1. Suspicion, Fault Finding and Oppression
عَنْ أبي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالُ قَالَ رَسُوْلَ اللّهِ صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَيه وَسَلَّمَ لَا تَحَاسَدُوْا وَلاَ تَنَاجَشُوْا وَلاَ تَبَاغَضُوا ولا تَدَابَرُوا وَلاَ يَبِعْ بَعْضُكُمْ علی بَيْعِ بَعْضٍ وَكُونُوا عِبَادَ اللّٰهِ إِخْوَانًا الْمُسْلِمُ أَخُو الْمُسْلِمِ لَا يَظْلِمُهُ ولا يَخْذُلُهُ ولا يَحْقِرُهُ التَّقْوَى ها هنا وَيُشِيرُ اِلٰی صَدْرِهِ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ بِحَسْبِ امْرِئٍ من الشَّرِّ أَنْ يَحْقِرَ أَخَاهُ الْمُسْلِمَ كُلُّ الْمُسْلِمِ علی الْمُسْلِمِ حَرَامٌ دَمُهُ وَمَالُهُ وَعِرْضُهُُ
Abu Hurayrah (rta) stated that God’s Messenger (sws) said: “Do not nurse mutual jealousy, do not bid over the bid of another person, do not nurse mutual hate and enmity and become servants of God who are brothers to one another. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim who neither oppresses him nor disgraces him nor belittles him. [Listen!] Piety is right here,” [and while saying this] he pointed to his chest thrice. “It is enough to call a person wicked if he belittles his Muslim brother. The life, wealth and honour of a Muslim are forbidden to another Muslim.”1
عَنْ جَابِرِ بن عبد اللّٰهِ اَنَّ رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ اتَّقُوْا الظُّلْمَ فإن الظُّلْمَ ظُلُمَاتٌ يوم الْقِيَامَةِ وَاتَّقُوا الشُّحَّ فإن الشُّحَّ أَهْلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ حَمَلَهُمْ علی أَنْ سَفَكُوا دِمَاءَهُمْ وَاسْتَحَلُّوا مَحَارِمَهُمْ
Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (rta) reported that God’s Messenger (sws) said: “Refrain from oppression because oppression is from among [the layers of] darkness on the Day of Judgement, and refrain from stinginess because stinginess destroyed those before you for it roused them to shed blood and make lawful what was forbidden to them.”2
عن سَالِمٍ عن أبيه اَنَّ رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ الْمُسْلِمُ اَخُو الْمُسْلِمِ لَا يَظْلِمُهُ ولا يُسْلِمُهُ مَنْ كَانَ فِيْ حَاجَةِ أَخِيهِ كَانَ اللّٰهِ فِيْ حَاجَتِهِ وَمَنْ فَرَّجَ عَنْ مُسْلِمٍ كُرْبَةً فَرَّجَ اللّٰهِ عِنْه بها كُرْبَةً من كُرَبِ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَمَنْ سَتَرَ مُسْلِمًا سَتَرَهُ اللّٰه يومَ الْقِيَامَةِ
Salim (rta) reported from his father that God’s Messenger (sws) said: “A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He should neither oppress him nor leave him helpless. He who fulfils the needs of his brother, God will fulfill his needs, and he who alleviated a hardship from a Muslim, God will alleviate a hardship from him from among the hardships of the Day of Judgement. And he who concealed the faults of a Muslim, God will conceal his faults on the Day of Judgement.”3
2. Visiting the Sick
عَنْ ثَوْبَانَ مولی رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ قال قال رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ من عَادَ مَرِيضًا لم يَزَلْ فِيْ خُرْفَةِ الْجَنَّةِ حتي يَرْجِعَ
Thawban (rta) the freed slave of God’s Messenger (sws) stated that he said: “He who visits the sick is like a person who remains among the fruit [orchards] of Paradise until he returns.”4
