Welcome to my 10 Rules for Writing Muslim Fiction series. There are corresponding podcast episodes on YouTube which you can watch alongside or instead of reading this post. I will update the page as I write more of the rules down. So come back in a months time to check if its been updated.
Rule 1 Enjoin Good and Forbid Evil
The first of these is “Enjoin Good and Forbid what is Evil”, which comes from the Quranic verses from Sura al-Imran: “Let there be a group among you who call ‘others’ to goodness, encourage what is good and forbid what is evil – it is they who will be successful” (3:104).
This is reinforced numerous times through Hadith (traditions of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him). For example, On the authority of Abu Sa’eed al Khudree who said, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah say, “Whoever from among you sees that an evil is being committed then, he should change it with his hands. And if he is unable to do that, then, with his spoken word. And if he is unable to do even that, then, with his heart (i.e., abhor it taking it to be evil) and this is the weakest degree of faith.” (Sahih Muslim, 49a)
Add to this the a verse from Sura al-Maida, “O believers! You are accountable only for yourselves. It will not harm you if someone chooses to deviate – as long as you are rightly guided. To Allah you will all return, and He will inform you of what you used to do.” (5:105)
One could stop with the first verse and present it as justification to forcibly bend people to your will. This would be how a villain may interpret this verse. However, this would be inaccurate, especially when viewed in conjunction with the broader instruction provided by the Qur’an and Hadith. When a person is in a position of power, they will act upon this injunction differently to someone in a weaker position.
It’s time for a bit of clarification. It’s easy to fall into the grand narrative idea of Good and Evil in Christian terms of being God vs the Devil. In Islam, God is All-Supreme, All-Mighty and has no equal. The Devil, or Iblees to give him his true name, was a survivor from an earlier creation of God that had been wiped out due to them causing corruption and bloodshed. Iblees was cast out because of his prideful refusal of God’s command to bow before Adam, the first human and Prophet. Iblees promised that would try and mislead the Children of Adam until Judgement Day, making him the enemy of the Children of Adam, not God. This is why God states in Sura Taha “So We cautioned, ‘O Adam! This is surely an enemy to you and to your wife. So do not let him drive you both out of Paradise, for you O Adam would then suffer hardship.” (20:117)
So Iblees, whilst clearly an evil entity, isn’t the evil that the Qur’an refers to in ‘refrain from evil’. There is no epic battle going on in the heavens. The battle is happening here on the earthly plain, in the hearts and minds of individuals. Ibn Kathir, a renown mufassir and historian of Islam, says that evil includes calamities things like drought, famine, lack of abundance, death of children, etc. These calamities occur as either a punishment for some sin or wrongful action committed by mankind, or as a test of faith, to see if we will respond with ingratitude, or worse by turning away from God. An example of this was the defeat of the Muslims during the Battle of Uhud. The defeat was caused by two factors, deserters from the battle and those who disobeyed the Prophet’s command not to abandon their posts. God clarified this in the Qur’an after the battle: “Indeed, Allah fulfilled His promise to you when you initially swept them away by His Will, then your courage weakened and you disputed about the command and disobeyed, after Allah had brought victory within your reach. Some of you were after worldly gain while others desired a heavenly reward. He denied you victory over them as a test, yet He has pardoned you. And Allah is Gracious to the believers.” (3:152)
“Remember when you were running far away in panic—not looking at anyone—while the Messenger was calling to you from behind! So Allah rewarded your disobedience with distress upon distress. Now, do not grieve over the victory you were denied or the injury you suffered. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.” (3:153)
“Then after distress, He sent down serenity in the form of drowsiness overcoming some of you, while others were disturbed by evil thoughts about Allah—the thoughts of pre-Islamic ignorance. They ask, “Do we have a say in the matter?” Say, O Prophet, “All matters are destined by Allah.” They conceal in their hearts what they do not reveal to you. They say to themselves, “If we had any say in the matter, none of us would have come to die here.” Say, O Prophet, “Even if you were to remain in your homes, those among you who were destined to be killed would have met the same fate.” Through this, Allah tests what is within you and purifies what is in your hearts. And Allah knows best what is hidden in the heart.” (3:154)
Therefore, good and evil are the things men and women do, which becomes the cause of reward or punishment of their deeds. The reward or punishment is decreed by God as either goodness (abundance, wealth, children and good health, etc), or evil (drought, famine, poverty, poor health, disease, etc).
