On the authority of Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said,
Do not be envious of one another;
Do not artificially raise prices against one another;
Do not hate one another; do not turn one’s back on each other; and
Do not undercut one another in business transactions.
And be, [O] servants of Allah, brethren. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He does not wrong him. He does not fail him [when he needs him]. He does not lie to him. And he does not show contempt for him. Piety is here”– and he pointed to his chest three times. “It is enough of evil for a person to hold his brother Muslim in contempt. All of a Muslim is inviolable to another Muslim: his blood, his wealth and his honor.”
~Recorded by Muslim.

1. “Do not be envious of one another”
   • 1.1 The Evils of Hasad
   • 1.2 A Sign That One has the Disease of Hasad
   • 1.3 The Different Categories of People with Respect to Hasad
   • 1.4 Allah’s Pleasure with One Who Frees Himself from Hasad
   • 1.5 How to Free Oneself of the Disease or Effects of Hasad
   • 1.6 How to Behave Toward Those who Commit Hasad
   • 1.7 What is Not Considered Hasad
2. “Do not artificially raise prices against one another”
3. “Do not hate one another”
   • 3.1 When is Hatred among Muslims Permissible?
4. “Do not turn one’s back on each other “
   • 4.1 Permissible Forms of “Boycotting”
5. “Do not undercut one another in business transactions.”
   • 5.1 Ethics and Business Dealings in Islam
6. “And be, O servants of Allah, brethren.”
7. “A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim.”
8. “He does not wrong him.”
9. “He does not fail him [when he needs him].”
10. “He does not lie to him.”
11. “And he does not show contempt for him.”
12. “Piety is here” – and he pointed to his chest three times.
13. “All of a Muslim is inviolable to another Muslim..
    • 13.1 Blood
    • 13.2 Wealth.
    • 13.3 Honor
14. Other Points Related to This Hadith

General Comments About the Hadith:
The brotherhood of Islam is not something simply theoretical or beyond the practical reach of humans. Muslims have been commanded by Allah to treat each other as brethren. At the same time, though, Allah has guided Muslims to specific acts that engenders love and brotherhood. He has also prohibited Muslims specific acts that would injure that brotherhood in any fashion. This particular hadith is one very important example in which the steps to attaining true brotherhood are delineated by the Prophet (peace be upon him). If the Muslims were to apply the sublime teachings of this hadith, there would be a great change and improvement in their interrelationships and love for one another.

1. “Do not be envious of one another”

The Definition of Hasad: The word translated here as “envy” is al-hasad. Ibo Rajab states that hasad is something that is firmly embedded in the nature of man. It is where a person hates to see anyone else being superior or better off than him. That is all that ibn Rajab states as a definition of hasad. His definition is definitely not sufficient. The meaning of hasad is more general than what ibn Rajah stated. Ibn al-Qayyim and al-Qaasirni, in his abridgment of al-Ghazzaali’s Ihyaa Uloom al-Deen, have defined hasad as disliking a bounty that another has received and wishing that the other person would lose that bounty. AlBugha and Mistu as well as Abdul Maalik al-Qaasim define it simply as the wishing that another person would lose a bounty that he possesses. Al-Haitami defines hasad as a person wishing that another’s bounty would be lost and wishing that he would get it himself.

It seems that hasad is inclusive of a number of cases, some being worse in degree than others. It includes the case where a person dislikes that Allah should bestow a bounty upon somebody else, even if he himself has more of that same bounty. For example, Allah may have blessed a certain individual with a large amount of knowledge yet, at the same time, he hates it when Allah bestows any amount of knowledge upon others. This is hasad. It is not necessary that the person wishes that the bounty be removed from the other person or that he himself receives that bounty. It is sufficient to constitute hasad that he hates that the other person has even received the blessing in the first place.

1.1 The Evils of Hasad

This disease of the heart and the sin which is known as hasad was one of the first sins ever committed. It was one of the main things that drove Satan away from his Lord. In fact, two aspects drove Satan to the horrendous situation that he is in today: pride and envy. Both of these terrible diseases are touched upon in this hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Satan was jealous and envious of Adam because of all of the special blessings that Allah gave Adam, including the fact that the angels and others at that time were ordered to prostrate to Adam and the fact that Adam was given knowledge that Satan was not given. Satan’s response was the classic response of envy and arrogance. He felt that he was better than Adam and did not feel that Allah was right in giving such bounties to Adam. The following Quranic verse describes part of the situation: “[Allah] said, ‘What kept you from prostrating when I ordered you?’ He said, ‘I am better than him. You created me from fire and You created him from clay“‘ (al-Araaf 12)

In addition, the people with whom Allah is displeased and those who have gone astray, the Jews and the Christians, are people of hasad. Hence, any time a Muslim has this characteristic, he is taking on one of the characteristics of the people whom Allah despises. Allah says in the Quran, “Many of the People of the Book wish that they could turn you away as disbelievers after you have believed, out of envy from their own selves, even after the truth has been made clear to them” (al-Baqara 109). And another verse about the Jews and Christians reads “Or do they envy men out of what Allah has given them of His bounty?” (alNisaa 54). When hasad spreads among a people, it is very destructive. It strikes at the very core of the love and compassion that believers should have toward one another.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said concerning hasad, “Creeping upon you is the disease of the peoples before you: envy and hatred. And the hatred is the thing that shaves. I do not say it shaves hair, but it shaves the religion. By the One in whose hand is my soul-or he said: by the One in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad – you will not enter Paradise until you believe. And you do not believe until you love one another. Certainly, let me inform you of that which will establish such for you: spreading the greetings (of peace) among yourselves.” (Recorded by Ahmad)

According to ibn Taimiya, hasad is always accompanied by hatred. This is one of the evils of hasad. First the person is envious of the other person. After some time, this envy develops into hatred. Hatred toward other Muslims, as shown in this hadith, is also to be avoided. Hasad may definitely lead to the breaking up of a Muslim community. This is because, in many cases, hasad is acted upon. In other words, the person hates the bounties others have received and he actively works to remove such bounties.

For example, suppose someone wanted to be the Imam of a mosque but instead that job was given to somebody else. Now out of envy, the first person cannot stand that the other person got the job and he begins to do whatever he can to remove that other person from his position- even if he himself is not going to get that position. He begins to talk bad about the new Imam. He starts getting a group of people behind him who criticize everything the Imam does. Soon the whole community is split and fighting over the Imam and whether or not he should be kept in his position. This kind of action occurs in many circumstances, not just with the position of Imam. This is one of the ways by which hasad can truly destroy a community and lead to hatred among the Muslims.

Allah has shown in the Quran how hasad can even penetrate what is recognized as one of the strongest bonds in this world, the blood relationship. Yes, hasad can even pit one blood brother against another. That demonstrates how dangerous and damaging this disease is. Allah shows two very clear examples of this nature in the Quran. About the two sons of Adam, Allah says, “And recite to them the story of the two sons of Adam (Cain and Abel) in truth. When each of them offered a sacrifice [to Allah], it was accepted from one of them but not from the other. The latter said to the former, ‘I will surely kill you. ‘ The former said, ‘Verily, Allah accepts only from those who are pious. If you do stretch your hand to kill me, I shall never stretch my hand out to kill you, for I fear Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Verily, I intend to let you draw my sin on yourself as well as yours. Then you will be one of the dwellers of the Fire, and that is the recompense of the wrongdoers.’ So the soul of the other encouraged him and made fair-seeming to him the murder of his brother. So he murdered him and became one of the losers” (al-Maaidah 27-30)

As ibn Katheer pointed out, it was mostly his envy for his brother, that his brother’s sacrifice was accepted and his was not, that led him to that grievous deed of killing his own blood brother. Allah also recounts the story of the brothers of Yusuf. They were also jealous and envious of their father’s love for Yusuf. Therefore, they also plotted to do away with their own blood brother. Allah says, “When they [the brothers of Yusuf] said, ‘Truly, Yusuf and his brother are dearer to our father than we, while we are a strong group. Really, our father is in a plain error. Kill Yusuf or cast him out to some [other] land, so that the favor of our father may be given to you alone, and after that you will be righteous folk. ‘ One from among them said, ‘Kill not Yusuf, but if you must do something, throw him down to the bottom of a well. He will be picked up by some caravan of travelers“‘ (Yoosuf 8-10)

Hasad is a sign that a person’s soul is evil and is far away from the level of imaan that it should achieve. The true believer must love for his brother what he loves for himself. He should be happy when his brother is blessed with something. This is virtually the exact opposite of hasad. In the case of hasad, one wishes for the things that Allah has bestowed upon others, while Allah has stated, “And wish not for the things in which Allah has made some of you to excel others. For men there is reward for what they have earned, and for women is reward for what they have earned. And ask Allah of His bounty. Surely, Allah is ever all-knower of everything” (al-Nisaa 32).

Hasad is a kind of opposition or discontent with what Allah has decreed. After all, it is Allah who bestowed that bounty upon that other person. If a person dislikes what another person has received, then, in reality, he is showing his dislike for what Allah has decreed. When he gets to that point, as ibn Uthaimeen stated, he is putting his religion into a dangerous and precarious position. He is practically declaring himself a better decision maker than Allah.

Furthermore, the jealous person does not know why Allah has bestowed that blessing on the other person. Some people get jealous because they see people lying or cheating and then getting what they desire of this world. However, those “bounties” that Allah has given them may simply be the source of their own destruction– Allah gives them bounties and they continue to disobey Allah by lying, cheating and so forth. Therefore, their punishment will be much greater. Obviously, there is no reason to be jealous of such worldly gains whatsoever. One must leave the decrees and the decisions of this world to Allah and accept whatever Allah has decreed, for Allah is the AllKnowing, the Just, and the Merciful.

