Majesty of Divine Speech - Episode 3 Conflict Resolution

Majesty of Divine Speech - Episode 3: Conflict Resolution

Opening and Divine Guidance on Conflict Resolution

I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan.

"And if two groups of the believers fight, then make peace between them. But if one of them transgresses over the other, then fight the one that transgresses until it returns to Allah's command. But if it returns, then make peace between them in justice and equity. Indeed, Allah loves those who are just."

"The believers are but brothers, so make peace between your brothers. And fear Allah that you may receive mercy."

The Dynamics of Conflict and Neutrality

Then all of you, the reconciler, the one who was making peace between them was neutral or one-sided? It was neutral. And the side that didn't violate the treaty. Now they become two parties against one party.

Now you have to fight that third party that violated the treaty. You know a lot of times when there's conflict between two Muslims, or two Muslim groups, or two, you know, in masajid there's drama all the time. Not this one, inshallah, but masajid all over the country I've seen plenty of drama.

The Problem of Recurring Conflict

Right? And what happens is you have two groups of Muslims. And they make peace between them. And they shake hands and there's hugs and all of this stuff.

And they leave this meeting and one of them picks up the fire and lights it again. And then everybody says, you know what, let's just leave them alone. We shouldn't, don't make the situation any worse.

The people say, don't make the situation any worse. So yes, they're being bad, but you know what, we can't do anything about it. If we say anything, it'll make the matters worse.

Allah says, if one of them rebels, if one of them violates the treaty that was openly made, then everybody else has to get together and get on their case. So it's not between group A and group B anymore. It's against group A versus all the Muslims, whether they're from group B or not.

Because they violated a treaty, you understand? If you don't do this, the fitna will remain. If you do this, the fitna will be crushed. But now look at the words.

The Linguistic Beauty of "Returning" - Tafi'

You know, faa in Arabic is to return. And there are many words in Arabic for returning. There's raja'a, there's 'ada. There's plenty of words in Arabic for returning. And every one of them have their own shade. If you were doing well, like you got healthy.

You used to be sick and you became healthy. And you went back to being sick again. The word used is 'ada. Meaning you go from a bad state and you return to a... Or you go from a good state and you return to a bad state. But when you go from a worse state and you become better. You return to a better situation.

The word used is not 'ada, it is faa. And look, Allah says (حَتَّى تَفِيءَ - "Until they return.") But what version of returning is used? The version of returning that implies if they come back to the peace treaty.

Then that is what is better for them. They're thinking that they're fighting because the fighting is better for them. And Allah is telling them just by using the word (تَفِيءَ - tafi') that when they come back and they respect the resolution that they themselves signed off on.

They themselves agreed to in public. That that is in fact what is better for them. And this resolution was not revelation, right? This resolution or this agreement that was made between Muslims.

Was a shura between Muslims. It was done. All these parties together they decided this is what we're gonna do.

But Allah says they return not to the resolution. He says (حَتَّى تَفِيءَ إِلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِ - "Until they return to the command of Allah.") The command of Allah.

From Human Agreement to Divine Command

Now, what is Allah's command here? Allah's command is that islah that the Muslims made among themselves. Now that became part of the command of Allah. So you have to come back to it.

It's a religious obligation (حَتَّى تَفِيءَ إِلَى أَمْرِ اللَّهِ - hatta tafee' ila amri Allahi) Subhanallah, look at the injunction. The institution in our deen to protect us from going into worse and worse scenarios of infighting.

The Challenge of Trust and Reconciliation

And then look at the final words really gets you. Allah says (فَإِن فَاءَتْ - "If in fact you know they violated the treaty and everybody got on their case. And they said okay fine we're coming back to the treaty.")

We're coming back and respecting the original resolution. Once they've rebelled everybody's got a bad taste in their mouth. And they're thinking these people can't be trusted.

Remember what they did two months ago? Remember what they did last year? They started fitna less. Now they're saying they're okay but we know they're not really okay. So when you don't trust someone and when you say they're not worthy of your trust.

What you are saying in between the lines is they are not true believers, right? And how did the ayah begin? The conflict. What do you have to assume on both sides? True belief. Iman.

So they say we're coming back and we're going to respect the resolution that were made. The reconciliation that was passed. You have to give them benefit of the doubt.

"And if they come back then make reconciliation." Don't say no you can't be trusted. We can't take your word anymore.

This happens, this is real life. When people like that come back you say how can we trust them? They have a bad track record. Allah is speaking about people who have a bad track record.

- The bad track record has already been mentioned. Despite that you give them benefit of the doubt. But then you make sure of one more thing.

Wisdom in Reconciliation - Not Gullibility

See Allah doesn't want us to fall into this gullible situation where we say everybody is brothers, let's just trust one another. Because the Muslim he doesn't trip by the same, you know he fall into the same snake hole twice, right? The Muslim is wiser than that. And the ahkam of Allah have wisdom more than that.

