Commentary of Hadith "None of you will have faith till he wishes for his (Muslim) brother what he likes for himself."

All praise be to Allah and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone who has no partner and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.

Al Bukhari and Muslim reported from the Hadith of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "None of you will have faith till he wishes for his (Muslim) brother what he likes for himself." [1]

This noble Hadith is one of the greatest Hadiths on which Islam is based. If people act according to this Hadith, many deniable acts and rivalries shall end and security, good, and peace shall prevail.

That will happen when hearts are free of hatred, deceit, and envy because an envious person does not love that anyone surpasses him in goodness or even becomes equal with him because he loves to be superior to people by all kinds of virtue.

However, faith is unlike that because it entails that a person joins Muslims in the goodness which Allah granted them without having it all for himself. [2]

Imam Ahmad reported in his Musnad from the Hadith of Mu`adh (may Allah be pleased with him) that he asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) about the best of faith. He (the Messenger) said: Which faith is excellent? He replied: That you love (any person or thing) for the sake of Allah, hate for the sake of Allah, and that you keep your tongue busy in the remembrance of Allah. He said: Allah’s Messenger, is there anything besides this? He said: You like for the people what you like for yourself, and you dislike for them what you dislike, and you either say good or keep silent." [3]

This is one of the great qualities of faith, therefore the Prophet (peace be upon him) linked between entering Paradise and acting according to these qualities.

Imam Ahmad reported in his Musnad from the Hadith of Yazid ibn Asad Al Qasry (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to me: Do you love Paradise? I said: Yes. He said: Then love for your Muslim brother what you love for yourself." [4]

Imam Muslim reported in his Sahih from the Hadith of `Abdullah ibn `Amr ibn Al `As (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Whosoever wishes to be removed from the Fire (Hell) and admitted to Paradise should die with faith in Allah and the Last Day; and he should treat others as he wishes to be treated."[5]

Imam Muslim reported in his Sahih from the Hadith of Abu Dhar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Abu Dhar, I find that thou art weak and I like for thee what I like for myself. Do not rule over (even) two persons and do not manage the property of an orphan. [6].

He forbade him from doing that because he saw his weakness, and he (peace be upon him) loves that for every weak.

However, he undertook people's affairs because Allah gave him the strength to do so, as he was commanded to call all people to Allah's obedience and he would take the policy of their religion and world.

Muhammad ibn Wasi` was selling a donkey, then a man asked him: Would you like that I have that donkey? He replied: If I had liked it, I would not have sold it; which indicates that he does not like his Muslim brother to have something he does not like for himself. [This is a general advice for the general advices for the nation which is part of religion].

Imam Ahmad reported in his Musnad from the Hadith of Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: "A young man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, please grant me permission to commit adultery, then the people cried out against him, saying no. The Messenger said to him: Come near, and he went near him. The messenger said: Do you like to do that to your mother? He replied: No. By Allah, May Allah make me your ransom, and people do not like to do that to their mothers. Then he asked: Do you like to do that to your daughter? He replied: No by God, people do not like to do that to their daughters. The Messenger said: Do you like to do that to your sister? He replied: No, by God, may Allah make me your ransom, people all of them do not like to do that to their sisters…(finally) the Messenger placed his hand on the young man’s hand and prayed: O Allah, forgive him his sins, purify his heart, and guard his private parts; and thereafter the youth did not like such acts (again)." [7]

Ibn Rajab said: A believer should be sad for missing religious virtues. Therefore, he was commanded to follow the example of those who are better than him in religion and to exert efforts to achieve that, as Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "The last thereof (that wine) will be the smell of Musk, and for this let (all) those strive who want to strive (i.e. hasten earnestly to the obedience of Allâh)." [Surat Al Mutafifin: 26].

A Muslim does not hate a person who shares him something, but he should like for people to participate him in goodness and urge them to that.

When someone surpasses him in a religious virtue, he should exert efforts to catch him and feel sad for negligence, not out of envy but out of honest competition, rejoice for others, and sorrow for himself because he had missed some ranks.

A believer should not see himself negligent in order to achieve high degrees, benefiting from two precious matters:

Exerting efforts in seeking virtues and increasing them, which in turn result in loving for Muslims to be better than him because he does not like that people would be negligent like him, but seeks to increase his status and degrees.

Muhammad ibn Wasi` said to his son: As for your father, may Allah not make Muslims like him because the one who does not like the conditions of himself should not like that Muslims be like him. He likes Muslims to be better than him and likes for himself to be better than his current conditions. [8]

Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "When I recite an Ayah from the book of Allah, I would like Muslims to know as I know of its meanings."

Imam Ash-Shafi`y (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said: "I wish that people had learned this knowledge and nothing of it was attributed to me."

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all mankind, and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.