عَنْ اِبي هُرَيْرَةَ قال قال رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ عز وجل يقول يوم الْقِيَامَةِ يا بن آدَمَ مَرِضْتُ فلم تَعُدْنِي قال يا رَبِّ كَيْفَ أَعُودُكَ وَاَنْتَ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ قال اَمَا عَلِمْتَ اَنَّ عَبْدِي فُلَانًا مَرِضَ فلم تَعُدْهُ اَمَا عَلِمْتَ اَنَّكَ لو عُدْتَهُ لَوَجَدْتَنِي عِنْدَهُ يا بن آدَمَ اسْتَطْعَمْتُكَ فلم تُطْعِمْنِي قال يا رَبِّ وَكَيْفَ اُطْعِمُكَ وَاَنْتَ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ قال اَمَا عَلِمْتَ اَنَّهُ اسْتَطْعَمَكَ عَبْدِي فُلَانٌ فلم تُطْعِمْهُ اَمَا عَلِمْتَ اَنَّكَ لو اَطْعَمْتَهُ لَوَجَدْتَ ذلك عِنْدِي يا بن آدَمَ اسْتَسْقَيْتُكَ فلم تَسْقِنِي قال يا رَبِّ كَيْفَ أَسْقِيكَ وَاَنْتَ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ قال اسْتَسْقَاكَ عَبْدِي فُلَانٌ فلم تَسْقِهِ اَمَا اِنَّكَ لو سَقَيْتَهُ وَجَدْتَ ذلك عِنْدِي
Abu Hurayrah (rta) stated that God’s Messenger (sws) said: “On the Day of Judgement, God, the Exalted and Glorious, will say: ‘O Son of Adam! I was sick but you did not visit Me.’ He will reply: ‘My Lord! How could I visit you whereas You are the Lord of the worlds?’ God will say: ‘Did you not know that such and such servant of Mine was unwell and you did not visit him and did you not know that if you had visited him, you would have found Me by him? O Son of Adam! I asked food from you but you did not feed Me.’ He will reply: ‘My Lord! How could I feed you whereas You are the Lord of the worlds?’ God will [next] say: ‘Did you not know that such and such servant of Mine asked food from you but you did not feed him, and were you not aware that if you had fed him you would have found its [reward] with Me?’ God will [then] say: ‘O Son of Adam! I asked water from you but you did not provide Me.’ He will reply: ‘My Lord! How could I provide you with water whereas You are the Lord of the worlds?’ [At this,] God will say: ‘Such and such a servant of Mine asked you for water but you did not provide him, and had you given him water, you would have found its [reward] with Me.’”v
3. Sickness brushes away the Sins of Believers
عَنْ عَبْدُ اللّٰهِ قَالَ دَخَلْتُ علی رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُو يُوْعَكُ فَمَسِسْتُهُ بِيَدِي فقلت يا رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ اِنَّكَ لَتُوعَكُ وَعْكًا شَدِيدًا فقال رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ اَجَلْ اني أُوْعَكُ كَمَا يُوْعَكُ رَجُلَانِ مِنْكُمْ قال فقلت ذَلِكَ اَنَّ لَكَ اَجْرَيْنِ فَقاَلَ رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ اَجَلْ ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ ما من مُسْلِمٍ يُصِيبُهُ اَذًى من مَرَضٍ فما سِوَاهُ الا حَطَّ اللّٰه بِهِ سَيِّئَاتِهِ كما تَحُطُّ الشَّجَرَةُ وَرَقَهَا
‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (rta) reported: “I [once] visited God’s Messenger (sws) while he was running fever. I touched him with my hand and said to him: ‘O Messenger of God! You are running high fever.’ At this, God’s Messenger (sws) replied: ‘Yes. I run fever equivalent to two people among you.’ I then said: ‘Is it because there is a double reward for you?’ Thereupon God’s Messenger (sws) replied: ‘Yes.’ He then said: ‘When a Muslim falls ill or is afflicted with some other [hardship], God sheds his minor sins the way a tree sheds its leaves.’”6
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ قالت سمعت رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ يقول ما من شَيْءٍ يُصِيبُ الْمُؤْمِنَ حتی الشَّوْكَةِ تُصِيبُهُ الا كَتَبَ اللّٰه له بها حَسَنَةً أو حُطَّتْ عنه بها خَطِيئَةٌ
