For dear readers, we divide the subject of favourable opinion in some kinds:
1 - Having good opinion about god of the universe.
2 - Favourable opinion in respect of the Islamic ruler.
3 - Having good opinion about Muslims.
As regards the first it can be said, with pressure, that if man does not have a good opinion about the Lord of the Universe, he looks with an angry eye toward everything in this world and always remains in a state of sorrow and anxiety and fear. Consequently corruption of morale envelopes his entire life and for getting out of this condition of internal grief and continuous burning, he, like polytheists, turns into a believer in a god of good and a god of bad or evil.
It is obvious that a Monotheist believes in one God and has faith that the Lord of the universe is all-knowing and Just and also that the working of the universe is aimful not aimless always experiences peace of mind and remains pleased with whatever Almighty Allah has destined for him, because, he knows that He is Merciful and that He wishes good of the faithful and that He puts them to trials to make them wise and perfect.
Therefore, there are many narrations from the Holy Imams (a.s.) wherein it is said that: We want nothing except Your pleasure. Masoom (a.s.) is reported to have said: Having good opinion about the only Lord creator is that you should not have any hope except from Him and must not be afraid of anything but your sins.
And regarding the second issue: A nation which elects a leader having Islamic virtues and conditions must always be obedient to him and also his well-wisher because only such nation can achieve prosperity and happiness.
The Prophet of Islam (s.a.w.s.) says in this regard: I stand surely for entrance to Paradise for the one who assures me five things! It was asked what those things were and he replied:
1 - Having good opinion about the Almighty Allah,
2 - Well-wishing for the Apostle of Allah,
3 - Favourable opinion about the Book of Allah,
4 - Having good opinion about the Religion of Allah and
5 - Wishing well for the Islamic society.
Similarly it is recorded from Imam Moosa Kazim (a.s.): The heart of a faithful always has three things: 1 - Sincerity in deed, 2 - Well-wishing for Muslim leaders and 3 - Remaining attached with the Muslim society.
The third problem - Misgiving about men
If the Islamic society, rather a human society adopts the Islamic laws and programmes, one of which is having good opinion, many disputes, rumours, hasty and undue decisions, doubtful news, falsities all of which rise from misgivings may be wiped out. Otherwise, the society will continue to suffer chaos and no one will be safe from others misgiving and all will be restless.
After concluding this them, we now invite your attention toward the verses and narrations about misgiving:
1 - O you who believe! Avoid most of the suspicion, for surely suspicion in some cases is a sun, and do not spy
2 - And follow not that of which you have not the knowledge; surely the hearing and the sight and the heart, all of these, shall be questioned about that.
3 - And most of them do not follow anything but conjecture; surely conjecture will not avail author against the truth
Traditions regarding Conjecture
Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) said: Have a good opinion about whatever is done by your brother-in-Faith and do not entertain misgiving in his word until you get a good place and carrier for him.
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: Try to find a good excuse and cause for any of your brothers' deeds. If you cannot find try again.
Similarly The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: Keep away from conjecture as conjecture is the worst lie
Somebody asked Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.); What is the distance between truth and falsehood. He replied placing his four hand fingers between his eye and ear: Whatever your eye saw is true and most of what you ear heard is untrue.
Wash whatever you hear like water and do not speak what you have not seen, that is, be like a mirror.
Evil Consequences of Conjecture
Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) said: O People! The one who sees tranquillity, steadfastness in religion and correct behaviour in his brother-in-Faith must not listen to talks spoken against him. Beware sometimes firing misses its target conjecture is not reality. A false word will eventually be rejected even if repeated increasingly because God is All-hearing and All-knowing. Also know that the distance between true and false is not more than four fingers. Then he placed his four fingers between his eye and ear and said: It is false when you say I heard and it is true when you say I saw.
In conclusion it can be said that consequences of conjecture means:
1 - Conjecture is a calamity that endangers the honour of the honourable and the servants of the society and the religion.
2 - Misgiving makes the market of rumourmongers flourish.
3 - Conjecture causes destruction of friendly and warn relations within family and market and office and workshop and everywhere and at all times.
4 - Suspicion encroaches upon the rights of the members of a society.
5 - Unfavourable guessing results in spying upon people's lives.
Ways of Curing This Dangerous Disease
This deadly disease can be remedied in two ways:
1 - First man must recognise the disease and always keep in mind its evil effects.
2 - He should try all must endeavour so that the noble Islamic culture rules over him and the society so that we remember that Allah is always watching and protecting us and that He is Omniscient, Allah-seeing and All-knowing; that He is aware of even our thoughts and imaginations: He knows the stealthy looks and that which the breasts conceal.
Then it must be realised that every spoken word and every taken step is being recorded and that it will have to be accounted for in the supreme court of Allah and that the Day will come when all of us will have to answer for all of our misplaced deeds and decisions and imaginations before Allah.
Some Essential Advice
A - Husn-e-Zann (having favourable opinion) is correct when the society is not corrupt or polluted. Ali (a.s.) says: When honesty and goodness is well spread in the society, it is oppression unjust to have a bad opinion about a person whose defects are not obvious. Of course when evil and immorality and corruption overtakes a society, having good opinion about one can prove deceptive.
B - Husn-e-Zann does not encircle un-Islamic militiamen or un-Islamic organisations because their designs and their foundations for working are based on secret and underground and they work for the destruction of Islam and Muslims.
C - One must keep distance from excessive favourable opinion, especially in money matters and in affairs that are in dispute among people because sometimes it can cause allegation and false accusation. In this connection Imam Sajjad (a.s.) has said: Excessive favourable opinion attracts allegation.
D - What is meant by conjecture is baseless belief and decision and it does not include tendency of heart or inclination of mind and hence it is not a doubt.