عن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم له المسلم على المسلم ست : إذا لقيته فسلم عليه، وإذا دعاك فأجبه، وإذا استنصحك فائضخه، وإذا عطس فى الله فمنه، وإذا مرض ذه، وإذا مات قالبه
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “A Muslim has six rights over another Muslim: when you meet him, greet him with Salam; when he invites you, accept his invitation; when he seeks your advice, give him sincere advice; when he sneezes and praises Allah, say to him يرحمك الله; when he is ill, visit him; and when he dies, follow his funeral.” (Narrated by Muslim.)
Reference:
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Islam is a religion of mutual brotherhood. إنما المؤمنون إخوة “The believers are brothers.” Muslims have many rights over one another, among which these six are very important. The phrase “the rights of a Muslim” proves that these things are the rights of a Muslim over another Muslim, not over a disbeliever. Now each one is explained separately.
Salam:
1. The strongest point regarding Salam is that it is one of the names of Allah Almighty. In the Holy Quran, Allah Almighty mentions His name as:
الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوسُ السَّلَامُ الْمُؤْمِنُ الْمُهَيْمِنُ
“He is the King, the Most Holy, the Source of Peace, the Granter of Security, the Guardian over all, the Almighty, the Compeller, the Supreme.”
Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said that when we prayed with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), we would say:
السلام على الله قبل عباده السلام على جبرئيل السلام على ميكائيل السلام على فلان
“Meaning: Peace be upon Allah from His servants, peace be upon Jibreel, peace be upon Mika’il, peace be upon so-and-so.”
When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) finished the prayer, he would turn his face towards us and say السلام على الله “Do not say ‘Peace be upon Allah’ because Allah Himself is Peace.”
The meaning of Salam is the Being who is free from every defect and flaw and who grants peace to all. And the meaning of “As-Salamu Alaikum” is that Salam (Allah Almighty) may be a shade over you, your guardian and protector, just as it is said الله معك والله يصحبك “May Allah be with you, may Allah be your companion.”
Some say Salam means سلامة, that is سلامة الله عليكم, “May Allah’s peace be upon you.” When a person says Salam to another, he informs him that he can be carefree from him because the one who prays for Allah’s peace for him would not harm him.
2. “When you meet a Muslim, greet him with Salam” does not mean that Salam is not necessary when parting. Rather, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
إذا انتهى أحدكم إلى المجلس فليسلم فإن بدا له أن يجلس فليجلسن ثم إذا قام قليسلم فلیست الأولى بأحق من الآخرة
“When any one of you enters a gathering, greet with Salam. If he intends to sit, then sit. When he rises, greet with Salam, because the right of Salam is not more for one than the other.”
3. A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said السلام عليكم. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied with Salam and then he sat down. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Ten” (good deeds). Then another came and said السلام عليكم ورحمة الله. He replied and he sat down. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Twenty.” Then another came and said السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Thirty.”
These are the complete words of Salam; nothing more than this has been proven from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). The narration adding ومغفرته is in Abu Dawood, about which Mundhiri said that it contains two narrators, the late Abdul Rahman bin Maymun and Suhail bin Mu’adh لا يحتج بهما, and their narration is not relied upon (A’un Bab Kayfa Al-Salam). Also see weak Abu Dawood. Similarly, the words ورضوانه are not proven with Salam.
4. When a person says Salam, it is better to give a better or at least an equal reply.
5. If separated for a short time from someone, upon meeting again, greet with Salam again. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When one of you meets his brother, greet him with Salam. Then if a tree, wall, or stone comes between them, upon meeting again, greet him with Salam again.
The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were very careful in following this command. The Companion who had not prayed the prayer with tranquility came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he sent him back to pray again because he had not prayed. This happened three times, and each time he came, he first said Salam, even though he was in the mosque and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was also in the mosque.
6. A person engaged in relieving himself should not be greeted with Salam. Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was urinating when a man passed by and said Salam. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said إذا رأيتني على مثل هذه الحالة فلا تسلم على فإنك إن فعلت ذلك لم أرد عليك
“When you see me in such a state, do not greet me with Salam because if you do, I will not reply to you.”
7. It is permissible to greet a person who is praying, but he should respond with a hand gesture, not verbally. Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) said: I asked Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) that people used to greet the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) while he was praying; how did he respond? He said: He would gesture with his hand.
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If it were not permissible to greet a praying person, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have forbidden it. However, Salam should be said softly during prayer so as not to disturb the one praying. Abu Sa’id (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was performing I’tikaf in the mosque and was heard reciting loudly. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) lifted the curtain and said:
ألا إن کلكم مناج ربه فلا يؤذين بعضکم بعضا ولا يرفع بعضكم على بعض فى القراءة أو قال فى الصلاة
“Remember, you are all whispering to your Lord, so do not cause harm to one another, and in recitation or prayer, do not raise your voices over one another.”
