowingly in (the wrong) they have done.
Those who expect forgiveness from Allah must forgive (all) others, spend in charity and restrain their anger. Who does not need forgiveness of Allah and who would not like to be forgiven by Allah? Forgiveness of all is made both mandatory and easy for man because he is then entitled to forgiveness by Allah for all his sins.
Men are “qawwamuna” (guardian, protectors, caretakers ,standing guard, upholders of their dignity) over women, because God has given some more than others, and because they support them from their means, and the (fal-ṣāliḥātu ) righteous women are the truly (qānitātun) devout ones [ God fearing ] , who guard what Allah has ordered them to be guarded even in secrecy (lil'ghaybi) [ Allah has ordered both men and women to guard their furūjihim or chastity/modesty/private parts in verses 23:5, 70:29), And as for those women whose “nushuz” you have reason to fear, (faʿiẓūhunna) instruct/advise/admonish them; [ next ] then leave them alone in bed; then “hit” them; and if thereupon they pay you heed, do not seek to harm them. Behold, God is indeed most high, great ! [ Surah An-Nisa 34 ]
Nushuz is the opposite of the behaviour expected of them which is to guard what Allah has ordered them to be guarded (chastity/modesty/private parts) even in secrecy or in the absence of their husbands.
This verse is not about obedience to the husband but obedience to the commands of Allah. The husband is charged with the responsibility of taking care of their woman and her honour.
There is a contingent precedent to be satisfied before the husband can discipline his wife. The question is what kind of a woman would satisfy the condition precedent which is, “fail to guard her chastity/modesty in her husband’s absence” and not heed admonishment and other measures and correct herself and remain defiant? Such a woman, if she does not want to receive a beating, should ask for a divorce instead because there can be no compulsion in religion and a husband should not do anything against his wife’s wishes.
The need to appoint a “qawwamuna” or the upholder of the marital relationship, is important, and if both partners enjoy equal rights, then there is no qawwamuna to correct when things are going wrong. Any one of them misbehaving with infidelity for example, leads to the other also misbehaving likewise and breaking down of the marital relationship as is happening in western society. Islam appoints the husband as the “qawwamuna” or the upholder of the marital relationship, as he is most suited for the role as protector and provider, in the limited sphere of ensuring that his wife obeys Allah’s commands and guards what Allah has commanded to be guarded. Only a woman bent upon defying Allah’s commands would be bothered by this.
The husband as “qawwamuna” has both a duty to Allah and a right over his wife. He is answerable to Allah for protecting his wife and the relationship, without doing any injustice to his wife and without exceeding the bounds prescribed by Allah. In any relationship involving two or more people, one of them is clearly the leader. In every other matter except the subject under discussion, the wife can be the leader/decider and most husbands do listen to their wives and are most anxious of keeping them well-pleased. On the question of guarding what Allah has commanded to be guarded, a husband cannot abdicate his duty to Allah, nor the wife show defiance without attracting the consequences if they wish to remain within Islam.
This verse was relevant for the Pagan Society transforming into an Islamic society but not for most of the Muslim men and the Muslim women today, because modesty is deeply ingrained in them from their childhood. With the negative influence of western society on the Islamic norms of modesty, this verse has once again become relevant as a preventative and curative. The verses that helped us transform from a licentious Pagan Society into an Islamic one will also protect us from regressing into the same licentiousness from the influence of western society.