So going back to the original proposition, to enjoin good and forbid evil is based upon a person’s ability and position. Commanding is for royalty, nobility, the rich and the influential. For the rest of us, gentleness is advised in our approach, as harshness usually results in a person feeling hard-done-by, insulted, or belittled, and in a worst-case scenario, they may even completely reject what you have enjoined, resulting in them indulging in even more evil. For example, if you see someone smoking during fasting, you may approach them and either shout at them, or gently advise them that smoking is not only bad for your health, but also breaks the fast. In the first approach, if the person doing the telling is a person of high position, the smoker is likely to stop the action immediately, however, he will still feel embarrassed, which is not the desired effect. In the second approach, any Muslim (or even non-Muslim for that matter) could take a more reasonable tone, for example: ‘Brother, I have noticed that you smoke a lot. It is common knowledge now that smoking is bad for the health, so you don’t need me tell you about that, however, did you know that it is considered impermissible in Islam now for that very reason. It also invalidates the fast because the smoke reaches your stomach. Furthermore, Ramadan is good time to attempt to quit smoking. Have you considered using Ramadan as a way of quitting smoking?’
A villain is likely to misinterpret ‘Enjoin Good, Refrain from Evil’ to lineup with whatever their own agenda is. Combine this with the idea of evil being something that we commit and the ill consequence of that action. We are commit evil sometimes, however, in most cases we know that we are doing something wrong. A villain may not have this self-awareness. Or their context may make it difficult for them to see it as evil. For example, a group of soldiers raped a man’s wife and daughter and then killed their family in front of them. The man survives and raises an army and then goes on a revenge rampage to wipe out everyone from the soldiers’ country. In this scenario, evil has begotten more evil. However, the man may feel that what he has suffered justifies his actions, and therefore would not see revenge as evil.
A hero is likely to be proactive in enjoining the best possible actions for the individual and society. For example, the hero sees people suffering from poverty and famine but does not have the means to alleviate it. She therefore sets out to raise awareness of this dire situation and starts a fundraising campaign to help those affected. Once the money has been raised, she takes an active roll in distributing food and resources to those affected.
An anti-hero may passively note that something is wrong and feel bad about not doing anything to stop it. This could then later lead to their redemption arc. So, let’s go back to the earlier war-crime scenario. One of the soldiers doesn’t take part in the raping and killing of the villain’s family. He is disgusted by what his unit are doing and says as much to them, but doesn’t do anything to stop it. This experience eventually leads him to dessert the army and seek a different life. However, when the villain comes rampaging through the village he has settled in, he recognises him and tries to make amends by offering himself as a willing sacrifice in order to save his village/
If the main or side character is in a weak position to start off, they may have some internal dialogue that suggests that the evil they are seeing is making them feel upset, or unwell. This may become a source of disquiet for them throughout the story. So perhaps, our war-crime survivor doesn’t go on a murderous rampage, but is wracked by PTSD. Or our saviour lady watches the news every day and cries over the horrors that are taking place in the world, but feels powerless to do anything other than share social media posts and give a few dollars a month to charity.
Rule 2 Do No Harm
The second rule is related to the first. In a hadith narrated by Abu Sa’eed al-Khudree that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm’. (Ibn Majah, 2341, Daraqutnee, 4:228 and Muwatta Imam Malik, 2:746).
This is a universal, legal and ethical principle in Islam, which applies in every public, private, social, political, legal matter. It covers physicals, emotional, psychological and financial harm. Reciprocating harm extends this principle to taking revenge or responding to harm with either equal or greater harm.
There are a number of Quranic verses that relate to this Hadith and principle. The first is in regards to legal recourse. A person should not take the law into their own hands and instead should seek legal recourse. In this regard, a harm can be punished to an equal amount, but forgiveness is advised as a higher path, one that will result in an expiation of sin.
“We ordained for them in the Torah, “A life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth—and for wounds equal retaliation.” But whoever waives it charitably, it will be atonement for them. And those who do not judge by what Allah has revealed are truly the wrongdoers.” (Qur’an, 5:45)
Then there is the rules of war. It is difficult to engage in war and not cause harm. But there are limitations placed by God on what is just and what is not.
“Fight in the cause of Allah only against those who wage war against you, but do not exceed the limits. Allah does not like transgressors.” (Qur’an, 2:190)
War was not permissible for Muslims until this verse was revealed after the migration to Madinah. There are several restrictions highlighted in this verse. First of all, fight only those who are fighting against you. Non-combatants are off-limits. If a fighter drops their weapon and surrenders, a Muslim cannot strike them down. If a woman, a priest of an old-man (who are normally considered non-combatants) take up arms against Muslims, they are then considered combatants. This does not include camp followers who are not actively fighting against the Muslims. Therefore, surgeons, priests, spouses, children in the enemy camp are not to be harmed.