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8. Some say that one should not greet a person who is reading the Quran, eating, or performing ablution, but there is no evidence for this. If it is permissible to greet a praying person, then who can be busier than him?
Accepting an Invitation:
“When you are invited, go to it.” These words are general; if a Muslim brother invites you for any purpose, it is your right to go to him. For example, if he calls for help, or to seek advice, or for a meal, in short, for any legitimate work, accepting his invitation is his right. Especially if he needs help. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:
المسلم أخو المسلم لا يظلمه ولا يسلمه
“A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim; he neither oppresses him nor abandons his help.”
There is special emphasis on attending a Walimah (wedding feast) invitation, and there is a warning for not attending. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said regarding the Walimah invitation:
ومن لم يجب الدعوة فقد عصى الله ورسوله
“Whoever does not accept the invitation has disobeyed Allah and His Messenger.”
Yes, if one sees something inappropriate at the invitation, he should return. Once Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, bought a carpet on which pictures were made. When the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, came and saw it, he stood at the door and did not enter. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said: O Messenger of Allah! I repent to Allah and His Messenger. What sin have I committed? The Prophet, peace be upon him, asked: What is the matter with this carpet? I said: I bought it for you so that you would sit on it and rest your head. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: Those who make pictures will be punished on the Day of Resurrection; it will be said to them: Bring to life what you have created. And he said: Angels do not enter a house in which there are pictures.
Abu Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, saw a picture in a house and left. Ibn Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, invited Abu Ayyub Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him. When he came, he saw a curtain hanging on the wall of the house. Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, said: The women forced us to do this. He said: This danger may be for others, but not for you. By Allah, I will not eat your food. So he left.
If it is known beforehand that disobedience to Allah will occur there, then accepting the invitation is not obligatory.
وَلَا تَرْكَنُوا إِلَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا فَتَمَسَّكُمُ النَّارُ
“And do not incline toward those who do wrong, lest the Fire touch you.”
Yes, if one goes to such a place and has the strength to enjoin good and forbid evil, then he should definitely go. Allah Almighty said: “You should be a group among you who invite to good, enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong.”
Goodwill!
Goodwill towards Muslim brothers is necessary in every situation. In Tirmidhi, in a narration by Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), these six rights of a believer have been mentioned, and regarding goodwill it is said: وينصح له إذا غاب او شهد “Whether he is present or absent, he should wish well for him.”
Meaning, if he is present, do not give false praise, flattery, or hypocrisy, do not give bad advice, nor deceive him; if he is absent, do not backbite him, do not gossip, do not wish ill. In short, always care for his well-being.
From إذا استنصحك فانصحة, it is understood that if a Muslim brother asks for advice, then at that time the importance of giving him correct advice and wishing well for him increases even more.
Response to saying Alhamdulillah after sneezing:
➊ Regarding sneezing, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: When one of you sneezes, he should say الحمد لله, and his brother or companion should say to him يرحمك الله. When he says يرحمك الله, he should say يهديكم الله ويصلح بالكم Allah guide you and improve your condition.
➋ Saying at least Alhamdulillah after sneezing is obligatory. If على كل حال is recited along with it, it is better. In Tirmidhi, it is narrated from Abu Ayyub رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: When one of you sneezes, he should say الحمد لله على كل حال. See
➌ Abdullah bin Mas’ud رضي الله عنه said: When one of you sneezes, he should say الحمد لله رب العالمين, the responder should say يرحمك الله, and he himself should say يغفرالله لي ولكم.
This is the statement of Abdullah bin Mas’ud رضي الله عنه.
➍ Ali رضي الله عنه said that whoever hears a sneeze and says: الحمد لله رب العالمين على كل حال ما كان will never suffer from toothache or earache.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar رحمه الله said: Its narrators are trustworthy and such a statement cannot be said based on opinion, therefore it is considered mursal (raised to the Prophet).
However, Sheikh Albani said it is weak because it is narrated from Abu Ishaq Al-Sabi’i who had confusion. Therefore, Hafiz also did not consider it authentic.
➎ Rifa’ah bin Rafi’ رضي الله عنه said: I prayed behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and I sneezed, so I said:
الحمد لله حمدا كثيرا طيبا مباركا فيه مباركا عليه كما يحب ربنا ويرضى
“All praise is for Allah, praise that is abundant, pure, blessed, and upon which blessings have been sent, just as our Lord loves and likes.”
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ finished the prayer, he asked: Who said these words in the prayer? He asked three times. I said: I said them. He ﷺ said: By the One in Whose hand is my soul, more than thirty angels hurried towards him to see who would take him up.
From this, it is understood that saying these words after sneezing brings even more reward.
