PRAISE BE TO ALLAAH, THE LORD OF THE WORLDS. MAY THE PEACE AND BLESSINGS BE UPON MUHAMMAD, HIS LAST MESSANGER, HIS HOUSEHOLD, HIS COMPANION, AND ALL THOSE WHO FOLLOW HIM TILL THE LAST DAY.
And you can take that to the bank. Yes it is true, you can never please everyone; so it is so futile and unrewarding - to even try. At every turn and at each bend, several of us are obsessed with seeking the pleasure of our fellow mortals. Still, hard as we try; we will always come up short with many of them. We will never satisfy them, they will always have something negative to say about us.
To them, we are extremist in our deen, intolerant in our akhlaq [manners], haughty, pompous and condescending! To others, we are too permissive and not zealous enough about the deen and about life! And this is the same for all facets of our lives.
Not the Case For You!
While it is desirable to wish to please people, it should never be the purpose of life. It is just not attainable, so why try? Ibn Muflih in AI-Adaab al-Shariyyah reported this by Prophet Moosaa (alayhisalam) said: 0 my Lord, the people say things about me which are not (i.e. not true)! So Allah revealed to him: O Moosaa. I did not make that (privilege) for Myself, so how can I make it the case for you? See, People are even displeased with Allaah! A man said to al-Hasan al-Basree (RAH): The people sit around you so that they may find fault with you! So he said, Indeed, I encouraged my soul to aspire for Paradise so it aspired for it. Then I encouraged it to aspire for salvation from Hellfire and so it aspired for it. Then I encouraged it to aspire for salvation from the people. But I didn’t find a way to that. Indeed the people were not pleased with their Creator although He provides for them, so how can they be pleased with another creation like themselves? (AI-Bidaya wal- Nihaya)
Be With the Obedient People
Maalik ibn Dinaar (RAH) said: Since I have known (the reality of) people, I have not taken delight in their praise nor have I hated their criticism.
It was said to him, Why is that? He said, the one who praises from amongst them is excessive and the critic from amongst them exaggerates!" (Tariq Dimashq) Imam ash-Shaafiee: There is nobody except that he has someone who loves him and someone who hates him. So if that’s the case, let a person be with the people who are obedient to Allah "azza wa jalla! (as they love and hate for the Sake of Allah and they are not unjust) (Hilyat al-Awliya)
Finally, do not worry yourself to death with pleasing the people. Seek to please Allaah and the people will be pleased.
Muaawiyah (RA). On becoming the Ameer of the Muslims, asked Aisha (RA) for advice. The response of the Mother of the Believers was succinct, yet incisive. Aisha (RA) wrote to Muaawiyah (RA): Salamun alayk. Amma ba’d [And after this], I have heard the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) say. Whoever gains the Pleasure of Allah by the anger of the people (i.e. thereby gains their anger). Allah suffices him of the people’s troubles. And whoever gains the pleasure of the people by the Anger of Allah (i.e. in the process he gains His Anger), then Allah leaves him to the people. Wa-Salaamu alayk. [Tirmidhi]
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited