The beloved prophet Swalallahou Alaihi Wasallam came and brought religious values and perfection of living norms to mankind. He taught us to pray and ask only Allah Ta
ala and also be compassionate and kind to all living creatures. The perfection of faith and spirituality is when we have perfected the link to Allah Ta`ala and together ‘’opening up’’ to benefit other humans on social and religious grounds.
The concept of ‘’I have a personal life’’ or ‘’closing up’’ to avoid difficulties and bruises from others is not the ideal sunnah trend. Because when you have closed your avenues of meeting and socialising with people, then you will not be a means to benefit others.
Allah Ta`ala stresses that this ummah of ours has the best ummah and has the peculiarity of benefiting others:
‘’You are the best Ummah ever raised for mankind. You bid the fair and forbid the unfair, and you believe in Allah.’’(3:110)
Hazrat Umar r.a. used to say that note that ‘’best ummah’’ condition is attached to accomplishing the work given to you as encouraging others on the good and forbidding evil. Should you not fulfil this responsibility, then you will not be best Ummah.
In fact, man should be socialising with men and woman should be welcoming other women to her home(with permission of the husband/mahram). The tabligh jamaat system aim to establish this ideal sunnah trend. And this ‘’opening up’’ relationship is based on Qur-aan and sunnah.
In fact Allah Taala has sent lots of prophets and all of them opened their da
wa and invitation to the general population without exception of class or standards. They were the most accessible persons in their society. In this way, the prophets benefited the people.
We are aware that by ‘’opening up’’, then we will meet difficulties from people. Comments, jealousy, conspiracy and lots of harms. Allah Ta`ala responded for the prophet SAW when he was called ‘’an ear’’. That is the beloved prophet SAW used to open up to hear whoever would wish to talk to him. There was no protocols of reception or any prescribed time for the social hearing and everyone was believed at par, without discrimination.
وَمِنْهُمُ الَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ النَّبِيَّ وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ أُذُنٌ قُلْ أُذُنُ خَيْرٍ لَكُمْ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَيُؤْمِنُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
Allah Ta`ala says: ‘’And among them(the hypocrites) there are those who hurt the prophet and say: ‘’He is just an ear’’. Say: ‘’An ear is better for you.’’ He believes in Allah and trust the believers and is a mercy to those who pretend to believe amongst you(hypocrites).
On this sunnah trend of TRUTHFUL of opening up for the sake of propagating good words, one need lots of patience and that is why the Qur-aan exhorts us to encourage each other on PATIENCE: ‘’I swear by the Time, than man is in a state of loss indeed, except those who believed and did righteous deeds, and exhorted each other to follow truth, and exhorted each other to observe patience.’’(Surah Al `Asr)
The sunnah seerah of Rasouloullah SAW demarcates no limit as intermingling socially to promote Islamic values. In fact the beloved prophet SAW excels in character vis a vis vulgar or brutal assaults. Furthermore the beloved prophet SAW give the excellence of the one who intermingle with people and do patience:
عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْمُؤْمِنُ الَّذِي يُخَالِطُ النَّاسَ وَيَصْبِرُ عَلَى أَذَاهُمْ أَعْظَمُ أَجْرًا مِنْ الْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي لَا يُخَالِطُ النَّاسَ وَلَا يَصْبِرُ عَلَى أَذَاهُمْ سنن ابن ماجة
‘’A believer that intermingle with people and observe patience over their difficulties is of higher reward than a believer that do not intermingle with people so as to stay away from their harms.’’(Ibn Majah)
In fact the beloved prophet SAW said that there is no expectation of goodness from someone who is not approachable:
عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه ، أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، قال : « إن المؤمن يألف ، ولا خير فيمن لا يألف ولا يؤلف المستدرك للحاكم
The beloved prophet SAW said: A mumin keep ties with others. There is no goodness expected from someone who do not keep ties nor people keep ties with him.’’(Mustadrak Hakim)
In fact, according to another hadith the beloved prophet SAW said same as above and then added :’’The best of all people is the one who has benefitted others.’’(Tabrani)
In fact to start up on this sunnah trend of opening, the beloved prophet SAW delivered one of the first sermon when he reached Madinah:
قَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَفْشُوا السَّلَامَ وَأَطْعِمُوا الطَّعَامَ وَصِلُوا الْأَرْحَامَ وَصَلُّوا بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّاسُ نِيَامٌ تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ بِسَلَامٍ سنن ابن ماجة
‘‘O people! Spread salaam between you, feed people, keep family ties and read salaah when people are sleeping(tahajud), then you wil enter Jannah with peace.’’(Ibn Majah)
And the beloved prophet SAW later added that the complete salaam for men is to hold the hands(Tirmizi):
عَنْ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ مِنْ تَمَامِ التَّحِيَّةِ الْأَخْذُ بِالْيَدِ سنن الترمذي
In fact musafahah is done with two hands as is mentioned in Bukhari:
بَاب الْأَخْذِ بِالْيَدَيْنِ وَصَافَحَ حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ ابْنَ الْمُبَارَكِ بِيَدَيْهِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ مَسْعُودٍ يَقُولُ عَلَّمَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَكَفِّي بَيْنَ كَفَّيْهِ بخاري
Hammad took the hands with Abdullah bin Mubarak with both hands. (Bukhari)
There are numerous ahadiths in virtue of meeting muslim brothers. In fact, by meeting with salaam, this will increase muhabbat and unity.
So we need t set up of life trend according to this settings of sunnah. Living a personnal closed life is against the idealism of sunnah. Doing patience on difficulties of people is the core sunnah of the beloved prophet SAW. In fact we will do all that to be able to talk on greatness of Allah, importance of deen and pronounce a few words of the prophet SAW. Without opening up, we will not be able to do that.
On the other hand, the sunnah settings prohibits openings that attract fitnas. So please close up as to our profile pictures is concerned. One should not expose ones own picture on the profile pictures. It is against the morale of shariah to expose one
s beauty to the public as this is against the code of Islam.