Furthermore, the person cannot change what Allah has decreed. In essence, he is fighting a losing battle. He cannot remove that blessing from the other person unless Allah decrees such a thing. However, it was Allah that decreed that the other person should receive that blessing. All his anxiety and stress will be in vain as everything is according to Allah’s decree and Allah blesses whomsoever He wills.

Hasad also entails a number of negative psychological effects upon the jealous or envious person. As ibn Uthaimeen pointed out, the jealous person may always be in a state of anger and discontent over the bounties that others receive. This is because there is no limit to the number of bounties that Allah bestows upon others. The person may drive himself crazy or even kill himself if he always looks at the bounties others receive and he cannot live with them receiving such bounties.

When one realizes all of the negative aspects of hasad and how it is clearly a sign that there is something wrong in a person’s heart, especially a person who claims to be a Muslim or a believer, it is not surprising to know that, in reality, has ad and imaan cannot coexist in one heart. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,

1.2 A Sign That One has the Disease of Hasad

According to ibn Uthaimeen, one of the strong signs that a person is inflicted with the disease of hasad is that he always tries to conceal the virtues and goodness of others. He does not like it when others talk about the good that a person has done. He remains silent and pretends like he does not know of the good that the other one has done. A true believer who is free of has ad likes it when good things are said about others and when the good deeds of others are appreciated and spoken about. He, himself, when he speaks about others always speaks about their good aspects and the wonderful bounties that Allah has bestowed on them. He has no envy in his heart for what Allah has bestowed upon the others and, therefore, he spreads that good news to others.

This sign that ibn Uthaimeen has explicitly mentioned should be considered a type of subtle sign that people may not notice in themselves. They must take note of this sign and repel it as quickly as possible as it is a stepping stone to the greater forms of hasad.

1.3 The Different Categories of People with Respect to Hasad

With respect to that feeling of hasad, people can be divided into the following categories:
(1) There are some people who actively work to remove that bounty from the other person, without necessarily destroying the bounty itself. By their speech and their actions they will wrongly do whatever they can to bring an end to the other person’s blessing from Allah.
(2) There are others who do not just seek to remove that bounty from the other person, but they also work to get the bounty for themselves.
(3) The worst are those who simply wish to destroy the bounty, regardless of whether they themselves get it or if it is simply destroyed. They only want to destroy that blessing because it was not given to them in the first place.
(4) There are those who cannot remove the feeling of envy from their souls. They cannot control it but they do not like it and wish they could remove it. Those people, Allah willing, are not sinful for their state that they cannot control. According to ibn al-Qayyim, the evil of hasad comes about when the person acts upon his hasad, even if just in his heart. This is why Allah guides the Muslims not to simply seek refuge of the envious one, but to seek refuge of the envious one when he is being envious. Allah says, “From the evil of the envious one when he envies” (al-Falaq 5)
(5) There are also those who, although they do not act upon their hasad, willingly have thoughts of envy, are pleased with them and continue to think in such a manner while putting up no resistance to such evil thoughts as removing blessings from one’s brother. This person is like a person who is dead set upon committing a sin. There is a difference of opinion among the scholars concerning whether this kind of person is a sinner or not. Al-Haitami says that such a person is definitely a sinner. lbn Raj ab, furthermore, points out that such a person is rarely safe from doing some wrong act against his brother out of spite and envy. Therefore, in the end, he may definitely become sinful in action, without question.
(6) Another group of people recognize the hasad that exists within them. They do their best to remove that hasad from themselves and to treat the one they are envious of in the best possible fashion. They pray for the person; they tell others of his goodness and of the bounties that Allah has bestowed upon him. They remove that hasad to the extent that they love their Muslim brother and they love that Allah has blessed him and bestowed His bounties upon him. This category of people are among the people of the highest level of faith, they love for their brothers what they love for themselves.

1.4 Allah’s Pleasure with One Who Frees Himself from Hasad

The following hadith demonstrates Allah’s great pleasure with the one who frees himself from the disease of hasad. Imam Ahmad records in his Musnad that on three consecutive occasions the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated that the Companions were about to see a man from the inhabitants of Paradise. On each occasion, the same man entered upon them. Therefore, Abdullah ibn Amr decided to spend some time with that man to see what was the key to his being one of the people of Paradise. He told the man that he had a dispute with his father and vowed not to stay with him for three days. He asked the man if he would host him for three days. The man replied positively. During the three days, Abdullah did not notice anything special about his deeds; in particular, he did not even find him performing the late-night prayers.

At the end of the three days, Abdullah was somewhat belittling to himself the man’s actions. Therefore, he told the man what happened, that he did not actually argue with his father but that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had stated that he was a man from Paradise. So he asked him what must be the secret of the matter. The man told him, “All that I do is what you have seen.” Then when Abdullah turned away, he called him back and said, “There is nothing other than what you have seen– but also I find in my soul no act of deception toward any Muslim nor do I have envy toward anyone for the blessings that Allah has bestowed upon him.” Abdullah said, “This is what makes you reach [Paradise] .”

1.5 How to Free Oneself of the Disease or Effects of Hasad

The disease of has ad is very dangerous for one’s religion and feelings of brotherhood. If a person has such a disease, he should do what he can to remove it. Taataay has suggested the following steps to help remove hasad from one’s heart:
(1) The person should remind himself of the evil effects of hasad, both with respect to this life and the Hereafter. When he sees how it hurts his friendship and interaction with others- how he cannot even approach them with a clean heart-he should realize that he is the person who is losing. When he thinks about how displeasing this quality is to Allah, that should also move him to try to purify himself from this disease.
(2) If the feeling of hasad comes to him, he should do whatever he can to repel it, whether that implies reading the Quran, performing a prayer and so forth.
(3) At the very least, he should realize that if he does not act upon his hasad and limits it to j ust a thought in his mind that he cannot fight off, he may still remain sinless. Therefore, he must do whatever he can to keep himself from acting upon his feelings of has ad. Indeed, on the contrary, he should improve his actions toward the one that he has such feelings for. In this way, he might even earn Allah’s pleasure.
(4) In addition, the person should realize that the true bounties are the bounties of the Hereafter and not the bounties of this world. If he concentrates on those and works to achieve those, he will be preoccupied with greater bounties and he will not worry about what others are receiving of this world.

1.6 How to Behave Toward Those who Commit Hasad

This hadith is a very important hadith concerning the relationship between believers. In this portion of the hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated that Muslims should not be envious toward one another. There are some steps that can be taken when envy does appear. These steps can protect the person from the envy of others and may also help in removing that envy from society. When a person is afflicted and hurt by the envy of others, he should take the following steps:

(1) The person himself should repent to Allah and ask forgiveness for his own sins. In general, one’s opponents and enemies will not get the better of him except due to the sins that he himself has committed. Allah says, “And whatever misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much” (al-Shoora 30).
(2) The person should put his trust in Allah. Whenever a person puts his trust in Allah, Allah suffices for him.
(3) He should seek refuge in Allah from the evil of the envious person. He should supplicate to and seek refuge in Allah as found in the next to last soorah of the Quran, “From the evil of the envious one when he envies” (al-Falaq 5).
(4) He should be just toward the envious one. He should not wrong the envious one and go beyond what is right in such a case.
(5) He should try to be nice and compassionate to the envious one. Envy is strongly related to hatred. When the envied one is very nice to the envious person, the feeling of hatred and jealousy is slowly but surely removed, by the will of Allah.

1.7 What is Not Considered Hasad

To compete with one another in acts of righteousness and getting closer to Allah is not an aspect of the disease of hasad. This, in fact, is a praised action as everyone should be striving their best to do what is pleasing to Allah. Allah has said, “And for this let those who want to strive compete” (al-Mutaffifeen 26). There are two important keys to this type of “healthy competition”. The first key is that one wishes he has goodness and even excels other in goodness while, at the same time, he does not mind if others have the same goodness. In other words, there is no jealousy or envy involved. He is not hoping to remove what others have received nor does it make him unhappy that others have received such good. Indeed, if he is a true believer, he will be competing with others to please Allah while, at the same time, he will love that his brother is also doing what is pleasing to Allah.

The second key is that the competition is with respect to the Hereafter and not for the matters of this world. Competition with respect to this world is blameworthy. Allah has referred to such people in the Quran, “So he [Korab] went forth before his people in his pomp and luxury. Those who were desirous of the life of this world said, ‘Ah, if only we had the like of what Korab has been given. Verily, he is the owner of a great fortune. ‘ But those who had been given [religious] knowledge said, ‘Woe to you! The reward of Allah [in the Hereafter] is better for those who believe and do righteous deeds. And none shall attain this [reward] except those who are patient [in following the truth]‘” (al-Qasas 79-80).

Related to this topic, there is a hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) which may cause some confusion. It states, “There is to be no hasad except with respect to two: a person to whom Allah has given wealth and he uses it up for the purposes of truth. And another man whom Allah has given wisdom and judges by it and teaches it.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari.) In this hadith, though, the meaning of hasad is actually al-ghabtah (where one wishes for what another has but does not wish that the blessing be removed from the other person). The word hasad has been used as a type of metaphor.

