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Sunna's |
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Brotherhood in Allah
Introduction Brotherhood in Allah is a tight and solid bond that is above all the other relations that exist between people. That is why Islam insists on consolidating it and making it based on faith. Brotherhood in Allah is a divine donation whose value is not perceived but by those who grasp its essence; and whose delight is not sensed but by those who experienced it. Ibnu El-Mubarek said: «The most delighted of things is to sit with brothers». Allah the Almighty described brotherhood as being a grace of Him. He said: «… And remember the grace of Allah upon you when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together, and by His grace you become brethren». [Surat Al-Imrân, 103] He also made it a duty upon the believer, He said: «The believers are brothers». [Surat Al-Hujurat, 10] Islam asserted the necessity to reinforce the bonds of brotherhood because a strong and sincere brotherhood strengthens the structure of the Muslim society and preserves it, thus if one Muslim deserts or betrays the other, Islam and all the other Muslims are betrayed as well.
I. The favours of brotherhood Brotherhood in Islam has many great favours that those who love each other for the sake of Allah enjoy, among them: 1- Deserving Allah's forgiveness: the prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «If a Muslim meets his Muslim brother and lends him a helping hand, their sins are rubbed off as the leaves of dried trees fall in a stormy day; and their sins will be forgiven even if they are (full) like foam». [Reported by Et-Tabarâni] 2- Deserving Allah's love: the prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «A man visited his brother in Allah (Muslim brother) and Allah appointed an angel to observe him. The angle asked (this man): "Where are you going?" He answered: "I am going to visit my brother". The angle said: "Is it for a need? (i.e. are you visiting him for a need that you want him to do for you?). The man answered: "No". The angle said: "Is it because of kinship with him?" The man replied: "No". The angle said: "Is it for a favour that he has done for you?" The man answered: "No". The angle said: "For what then you visit him?" The man said: "Because I love him in Allah (i.e. for the sake of Allah)". The angel said: "So Allah sent me to inform you that He too loves you for your love of him (your brother for Allah' sake), and Allah ordained for you paradise" ». [Reported by Muslim] The prophet -may peace be upon him- also said: «Indeed, the Almighty Allah will say: "My love is established for those who visit each other for my sake; and my love is established for those who help each other for my sake». [Reported by Ahmad and El-Hâkim who corrected it] 3- Deserving paradise: the prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «He who visits a sick or a brother in Allah, one (angel) calls him: Allah make you and your pathway pleasant, and you have gained a house in paradise». [Reported by Et-Termidi] 4- Deserving to be shaded in Allah's shade the Day of Resurrection: The prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «Seven persons will be shaded in Allah's shade in a day when there will be no shade but His: (among them) Two men loved each other for the sake of Allah. So, they met for this (sake) and they separated for this». [Reported by El-Bukhâri] «Allah will say on the Day of Resurrection: "Where are those who loved one another for My glory's sake. Today I shelter them in My shade, the day when there is no shade but Mine». [Reported by Muslim] 4- Honouring them by lighting up their faces: The prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «Among Allah's servants, there are people who are neither prophets nor martyrs, and both prophets and martyrs will envy them their position the Day of Resurrection». They said: "O prophet of Allah! Can you tell us who are they?" He said: «They are people who loved one another not because of having any blood relation or any property to deal in but for the sake of Allah. By Allah, their faces are lit up, and they are on light. They will not fear when people fear, and they will not grieve when people grieve». [Reported by Abu Dâwűd] - Muâ'd bnu Djabal -may Allah be pleased with him- reported that he heard the prophet -may peace be upon him- saying: «Allah -High Exalted is He- said: "Those who love one another for the sake of My glory will have pulpits of light for which the prophets and martyrs will envy them». [Reported by Et-Termidi and said: it is a good and authentic Hadith]
II. The conditions of brotherhood in Allah Brotherhood in Allah can not fruit and its aims can not be achieved except if the following conditions are fulfilled: 1- Brotherhood must be established for the sake of Allah; it must be pure from any ephemeral personal interests, and must be based on fixed principles. 2- Brotherhood must be based on faith which strengthens it and guarantees its safety and continuity. In fact, what is done for the sake of Allah is persistent, and what is done for the sake of others than Allah is intermittent. 3- Brotherhood must be for better and worse. Imam Ali -may Allah honour him- said: Your brother is he who is with you; and he who harms himself in order to help you.
