During this halaqah held at the Xhamia e 4Llullave (Hasan Beg) in Pristina, Kosovo, earlier this year, Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan gives us a heartbreaking, yet much needed reminder that sometimes our own family members will be the ones that hurt us the most.
Focusing on the story of the two sons of Adam (AS), Ustadh highlights the ayat from Surah Al-Ma'idah (27-30) in which one of the two sons' sacrifice was not accepted by Allah, resulting in him threatening to kill his brother. The brother's response is where the key lesson lies; he was not passive by simply accepting of his murder, he did in fact attempt to defend himself. However, he made it clear that his intention was not to retaliate and kill, due to his taqwa - i.e. his fear of Allah. He also prayed that his murderous brother would bear his sins, along with his own, for this grievous sin.
Using this example, Ustadh Nouman emphasizes that we do have rights, even against our own family members, and it's not incumbent upon ourselves to humiliate or sacrifice ourselves from them, especially if they refuse to listen or, in extreme cases, aim to cause harm.