2. “Do not artificially raise prices against one another”

In this hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated that one should not commit al-najash. Many scholars interpret it in the specific sense of al-najash in business dealings. This is where a person, neither the buyer nor the seller, bids up the price of an item. That person has no intention whatsoever of buying the item. He is either trying to raise the price in order to help the seller or he is doing it simply to hurt the buyer. The reason for its prohibition and its mention in this hadith seem to be clear. Instead of wishing for what is best for one’s brother, one intentionally performs an act that is going to hurt him by robbing him of some of his wealth. This, obviously, injures the love and brotherhood that should exist among Muslims.

lbn Abdul Barr stated that there is agreement that whoever knowingly performed such an act is a sinner. There is a difference of agreement among the scholars concerning a final sale whose price was driven up by someone not actually interested in buying the item. One narration from Ahmad states that such a sale is null and void. Others say that if the one who bid up the price was the seller or someone working in concert with the seller, then the sale is null and void. This is because one of the parties of the transaction himself was involved in the illegal act. However, if a third party independently drove up the price, then the sale is not nullified. This is one opinion that has been attributed to al-Shafi’ee. Again, as long as the seller was not among the guilty parties, there is no problem with the sale itself.

The majority of the jurists are of the opinion that the sale is valid regardless of whether the price was artificially bid up and regardless of who bid up the price. This opinion has been attributed to Abu Hanifah, Malik, alShafi ‘ee (a second attribution) and Ahmad. In other words, although the one who artificially drove up the price is a sinner- be he the seller, one working for the seller or a completely independent third party- the sale is still valid and enforceable.

The argument of these scholars is that as long as the essential aspects of a business transaction are met and the necessary qualities of the transaction are not violated, the transaction is going to be a valid transaction. In other words, if a problem occurs with an aspect that is not essential to the transaction itself, which is the case here where a third party drives up the price but the buyer still accepted the higher price, the transaction is not considered null and void–even if something improper took place.

However, Ahmad and Malik give the buyer the opportunity to cancel the transaction if he was not aware of what was going on and if the increase in the price was a relatively great one. Malik and some of the followers of Ahmad set such a limit at one-third of the price. If the price had been driven up by 33%, the buyer has the right to cancel the transaction or, if he wishes, he may keep what he purchased.

Ibn Uthaimeen states that there are three cases wherein one bids up the price of something. The first case is the prohibited case of najash, where one bids up the price although he has no intention to actually buy the item. The second case is where the person feels that something is being sold at a cheap price and he is willing to buy it for more than that. Therefore, he gives a higher bid. However, if the bidding continues and goes above what he would be interested in paying for the item, he stops his bidding. There is nothing wrong with this type of action. The third case is where he has an overriding interest in buying the item and, therefore, he continues to bid up the price until he outbids everyone else and buys the item. There is nothing wrong with this type of behavior either.

A Second Interpretation: A second interpretation for this statement of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is a much more general interpretation, not restricted to artificially increasing the price in a business sale. Lexically speaking, the root of the word najash implies, “he concealed himself’ as in hunting game. In fact, it is from that root that the above artificial or deceitful increase of prices is called najash. In this general understanding, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was saying, “Do not cheat, plot against or deceive one another.” In other words, one should not try to bring about, through underhanded or deceptive means, any kind of harm to another Muslim. This includes every type of business transaction in which the seller knows that the buyer is going to be harmed or is being deceived in some manner. This kind of behavior is not allowed in general but it is particularly not allowed when dealing with one’s brother Muslim.

3. “Do not hate one another”

Muslims are prohibited from hating each other for any sake other than for the sake of Allah. Muslims are not allowed to hate each other simply due to their own personal desires. A Muslim also cannot hate another Muslim simply because he is from a particular country or his skin is of a particular color and so forth. All of that type of hatred is forbidden and goes against the brotherhood that Allah wants from His servants. Brothers should love each other and not hate each other.

It is clear from the Quran that one of the greatest blessings that Allah gives to the believers is the togetherness and love of the brotherhood of Islam. This is a very special bond. Allah brings the hearts of true believers together in a way that is superior and stronger than any other bond of this world. If the Muslims lose that feeling of brotherhood and strong bond of faith, they have lost a very important bounty. Allah says in the Quran, “And remember Allah’s favor upon you. You were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His grace, you became brethren. And you were on a brink of a pit of fire and He saved you from it” (ali-Imraan 103 ). Allah also says, “And He has united their [the believers’] hearts. If you [O Muhammad] had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts. But it is Allah who has united them. Certainly, He is All-Mighty, All-Wise” (al-Anfaal 63)

One should never undervalue the importance of loving one another. In another hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “You will not enter Paradise until you believe. And you will not believe until you love one another. Certainly, I shall guide you to something that, if you do it, you will love one another: Spread the greetings (of peace) among yourselves.” (Recorded by Muslim.)

Muslims are not allowed to hate each other. Therefore, they must also avoid any and all acts that may lead to them hating each other. They must show respect to each other and treat each other fairly. If they do not do so, they will begin to hate each other, which is prohibited in this hadith. Following all of the teachings of this hadith is a great step that will remove hatred and anger from among the Muslims.

Those who interact with each other a lot especially have to be careful about this matter. The more one deals with another, the easier it is to inadvertently do some things to get the other person upset. Furthermore, the more one deals with another, he may discover more characteristics about the other person that are not that pleasing. He should do his best to be patient and overlook a person’s small mistakes or poor qualities and concentrate on his good deeds or good qualities. This is especially true with respect to a husband and wife, who have to deal with each other on a regular basis. The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated, “A believing man should not hate a believing woman. If he dislikes one characteristic in her, he is pleased with another.” (Recorded by Muslim.)

Islam has taken the means to improve love among the believers, such as spreading the greetings of peace among them. It has also forbidden those acts that may lead to enmity and hatred among its adherents. For example, Allah has forbidden alcohol and gambling. Allah makes it clear that those are from the tools that Satan uses to cause hatred and enmity among humans. Allah says, “Satan wants only to excite enmity and hatred among you with intoxicants and gambling, and to hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from the prayer. So, will you not then abstain?” (al-Maaidah 91).

In the same way, Allah prohibits backbiting and tale-spreading and praises those who try to make peace and reconciliation among brothers and believers, as has been discussed under an earlier hadith. This is all part and parcel of the overall picture by which the teachings of Islam bring the hearts of the believers together and form a real- not theoretical- and strong brotherhood.

3.1 When is Hatred among Muslims Permissible?

This hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) does not mean that hatred, even among Muslims, is never permitted. One must do one’s best to avoid hatred based on personal interests and motives. However, one must still love and hate for the sake of Allah. Indeed, this is one of the most important aspects of faith. As the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated, “The one who loves for the sake of Allah, hates for the sake of Allah, gives for the sake of Allah and withholds for the sake of Allah has completed the faith.”

In other words, if another Muslim commits some evil, then he should be hated for that evil. He is not hated completely, because he is still a Muslim and has some goodness in him, but he is hated to the extent of the evil that he commits. Similarly, when he does good deeds, he is loved for the good deeds that he does although overall he may have a lot of evil in him. Some people ask: How is it possible to hate and love something or somebody at the same time? lbn Uthaimeen responded to this question by giving the example of a medicine that smells and tastes bad. The person hates the medicine because of its taste but he likes it because he believes that, in the long run, it is going to be very good and helpful for him. Hence, he has combined both hatred and love for that medicine.

Actually, if someone thinks about himself, he may understand this point better. Many people have aspects even about themselves that they hate, although as a whole they like themselves and the way they are. They say to themselves, “I hate it when I do that,” “I don’t know why I do such things,” and so forth. Again, they have, in essence, combined the kind of love and hatred in themselves that one should combine for those Muslims who do evil.

As ibn Uthaimeen pointed out, it is not allowed, though, for a Muslim to dislike his brother to the extent-that he dislikes non-believers. The greatest evil is kufr or disbelief and, therefore, that is what must be hated the most. Even if a Muslim should drink alcohol or do other forbidden acts, if he still has some faith and does some good deeds, his position is still better than the one who has completely refused to believe in and submit to Allah. Another important point to note is that hating someone for the sake of Allah does not mean that one does not advise them or try to correct them. If a person is committing evil, one should still try to advise him and change his ways. Perhaps, Allah will guide that person through another who hates the evil deeds that he is performing.

As this hadith shall soon allude to, true piety is in the hearts. It is, therefore, known only to Allah. Muslims must deal with each other on the basis of their outward acts. Umar ibn al-Khattaab once said, “Whoever of you shows us good deeds, we will suspect that he is good and will love him for that. And whoever of you shows us evil deeds, we will expect that he is evil and we will hate him for that. Your secret aspects are between you and your Lord. ” Al-Rabeeah ibn Khuthaim also said, “If you see a man who publicly shows good deeds and secretly does evil, you should love him [for what you know] and Allah will reward you for your loving of the good. And if you see a man who openly shows evil and hides his good deeds, then hate him [for what you know] and Allah will reward you for your hate of the evil.”

At the end of his discussion of this portion of the hadith, ibn Rajah adds some very important points. He says that when people begin to have different opinions regarding religious matters, they often times divide, hate and curse each other. All of them claim that they are hating for the sake of Allah. Sometimes they may be excused for what they are doing, while at other times they cannot be considered excused. This is because sometimes their hatred is based on their own personal likes and wants. They are following a certain scholar and they do not recognize that he could possibly be wrong. Hence, they hate everyone who opposes his opinion. In such a case, this hatred for the others is actually not for the sake of Allah and it is not correct according to the shareeah.

4. “Do not turn one’s back on each other “

The Arabic expert, Abu Ubaid stated that this phrase means, “Cutting off relations and boycotting. It is derived from a person turning his back to another and turning his face away from the other and cutting off of relations.” In fact, in another narration in Sahih Muslim, it says, “Do not cut off relations,” instead of the phrase, “Do not turn one’s back to each other.” Muslims should always be open to each other. They should always greet each other. When one is greeted by another, he should respond. Furthermore, they should try to greet each other with smiling faces. This is all part of the aspects of brotherhood of Islam. If a person refuses to do such or he does not behave in that fashion, he is working against the closeness that Islam is trying to bring about.

