Explanation of Hadith

Explanation of the Hadith which reads:

"One of you will not be a true believer until he loves to his Muslim brother what he loves for himself"

All praise is due to Allah and peace be upon His Messenger. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone and Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.

Al Bukhari and Muslim reported on the authority of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "One of you will not be a true believer until he loves for his Muslim brothers (and sisters) what he loves for himself."[1]

This honorable Hadith is one of the Hadiths on which the whole religion is based. If the people apply this Hadith, it will eliminate many deniable acts and rivalries among people; moreover, security, goodness, and peace will prevail in the society. This takes place when the heart is pure and free of rancor, cheat, and envy. Envy requires that an envier hates anyone surpasses him or being equal to him in any good because he loves to be superior to people by his virtues and single himself out with them. However, faith is different where believers have to share goodness with all the people without hiding something of it.[2]

Imam Ahmad reported in his Musnad on the authority of Mu`adh (may Allah be pleased with him) that he asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) about the best belief and he answered:"The best belief is to love for the sake of Allah and to hate for the sake of Allah and to busy your tongue with remembering Allah." He said: What else O Messenger of Allah? He said: To love for the people what you love for yourself, hate for them what you hate for yourself, and to speak of good or to keep silent."[3]

This is one of the great qualities of faith, therefore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that admission to Paradise is based on applying those qualities. Imam Ahmad reported in his Musnad from the Hadith of Yazid ibn Asad Al Qasry (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said to me: "Do you love Paradise?" I said: Yes. He said: "Love to your (Muslim) brothers what you love for yourself."[4]

Imam Muslim reported in his Sahih (book of authentic Hadiths) from the Hadith of `Abdullah ibn `Amr ibn Al `As (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever loves to be secured from Hell and enter Paradise should die while he believes in Allah and in the Last Day and present to the people what he loves to be presented to him."[5]

Imam Muslim reported in his Sahih from the Hadith of Abu Dhar (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "O Abu Dhar, I see you weak, and I like for you what I like for myself, you would not lead two, and you would not be the guardian of an orphan's wealth."[6] He forbade him from doing these matters because of his weakness. The Prophet (peace be upon him) loved that every weak person would abandon these matters. He used to take charge of peoples' matters because Allah had given him the power to be in charge and commanded him to call the entire creation to obey Him and in return, he would take charge of their religion as well as their world.

Muhammad ibn Wasi` was selling his donkey when a man said to him: do you satisfy it for me? He said: If I had satisfied it, I would not have sold it. This is an indication that he does not love for his Muslim brother but what he loves for himself. This is a kind of the sincere advice to all Muslims 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: "Please permit me to commit adultery." The Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) took this very ill and were enraged at his words; but the Prophet said to him: "Come nearer to me. Would you like anyone to commit adultery with your mother?" He said: "Not at all." The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Then other people will also never tolerate such a shameful act with their mothers." Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked him the same question about his sister, aunt, etc. And he answered each time in the negative. Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) put his hand on his chest and prayed: "O Allâh! Purify his heart, forgive his sins and guard him against adultery." Narrators said that, after this, nothing was more hateful to him than adultery.[7]

Ibn Rajab said: A believer should feel sorry for the righteous acts he missed. Therefore, Islam exhorted people to look at their superiors in regard of religion and to compete in achieving that by exerting efforts and energy. Allah (May He be Exalted) says: "and for this let (all) those strive who want to strive (i.e. hasten earnestly to the obedience of Allah)." [Surat Al Mutafifin: 26]. He does not hate anyone to share it, but loves for the people to compete in, so He exhorts them to it; this is part of sincere advice to Muslim brothers. If anyone missed a religious virtue, he would exert efforts to match up to. A person would grieve for his negligence and lagging behind the formers. It is not out of envy for them because of what Allah has given them, but in order to compete with them and feeling sorry for negligence and lagging behind from the formers a believer should not consider himself negligent to achieve high degrees in order to obtain two precious things:

Exerting efforts in obtaining virtues more and more and considering oneself lacking other things. This will result in loving that the believers would be better than him because he does not satisfy that they would be like him as he does not satisfy for himself his current position, but he exerts efforts in repairing himself.

Muhammad ibn Wasi` said to his son: As for your father, may Allah not grant Muslims someone like him. If someone is not content with his current position, how could he love for Muslims to be like him despite advising them to be better than him? However, he loves for Muslims to be better than him and loves for himself to change his current position to something better.[8]

Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) said:"I used to recite the Ayah of the Qur'an and I like that the people know it as I know."

Imam Ash-Shafi`y (may Allah show mercy to him) said: "I wish the people had learnt this knowledge and nothing of it would have ascribed to me."

All praise is due to Allah the Lord of all the Worlds. Peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.