Fulfilling the Rights of Fellow Muslims
Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Masud
(ra) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Verbally abusing a
Muslim is an evil sin and fighting him is disbelief.” (Tirmidhi)
Hazrat Abu Huraira (ra)
narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “When a man observing
faults of others says (by way of complaint and adopting a ‘holier than you’
attitude considering himself free of fault): ‘People are corrupt’, then this
person will soon become the most corrupted (because he has despised the believers).”
(Muslim)
Hazrat Huzaifa (ra) narrates that he heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) say: “The person who goes about with calumnies will never enter paradise.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
Hazrat Abu Huraira (ra)
narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “On the Day of Judgement,
the one in the vilest of conditions will be a two-faced person. He says one
thing (in favour) of one person and then another thing (in regard to the same
affair) to another person.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
Hazrat Abu Huraira (ra)
narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Do you know what is Ghibat
(backbiting)?”
The Sahaba said: “Allah
and His Messenger know best”.
The Messenger of Allah
(pbuh) replied: “To speak about a (Muslim) brother such things which will
displease him if he comes to know of it”.
Someone asked: “What
if what I say exists in the brother (in other words, if what is said is the
truth)?”
The Messenger of Allah
(pbuh) said: “If what you say is in him, then it is Ghibat (backbiting) and
if what you say is not in him, then it is Bhutaan (slander).” (Muslim)
Hazrat Sufyaan Ibn Asad
Khadrami (ra) narrates that he heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) say: “Indeed,
it is an act of the greatest abuse of trust if you tell a Muslim brother
something false while he believes that you are telling him the truth”. (Abu
Dawud)
Hazrat Mu’az (ra)
narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Whoever taunts a brother (Muslim)
with a sin (which the Muslim had committed), will not die until he (the
taunter) commits the same sin”. (Tirmidhi)
Thus, to speak
sarcastically of the sins of others and to adopt a ‘holier and purer than you’
attitude will lead to such a person himself falling in the same sin. However,
to speak to a sinner by way of admonishment and giving advice is not in the
scope of the warning sounded in the Hadith mentioned [i.e. warning against the
sin of troubling one’s brother or sister about his or her sin and to go on with
this blame game and making his or her life bitter with this [past] sin – it may
be that Allah had already forgiven that person for the sin he or she committed,
but you [in your limited knowledge] you keep on pestering that person with that
sin. This is not good at all, but if with a good [clean] heart you approach
that person and give him or her good counsels so as not to fall in that sin again
and you warn him or her according to the verses of Allah as established in the
Holy Quran, then this is an act of virtue, as you are encouraging the person to
do good and warning him or her from [committing or falling into] all kinds of
evils – So, Advice, exhortation to do good and admonition are acts of virtue.
Hazrat Waathilah (ra)
narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Do not display pleasure
at the plight (be it a worldly difficulty or a Deeni condition) of a brother
(Muslim), for it is quite possible that Allah bestows His mercy on him and
involves you in that plight (which had overtaken the brother).” (Tirmidhi)
Hazrat Abdur Rahman Ibn
Ghanam and Asma Bint Yazid (ra) narrate that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh)
said: “The worst among the servants of Allah are those who gossip and create
rifts between friends.” (Ahmad, Baihaqi)
Hazrat Ibn Abbas (ra)
narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Do not unnecessarily
dispute with a brother (Muslim) nor joke with him in such a way which
displeases him. Do not promise him something which you cannot fulfil”. (Tirmidhi)
However, failure to fulfil
a promise on account of a valid reason is excluded from the prohibition of the
Hadith which I have just mentioned. In this regard Hazrat Zaid Bin Arqam (ra)
narrates that according to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), one who has the
intention of fulfilling a promise but fails because of some real reason is not
guilty of sin. (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi)
Hazrat Eyaadh Mujaasha’i
(ra) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Allah the Almighty has
revealed to me that all people should inculcate humility so much so that no one
becomes proud over another and no one commits oppression on another.”