For this reason, a Muslim is not supposed to avoid or boycott his Muslim brother. If this is done for more than three days solely for the sake of worldly reasons or personal likes and dislikes, it is prohibited. Another haditb in al-Bukhari and Muslim states, “It is not allowed for a man to boycott his brother for more than three nights, when they meet this one turns away and the other turns away. The best of them is the one who is the first to offer the greetings.” In another badith, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “The one who boycotts his brother for a year is like one who has spilled his [bis brother’s] blood.” (Recorded by Ahmad, Abu Dawood)

When a Muslim finds himself in this kind of situation with respect to another Muslim, he should realize his mistake and do his best to remedy the situation. One way of remedying the situation is by going to the other person and giving him the greetings of peace. According to some scholars, this is sufficient to bring an end to the prohibited form of boycotting. However, according to other scholars, such as Imam Malik, if these two had a strong bond and friendship before the boycotting, the boycotting does not end simply by greeting each other. Instead, they must return to their old state of being good friends with one another. Others say that if the person were a stranger, it is sufficient to greet him to bring an end to the boycotting. But if he were a relative, then one must once again have good ties with him as otherwise the boycott would not be considered completely finished.

4.1 Permissible Forms of “Boycotting”

As was the case with having hatred toward another Muslim, there are also other forms of boycotting which are considered permissible or sanctioned by the shareeah. In general, this boycotting takes place when Allah’s rights are violated and not just the rights of individuals. In fact, these forms of boycotting may go well beyond the three days mentioned in the above hadith. They may go on for as long as it takes to remedy the situation.

The source for this kind of boycotting is found in the hadith of Kaab ibn Maalik and the other two who failed to partake in the battle of Tabook. The Prophet (peace be upon him) feared for them as they committed an act that was akin to an act of hypocrisy. They were ordered to be boycotted for months and their greetings were not even responded to. Finally, Allah accepted their repentance and the Muslims returned to their old behavior with them.

This kind of boycotting is done for a purpose that is approved of by the shareeah. Its overriding goal is either to correct another person’s behavior or to demonstrate disapproval with another person’s behavior or beliefs. Sometimes mere advice and counseling are not sufficient to change a person. More drastic measures are sometimes needed to keep a person from doing some wrong or to make him realize the wrong that he has committed. It is in cases like these that boycotting may be resorted to.

This boycotting is considered a type of punishment. It is also a kind of jihad for the sake of Allah. This is because its actual purpose is to make the Word of Allah supreme and dominant. Its benefit accrues to those who are doing the boycotting, as they remain away from evil and the doers of evil, as well as the one who is boycotted, as he may be coerced into changing his evil ways. Muslim society as a whole benefits as it is a means to control the spread of evil and heresies.

Ibn Taimiya stated that if a person openly commits an evil, such as drinking alcohol, lewd acts and transgression against others, he must be repelled or told to stop his evil. He may openly be opposed to stop his evil. This includes an open boycott of the person wherein he is neither greeted nor is his greeting responded to. Even after such a person dies, if he did not repent, the pious people may or should avoid him, in order to send a message to others who do such evil deeds. The pious people should refuse to perform the funeral prayer for such publicly impious people.

In particular, in the past, this approach of correction was used with respect to the heretics and those who followed innovations. Abu Zaid points out that the scholars would not accept their narrations, their witness, pray behind them, pray for them or give them a position of authority. Indeed, they would warn others about their innovations and heresies.

It is very important to realize that this type of boycotting is only to be resorted to when it is judged that its benefits will be greater than any harm that may come about due to it. Ibn Taimiya stated that if the boycotting leads to a lessening of evil or a reformation in certain people, then it may be resorted to. But if the people who are following what is correct are small in number or power and their boycotting of others will not bring about any positive results, then boycotting is not to be resorted to. Similarly, if the boycotting may lead to greater harm, such as what could happen in the Western countries where a Muslim who is boycotted may be driven to be with the disbelievers, it should not be resorted to. Furthermore, if the “ahl al-sunnah” (Sunnis) themselves do not make a united front and all boycott the one who is to be boycotted, the results will be disastrous as there will be no benefit from the boycotting and the community may become divided due to the attempt at boycotting. Hence, it cannot be resorted to in that case either.

There is another form of boycotting which is approved by the shareeah. This is where the husband boycotts his recalcitrant wife. This is based on the Quranic verse, “As to those women on whose part you see ill-conduct (al-nushooz), admonish them (first), then refuse to share their beds … ” (al-Nisaa 34). Al-Sadlaan wrote, Boycotting is a kind of disciplining for the woman who loves her husband and cannot put up with his avoidance of her.

The proper way that this is to be carried out is not that the man avoids the bed itself or that he avoids the bedroom that contains the bed that they would usually sleep in. Instead, he avoids her while they are both in the bed itself. Being together in the bed is what incites the marital feelings and both partners have solace in one another. In this way, the disturbances that they were feeling before may be removed. Therefore, when the man avoids her and turns away from her in that setting, this may lead the wife to ask about the reason for the action. It will take her from being a recalcitrant wife to one who wishes to be in agreement with her husband. Therefore, avoiding her and turning away from her while in the bed is in response to her obstinate behavior and rebellion. Note that it is avoidance in the bed itself and not avoidance from the bed. Furthermore, it is avoidance in the bed and not avoidance in the house or in front of the family, children and so forth.

The purpose of that act is to solve the problem. The purpose is not to make the problem well-known or to belittle the woman or uncover the secrets that are going on. However, it is a reaction to her act of nushooz and recalcitrance by avoiding her and turning away from her in hopes that this will lead to reciprocity and togetherness.

5. “Do not undercut one another in business transactions.”

This particular command of the Prophet (peace be upon him) has been stated in a number of hadith. For example, another hadith found in Sahih al Bukhari and Sahih Muslim states,

“The Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade the city dweller from selling on behalf of a bedouin. And there is to be no najash. One also should not undercut others in business transactions. A man should not make a proposal against the proposal of his brother. A woman should not ask that her sister be divorced in order to take her place.”

In these hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) specifically referred to doing such acts against “one’s brother.” This has led some scholars, such as Ahmad and al-Auzaai, to understand that this is a special right of the Muslim brotherhood. In other words, there is no harm in making a proposal against a non-Muslim’s proposal or in undercutting a non-Muslim’s business deal. However, many jurists, such as al-Nawawi, are of the opinion that the meaning is actual general and that such acts should also not be done against a nonbeliever. To this author it seems that such behavior should neither be done toward a Muslim or a non-Muslim. However, its evil is much greater when it is done toward a person who one claims to be his brother as opposed to when it is done toward one for whom there is no such ties of brotherhood.

Economic well-being is very dear to people. In ali-Imraan verse 14, Allah makes it clear that wealth is very beloved to man. Therefore, it can also be one of the greatest causes of problems and disputes among humans. Even just a few dollars here or there can cause people to fight and argue with each other. In the interest of true brotherhood, steps must be taken to ensure that people do not harm other’s material interest. One of the important ways is what is described in this particular hadith.

Specifically, this hadith is referring to and prohibiting the following types of actions between brothers: A buys a piece of merchandise from B for $100. Then C comes to A and says, “I can sell you the same one for $80,” or he says, “I can sell you a better quality one for the same price.” Because of this offer from C, A goes back to B and returns the merchandise and instead buys it from C. This kind of behavior would most likely be hated and harmful to B. It may cause hatred between B and both A and C. Therefore, it is not allowed.

Another example includes the following: A sells a piece of merchandise to B for $100. Then C comes to A and says, “I will buy it from you for $ 1 20.” Therefore, A nullifies his agreement with B and sells it to C instead. This would have the same negative effects on the parties involved as just described. Another important question is related to the timing of the above type of interference by C. In other words, is it just referring to the time period in which one has the option to return his merchandise? This is the opinion of some scholars, such as one narration from Ahmad. The argument of those scholars is that once that time has passed, the buyer can no longer cancel the agreement. Therefore, C cannot really have any effect in that case and there is no harm in what he does.

Ibn Uthaimeen argues that the meaning is more general than that. Even after the option period has expired, it is not allowed for a third party to give a better offer to the buyer or seller, as in the respective examples given above. His argument is that, although the time of option has expired, the person who has received the new offer will try to find any “legal” excuse to cancel the first contract. A buyer, for example, may try to spot any type of defect in the merchandise so he can have an excuse to return the item. Then he will buy the item from the one who gave him the new lower offer. In any case, says ibn Uthaimeen, even if he cannot do that, he will feel sorry for the purchase he made and he may even become angered at the one who sold him the item at too high of a price.

Therefore, even after the period of option has expired, one must avoid such behavior. However, ibn Uthaimeen states, if the time period between the original purchase and new offer was a long one, then there is no harm in offering the person a better deal as there is nothing that he can do about the first contract. Furthermore, prices change over time and there would be no reason for the buyer or seller to be upset about his past purchase which may have been at the going price at the time.

Some scholars, in particular some Hanbalis, state that the prohibition mentioned in this hadith is one of disapproval and not of strict prohibition. However, ibn Rajah, himself a Hanbali, stated that the correct opinion is the opinion of the majority of the scholars that what is meant here is strict prohibition and not simply disapproval.

The Validity of Such a Business Transaction: There is no question that such an act as undercutting one’s brother is morally wrong and the one who does that is a sinner. However, that in itself does not necessarily imply that such a business transaction is null and void. In fact, the scholars have differed over this question. According to Abu Hanifah, al-Shafi’ee and the majority of the Hanbalis, the second business transaction wherein a Muslim undercut his brother, as in the examples given above, is valid. There is one narration, however, from Ahmad that states that it is null and void.

