A Lesson in Not Judging Others: My Embarrassing Moment

Assalamu alaikum, everyone. I want to start by admitting that I’m far from a perfect Muslim. I live in England, in a mixed area with both Muslims and non-Muslims. For the past six months at the gym, I’ve noticed a man who comes across as somewhat effeminate in the way he walks. Some people quietly laugh behind his back or look down on him. He seems Spanish and not Muslim. The area is a bit rough, and many Muslims here are working class or involved in things like drug dealing, so people can be quite tough and judgmental. I tried not to judge him openly, but honestly, I assumed his private life was probably full of sinful behavior. Still, I was polite-I’d nod and smile if I saw him at the nearby coffee shop. Then, today at that coffee shop, I sat next to him by chance. I glanced over and was shocked to see he was reading the Quran on his phone. All this time, I pictured him doing wrong in private, but instead he was engaged with the Quran. The guys at the gym who look down on him have no idea about his heart. I felt so embarrassed for thinking the worst of him just because of his walk. It made me realize he might actually be a better Muslim than me. I didn’t let on that I saw what he was reading, we chatted normally, and I shook his hand goodbye (he’s actually Moroccan, by the way). So this is a reminder, especially to myself, to never judge by appearances or assume bad things about others. The ones we look down on might have hearts purer than ours.