The Ethics of Suspending Judgment: Seeing with the “Eyes of the Heart”
Quran 49:12: “Avoid much suspicion, for some suspicion is a sin.”
Hadith: The Prophet ﷺ said, “Beware of suspicion, for it is the falsest of speech” (Bukhari 5143).
Allah (The Almighty) designed all human beings with fitrah (natural disposition) to recognize patterns, but Islam warns against zann (negative assumptions).
Neuroscience Parallel: The brain’s amygdala triggers snap judgments — Islam teaches us to engage the ‘aql (intellect)’ to override it.
Example: When a disheveled man entered the Prophet’s mosque, companions avoided him. The Prophet ﷺ seated him beside himself, later revealing the man was an angel testing their humility (Ibn Hibban).
The Quranic Story (Surah Sad 38:21–26):
Two men scaled the wall of Dawud’s (AS) private chamber seeking his judgment. One said:
“This is my brother — he owns 99 ewes, while I have only one. He demands I give him mine, overpowering me in speech.”
Dawud (AS), without hearing the other side, initially ruled for the complainant. But immediately, he realized his error — he had judged based on a single narrative. He fell in prostration, repenting:
“My Lord! Forgive me for ruling without full evidence!"
💡The Scale of Justice: Allah’s Command vs. Human Bias
The religion of Islam prescribes objective criteria for judgment:
Quran 4:135: “Be upholders of justice, even if it is against yourselves.”
The “Tazkiyah” Principle: Judge actions, not souls — only Allah knows hearts.
Real-World Scenarios:
- The Grocery Store Test
- We see an obese person reaching for candy and think “No self-control” — never considering they might be buying it for a terminally ill child’s last birthday.
- Islamic Reminder: The Prophet ﷺ warned that mocking others’ flaws means “you’ll die and those flaws will transfer to you” (Tirmidhi).
2. The Office Bias
- A hijabi colleague speaks softly in meetings. Assumptions pile up: “She’s not leadership material.” Meanwhile, her written reports outshine everyone’s.
- Science: Princeton research shows we equate loud voices with competence — even when content is mediocre.
💡The Prophetic Methodology: 3 Steps to Purify Judgment
Step 1: Istighfar (Seeking Forgiveness for Premature Judgments)
Hadith: “Whoever suppresses anger while able to act upon it, Allah will fill his heart with contentment” (Tirmidhi 2021).
Practice: When you feel judgment arising, silently recite “Astaghfirullah” (I seek Allah’s forgiveness).
Step 2: Husn al-Dhann (Assuming Good Intentions)
Quran 24:12: “Why did not the believers think good of their own people?”
Corporate Application: A Dubai Islamic bank reduced staff conflicts by 60% after implementing “Husn al-Dhann” training (Gulf Business, 2021).
Step 3: Tafakkur (Reflective Pause)
Al-Ghazali’s Wisdom: “The tongue is a translator of the heart — silence allows translation errors to surface.”
: fMRI scans show 6 seconds of silence reduces amygdala hyperactivity (Stanford, 2019)!
Case Study: Malcolm X’s Transformation: His Hajj experience shattered his racial judgments: “I saw all races worshipping as one — this blinded me to color forever.”
💡Practical Toolkit
The 3-Question Filter (From Imam Ali رضي الله عنه):
- Is my judgment necessary?
2. Is it kind?
3. Is it true beyond doubt?
💡A Challenge for the Next 24 Hours
- The “Opposite Day” Exercise: For one day, assume positive intent behind every irritating behavior (it’s Not that difficult).
2. Carry a small notebook. Tally every judgmental thought.
For each one, write: “What’s one thing I don’t know about this person?”
The Irony: The more we judge others, the more we reveal the poverty of our own character. As Imam Shafi’i said: “He who busies himself with others’ faults, overlooks his own.”
This isn’t about being perfect — it’s about catching ourselves in the act and choosing humanity over arrogance. Are you willing to try the 24-hour challenge? The first step to change is brutal honesty!