(Muslim)
Hazrat Jarir Ibn
Abdullah (ra) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Allah is
not merciful to a person who has no mercy on others.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
Hazrat Abu Huraira (ra)
narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Strive to fulfil the
needs of widows and orphans. He who does so is equal (in reward) to one who
strives in Jihad”. (Bukhari, Muslim)
Hazrat Sahl Bin Saad (ra)
narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “I and the one who looks
after an orphan (whether related to him or not) will be like this in
Paradise,” showing his middle and index fingers and separating them.” (Bukhari,
Muwatta)
Indeed the reward is
tremendous. It is no small reward to be a neighbour of the Messenger of Allah
(pbuh) in Paradise. The reason for slightly separating the two fingers and not
placing them together is that after all, there will be a difference, as in
Paradise, everyone has his own rank.
Nu’maan Bin Bashir (ra)
narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “You will observe Muslims
as one body in regard to mutual love and affinity. When one part pains, the
entire body is affected.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
Hazrat Abu Musa (ra)
narrates that whenever someone came to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) with a
need, the latter (pbuh) would advise the Sahaba to intercede on behalf of the
one in need so that they who intercede may participate in the reward. The
Messenger of Allah (pbuh) would say: “Whatever Allah decides will be
commanded on the tongue of His Messenger.”
Whatever Allah (twt)
wishes the needy to obtain, he will get it but the intercessor too will obtain
his share of rewards so easily. Interceding on behalf of another should be only
when the one who is being petitioned and the petitioner as well are not
displeased by the intercession as was the case with the Messenger of Allah (pbuh)
who himself exhorted the Sahaba to intercede on behalf of the one in need. (Bukhari,
Muslim)
Hazrat Anas (ra)
narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Help your brother,
whether he is an oppressor or is oppressed”. A man enquired: “O
Messenger of Allah! I help him when he is oppressed, but how can I help him
when he is an oppressor?” He (pbuh) said, “You can keep him from committing
oppression. That will be your help to him.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
Hazrat Ibn Umar (ra)
narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “A Muslim is a brother of
another Muslim. So he should not oppress him nor should he desert him in need
and difficulty. Whoever fulfils the needs of his brother, Allah will fulfill
his needs; whoever removes the troubles of his brother, Allah will remove one
of his troubles on the Day of Resurrection; and whoever covers up the fault of
a Muslim, Allah will cover up his fault on the Day of Resurrection.” (Bukhari,
Muslim)
Hazrat Abu Huraira (ra)
narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Despising a Muslim is a
sufficient evil in a man”. (Muslim)
Even if a man has no
other evils in him besides this one evil of holding other Muslims in contempt,
he has been overwhelmed by evil and corruption, for this one evil is sufficient
to utterly destroy him.
“All things of a Muslim
are sacred and to be honoured by other Muslims. His life, property and honour
must be respected”.
(Muslim)
It is not lawful for a
Muslim to hurt, harm or inconvenience another Muslim. His life, property and
dignity have to be honoured. His faults should be concealed and he must not be
slandered. In short, he must be protected and honoured.
Hazrat Anas (ra) narrates
that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “One from whose mischief a neighbour
is not safe, will not enter Paradise.” (Muslim)
The neighbour, whether
Muslim or Non-Muslim, remains in a state of fear as a result of one’s mischief.
Such an evil person will not enter Paradise before being sentenced to
punishment in Hell.
Hazrat Ibn Abbas (ra)
narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “He is not one of us who
does not have mercy upon our young, respect our elders, and command good and
forbid evil.” (Tirmidhi)
It is among the duties
of a believer to be kind to juniors, respect seniors and call to virtue and
forbid evil. However, when discharging this duty of admonition, one should be
kind, have respect for others and act honourably. One should not adopt
harshness and a ‘holier and purer than you’ attitude.