➏ Even if sneezing occurs during prayer, الحمد لله must be said as mentioned in the above hadith. However, responding to others during prayer is not permissible because it is addressing another person, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said that nothing from people’s speech is correct in prayer except tasbih, takbir, and recitation of the Qur’an.
➐ Whoever does not say Alhamdulillah after sneezing should not be يرحمك الله.
➑ If a non-Muslim says Alhamdulillah after sneezing, he should not be يرحمك الله. It is narrated from Abu Musa رضي الله عنه that Jews used to sneeze in front of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ hoping that he would say يرحمك الله to them, but he would say to them only يهديكم الله ويصلح بالكم.
➒ Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه narrated his statement and the saying of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that you should say يرحمك الله to your brother three times. If it is more than that, it is a cold.
➓ Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه said that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sneezed, he would cover his mouth with his hand or a cloth and lower his voice while sneezing.
⓫ The reason for saying Alhamdulillah after sneezing is that sneezing expels accumulated waste and vapors from the brain, removing blockages in its veins and muscles, which protects a person from many dangerous diseases.
It is narrated from Abu Huraira رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Allah loves sneezing and dislikes yawning. When one of you sneezes and says الحمد لله, every Muslim who hears it has the right to say يرحمك الله to him. Yawning is from Satan; when one of you yawns, he should try to stop it as much as possible because when he says “ha,” Satan laughs at him.
It is in Sahih Muslim that when one of you yawns, he should cover his mouth with his hand.
Visiting the Sick:
➊ Visiting Salman when he is sick is obligatory. Imam Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, dedicated a chapter to this in his Sahih باب وجوب عيادة المريض and supported it with several hadiths.
➋ Doctors influenced by the teachings of disbelievers mostly try to prevent the patient from meeting anyone, whereas meeting friends brings mental comfort to the patient, which strengthens the heart and helps in recovery… The brightness that appears on the face from seeing others… they consider it a sign that the patient is doing well…
At least for the duration the patient is engaged with visitors, their attention to their illness decreases.
➌ Visiting the sick helps to learn about the patient’s needs, such as whether they need to be taken to a doctor, require some medicine, or face financial difficulties at home. Upon learning these needs through visiting, a Muslim brother can offer help. Sometimes the visitor is a doctor or has experienced the same illness and can give the best advice.
➍ The prayers and words from the Book and Sunnah, recited as ruqyah by those who visit the sick, can bring health to the patient. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said: If a Muslim visits a sick Muslim and recites these words seven times, the patient is granted wellness, except if their time of death has arrived: أسال الله العظيم رب العرش العظيم أن يشفيك “I ask Allah, the Mighty, the Lord of the Great Throne, to grant you healing.”
➎ The visitor should encourage the patient and strengthen their resolve by mentioning the reward of illness. When the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, visited a sick person, he would say: لا بأس طهور ان شاء الله “There is no harm; if Allah wills, this illness is a purifier.”
➏ Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said that when the Prophet, peace be upon him, visited a sick person or was brought to him, he would say: أذهب الباس رب الناس واشف وأنت الشافى لا شفاء إلا شفاء شفاءك شفاء لا يغادر سقما
“O Lord of the people, take away the illness and grant healing, for You are the Healer, and there is no healing except Your healing, a healing that leaves no disease behind.” It is mentioned in Sahih Muslim that he would place his right hand on the patient and recite this prayer.
➐ From the discussed hadith, it is understood that visiting the sick is a right of Muslims only. However, the Prophet, peace be upon him, also visited non-Muslims who were sick. For example, he visited a young Jewish man who served him and invited him to Islam, after which he embraced Islam. Similarly, he visited his uncle Abu Talib at the time of his death and encouraged him to accept Islam.
➑ In Sunan Ibn Majah, it is narrated from Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, that “The Prophet, peace be upon him, did not visit the sick except after three nights,” but this narration is weak because one narrator, Muslim bin Ali, is abandoned.
Therefore, visiting the sick should be done as soon as possible.
Allah’s command is:
فَاسْتَبِقُوا الْخَيْرَاتِ
“Race to good deeds.”
➒ In Tirmidhi, it is narrated from Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: If a Muslim visits another Muslim who is sick in the morning, seventy thousand angels send blessings upon him until evening, and if he visits in the afternoon, seventy thousand angels send blessings upon him until morning. And a garden is planted for him in Paradise.
➓ The purpose of visiting the sick is to bring comfort to the patient, and obviously, sitting for a long time or crowding around will cause discomfort. Therefore, one etiquette of visiting the sick is not to stay too long.
Going with the funeral:
➊ It is known from اذا مات فاتبعه that whether a Muslim is familiar or unfamiliar, going with their funeral is their right. There is great reward mentioned in the hadith for this.
➋ Reciting the Kalima Shahada or any other dhikr aloud while going with the funeral, as is commonly practiced among people nowadays, is not established from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) or the Companions.
