Acknowledging a mistake

Acknowledging a mistake and taking the necessary steps to rectify it is a very noble quality that not everyone is honoured to have. Only dignified and noble people can possess this quality. A person who tries to camouflage his mistake or who makes a lot of excuses to justify his error to save his honour is an unworthy person because this emanates from pride. Dignified and noble people always keep themselves far from this bad character. A person cannot be honest and sincere if he has the quality that made Shaitaan detestable in the eyes of Allah Ta'ala. It is a character that exposes a person to divine wrath. It is a character that deprives a person of his real well-being because it will prevent him from entering Jannah even if it is very little. Imagine the fate of those who have it in abundance!

The world is worried about cancer. This is also a cancer that destabilises the whole society and creates disorder and instability at all levels. On the contrary, this cancer, known as pride, will follow us and will ruin our life after death. Can someone claim to be clean if his body is associated with impurities? How can a person claim to be sincere, firm in Deen and clean when there is the impurity of pride in his heart!

Pride renders us unworthy and impure. It is very important and even indispensable to cleanse and purify ourselves of this impurity to be a good individual in the true sense of the word. And this is more important for those who do the work of Da'wah and address the public. They must understand that they may make mistakes when they speak. They may say something that does not exist just as they can deny something that exists.

There is an innumerable amount of mistakes that can slip while speaking. Errors are completely natural and inevitable. This cannot be denied. But what is bad and very bad is that a person refuses to retract when he learns of his mistake. He refuses to retract because this will disappoint him in front of the public. Thus, one prefers to keep the public in darkness and misguidance by concealing the truth. It is very unfortunate to see a person spending 10 to 15 precious years of his life to get degrees and diploma but even then, he does not think of getting rid of this impurity.

Thus, pride is a disease that falsifies one's judgment. That is, it makes one justify the unjustifiable and it makes one criticise that which is laudable for the sake of preserving one's own dignity or to be good in the eyes of people. A true Muslim considers the interest of Deen before his personal interest. He considers the glory of Deen before his own honour. In doing such, he will not dishonour himself but on the contrary he will honour himself. It is Allah Ta'ala who will grant him honour. No one can dishonour him when Allah Ta'ala will honour him. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) said that whoever humbles himself for the sake of Allah Ta'ala, Allah Ta'ala will raise him up.

[English version of "Reconnaite ene erreur" – Al Jamiat – Vol.6 No.12]