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This title is derived from a hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in which he said: "Forgive the people of good qualities their slips," meaning that one should forgive the mistakes of those known among people for their virtue and goodness, so that their positive influence is not lost, and their example does not diminish among people.
The same principle applies to those who are generous, hold public responsibilities, and serve as role models, whose benefits extend to others. Such individuals may have some negative traits, among the most prominent being a sharp temper due to various reasons. It is advisable to overlook these sharp moments to continue benefiting from the good they have to offer.
Human nature is inherently imperfect, as the poet said:
"And who is it whose qualities are entirely pleasing?
It is enough nobility for a person that his faults can be counted."
History provides us with examples of individuals with sharp tempers, such as Imam Ibn Hazm, may Allah have mercy on him. Imam Al-Dhahabi wrote about him, saying: "He authored many books on rejecting analogical reasoning, engaged in debates on the subject, and spoke and wrote harshly, without showing respect to the Imams in his expressions. He used crude language and harsh criticism, which led many scholars to turn away from his writings, shun them, and even burn them at times. Yet, others among the scholars took an interest in them, scrutinizing them for both critique and benefit, finding in them precious gems mixed with worthless trinkets... In general, perfection is rare, and everyone is taken from and left, except the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
He possessed vast knowledge, excelled in transmission, and was skilled in both prose and poetry. He was religious, had good intentions, and his works were beneficial. He renounced leadership, staying at home, devoted to knowledge. We neither exaggerate in his praise nor neglect his contributions. Before us, the great scholars had already praised him."
This profound analysis by Imam Al-Dhahabi of Ibn Hazm’s personality provides us with a method for dealing with those who possess knowledge and generosity, even if they occasionally display sharpness, especially when there are legitimate reasons for it. Ibn Hazm himself mentioned that he suffered from a spleen ailment that caused him to feel irritable, short-tempered, and impatient, to the extent that he himself noticed the change in his behavior.
One remarkable example from the righteous predecessors concerning this topic is the advice given by Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq to Khalid ibn Al-Walid, may Allah be pleased with them both, as recorded in the books of history and battles. He said: "Treat well those among you from the Ansar with kindness in your companionship and gentle speech, for they have some irritability, bitterness, and roughness. They have rights, virtues, precedence, and a recommendation from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), so accept the good from them and overlook their faults, as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said. Peace and blessings be upon you."
The traits that Al-Siddiq knew about the Ansar, which he mentioned to Khalid ibn Al-Walid, that they have irritability, bitterness, and roughness; these are all signs of sharp temper, did not prevent him from treating them kindly, overlooking their faults, benefiting from them, and involving them in jihad.
All of this confirms the importance of utilizing the efforts of those with knowledge, virtue, and generosity, even if they possess some sharpness or harshness in their behavior that might drive others away from them. This is particularly relevant for the student with their teacher, as Ibn Jama’ah advised in his valuable book "Tadhkirat al-Sami’ wa al-Mutakallim fi Adab al-Alim wa al-Mutallim," where he recommended that the student should "bear with any harshness from their teacher or bad manners and not be deterred by it from continuing to study with them. They should interpret their teacher's actions that appear incorrect in the best possible way. If the teacher shows harshness, the student should be the first to apologize, seek forgiveness for what happened, and attribute the blame to themselves. This preserves the teacher's affection, protects their heart, and benefits the student in both this world and the Hereafter."
Some of the predecessors said: "Whoever does not endure the humiliation of learning will remain ignorant for life, and whoever endures it will ultimately achieve the honor of both this world and the Hereafter."
One of them said:
"Be patient with your ignorance if you harshly treat a teacher;
Be patient with your ailment if you harshly treat your doctor."
Imam Al-Shafi’i, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "It was said to Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah: ‘People come to you from all over the world, and you get angry with them. They may leave or abandon you.’ He replied: ‘They are foolish like you if they abandon what benefits them due to my bad temper.’"
Abu Yusuf, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "There are five people one must be patient with," and among them, he mentioned the scholar, to learn from their knowledge.
Thus, life revolves between the scholar and the learner. We must strive to continuously benefit from knowledge and learning and overlook the distractions that may prevent us from doing so, so we may succeed in both worlds.
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