Q325 :I am a 12 year old student, and I am
left-handed. People have often reminded me not to eat or write with my
left hand, because people who do so will not go to heaven; they will go
to hell. I have tried to use my right hand for eating and writing, but
I always feel that my right hand is weaker. I will be grateful for your
advice.
A325 : Let me tell you straight away that no one
will go to hell for using his left hand for eating, drinking, writing
or indeed for any other purpose. Any one who suggests otherwise does
not know and makes a huge assumption which he cannot substantiate.
Indeed such a person betrays a degree of ignorance of God, His
netpassion and fairness. What we have to remember is that God knows
every aspect of a person’s abilities, motives and intentions. A left
handed person does not choose to make his right hand the weaker hand.
This is something that he is created with and cannot change just like
[he cannot change] the color of his [skin,] eyes or his hair. So God
will not ask anyone why he is left-handed, because it is He who has
created him. Besides, using one’s right hand for eating and most other
purposes is renetmended, or a sunnah. This means that it is not
obligatory. On the Day of Judgment, God will not ask any person why
that person has not done something that is not obligatory. Nor will he
punish anyone for not doing such a non-obligatory matter. He will look
at what renetmended practices we do in this life and reward us for
them. But He will not punish us for omitting any of them. In the
question of which hand to use for eating, God will reward those of us
using their right hands only if they choose to do so in response to the
Prophet’s renetmendations or to follow his example. In other words, His
reward is not for the action itself but for intention behind the
action. Hence, if a left-handed person trains himself patiently to eat
and drink with his right hand until this benetes quite easy for him,
and he does all that in order to follow the Prophet’s example, he is
sure to earn more reward than a person who does the same but does not
have the added difficulty of being left-handed. I know some people who
have done that. Their action is certainly netmendable. The habit they
acquired has benete natural to them to the extent that they do
practically everything with their left hands but when they eat they use
their right hands. Perhaps you could do likewise and be patient until
it netes naturally to you. You only need to be patient with yourself.
But if you find it too difficult, then you should not bother about what
people may say. You just explain that this is a natural difficulty and
that it is God who created you so.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )