QURANIC PRINCIPLE: CHOOSE HARMONY OVER IDEALISM

In the Quran, while addressing matters of marital life, the following instruction is given: “Live with them in accordance with what is fair and kind; if you dislike them, it may be that you dislike something which God might make a source of abundant good.” (4:19)

This teaching is not limited to the relationship between husband and wife; it applies to all human relationships. The key to a successful social life in this world is for both men and women to consciously remember that if they find something displeasing in another person, that same person may also have a quality that is good and beneficial.

Therefore, one should overlook what is disliked in someone and accept them on the basis of what is good in them.

The truth is that no one in this world is perfect. Every person is born with some shortcoming. What usually happens is that when we experience someone directly, we become aware of their faults. However, the people we haven’t interacted with seem better simply because we don’t know their weaknesses. As a result, we subconsciously think that everyone else is good—except this one individual. But when we engage with others, we realize they have the same flaws as the first person.

So the idea of abandoning one person in search of someone better is flawed. The better approach is to develop a mindset of mutual understanding and coexistence. Searching for perfection leads nowhere, but learning to adjust enables a person to live peacefully with anyone and build a successful life together.