Reminder: There is nothing but myself and the mirror

I looked upon Zaid, and he appeared envious; I looked upon Amr, and he seemed ignorant; I looked upon Samer, and he was lewd in his licentiousness; I looked upon Hajjaj, and he was bitter. Yet I discerned no one without discovering some flaw, some imperfection, as if deficiency had gathered in all humanity, as if every countenance bore its secret blemish, and every heart overflowed with that which one dreads to acknowledge in oneself.
Then I looked again, and I lingered in contemplation, and I pondered with deliberate care, until what had never before crossed my mind revealed itself with sudden clarity. I saw that there was nothing between myself and these people except the mirror—the mirror in which I beheld my own reflection before I beheld theirs, the mirror in which were revealed my envy, my ignorance, my lewdness, my bitterness. And I had cast upon others that which was mine alone, burdening them with sins that were not theirs to bear.
I said to my soul: Whenever you perceive a flaw in another, take heed of it in yourself; whenever you behold a sin in someone else, repent of it within your own heart. For the faults and transgressions you attribute to others are not truly theirs; they are yours, reflected in the mirror of their faces. You may fancy that you see the truth, yet in reality you are beholding yourself, and nothing beyond.
Begin, then, with yourself. Purify your heart; let justice and truth guide your sight; restrain yourself from casting judgment upon the innocent. For men are as mirrors—clear to those who know how to see, and opaque to those who insist on seeing only faults. Only then will you perceive in others that which frees you from blame, that which reminds you of God’s mercy, that which leads you toward righteousness and fairness.
In that moment, the old mirror shatters, and in your heart arises a new mirror, pure and unclouded, reflecting not the imperfections of the soul but the radiance of compassion and justice. There remains nothing but myself and the mirror—clear to those who have learned the art of true vision, shadowed to those who persist in condemning others. And I see myself. I know my own truth. I carry a heart unburdened by suspicion or accusation, serene and just, guided by the light of reflection.

(by: Dr Mohammed Akram Nadwi, Oxford, 25 Ramadan 1447)