Hazrat Uqbah Bin Aamir
(ra) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said “Whoever observes a
fault of another and conceals that fault (not advertising it), is (in recompense)
like one who has saved the life of a girl who was being buried alive.”
(Ahmad, Tirmidhi)
Hazrat Abu Huraira (ra)
narrates that The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Every man is a mirror to
his (Muslim) brother”. (Tirmidhi)
Thus, when a Muslim
sees a fault or an evil in another Muslim, he should act as his mirror and make
known to him his fault without disgracing him, without revealing to others what
he has seen just as a mirror while revealing to the viewer the faults in his
appearance does not publicize to other such faults.
Hazrat Aisha (ra)
narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Maintain people on their
ranks”. (Abu Dawud)
It is a teaching of the
Deen that everyone should be treated in terms of his/ her rank. Due
regard has to be accorded to the position of a person. Everyone cannot be
driven with the same whip.
Hazrat Abu Huraira (ra)
narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “A believer is the
repository of love. There is no goodness in a man who does not have love for
anyone nor does anyone love him.” (Ahmad, Baihaqi)
Hazrat Abu Huraira (ra)
narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Whenever a Muslim visits
a sick brother (Muslim) or merely goes to meet a brother, then Allah says: “You
are holy; your walking is holy; you have arranged your abode in Paradise”.
(Tirmidhi)
Hazrat Abu Ayyub Ansari
(ra) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “It is not lawful for
a Muslim to sever his ties with another Muslim for more than three days, in
such a way that when they meet, the one turns his face one way and the other
turns his face the other way. The better of these two is the one who makes Salaam
[greets with the Salutations of peace] first.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
Severance of ties
referred to in this Hadith means the breaking off of relationship because of
enmity and worldly reasons. This Hadith does not refer to the adoption of
solitude and dissociation with the general public. The solitude which one does
to remember, meditate and communicate with Allah, such solitude is a blessing for
the sake of the development of the Ruh (spiritual development) and is in
fact, instructed by the Deen, i.e. Islam. But what is not good is that
Muslims do not make peace on purpose after a dispute or difference between two
of them, or among them [more than two persons].
Hazrat Abu Huraira (ra)
narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Refrain from suspicion.
The worst of lies is suspicion (thinking ill of others on mere supposition). Do
not pry into the private affairs of others. Do not bid a higher price (for any
object of sale) with the intention to deceive (and not to buy). Do not have
jealousy for one another nor entertain malice for each other. Do not backbite (Ghibbat).
Fear Allah! All servants (of Allah) should live like brothers”. (Bukhari,
Muslim)
Hazrat Abu Huraira (ra)
narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “Six are the rights of a
Muslim over another Muslim. It was said to him: Allah's Messenger, what are
these? Thereupon he said: When you meet him, offer him greetings; when he invites
you to a feast accept it; when he seeks your counsel, give him; and when he
sneezes and says: “All praise is due to Allah,” (Alhamdulillah), you say, “May
Allah show mercy to you” (Yarhamuk Allah); and when he falls ill, visit him; and
when he dies, follow his bier (Janaza).” (Muslim)
The rights which
Muslims enjoy over Muslims are not restricted to six. However, on this
particular occasion, The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) mentioned six. In other
Hadiths and Quranic verses, more rights and duties are mentioned.
Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq
(ra) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: “A man who harms any
Muslim and deceives him, is accursed”. (Tirmidhi)
The rights, duties and
attitude mentioned in all these Hadiths pertain to the general body of Muslims.
Such rights are applicable in abundance. Besides these general rights there are
also special rights applicable in particular occasions and circumstances. In
these days, there is great negligence and indifference in regard to the
discharge of the rights and the execution of duties. It is, therefore, essential
to be diligent in the fulfilment of these rights and duties.
May Allah (twt) grant us the Tawfiq to discharge our duties in the best way we can and which is pleasing to Him. Ameen.
---Friday Sermon of 12 August 2022 ~13 Muharram 1444 AH delivered by Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius.