Relations with one’s brother
It is now more important than ever to keep ties with one another. Doctors are advising us that it is damaging for our mental health to be isolated from the world and so we should make an effort, within the permitted boundaries, to keep relations with one another.
However, even in these times relations can get a bit strained. Undue pressure and stress of the world today takes its toll on even our relationships with one another and sometimes we can fall out with our friends.
Islam has prescribed advice for this exact point and that is the reminder for today. The imam reminded us that the Prophet SAWS advised us by saying:
“Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the worst of false tales. Do not look for other’s faults. Do not spy one another, and do not practise Najsh (means to offer a high price for something in order to allure another customer who is interested in the thing). Do not be jealous of one another and do not nurse enmity against one another. Do not sever ties with one another. Become the slaves of Allah, and be brothers to one another as He commanded. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He should neither oppress him nor humiliate him. The piety is here! The piety is here!” While saying so he pointed towards his chest. “It is enough evil for a Muslim to look down upon his Muslim brother. All things of a Muslim are inviolable for his brother in Faith: his blood, his wealth and his honour. Verily, Allah does not look to your bodies nor to your faces but He looks to your hearts and your deeds.”
Dear brothers, this is a key piece of advice from the best of teachers. We need to take stock of this advice now more than ever. However, as mentioned earlier, we are only human and can fall out with one another. But even this situation has advice and the imam relayed another hadith in relation to it. That’s translated to say:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “It is not lawful for a Muslim to desert (stop talking to) his brother beyond three nights, the one turning one way and the other turning to the other way when they meet, the better of the two is one who is the first to greet the other.”
Dear brothers we can see that even when we fall out with each other, we are to reconcile within 3 days. Anything beyond that is going beyond our boundaries as Muslims.
This point is made even more critical through the hadith relaying the gates of Jannah. It’s translated to say:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “The gates of Jannah are opened on Mondays and Thursdays, and then every slave (of Allah) is granted forgiveness if he does not associate anything with Allah in worship. But the person in whose heart there is hatred against his (Muslim) brother, they will not be pardoned and with regard to them it will be said twice: ‘Hold both of them until they are reconciled with each other.”‘
Dear brothers we should aim to avoid confrontation with each other. In fact, we should aim for the opposite and be a source of positivity for one another. Today’s reminder ends with the following advice from the Prophet SAWS who said:
“Do not belittle any good deed, even meeting your brother (Muslim) with a cheerful face”.