5.1 Ethics and Business Dealings in Islam

This hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) demonstrates the emphasis that the teachings of Islam give to business transactions. Business dealings in Islam are not simply a matter of getting ahead in this world. They are not cutthroat competition or taking advantage of others. Instead, they are based on a very strong ethical basis. A Muslim realizes that every business transaction is a question of morals and ethics.

Business transactions are an essential aspect of any developed society. The Prophet (peace be upon him) gave a great deal of guidance concerning business transactions. Muslims must heed this guidance. This guidance will, Allah willing, go a great way in removing many problems and feelings of hatred that are the result of unjust or improper business practices. Furthermore, the feeling of brotherhood- loving for one’s brother what one loves for oneself- should permeate all business transactions. How can brothers be considered true brothers to one another when they are willing to cheat each other or lie to each other simply for the sake of the dollar?

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “May Allah have mercy on the one who is easy-going and generous while buying, while selling and when demanding his rights.” (Recorded by alBukhari.) One time the Prophet (peace be upon him) was in the marketplace and he put his hand into a pile of grains and he found that it was wet on the bottom. He asked the vendor about it and the man told him that rain had fallen upon it. So the Prophet (peace be upon him) told him, “Why did you not put it on top of the grain so people could see it? Whoever deceives is not from me.” (Recorded by Muslim.)

lbn Maajah records that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said in another hadith stressing the aspect of brotherhood and its relation to business dealings, “A Muslim is a brother to a Muslim. It is not permissible for a Muslim to sell something defective to his brother without making that [defect] clear to him.” In fact, the key to blessed business transactions, in which both parties please Allah and receive blessings, is honesty and straight forwardness. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The buyer and seller have the right of option as long as they do not part from one another. If they were honest and clear, they would be blessed in their transaction. If they concealed facts and lied, the blessings of their transaction would be destroyed.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

If a person is ethical and morally conscious in his business dealings, this is a good sign that he is preferring the Hereafter to this world. He is not willing to risk Allah’s punishment and anger for a measly gain. He is also strengthening the trust among the Muslim brethren. Allah willing, his reward with Allah will be great.

6. “And be, O servants of Allah, brethren.”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated the whole point of all of the above instructions: “You should be brothers one to another, treating each other with respect, without hatred and without working against each other in any way.” This is the way a Muslim should think of himself. He should think of himself as a member of a great brotherhood. This brotherhood is made up of the servants of Allah. The only goal of this brotherhood should be to serve and worship Allah. There is no need for- indeed, there is no room for- working against one another and trying to get ahead of each other in this worldly realm.

The goal is to please and serve Allah. And that goal is partially met by treating each other properly and being brothers for the sake of Allah. This goal can be met, by the will of Allah, when Muslims stop envying each other, stop hating each other, stop boycotting one another and stop working against one another just to get ahead in this world. One can understand from this statement of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that Muslims must be with respect to one another as a single brotherhood. Allah has stated, “Verily, the believers are but a brotherhood” (al-Hujuraat 1 0).

Anything that works against this feeling of brotherhood, should be avoided. Anything that improves this feeling of brotherhood and strengthens the ties among the believers should be promoted. Before any believer performs an act, he should think about how that act is going to affect his brothers. If he feels that it is going to be harmful to his brothers and the feeling of brotherhood among them, he should avoid that actunless it is something called for by the shareeah, such as ordering good although it may hurt others’ feelings. In the remainder of this hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned some specific acts that Muslims should always avoid with respect to their brothers and sisters. Indeed, these acts strike at the very foundation of true brotherhood. In other words, it is inconceivable that true brothers would do such acts toward one another.

A Second Interpretation: If one does not assume the word, “O,” the meaning is, “You should be servants of Allah, brethren.” In this case, the meaning of the first part is that Muslims should be true servants of Allah by obeying His commands, fulfilling what He obliges and remaining away from what He forbids. Muslims must both be servants of Allah as well as brethren to one another. This second interpretation cannot be considered as likely as the first interpretation. This is because, grammatically speaking, the construct of the sentence becomes somewhat awkward. One has definite words, “servants of Allah,” coupled with an indefinite word, “brethren.” This is not the common form of speech.

However, according to either interpretation, it is true that these two characteristics must permeate a Muslim’s soul and drive his life. First, he is a servant and worshipper of Allah. He tries his best to do only those things that are permissible according to Allah’s law. Second, he is a brother to his fellow Muslims. He takes their feelings into consideration before any action that he takes. These two characteristics, serving Allah and being a brother to the other Muslims, control his behavior in every aspect of his life.

7. “A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim.”

Before mentioning the acts that should be avoided, the Prophet (peace be upon him) began with this preface or introduction. This is a general statement of the Prophet (peace be upon him). It means that every Muslim is a brother to every other Muslim. Regardless of a Muslim’s nationality, race, skin color and so forth, one is part and parcel of this Muslim brotherhood. He must be treated as part of the Muslim brotherhood. If the other Muslims do not treat him as such simply because of these non-consequential matters, they are sinning and they are wronging their brother in Islam.

If a Muslim follows any of the accepted schools of fiqh or works for any of the groups that are working for Islam-and that fall within the realm of Islam and not in the realm of kufr- he is a brother to all other Muslims. For example, whether a person is a Maliki, Hanafi, Hanbali or Shafi’ee, he is a brother to all other Muslims. He must treat all other Muslims as his brothers and they must treat him as their brother.

As stated before, the level of love and loyalty toward one another will be determined by one’s righteousness and apparent good deeds. If a person is demonstrating good deeds and is free of any form of heresy, he is deserving complete loyalty and love. If a person is lacking in those areas, the love and loyalty toward him should be lacking in a corresponding manner. However, as long as the person does not fall out of the fold of Islam, he is still a brother in Islam and he is still deserving of specific rights of brotherhood. Again, all Muslims are brothers one to another. Therefore, they must treat each other as brothers. They must do good to each other and try their best to keep harm from one another. In particular, they must be wary of specific
actions that may break the brotherhood apart. Some of those actions are
mentioned by the Prophet (peace be upon him) in this hadith as below.

8. “He does not wrong him.”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated that a Muslim would not commit dhulm toward his brother. The concept of dhulm was discussed in detail in the commentary to Hadith Number 24. Dhulm is forbidden even with respect to non-Muslims. The question here is: How can one consider himself a brother to another when he is wronging him, oppressing him or cheating him? Would a brother intentionally harm his brother? Is it conceivable that true brothers would act this way toward one another? The Prophet (peace be upon him) has clearly shown here that such behavior cannot be expected between brothers. If two Muslims want to be true brothers to each other, they must do their best not to cause any dhulm toward one another.

When dhulm is committed it easily leads to hatred. A pious person may be able to be patient and accept another person’s dhulm. However, if people who are not of the highest level of piety are involved or if too much dhulm is committed toward a pious person, many times dhulm will lead to retaliation and more harm to the members of society. If dhulm is committed on a large scale, for example, between classes or one group of people and another, it can lead to a great deal of hatred and even, as is seen historically, civil strife. People who are constantly wronged and oppressed by others may finally revolt against the wrongdoers, even if they are of the same religion. A Muslim society should be free of such massive dhulm; and Muslims should also be free of such dhulm at an individual level.

9. “He does not fail him [when he needs him].”

In general, one thinks of a brother as someone he can rely upon in times of need. When a person deserts another in his time of need, he is demonstrating that he is, in reality, not a friend, not to speak of a close brother. The Prophet (peace be upon him) has required Muslim brothers to help and assist each other. In one hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated,

“Help your brother, whether he is the one doing wrong or the one being wronged.” They said, “O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), we know bow to help him if he is being wronged, but how do we help him if he is the one doing the wrong?” He answered, “Take him by his hand.” (Recorded by alBukhari.) In other words, as stated in another narration, keep him from his wrongdoing and that is how you help him. Allah orders Muslims to help each other in whatever is sanctioned by the shareeah. Allah says, “Help one another in acts of righteousness and piety” (al-Maaidah 2). Allah has also said about those who did not migrate to Madinah but who were still Muslims, “But if they seek your help in religion, it is your duty to help them- unless it be against a people with whom you have a pact” (al-Anfaal 72).

Furthermore, as the next hadith in this collection shall demonstrate, if a Muslim helps his brother, Allah will help him. Therefore, a necessary aspect of this brotherhood is mutual support, aid and assistance. When a Muslim’s brother is being oppressed or fought, he comes to his aid and assistance with his wealth and soul, if possible. This is described, for example, in the following verses: “And what is wrong with you that you fight not in the Cause of Allah, and for those weak, ill-treated and oppressed among men, women and children, whose cry is, ‘Our Lord! Rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors, and raise for us from You one who will protect, and raise for us from You one who will help“‘ (al-Nisaa 75).

This verse makes it clear that Muslims are to be blamed if they do not fight on behalf of their Muslim brothers and sisters who are oppressed and in need. They are crying out to Allah for help and Allah makes it clear that it is the other Muslims who are the ones that should come to their aid and assistance. This is all part of the obligation upon Muslims when they enter in this great brotherhood of Islam. Today, it is very sad that sometimes Muslims witness their brothers in different parts of the Muslim world being killed and tortured yet their hearts are dead. And even if there is some life left in the hearts, it is not enough to stir one to actions. And, unfortunately, even if it is enough to stir one to action, it is usually not enough to stir one to the actions that one is supposed to do; that is, it is not enough to drive a Muslim to sacrifice on behalf of his brothers in the manner that he is supposed to do, in the manner that is their right as being part of this Muslim brotherhood.