There are clear opportunities here for writers to explore the conundrums and tests that such a broad ruling may apply to domestic, political, economic and martial situations. Going back to our survivor story, it is clear that the villain’s need for revenge is not justified Islamically. He could seek legal recourse, petition his ruler or even the commander of the soldiers to seek recompense. Remember, we have to separate empathy for his situation from his actions in response to his tragedy. This rule also works well with the anti-hero scenario as he is wracked by guilt, as ‘do no harm’ also extends to causing harm through inaction. Therefore, if a person lacks the physical ability or the bravery to verbally oppose wrongdoing, they must still think it evil and at the very least pray for the guidance of the perpetrators of evil and the salvation of the victims of evil.
So, to conclude, every Muslim writer or character should have this strong compulsion to want to enjoin good and stop evil and to avoid harm. As a writer, this should show in the choices you make about story, plot, character development and themes. If you are writing Muslim characters, this should be a central factor in the character development. If they are currently in a weak position, they provides the perfect impetus for a character arc in which they move from inaction to proactive response. If they are already proactive, this should give an opportunity to explore changes in their psyche, as doing good often changes you into a better person, and provide opportunities for reflection. If the character is either a villain or anti-hero, this also creates interesting opportunities for introspection, self-loathing and either a self-destructive arc or a redemption arc.
Rule 3: Actions are According to Intentions
Umar ibn Khatab heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) saying, “The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration was for what he emigrated for.” Sahih Bukhari 1:1, Hadith 1
Intentions linguistically means The determination of the heart. The core meaning of this tradition is that complete and correct actions don’t exist except for with intentions. A Muslim carries out actions with intentionality. When a Muslim sets out to do something, there should be a clear purpose for their intended action. Therefore a Muslim character doesn’t embark on a journey without a clear understanding of what is their purpose to make that journey.
Another factor to consider is that intentions stack. So a Muslim may have a primary intention for an action, but can also have secondary intentions too. So for instance, if a man was travelling to another country with the primary intention of getting married, they may also intend to visit their relatives and do some sightseeing. Furthermore, there is nuance at play in an intention too. So, a Muslim travelling to another country to get married may form an intention as follows, ‘I am travelling to this country to get married, as this is part of the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, and will allow me to protect myself from temptation and fulfil my obligations as a Muslim.’ This intention changes the act from one of worldly gain to an act of fulfilling a Prophetic command and the purpose God created us in pairs.
Therefore, when you are writing a Muslim character, they should be a person of clear intentions, and depending on how religious they are, their intentions will likely have an Islamic angle to them. For instance, a Muslim won’t simply think, ‘I’m taking a shower’. Rather they will think, ‘I am taking a shower so that I am clean and will be able to perform my prayers in this state’. Or, instead of ‘I am going to work’, they are thinking, ‘I am going to work so that I can support my family and give in charity’.
Lets put that into a scenario:
The devastation left behind by the invaders was horrifyingly breathtaking. Not a single building in the village had been left standing. Even the well had been despoiled. Bodies of men, women and children lay wherever they had been killed. Their bodies, like the buildings, had been burned. Abdullah vowed that he would bring the perpetrators to justice. He would hunt them down and dead or alive, he would bring them back to face judgement. That was his duty to the dead of this village and he would see it done.
The character in this passage has witnessed something horrific. He has made his intention to avenge the dead, but he has also considered how he will go about doing it and what justice will look like. He is not just going to set off in pursuit without understanding his purpose. Only by understanding the character’s motive can we make fair judgement on the results of their actions and hold them accountable.
Rule 4: Ends do not justify the means
Abu Barzah Al-Aslami narrated that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said: “The feet of the slave of Allah shall not move [on the Day of Judgement] until he is asked about five things: about his life and what he did with it, about his knowledge and what he did with it, about his wealth and how he earned it and where he spent it on, about his body and for what did he wear it out.” – Jami` at-Tirmidhi, 37:3, Hadith 2417
This heart-shaking hadith tradition builds on what we have understood from the previous principle. It is not just about your intended purpose and the consequences, but also how you went about achieving said purpose. In Islam, how you go about your business is as important as what you achieve by it. A person could have good intentions but do something bad to achieve the results, e.g. they want to establish a mosque, a hospital or school, but the money come from ill-gotten gains, such as gambling or theft. In this case, the good work of opening a hospital does not wipe out the sins committed in getting the money together. The hadith clearly points out that we will be questioned about what we did with our lives, how we used the knowledge that we gained, how we earned our wealth and what we spent it on, and what activities did we engage in to wear our bodies out.