‘A’ishah (rta) said: “I heard God’s Messenger (sws) as saying: ‘For every calamity that strikes a believer even if it is the pricking of a thorn, God writes for him a pious deed [in his account] or one of his sins is obliterated [from his account because of the patience he shows].’”7
جَابِرُ بن عَبْدُ اللّٰهِ اَنَّ رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ دخل علی اُمِّ السَّائِبِ او اُمِّ الْمُسَيَّبِ فقال مالك يا اُمَّ السَّائِبِ او يا اُمَّ الْمُسَيَّبِ تُزَفْزِفِينَ قالت الْحُمَّي لَا بَارَكَ اللّٰه فيها فقال لَا تسبی الْحُمَّی فَاِنَّهَا تُذْهِبُ خَطَايَا بَنِي آدَمَ كما يُذْهِبُ الْكِيرُ خَبَثَ الْحَدِيدِ
Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (rta) reported that God’s Messenger (sws) visited Umm Sa’ib or Umm Musayyab and said: “Umm Sa’ib or Umm Musayyab! You are shivering?” She said: “It is fever and may it not be blessed by God,’ whereupon the Prophet (sws) remarked: ‘Do not curse fever for it takes away the sins of the posterity of Adam just as a furnace cleanses iron.’”8
4. Mutual Support and Unity
عَنْ ابي مُوْسَی قال قال رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ المُؤْمِنُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ كَالْبُنْيَانِ يَشُدُّ بَعْضُهُ بَعْضًا
Abu Musa (rta) stated that God’s Messenger (sws) said: “A believer is like a building in which one brick supports the other.”9
عَنْ النُّعْمَانِ بن بَشِيرٍ قال قال رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ في تَوَادِّهِمْ وَتَرَاحُمِهِمْ وَتَعَاطُفِهِمْ مَثَلُ الْجَسَدِ إذا اشْتَكَی منه عُضْوٌ تَدَاعَی له سَائِرُ الْجَسَدِ بِالسَّهَرِ وَالْحُمَّی
Nu‘man ibn Bashir (rta) stated that God’s Messenger (sws) said: “The example of believers with regard to love, mercy and affection between one another is that of one body; when any of its limbs aches, the whole body aches because of sleeplessness and fever.”10
عَنْ النُّعْمَانِ بن بَشِيرٍ قال قال رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ المُسْلِمُونَ كَرَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ ان اشْتَكَی عَيْنُهُ اشْتَكَي كُلُّهُ وَاِنْ اشْتَكَی رَأْسُهُ اشْتَكَی كُلُّهُ
Nu‘man ibn Bashir (rta) stated that God’s Messenger (sws) said: “Muslims are like one body of a person; if the eye aches, the whole body aches, and if the head aches, the whole body aches.”11
5. Forgiveness
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضَي اللّٰهُ عنها قالت ما انْتَقَمَ رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِنَفْسِهِ في شَيْءٍ يُؤْتي إليه حتي تنتهك من حُرُمَاتِ اللَّهِ فَيَنْتَقِمَ لِلّٰهِ
‘A’ishah (rta) said: “God’s Messenger (sws) never took revenge from anyone for his own self except if some of God’s limits were violated. So, he would seek revenge for God.”12
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1. Abu al-Husayn Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj al-Qushayri. Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, vol. 4 (Beirut: Dar ihya’ al-turath al-‘arabi, n.d.), 1986, (no. 2564). 2. Ibid., vol. 4, 1996, (no. 2578). 3. Ibid., vol. 4, 1996, (no. 2580). 4. Ibid., vol. 4, 1989, (no. 2568). 5. Ibid., vol. 4, 1990, (no. 2569). 6. Ibid., vol. 4, 1991, (no. 2571). 7. Ibid., vol. 4, 1992, (no. 2572). 8. Ibid., vol. 4, 1993, (no. 2575). 9. Ibid., vol. 4, 1999, (no. 2585). 10. Ibid., vol. 4, 2000, (no. 2586). 11. Ibid., vol. 4, 2000, (no. 2586).
12. Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Isma‘il al-Bukhari, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, 3rd ed., vol. 6 (Beirut: Dar Ibn Kathir, 1987), 2513, (no. 6461).