So when Allah calls us to make reconciliation again, He adds some words (فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا بِالْعَدْلِ وَأَقْسِطُوا - fa aslihu baynahuma bil 'adli wa aqsitu) "Then make reconciliation between them with two things." He says make reconciliation between them, reconcile between them with (عَدْل - adl)

Two Types of Justice: 'Adl and Qist

(عَدْل - adl) have you heard this word (عَدْل - adl) before? It means justice. And then He says (أَقْسِطُوا - aqsitu) Comes from the word qist. You know what qist means in English? It also means justice.

He says (فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا بِالْعَدْلِ وَأَقْسِطُوا - fa aslihu baynahuma bil 'adli wa aqsitu) or He doesn't say (فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا بِالْعَدْلِ وَاعْدِلُوا - fa aslihu baynahuma bil 'adli wa'dilu) He doesn't say . (فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمَا بِالْقِسْطِ وَأَقْسِطُوا - fa aslihu baynahuma bil qisti wa aqsitu) . He uses two different words.

In English you read the translation and it says "Reconcile between them with justice and be fair." And be fair. Now when you think of justice in English or think of being fair in English it's the same thing, right? To be fair and to be just.

I want justice, I want fairness. It's the same thing. So Allah is not saying exactly the same thing.

He's not using a synonym. He uses (عَدْل - adl) one time and (قِسْط - qist) the other time. And if you understand the difference, Subhanallah how Allah protects this ummah from fitna.

Public vs Private Justice

(عدل - adl) - Allah says when you make reconciliation between them make sure there is (عَدْل - adl). (عَدْل - adl) means that you do justice but you do justice publicly. There's a very big difference. You know if there's a trial, there's a fair trial, there's a qualified judge, there's proper evidence, there's good lawyers on both sides, all of this stuff, right? But the trial is secret.

No cameras, no jury, nobody. Closed doors. And the judge comes out and says I've passed my decision and it's a fair trial.

Are the people going to believe him? No. Because the people demand something. They demand, how did you make this decision? How come we didn't see the trial? The more secret a trial is, the more people are convinced corruption is involved.

And the more open a trial is, the more people are satisfied that there is justice. So when this meeting happens between two Muslim groups that are fighting, when you want to reconcile between them after one has violated already, it's not a closed door meeting anymore. The first time even there's room for closed door meeting because you don't want propaganda to spread or bad news to spread in the Muslim community, bad name to spread.

But if the situation has escalated, now we're in the second stage of the problem, then you have to make it a public display where everybody knows. These are the evidences, this is what happened, so all the parties are satisfied. Do you see the evidence? Do you have anything to say against it? What's your proof against it? Make your case.

So the case is done publicly. Why is this important? Because once this is done, when they go back, can they say to anybody "Well that wasn't a fair trial"? Because everybody was there. They'll say what do you mean it's not a fair trial? It's on YouTube, I saw the whole thing. It's open.

Individual Responsibility - Qist in Personal Affairs

But then Allah says to the ummah at large, when you make reconciliation between Muslims in this worst case scenario, and then finally for all Muslims use qist. And this is personal advice. The first part was advice to the community that wants to reconcile. The second part of the ayah, this is for each one of us individually.

Because qist is different from 'adl. 'Adl is public justice. Qist is justice whether you're in public or in private. You have to be fair at work whether your boss is watching you or not. You have to be fair on the road. Small things like that on the road. Somebody has right of way and you go on the service road and you cut them off. You've been unjust.

We don't think about these things, right? Because we don't think 'adl applies on the road, it applies in the masjid. You're not giving... You promised your wife something or your children, you're not giving it to them, you're not being fair. You made an agreement with a brother, you're going to pay him back and you don't call him back and you send his calls to voicemail, right? You're not being fair.

So Allah says whether public or private, we have to be fair. And the word for that is qist.

"And be just. Without a doubt Allah loves the muqsitin (those who are just)."

The Essence of Brotherhood Among Believers

And then he says the ayah we're going to end with, inshallah ta'ala:

And innama is a difficult word to translate in English. I like to use the terms "Believers are nothing more than brothers to one another." All they amount to with each other is brothers.

Now Allah didn't say (إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَهُمْ - innama al-mu'minuna ikhwatun fa aslihu baynahum) "Believers are brothers so make peace between them." Allah didn't say that. Allah said "True believers, all they are to each other is brothers."

"Reconcile between your brothers."

Grammatical Shift: From Third Person to Second Person

You know even the younger kids here, you know the difference between second person and third person. Third person is when you're talking about someone. Second person is when you're talking to someone. When I say he or she, what person is that? I know it's English class but still, that's third person. When I say you, who is that? Second person.

The ayah begins in third person. "Believers are brothers." That's all they are. "Believers are brothers." This is third person. But then Allah says "Make peace between your brothers." What person is that? Second person.