If one Muslim is killed anywhere in the world, a Muslim must, at the very least, feel it in his heart and have some sorrow for his Muslim brothers. If he does not feel at least that much, then he should question his imaan. But if one’s imaan is strong, as all wish it to be, then he would do more than just feel sorrow for his brothers in need. Instead, he would work and sacrifice for their sake– even if it means that he will have to give up and sacrifice something from his life. This is the characteristic of the true believers. This is how Allah described the first generation of believers, the true believers whose behavior Allah has praised over and over throughout the Quran, “But those [Ansaar] who, before them, had homes [in Madinah] and had adopted the Faith- they love those who emigrate to them, and have no jealousy in their breasts for that which that have been given [from the booty], but they [the Ansaar] give them [the Emigrants] preference over themselves, even though they were in need of that. And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, such are they who will be the successful” (al-Hashr 9).

At the very least, if a Muslim does not have the wealth or means to assist his brothers who are in need, then he should pray (make dua) for them. In fact, he should try to seek the best times to make dua for his brothers in need, pleading to Allah to help them in their situation. This is one of the characteristics of brotherhood. But how many people actually get up in the middle of the night, for example, with the intention of praying to Allah and making a special prayer at that special time for the sake of his brothers and sisters who are in need? Even that little bit, it seems, the Muslim of today cannot do for his brethren throughout the world who are greatly in need of his dua and help.

Even more amazing is that if a person does that for his brother, then Allah will grant his dua for himself also. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “No Muslim servant [of Allah] prays for his brother behind his back except that an angel says, ‘And for you the same. “‘ (Recorded by Muslim.) Brothers should pray for each other. In particular, they should all pray that they are forgiven by Allah for their sins. This should flow from their hearts when they are true brethren. This true feeling or result of true brotherhood and love for one another is rewarded by Allah in a very special way. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “For whoever seeks forgiveness for the believing men and women, Allah will record one good deed corresponding to every believing man and woman.”

This help and support of one’s brother in Islam does not necessarily have to be with respect to some physical or material aspect. Also if one’s brother’s honor is being attacked– like when he is being backbitten— then he should be defended. When a Muslim defends his brother in this way, there will also be a great reward for him in the end. Notice the following beautiful hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) who said “No man forsakes a Muslim when his rights are being violated or his honor is being belittled except that Allah will forsake him at a place in which he would love to have His help. And no man helps a Muslim at a time when his honor is being belittled or his rights are violated except that Allah will help him at a place in which he loves to have His help.”(Abu Dawood and Ahmad) In another very important hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever defends the flesh of his brother in his absence has a right upon Allah to rescue him from the Fire.”(Ahmad and al-Tabaraani)

10. “He does not lie to him.”

In this hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) refers to lying in his discussion of brotherly relations between Muslims. When a person lies to someone else, he is betraying that other person’s trust in him. When a brother listens to his brother, he expects that his brother is telling him the truth. He would not expect that his own brother is going to intentionally tell him something that he knows is not true. Lying can also lead to animosity and hatred. In general, most people do not like to be lied to. Indeed, it is narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not like this characteristic in a person. Furthermore, when someone is lied to and he believes the lie, he acts on the basis of that belief. When he acts on the basis of a lie, the results can be disastrous. For example, he might end up accusing someone of something he is innocent of because of a lie that has come to him. Hence, there is no question that lying can break down the unity and togetherness of society.

A Second Interpretation: Actually, this phrase of the Prophet (peace be upon him) could be understood in one of two ways. In most of the commentaries, the above approach was taken. However, the meaning could also be, “He does not belie him.” In other words, when one brother speaks to the other brother, due to their brotherhood, the other one believes in him, does not doubt him and does not belie what he has said. This is also part of brotherhood in that there is trust between the brothers. A brother approaches his brother with a clean heart and he has no reason to feel that his brother is going to lie to him or mislead him.

11. “And he does not show contempt for him.”

Pride and arrogance, like envy, is one of the first sins ever committed. Satan was both arrogant and envious with respect to Adam. As stated before, he thought that he was better than Adam. Because of his feeling concerning his own self, he refused to obey a command from Allah. From this fact, one can recognize what a dangerous and threatening disease arrogance or pride is. Even a very small amount of it in one’s heart can lead him to the Hell-fire.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated, “One who has an atom’s weight of pride in his heart will not enter Paradise.” A man said, “But a man loves that his clothes are nice and his shoes are nice.” He [the Prophet (peace be upon him)] replied, “Verily, Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty. [Thus, that is not pride.] Pride is rejecting the truth and showing disdain for the people.” (Recorded by Muslim.)

In general, the arrogant or proud person thinks that he is better than others; that is why he looks down upon others or shows contempt for them. Obviously, this strikes at the heart of brotherhood. Brotherhood implies treating each other as equals and giving them their due rights; indeed, it even implies giving preference to one’s brother over one’s self. But if a person thinks that his brother Muslim is beneath him or not worthy of his respect and proper treatment, he will probably not treat him equally, give him his due rights or ever give preference to him. That is why, Allah knows best, the Prophet (peace be upon him) specifically mentioned this matter in this hadith related to brotherhood.

12. “Piety is here” – and he pointed to his chest three times.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) moved from the question of showing disdain and contempt for another Muslim to the characteristic that is most deserving of respect in the sight of Allah: piety. The most important issue is not what part of the world one is from, the color of one’s skin or the amount of money in one’s bank account. Indeed, the most important issue is not even the outward acts that a person performs– as outward acts are not always accompanied with what is required in the heart. The most important issue is something that is in the heart; it is taqwa or piety. Allah says in the Quran, “O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you in the sight of Allah is the one with the most taqwa. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware” (al-Hujuraat 13).

However, taqwa, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) demonstrated in this hadith, is in the heart. It is not something that someone can wear on his chest. It is, in fact, known only to Allah. A person may look contemptible from a worldly point of view, but he may be very beloved to Allah due to his taqwa. Therefore, how can anyone look down upon anyone else when he has no way of knowing whether or not he is better than that other person? He has no way of knowing who is the better person in Allah’s sight. All of the matters by which he might judge the matter are, in fact, irrelevant. The question is only that of taqwa which is in the heart and known only to Allah.

On this point, Allah has said in the Quran “O believers! Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former. Nor let [some] women scoff at other women for it may be that the latter are better than the former” (al-Hujuraat 11). The following hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari also demonstrates that it is not the outward appearance and worldly gains that are of extreme importance:

On the authority of Sahl ibn Saad al-Saidi who said: A man passed by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and he [the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)] asked someone sitting next to him, “What do you think of that man?” He said, “He is from the noblest class of people. By Allah, if he were to ask for a woman’s hand in marriage, his proposal would be accepted. If he were to intercede on behalf of another, his intercession would be accepted.” The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) kept quiet. Then another man passed by and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) asked the same man, “What do you think of that man?” He replied, “That man is from the poor Muslims. If he were to ask for a woman’s hand in marriage, it would not be accepted. If he were to intercede on behalf of someone, his intercession would not be accepted. And if he were to speak, no one would listen to his speech.” The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) then said, “This [poor] man is better than an earth full of the other [type of man].” (Recorded by al-Bukhari.)

In another hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated, “Shall I not inform you of the people of Paradise? [The people of Paradise are made up of] every poor humble person who, if he were to swear by Allah, Allah would fulfill his vow. Shall I not also inform you of the inhabitants of the Fire. [The inhabitants of the Fire] are every violent, cruel, arrogant person.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari.)

Finally, in another very important hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated, “Verily, Allah does not look at your bodies or your shapes. But He looks at your hearts.” And then he pointed to his chest. (Recorded by Muslim.) The true “values” and “worth” of the people will not be shown until the Day of Judgment. On that day, the worldly criteria of the people will be disregarded and the criterion will only be the true criterion of Allah. Allah says,

“When the Event befalls- and there can be no denial of its befalling -­ bringing low [some] and exalting [others]” (al-Waaqiah 1 – 3). Those who were wrongfully haughty and arrogant will be brought down and cast into Hell. Those who were rightfully modest and humble will be raised to ranks in Paradise.

Here the Prophet (peace be upon him) is emphasizing what he stated earlier. A Muslim should never show contempt or look down upon another Muslim. By both his emphasis and what he has explicitly stated in this phrase, the Prophet (peace be upon him) made it clear that belittling a Muslim or looking down upon him is a grave matter. If that were the only sin that a person committed, it would constitute a sufficient amount of evil. Allah created human beings as noble creatures. For Muslims, He gave the special and most significant blessing of faith. Therefore, no person has the right to be so arrogant as to look down upon a person whom Allah has so blessed. Indeed, Abu Bakr is reported to have said, “Do not belittle any Muslim for the most insignificant Muslim is great in the sight of Allah.”

According to ibn Daqeeq al-Eid, such contempt is manifested by the following types of actions: not greeting a Muslim upon seeing him, not responding to his greetings, thinking that he is not deserving of entering Paradise and so forth.

In fact, al-Nawawi argues that no Muslim should ever belittle or look down upon anybody else. He should never think that he is better than anybody else. He should either think that others are better than him or he should not have any judgment on the matter. This is because he has no idea where his final resting place will be. When he sees a young Muslim, he should consider that younger Muslim better than himself because he has probably committed less sins. If he sees an older Muslim, he should consider that older Muslim better than himself because he has been in Islam longer. Even if he sees a non Muslim, he should realize that the non-Muslim may not go to Hell as Allah may guide him later. Indeed, the non-Muslim could become a pious Muslim while the Muslim could stray from the straight path. If that is the case, who is left for him to look down upon and hold in contempt?

13. “All of a Muslim is inviolable to another Muslim: his blood, his wealth and his honor.”

