If the boat has a hole in it, then we will all drown!

If the boat has a hole in it, then we will all drown!” There are other examples in the traditions such as the one in which it states that if a store in the shopping market of town catches fire, then when the people who work in that plaza get together to help put out the fire, the owner of that shop has no right to say “Why are you interfering here - this is my shop!” Since in reply, the people would say, “We too are working in this same plaza and it is possible that the fire from your shop may also affect and burn down our shop.” These two examples are accurate portrayals of the philosophy behind Amr bil Ma'ruf and Nahi 'Anil Munkar and are proof that this is a general responsibility for all people since we all share a common eventual end.

The thirteenth characteristic of the true believer is that he does not irritate people who irritate him. In the Islamic understanding, we have two terms which are different from one another: 'Adalah: The meaning of this word is: To that amount that you have been oppressed, you are permitted to oppress the other party (not more than this). Fadilah: This is something other than 'Adl or justice and in reality, is what we refer to as 'Afw or forgiveness.

By this we mean that we do good to a person who does bad to us and this is one of the greatest characteristics, such that the Prohpet of Islam (S) has said: يُعْطى مَنْ حَرُمَهُ. “The person who has prevented you (from something) should still be given (his right).” يُعْفَو عَنْ مَنْ ظَلَمَهُ. “The one who has done oppression should be forgiven.” يُصَلِ مَنْ قُطِعَهُ.

“Try to establish ties with the one who broke off relations.” The perfect true believer does not go after 'Adalah, rather, he goes after Fadilah. The fourteenth characteristic of a true believer is that he does not interfere in things which are not his business. The phrase in this tradition [ما لا يعينه] is in the meaning of [ما لا يقصده] which means that the true believer stays away from anything that is not related to himself.

One of the most important challenges that people face is when others interfere in things which are none of their business. This even happens at the level of government and also as we see when one country tries to interfere in the affairs and business of another country. The fifteenth characteristic of a true believer is that if another person falls into a tribulation, he does not rejoice at the misfortune of that person.