It is not possible for a human being to know the inner state of another person and he cannot know all secrets of someone’s heart. Therefore, one should not form an opinion about others in haste but should wait with patience. A person deems someone evil, but he himself then becomes worst than that person.
It is narrated that a pious person promised to God that he would consider everyone better than himself, and he would not consider anyone less than himself. People do suggest such things to please their loved ones.
One day as he arrived at the river bank, he saw a man having food with a young lady. He had a bottle in his hand, and he kept drinking from it and was also serving drinks to the lady.
Upon seeing this from some distance, the pious man thought ill of them that although I have pledged that I shall not consider myself better than anyone, but I am certainly better than these two. Suddenly there came a storm in the river and a boat capsized along with passengers. The same man who was eating with the lady got up and rescued six of the passengers.
Then he addressed the person who was thinking ill of him stating, ‘You consider yourself better than me; I have rescued six of them, now you should go and save the one last person.
He was astonished and asked who did you read my mind. The person replied: ‘God had sent me to test you and informed me about your intentions. There is river water in the bottle and not wine, the woman is my mother and I am her only son. She looks young due to her good health. God had appointed me to give you a lesson.’
It is essential not to judge others hastily.
(Malfuzat, Vol. 2, p. 248–249, Vol. 4, p. 265–266)