This is one of the most important messages of Islam with respect to Muslim society. For this reason, the Prophet (peace be upon him) took the most opportune moments to give the same teaching. According to ibn Rajab, he gave the same instruction in speeches given during the Farewell Pilgrimage on the Day of Sacrifice, the Day of Arafah and the second day of the days of
Sacrifice.

The wording was sometimes slightly different but the message was the same. For example, note the following hadith: On the authority of ibn Abbaas: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) delivered a speech to the people on the Day of Sacrifice. He said, “O people, what day is this?” They answered, “The sacred (inviolable) day.” Then he said, “What land is this?” They answered, “The sacred land.” Then he said “What month is this?” They said, “The sacred month.” He said, “Verily, your blood, wealth and honor are inviolable for you as the sacredness of this day of yours in this land of yours in this month of yours.” He repeated it a number of times and then he raised his head and said, “O Allah, have I conveyed the message? O Allah, have I conveyed the message?” (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Many authentic narrations of the above hadith also have at the end, “The one who is present should convey it to those who are absent.” Indeed, these are words that every Muslim should know, understand and apply in his life. If these words of the Prophet (peace be upon him) were adhered to properly, societal problems would be kept to a minimum. Muslims would live secure and protected lives. They would not have to worry a great deal about their wealth being stolen, about their lives being put at risk or even their honor not being respected. The Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned life, wealth and honor because, if these are secure and well, everything else should be secure and well.

This is another clear message, as are so many hadith in this collection by al-Nawawi, that a Muslim must do his best never to harm his brother Muslim with respect to his blood, wealth or honor. Furthermore, he should not do anything to make his brother upset or to hurt his feelings. He should only do toward his brother what he would love for his brother to do toward himself.

Indeed, before any Muslim performs any deed– after considering whether it is permissible in the shareeah-he should stop and ask himself, “If I perform this deed, is it going to make any of my Muslim brothers or sisters unhappy or upset? Is it going to harm or bother them in anyway?” Before, for example, a Muslim parks his car outside the mosque and blocks off others’ cars, such that they will be troubled while leaving, he should ask himself these questions. Before, for example, a Muslim leaves his shoes at the front of the mosque, such that others will have to step over them and be bothered by them, instead of putting them in their designated shelves, he should ask himself these questions. Before, for example, a Muslim neighbor and parent allows his children to make noise all night long or run wild in the neighborhood, he should ask himself these questions. Before, for example, a Muslim parent demonstrates to his child that it is all right for him to make noise in the mosque and bother those people who are trying to pray, he should ask himself these questions.

A Muslim cannot just concern himself with his own happiness and ease. Instead, he must also think about others and consider what affect his deeds have on others. If these matters were taken seriously and these noble teachings truly adhered to, then one would find the Muslim community as it is supposed to be. It will be as the Prophet (peace be upon him) described it in the following hadith: “You will find the believers, with respect to their mutual mercy, love and compassion for one another, like one body: if one portion of the body is ailing, the rest of the body suffers from sleeplessness and fever.” (Recorded by alBukhari and Muslim.)

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) also said, “A believer with respect to another believer is like a building: one part strengthens the other.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

13.1 Blood

Except in cases permitted by law’, a Muslim must avoid the shedding of any other Muslim’s blood. Indeed, he must do his best never to physically injure any other Muslim. As this hadith states, one should neither harm his “blood” or his honor. The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said in another hadith, “Abusing a Muslim is disobedience [to Allah] and fighting him is [lesser] kufr.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) A hadith in Sunan Abu Dawood states, “A believer will continue to move along quickly [toward Paradise] and in a good state as long as he does not spill forbidden blood. If he spills forbidden blood, he becomes slow and heavy-footed.” This hadith was explained by Hasan who said, Intentional homicide of a believer is a grave sin. So long as a man does not kill a believer, he proceeds quickly in doing good works and remains free from the burden of a grave sin. But if he kills a believer unjustly, he is loaded with a heavy burden of a major sin. He is deprived of Allah’s help to do good works and reaches near destruction in the Hereafter.

A believer is very dear to Allah. A Muslim, therefore, should love every other believer. It is inconceivable that he would want to injure or kill a creature who believes in Allah and is worshipping Him. This is something very much hated by Allah. In fact, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The perishing of this world is lighter in Allah’s sight than the killing of a Muslim man.” The following hadith also shows how displeasing the act of killing a believer is to Allah: “For whoever kills a believer and he is doing wrong in killing him, Allah will neither accept obligatory deeds or voluntary deeds from him.” Indeed, simply the intention or attempt to kill another Muslim will land a person in the Hell-fire. In an authentic hadith, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “If two Muslims face each other with their swords, the killer and the killed are in the Fire.” I [the Companion Abu Bakra said], “This is the case for the killer, but why the killed?” He said, “Because he was eager to kill his companion.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Allah states the penalty for intentionally killing another believer: “Whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide therein; and the wrath and the curse of Allah are upon him; and a great punishment is prepared for him” (al-Nisaa 93). Another very strong statement from the Prophet (peace be upon him) is the following, “It can be expected that Allah may forgive every sin except [for the sin of] a man who intentionally kills a believer or a man who dies as a disbeliever.” Although this hadith has been interpreted in many ways, the best interpretation seems to be that of al-Sindi. He wrote that its meaning is that it could be expected that any sin may be forgiven by Allah without first punishing its doer in the Hell-fire. However, that is not true for the sin of intentionally killing a believer. This sin will not be excused by Allah until after the person spends some time in the Hell-fire. Allah knows best.

There is also another hadith with a similar implication. It states, “Allah refuses to make for the killer of a believer any form of repentance.” The meaning of this hadith, and Allah knows best, could be that there is no act of repentance that can completely make up for one Muslim killing another believer. Yet another moving hadith related to this topic is the following, lbn Abbas was asked about a person who murdered a believer and then repented and believed and did good deeds and was then guided. lbn Abbas said, “What repentance is there for him? I heard your Prophet (peace be upon him) say, ‘The killed person will come hanging on to the killer with his veins flowing with blood. He will be saying, “Lord, ask this person why he killed me.'”” Then he [ibn Abbas] said, “By Allah, Allah revealed that [that is, [alNisaa 93] and He did not abrogate it.’.

Everyone who is involved in the killing of a believer is deserving of the punishment of the Hell-fire. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “If the inhabitants of the heaven and the inhabitants of the earth jointly participated in the blood of a believer, Allah would certainly throw them all into the Fire.” The texts of the Quran and sunnah are clear: No Muslim should ever even consider wrongfully taking the life of any other believer in this world.

13.2 Wealth.

The blood of each Muslim is inviolable and so is his wealth– in a manner similar to that of his blood. Hence, no Muslim should harm another Muslim’s lawful wealth in any way. Indeed, as is clear in the teachings of this hadith, he should never willingly try to damage his brother’s economic wellbeing or prosperity. This strikes at the core of brotherhood and leads to hatred and animosity among Muslims.

A Muslim should show respect for his brother’s property in a manner similar to how he shows respect for his brother’s life. He should try to not harm his brother’s property in any fashion. If he harms his brother’s property, he should try to replace it or compensate his brother for any damage that he has caused. For example, if a Muslim borrows something from his brother, he should take good care of that item. He should be careful not to damage it in any way and if he does, he should compensate the owner- unless the owner, as a brotherly gesture, overlooks the damage caused and forgives the person. The Prophet (peace be upon him) has said,

“The wealth of a Muslim person is not permissible except by the pleasure of his soul.” In other words, one cannot take or use any portion of another brother’s wealth unless one is certain that he is pleased with that and does not disapprove of such an act. Also, there should be absolutely no coercion in business dealings. A Muslim should feel free to take any permissible deal or to refuse any deal. Allah has said, “O believers! Devour not your property among yourselves unjustly except it be a trade among you, by mutual consent” (al-Nisaa 29). The importance that Islam places on preserving and protecting one’s wealth can be seen in the punishment for theft. The thief, if certain conditions are met, is to have his hand cut off. This is a harsh punishment-however, it is based on wisdom and the importance of safeguarding people’s wealth.

13.3 Honor

Again, a person’s honor is to be respected like his life and his wealth are to be respected. This means that one must be extremely careful about what one says about another Muslim. A Muslim’s honor should never be attacked without due cause in the shareeah. A Muslim’s name should never be dragged through the mud simply out of spite and a desire to see one’s brother hurt. Such actions are grave matters indeed and, once again, strike at the very core of the brotherhood that Islam seeks to create among its adherents. The importance of respecting another’s honor can be seen by many of the rules and regulations of Islam. Take, for example, the punishment for defamation and slander. Allah says in the Quran, “And those who accuse chaste women, and produce not four witnesses, flog them with eighty stripes, and reject their testimony forever. They indeed are the evildoers” (al-Noor 4).

Backbiting– speaking truthfully behind one’s brother’s back in ways that are displeasing to him– is another means by which a person violates his brother’s honor. Allah has described this terrible deed in a heart-moving fashion, “Do not backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it [so do not backbite]. And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is the One who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful” (alHujuraat 12).

Indeed, one could also consider the punishment for adultery and fornication as being part of Islam’s preservation of honor. This is because adultery, in particular, brings great shame to the other spouse as well as the
families involved. This may be, Allah knows best, one of the reasons why the punishment is so great in the case of adultery. One should preserve one’s tongue and actions from ever doing anything to wrong a Muslim’s honor or reputation. Unfortunately, it may be much “easier” to fail in this aspect in comparison to respecting his life and wealth. Nonetheless, a Muslim must realize that his brother’s honor is inviolable. Like his life and his wealth, he must take extra caution not to do anything to hurt his brother’s honor.

