How often is it that we
severe the bonds of brotherhood – that Allaah
has given us out of His mercy – out of selfish
and un-Islaamic reasons? Know what is due upon
you – O servant of Allaah – in terms reconciling
with your brother!
Thus Allaah and His Messenger (sallallaahu
’alayhi wa sallam) ordered that the rights of
the Believers be fulfilled by each other, and
that those matters which will bring about
harmony, love and togetherness be carried out.
Allaah – the One free from all imperfections –
said:
“So have taqwaa (fear and obedience) of Allaah
and reconcile the differences between
yourselves.” [Sooratul-Anfaal 8:1]
“Indeed the Believers are but brothers.
Therefore reconcile the differences between your
brothers, and fear Allaah so that you may
receive mercy.” [Sooratul-Hujuraat 49:10]
Imaam ’Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Naasir as-Sa’dee
(d.1376H) – rahimahullaah – said:
“So this is a knot which Allaah has bound the
Believers together with, such that whenever a
person is found possessing eemaan (faith) in
Allaah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers
and the last Day – whether in the eastern or
western part of the world – then such a person
becomes the brother of the Believers. This
brotherhood obligates that the Believers should
love for that person that which they love for
themselves, and hate for that person that which
they hate for themselves. Therefore, the Prophet
(sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said – whilst
ordering the brotherhood of eemaan (faith): “Do
not envy one another. Do not inflate prices upon
one another. Do not hate one another. Do not
forsake one another. Do not under-cut one
another. But be worshippers of Allaah and
brothers. The Muslim is the brother of another
Muslim; he neither oppresses him, nor humiliates
him, nor lies to him, nor holds him in contempt.
And piety is right here – and he pointed to his
chest three times. It is enough evil for a
person to hold his brother Muslim in contempt.
The whole of a Muslim for another Muslim is
sacred; his blood, his property and his honour.”
[1] And he (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said:
“The Believer to the Believer is like a solid
structure, one part supporting the other.” And
he interlaced his fingers to demonstrate this.
[2]
Thus Allaah and His Messenger (sallallaahu
’alayhi wa sallam) ordered that the rights of
the Believers be fulfilled by each other, and
that those matters which will bring about
harmony, love and togetherness be carried out.
All of this is to be done in order to further
the rights that they have over one another. So
from such rights is that when fighting occurs
between them – thereby causing their hearts to
separate and to have hatred and to cut-off from
each other – then the Believers should bring
about reconciliation between their brothers and
do that which will remove the enmity. Then
Allaah ordered taqwaa in general and made the
bestowal of His Mercy the consequence of their
having taqwaa and their fulfilling the rights of
the Believers. So He said: “And have taqwaa of
Allaah in order that you may receive mercy.”
Thus, if Allaah’s Mercy is attained, then the
good of this world and the Hereafter will also
be attained.” [3]
’Aa‘ishah (radiyallaahu ’anhaa) used to say:
that when people abandoned acting upon this
aayah (verse): “When two parties of the
Believers fight each other, then make
reconciliation between them.” [Sooratul-Huiuraat
49:9]. So when the Muslims began fighting each
other, it was obligatory to reconcile them, as
Allaah – the Most High – ordered. However, when
they did not do this, then fitnah (trials and
tribulations) spread, as did ignorance, and this
is what caused the differences to continue. [4]
Allaah’s Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa
sallam) said: “Shall I not inform you of
something that is greater in degree than
(optional) fasting, charity and Prayer?” They
said: Indeed inform us. So he said: “It is
reconciling the people. For indeed causing
corruption between them is the shaver!” [5]
And he (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) explained
this shaving in another saying: “The disease of
the people before you has overcome you: namely
envy and hatred, and it is the shaver. I do not
say that it shaves off the hair. Rather, it
shaves-off the Religion.” [6]
Footnotes:
[1] Related by Muslim (no.2564), from Aboo
Hurayrah (radiyallaahu ’anhu).
[2] Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 481) and Muslim
(no. 2585), from Aboo Hurayrah (radiyallaahu
’anhu).
[3] Tayseerul-Kareemir-Rahmaan (7/133-134) of
Imaam as-Sa’dee.
[4] Related by Ibn Abil-’Izz in
Sharhul-’Aqeedatit-Tahaawiyyah (2/777). Imaam
al-Bayhaqee related something similar to this in
his Sunanul-Kubraa (8/172).
[5] Saheeh: Related by at-Tirmidhee (no. 2640)
and Aboo Daawood (no. 4919), from Abud-Dardaa‘
(radiyallaahu ’anhu). It was authenticated by
al-Albaanee in Ghaayatul-Maraam (no. 414).
[6] Hasan: Related by at-Tirmidhee (no. 2641),
from az-Zubayr Ibnul ’Awwaam (radiyallaahu
’anhu). It was authenticated al-Albaanee in
Saheeh Sunanut-Tirmidhee (no. 2038).
