Some Ahadith regarding good opinion

1.   ‘اِنَّ حُسْنَ الظَّنِّ مِنَ الْاِيْمَان’, i.e. ‘Indeed, having a good opinion is a part of faith.’ (Tafseer Ruh-ul-Bayan, under the verse ‘ان بعض الظن اثم’ vol. 9, p. 84)

2.   The Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم addressed the Ka’bah and said, ‘How magnificent you are and how pure is your atmosphere! How great you are and how great is your sanctity! By the one in whose power is the soul of Muhammad (صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم), the sanctity of a believer in terms of his wealth, his life, and to assume nothing of him but good is greater to Allah Almighty than your sanctity.’ (Ibn-e-Majah, vol. 4, p. 319, Hadith 3932)

3.   ‘حُسْنُ الظَّنِّ مِنْ حُسْنِ الْعِبَادَةِ’, i.e. ‘Good opinion is an excellent worship.’ (Abu Dawood, vol. 4, p. 388, Hadith 4993)

Hakeem-ul-Ummat Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه states: Having a good opinion of Muslims and not having a bad opinion of them is one worship from the excellent forms of worship. (Mirat-ul-Manajih, vol. 6, p. 621)

Dear Islamic brothers! No doubt, having a good opinion of a Muslim is a good deed, but the accursed Satan will try his utmost to deter us from this and will attack us again and again so that we fall into having a bad opinion of others. Sometimes, Satan attempts to deceive us into having a bad opinion by whispering to us, ‘This is your awareness and intelligence, and as you are a believer, and a believer sees with the light of Allah Almighty, you have uncovered the reality through your believing insight.’ But the reality is that he has fallen prey to the trap of Satan and has fallen into the sin of having a bad opinion.

Similarly, if we need to speak to someone regarding an important matter over the phone, we hold a good opinion the first or second time they don’t answer, but if the phone is not answered after trying several times, relentless bad opinions, backbiting, accusations, and hurtful words ensue. Even if another person tries to give the call to righteousness on such an occasion regarding having a good opinion,