Talk to People According to Their Level

Assalamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh, Auzu Billahi Minashaytanir Rajeem. Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem, Wassalatu Wassalamu ala Rasulina Muhammadin Sayyidul Awwalin wal Akhirin, Madad Ya Rasulallah, Madad Ya Sadat As’habi RasuLillah, Madad Ya Mashayikhina, Dastur Mawlana Sheikh Abdullah Faiz Daghestani, Sheikh Nazim al-Haqqani. Madad. Tariqatunas sohba, wal khayru fil jamiyya.

Some people get upset and trouble themselves for unnecessary reasons. Why? Because they deal with people they should not have dealt with. They don’t know whom to talk to. Everyone has their duty. As everyone does not have equal Adab and education, there are many people who put themselves in trouble. You have to understand that you should talk to everyone according to their level and intellect.

A Hadith Sharif says, I think it is a Hadith of our Holy Prophet ﷺ, Allah ﷻ knows. Speak to people according to their intellect. When you speak to a clever person cleverly, he understands. Those who are not clever do not understand. You attempt for nothing and get upset. And then they tell you bad words that you get angry and start speaking even more trying to defend yourself. It will get worse and turn into a fight then. Your level will go down then. It is because there are people who are low and those who are higher and higher. Do not deal with people who are low. If you try to explain the issue to them when they speak, it is useless. If you try to explain to them the truth, they won’t understand. It is better not to deal with them at all. You go down to their level when you deal with bad ones.

Our Holy Prophet ﷺ has a famous Hadith. Someone was swearing at Sayyidina Abu Bakr (ra) in front of our Holy Prophet ﷺ. Sayyidina Abu Bakr (ra) stayed patient and did not reply. Our Holy Prophet ﷺ smiled and kept silent. Sayyidina Abu Bakr (ra) showed patience till he gave a reply with Adab at last. Our Holy Prophet ﷺ left the place immediately. Adab comes from our Holy Prophet ﷺ. He has the highest Adab. He has never shouted at someone or got upset at anyone. When he didn’t like something, he would remain quiet or leave. Sayyidina Abu Bakr (ra) understood that there was a mistake and asked him, “What is it, ya RasuluLlah? Why did you leave? What was my mistake? You got upset and left, whereas you were smiling when he was swearing at me”. Our Holy Prophet ﷺ said, “When he was swearing at you, Allah ﷻ assigned an angel for you who was replying to that man. When you started speaking, shaytan arrived. I don’t stay in the presence of shaytan. That is why I left”.

People assume that they are doing something good. And when they want to defend themselves, it is not defense anymore but self-harm. Therefore, everyone should evaluate the person in front of them whether he is worth talking to. If he is worth it, you can talk. If he is not worth it, it is better not to deal with him at all. That’s because some people are low, as we said. And you fall down with them. You go down to their level. May Allah ﷻ protect us. May Allah ﷻ help us control our ego and may He make us successful in that. It is the ego because we think that we are doing something good, whereas that goodness turns out as badness to ourselves. May Allah ﷻ protect us.

Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq. Al-Fatiha.

Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbani 28 May 2021/16 Shawwāl 1442 Morning Prayer, Akbaba Dergah