14. Other Points Related to This Hadith

• Al-Qaasimi and Abdul Maalik al-Qaasim state that it is permissible to wish that another person loses a bounty if that other person is using that bounty for evil or malicious purposes. In this case, one is not disliking that the other person received a bounty but one is simply disliking the way the bounty is being used. Hence, there is nothing wrong with disliking what the disbelievers and evildoers possess when they use those bounties in the
wrong way.

• In reality, those who should be the least envious among themselves are the workers for the sake of Islam– but, unfortunately, many times they are the most envious and spiteful. They should be the least envious because, they claim, they are all working for the same purpose: the pleasure of Allah and the support of His religion in this world. Allah has enough pleasure and bounty for all of them. If they are all working for the same purpose, it is like, to use a modern-day metaphor, they are all on the same team. They should each want the team to win and not worry so much about individual statistics. The better the team does, the happier everyone should be. Therefore, if the plight of Muslims and Islam is improved anywhere, all Muslim workers should be happy about that whether or not it was they themselves or their organization or group that brought about that good result. However, such only occurs when they clean their hearts of any other intentions and work not for their own group or party but solely for the sake of Allah. Then, whatever pleases Allah, they are happy with, even if it came at the hands of some other Muslim workers. And whatever displeases Allah, they are unhappy with, even if it came at the hands of their own group or party.

• One of the ways by which hatred toward another brother may be removed from one’s heart is by concentrating on the good deeds and kind acts that the brother has performed. When one thinks about those things, the minor agitating acts that he did will soon be forgotten. The feelings of rancor and animosity in the heart will soon be replaced, Allah willing, by feelings of
friendship and brotherhood.

• If a scholar is qualified to make ijtihaad and, in doing so, comes to a conclusion which is different from another scholar’s, then, as long as his conclusion has some basis and is not obviously against the Quran and sunnah, he should not be hated due to his honest conclusion. If he is hated due to his conclusion, then that hatred cannot be considered hatred for the sake of Allah. The scholar has the right to make his own ijtihaad. One cannot force his ijtihaad upon others. He cannot be hated because he has not committed any sin. Allah willing, he will be rewarded for his efforts even if he were wrong. However, his opinion may be opposed in a polite
and respectful manner.

• Sometimes one brother is asked about another brother, for the purpose of marriage, business or for some other aspect. The brother who is being questioned knows that the prospective brother is not qualified or is not a good candidate. However, he feels that if he says anything bad about the brother, he will be backbiting and doing something against the brotherhood of Islam. He fails to realize that by not stating the truth about the brother, someone is bound to get hurt. Hence, he must state the truth if he feels that the brother is not qualified. The Prophet (peace be upon him) set an example in this matter. Fatimah bint Qais was proposed to by Abu Jahm and Muawiya. The Prophet (peace be upon him) told her about one that he beat women and about the other that he is poor and has no wealth. Hence, the Prophet (peace be upon him) even suggested a third person for her to marry. This is part of the sincere advice toward one another and it does not violate the principles of brotherhood in Islam.

• Auctions are allowed in Islam and do not violate the principles mentioned in this hadith. This hadith is specifically referring to cases where there is an agreement between the buyer and the seller, and then a third party interferes with that agreement. However, in the case of auctions, there is no agreement and the seller has not accepted anyone’s offer. Al-Bukhari has a chapter in his Sahih demonstrating that auction-type sales are permissible in Islam.

• Throughout the Muslim world today, one might find the beautiful principles taught in this hadith violated virtually on a daily basis. There may be some Muslims who cheat each other in business. Some Muslims even lie to each other. Other Muslims might even be prejudice against each other and look down upon one another. Sometimes Muslims do not show
any respect to each other; indeed, it is as if some of them sometimes do not have any self-respect. Perhaps, Allah knows best, this hadith points to two very important aspects that may remove this phenomenon. The first aspect is that every Muslim must realize that he is a slave and servant of Allah. This is the most honorable position a human can achieve. Indeed, this is the very purpose for which he was created. As Allah has said, “I have created not jinn and mankind except for them to worship and serve Me” (al-Dhaariyaat 56)

When a person realizes this fact, this should give him “self-respect for the sake of Allah”. A person with such self-respect would find many deeds to be beneath him and unbecoming of his status as a servant of Allah. He would not be willing to lie or cheat. He could not look down upon others or violate their rights as all of those deeds are not worthy of a person who is a true servant of Allah. The second aspect, then, is to realize that all the Muslims around him are also servants of Allah and his brothers for the sake of Allah. If they are his brothers for the sake of Allah, how could he then cheat them, lie to them, be prejudiced against them and so forth. This one phrase in the middle of this hadith, “And be, [O] servants of Allah, brethren” could have far-reaching implicationsindeed, it could change the entire nature of the Muslim societies of todayif it were simply understood properly and applied properly. And Allah knows best

• Brotherhood is not simply a matter of putting twenty dollars in a box for some Muslims in a far away place. Brotherhood has much more to do with the day to day activities between individual Muslims. To be a true brother to someone one sees everyday may be a much more difficult task than simply helping far away Muslims with a once-in-a-while financial contribution. How one deals with his brothers who are close to him may be the true test of brotherhood.

• A Muslim should never want to take advantage of his brother. He should not intentionally do wrong to his brother and then say, “He is my brother, he won’t mind.” He should not do this because this is not a brotherly way to act. A brother does not take advantage of his brother’s kindness. Instead, he will do his best never to put his brother in a position where the latter will have to overlook or forgive his actions.

• A Muslim should not lie in general but especially not to his Muslim brother. In modem times, many of the Muslims who are active in the area of dawah and Islamic work have become very lax on this point. They are very quick to lie on behalf of their Islamic organization or movement. They justify their actions by claiming that this is best for the “bigger picture” of Islam. Unfortunately, though, when a person gets into a lying mode, it becomes easy for him to lie on a regular basis and in cases where there was no need to lie. Furthermore, lies have a tendency to get bigger and bigger, as a person has to cover up his earlier smaller lies with bigger lies.

The end result is usually disastrous. After some time, the lies begin to be exposed and become clear to everyone. When the people see that these lies were all perpetrated in the name of the “bigger picture” of Islam, it is the Islamic movement itself that is sometimes hurt the worst. Hence, in the long-run, it is very damaging for Islam as a whole. Instead of resorting to such practices and allowing them to get out of hand, the Muslims should
remember these words of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in this hadith: a Muslim does not lie to his brother. A Muslim may deceive the enemy in a battlefield. But his brother Muslim who is not part of his organization or movement, for example, is not the same as his enemy in the battlefield. In general, there is no Islamic justification for lying to such a Muslim and, in the long run, those lies usually end up having disastrous results when they are finally exposed.

• A man said to Umar ibn Abdul Aziz, “Consider the elderly Muslims like a father, their young like [your] children and those in the middle like [your] brethren. Which of those would you like to harm?”
• Yahya ibn Muaadh al-Raazi once said, “Let the believer get one of three things from you: If you do not benefit him, at least do not harm him; if you do not make him joyful, at least do not make him grieve; and if you do not praise him, at least do not criticize him.”
• This hadith discusses many of the diseases of the heart. These diseases can be very damaging. Indeed, they can lead a person to leaving the fold of Islam. Abdul Maalik al-Qaasim points out that the “pillars” or roots of kufr (disbelief) are four: kibr (pride and arrogance), hasad (envy), baghdhaa (hatred) and shahwah (desires, passions). The Prophet (peace be upon him), directly or indirectly, touched upon three of these in this hadith. Kibr keeps one from submitting to the truth, even if the person recognizes it as true. Hasad keeps one from accepting advice and guidance from others because the person does not want to accept the fact that others might have something that he does not. Hatred keeps one being just and following the truth wherever it may be.

Summary of the Hadith:
• Muslims are all servants of Allah and they must look at each other and actually treat each other like brothers. This brotherhood is not something that merely exists on the lips but it must actually be put into practice in everyday living. This is partially accomplished by adhering to the following teachings that have come from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in this hadith:
(1) The Muslim brothers should not be envious of one another.
(2) They should not hurt each other financially by artificially raising prices against each other or undercutting sales that have already been concluded.
(3) They should not hate each other and, consequently, they should avoid all of those acts that could gender hatred among brothers.
(4) They should not tum away from each other and avoid one another. Instead, when they see each other they should greet each other with the greetings of peace and with a smiling face.
(5) A brother should not commit any type of dhulm with respect to his brother.
(6) A true brother is the one who comes to his brother’s assistance and does not abandon him in his hour of need.
(7) True brothers do not lie to each other. Instead, they are honest and straight forward with one another.
(8) A true brother sees his brother as his equal-or he sees his brother as being superior to himself. He would never be so arrogant as to look down on his brother or despise his brother.

• The true estimate of a person’s worth is his taqwa. It is not the outer manifestations of this world, such as wealth, position, lineage and so forth. But taqwa is in the heart and no one except Allah knows the level of a person’s taqwa. No Muslim can know for certain that he has more taqwa than another Muslim. Therefore, no Muslim could ever know for certain that he is better than another Muslim. Since that is the case, there is no call for a Muslim ever to look down upon or show contempt for his brother Muslim. Indeed, this is a great evil. In fact, that by itself is a sufficient amount of evil for any one to carry.
• All of a Muslim is inviolable to every other Muslim. In other words, every Muslim must treat every other Muslim with the proper amount of respect and good behavior.
• In particular, one must realize that a Muslim’s blood is inviolable. One must avoid any illegal form of spilling of Muslim blood or physically injuring a Muslim.
• Similarly, a Muslim’s wealth is also inviolable. One must respect the private property of his brother and should not use it unless it is known that his brother approves of that act.
• Finally, one must also show utmost respect for his brother’s honor. He must be careful of his tongue and never wrongfully harm the honor of his brother.