A Muslim character who is engaged in illicit activity should be conflicted unless they have been so embroiled in sinful behaviour that they have stopped considering the legitimacy of it. But an inherent aspect of being a Muslim is a sense of regret over bad deeds. I have met Muslims who would consider themselves sinners, and they have been so long in these lives that they are hopeless about gaining forgiveness. As a result, they think themselves unworthy of redemption. Islamically, this is incorrect because we should always be hopeful of God’s forgiveness. One of the defining characteristics of God is that He is All-Merciful and Oft-Forgiving. Regardless, a Muslim character should feel remorseful and longing for forgiveness and escape from a life of sin.
Consider the following scenario:
Ghulam looked back at the wisps of dark smoke that rose up from the horizon. The horrors that he and his fellows had engaged were etched into his psyche. It would take many, many days before he would be able to sleep without remembering the screams of the villagers or the stench of their bodies burning. He had joined this band of raiders hoping that he would be able to make enough money to support his family. However, he had not envisaged that it would lead to him pillaging villages that looked like his own village and killing women and children that could have been his own family. He wondered if God would ever forgive him. More than that, he wondered if he would ever forgive himself. Ghulam knew with grim certainty that he and his fellows would one day burn in the fires of hell for their actions.
In this passage, our POV character is riddled with horror and guilt over the actions that he has committed. His intention had been good, to try and support his family by earning coin. However, the means were incorrect and the consequences were deplorable. If the character is a Muslim, he should be considering not just the worldly consequences but also facing the Judgement of God.
Imam al-Shatibi, the author of al-Muwafaqat, considers that an action should only be judged once the consequences have also been weighed, however the consequences may contradict the stated objective. Another venerated scholar, al-Sanusi, clarifies that this could be the result of three factors:
- Wrong intentions to attain an unlawful objective through permitted actions
- Abuse in using the right
- Implementing rules in the wrong context
Therefore a Muslim should weigh their intentions, use lawful means and seek positive outcomes.
Rule 5: Actions are According to their Endings
The Prophet (ﷺ) looked at a man fighting against the pagans and he was one of the most competent persons fighting on behalf of the Muslims. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Let him who wants to look at a man from the dwellers of the (Hell) Fire, look at this (man).” Another man followed him and kept on following him till he (the fighter) was injured and, seeking to die quickly, he placed the blade tip of his sword between his breasts and leaned over it till it passed through his shoulders (i.e., committed suicide).” The Prophet (ﷺ) added, “A person may do deeds that seem to the people as the deeds of the people of Paradise while in fact, he is from the dwellers of the (Hell) Fire: and similarly a person may do deeds that seem to the people as the deeds of the people of the (Hell) Fire while in fact, he is from the dwellers of Paradise. Verily, the (results of) deeds done, depend upon the last actions.” Sahih Bukhari 81:82, Hadith 6493
The last verse of this hadith, Inamal A’Malu bil Khwatim is a counterpoint to the first part of the first hadith: Inamal A’malu Biniyat. A Muslim should be wary of how things end. Merely good intentions and doing good things isn’t a guarantee that something good will happen. A person could be good their entire life but end up causing the death of many because of a faulty action. Or a person could live their entire life as a villain but their life may end whilst doing something heroic that saves lives. We have an example of this in Star Wars, with Anakin’s fall into darkness and rebirth as Darth Vader. He becomes notorious for his evil actions. And yet his last action is to sacrifice himself to save his son, and by the same virtue saves the galaxy from the tyranny of an evil emperor. George Lucas even shows him as a force ghost alongside Yoda and Obi Wan, suggesting his final act was enough to redeem him.
Lets bring together our two characters, Abdullah and Ghulam, and see how we can bring this principle into the story.
Ghulam was bleeding from several wounds. He was starting to feel light-headed. Across the way, his fellow raiders had encircled Abdullah and were slashing at him with great relish. Abdullah and Ghulam had managed to kill a number of them but Ghulam had hesitated and it was likely going to cost both of them their lives. Beyond Abdullah a woman and her two daughters huddled together, their terrified faces revealing that they too would pay dearly for Ghulam’s error of judgement. However, they would face unbearable torment before the raiders took their lives. Ghulam could not allow that. His complicity and silence had doomed too many in the past. He would not let these women suffer the same consequences. Ghulam reached for his sword one last time and then slowly stood up. The faces of all that he had killed flashed before his eyes once again. This time, instead of recriminations, the faces willed him on, to fight in their memory and give them some sort of peace. Ghulam roared and charged at his former companions.
We have come full circle with our two characters. Ghulam, our anti-hero has begun his journey to redemption by seeking to ally himself with Abdullah, to seek vengeance for the people that he and his fellow raiders had killed. Whilst his life has been spent poorly in the past, he started with good intentions and now his ending will be a good ending. Yes, he is likely to die, but in doing so will spare the lives of Abdullah and the three women.
In summary, Muslim characters should be mindful of their intentions, the means they choose to carry out their objectives and also be wary of how things end.
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