III. The rights of brotherhood Many Ahadith affirmed the obligations of brotherhood, among them: 1- Abi Hurayra -may Allah be pleased with him- reported that the prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «By Allah, you never enter paradise until you believe; and you believe not (perfectly) until you love one another. Shall I inform you about a deed if you perform it you love each other? Greet each other with peace». [Reported by Muslim] 2- The prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «If two persons love each other for the sake of Allah, the best of them is the one who loves the other more». [Reported by El-Bukhâri, El-Hâkim and Ibnu Hibân] 3- The prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «Do not consider any act of goodness insignificant even if it is meeting your brother with a cheerful face». [Reported by Muslim] 4- The prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «The Muslim has six duties towards another Muslim: if you meet him, greet him; if he invites you, respond to his invitation; if he asks you advice, advise him; if he sneezes and praises Allah, say to him "may Allah have mercy on you"; if he is ill, visit him; and when he dies attend his funeral (and burial) ». [Reported by Muslim from Abi Hurayra] 5- Abi Hurayra reported that the prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «Avoid suspicion for suspicion is the worst of speech, and do not inquire curiously about one another; and do not spy on one another; and do not outbid one another; and do not envy one another; and do not have hatred for one another; and be brothers o servant of Allah. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim, he does not harm him; nor desert him; nor despise him. Piety is found here (pointing to his chest three times). Despising his Muslim brother is enough evil for any Muslim to do. Every Muslim's blood, property and honor are unlawful to be violated by another Muslim». [Reported by El-Bukhâri] 7- Abi Ayub -may Allah be pleased with him- reported that the prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «It is not permissible for a Muslim to avoid his brother more than three nights. When they meet, the one of them turns away from the other, and the best of them is the one who greets the other first». [Agreed on] 8- The prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «The believers in their love, mercy and kindness to one another are like a body: if any part of it is ill, the whole body shares its sleeplessness and fever». [Reported by El-Bukhâri] 9- The prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «If anyone removes one of the anxieties of this world from a believer, Allah will remove one of the anxieties of the Day of Resurrection from him; if any one relieves (the burden) of one who is destitute, Allah will relieve (his burden) in this world and in the Hereafter; and if any one conceals (the faults of) a Muslim, Allah will conceal (his faults) in this world and in the Hereafter. Allah helps His servants as long as he helps his brother». [Reported by Muslim] 10- The prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «The believers (in their relations) are like a structure; each of its part is firmly linked to the other». [Reported by El-Bukhâri] 11- Abi Hurara reported that the prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «Do you know what is backbiting? ». They said: "Allah and his messenger know best. He said: «It is saying something about your brother that he dislikes». It was said: "What if what I said about my brother was true?" The prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «If what you say about him is true you have backbitten him and if it is not true you have slandered him». [Reported by Muslim] 12- The prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «When one invokes Allah for his brother in his absence, the charged angle will say: "Amen, and for you likewise"». [Reported by Muslim] 13- Anas -may Allah be pleased with him- reported that a man was with the prophet -may peace be upon him- when another man passed in front of them. He (the man who is with the prophet) said: "O prophet of Allah, I do love this man". The prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «Inform him (that you love him) ». Then the man followed him until he reached him and said: "I love you for the sake of Allah". The other man replied: "May the one for whose sake you love me loves you". [Reported by Abu Dâwűd] 14- The prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «No one of you believes perfectly until he likes for his brother what he likes for himself». [Agreed on] 15- The prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «The Muslim is the brother of a Muslim; he never wrongs him, nor abandons him. He who helps his brother Allah helps him; and he who removes from a Muslim an anxiety, Allah will remove from him one of the anxieties of the Day of Resurrection, and he who conceals a Muslim's fault, Allah will conceal his faults the Day of Resurrection». [Agreed on] 17- The prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «Help your brother, oppressor is he or oppressed». It was said: I help him in case he is oppressed but how can I help him in case he is himself an oppressor? He said: «You prevent him from wrong doing; this is how you help him». [Reported by El-Bukhâri] 18- The prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «It is not permissible for a Muslim to frighten another Muslim». [Reported by Abu Dâwűd] 19- The prophet -may peace be upon him- said: «He who looks at a Muslim a frightening look without reason, Allah will frighten him the Day of Resurrection». [Reported by Et-Tabarâni]
IV. Conclusions Among the obligations of a sincere brotherhood that we deduce from all these Ahadith, the following ones: 1- Greeting with peace. 2- Replying to others greeting. 3- Responding to an invitation. 4- Saying "may Allah bless you" to the one who sneezes and praises Allah. 5- Avoiding physical and moral harm. 6- Being faithful and sincere in one's love to another in his life and after his death. 7- Concealing others defects. 8- Overlooking others mistakes and faults. 9- Giving advice to others. 10- Responding to that for which one has made an oath, e.g. one says I swear that you must come. 11- Relieving others anxieties. 12- Mutual help and meeting others need. 13- Preferring others to ourselves. 14- Mutual support prevails the truth and abolishes injustice. 15- Visiting the sick. 16- Attending the dead funeral. 17- Invoking Allah for another in his absence rather in his life or after his death. |
