This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Abu Hamza Abdul Khaliq Siddiqi's book Sahih Fazail Amaal.
The best way for the progress and betterment of any society is that its people love one another, consider each other's pain and suffering as their own, stand together in hardships and difficulties, and in short, cooperate with each other in every matter. When all these qualities develop among the inhabitants of a house, an unparalleled, exemplary society is born. An example of which even the vast ocean of history is unable to present in its immense expanse. That is the Islamic society of Madinah Munawwarah. Allah Almighty and His Messenger ﷺ used to guide the people of this society from time to time to establish and maintain this society, and they would explain the virtues and blessings of strengthening relationships among each other, some of which are as follows:
﴿إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ. يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا يَسْخَرْ قَوْمٌ مِّن قَوْمٍ عَسَىٰ أَن يَكُونُوا خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَلَا نِسَاءٌ مِّن نِّسَاءٍ عَسَىٰ أَن يَكُنَّ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُنَّ ۖ وَلَا تَلْمِزُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَلَا تَنَابَزُوا بِالْأَلْقَابِ ۖ بِئْسَ الِاسْمُ الْفُسُوقُ بَعْدَ الْإِيمَانِ ۚ وَمَن لَّمْ يَتُبْ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ. يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ ۖ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا وَلَا يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًا ۚ أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَّحِيمٌ.﴾
“Remember! All Muslims are brothers, so reconcile your two brothers and fear Allah so that mercy may be shown to you. O believers! Let no group mock another group; it may be that the latter is better than the former, nor let women mock other women; it may be that the latter are better than the former. Do not defame one another, nor call each other by offensive nicknames. After faith, the worst sin is to disobey, and those who do not repent are the wrongdoers. O believers! Avoid much suspicion; indeed, some suspicion is sin. And do not spy or backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would detest it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Accepting of Repentance, Merciful.”
Reference: (49-Al-Hujurat:10,12)
The above verse presents a powerful formula for establishing exemplary relations with one another and commands avoidance of those diseases that eat away the roots of society like termites. Besides this, there are some matters in which even a sensible person becomes estranged from his senses. For example, the matter of mother, sister, and daughter—these are relationships with whom no one likes to commit any kind of injustice or cruelty. One example of such injustice is divorce. Even in such a serious and complex matter, Shariah commands maintaining mutual respect and honoring the ranks and virtues of one another. Because divorce does not only cause separation between husband and wife but also creates a wide gulf of discord between two families. Therefore, it commands holding on to forgiveness and forbearance in this matter as well:
﴿وَإِن طَلَّقْتُمُوهُنَّ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تَمَسُّوهُنَّ وَقَدْ فَرَضْتُمْ لَهُنَّ فَرِيضَةً فَنِصْفُ مَا فَرَضْتُمْ إِلَّا أَن يَعْفُونَ أَوْ يَعْفُوَ الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ عُقْدَةُ النِّكَاحِ ۚ وَأَن تَعْفُوا أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ ۚ وَلَا تَنسَوُا الْفَضْلَ بَيْنَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ﴾
“And if you divorce women before you have touched them and before you have specified for them an obligation, then give them half of what you specified, unless they forgo the right or the one in whose hand is the marriage contract forgoes it. And to forgo it is nearer to righteousness. And do not forget graciousness between you. Indeed Allah is Seeing of what you do.”
Reference: (2-Al-Baqarah:237)
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
”المسلم أخو المسلم لا يظلمه ولا يسلمه ومن كان فى حاجة أخيه كان الله فى حاجته ومن فرج عن مسلم كربة فرج الله عنه كربة من كربات يوم القيامة ومن ستر مسلما ستره الله يوم القيامة.“
“A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim; he should neither oppress him nor abandon him in times of hardship. Whoever fulfills the needs of his brother, Allah will fulfill his needs. Whoever relieves a Muslim of hardship, Allah will relieve him of the hardships of the Day of Judgment. And whoever conceals the faults of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his faults on the Day of Judgment.”
Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Book of Oppressions, Chapter: A Muslim should not oppress another Muslim, No: 2442 – Sahih Muslim, Book of Righteousness and Maintaining Ties, Chapter: The Prohibition of Oppression, No: 6578.
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
والذي نفسي بيده لا يؤمن أحدكم حتى يحب لأخيه ما يحب لنفسه .
“By the One in Whose hand is my soul, no one truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”
Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Book of Faith, Chapter: Part of Faith is to love for your brother what you love for yourself: 13 – Sahih Muslim, Book of Faith: 45.
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
ليس منا من لم يرحم صغيرنا ويوقر كبيرنا .
“He who does not have mercy on our young ones and does not respect our elders is not from our group.”
Reference: Sunan Tirmidhi, Book of Righteousness and Maintaining Ties, Chapter: What has been narrated about mercy for children, No: 1919 – Al-Silsilah Al-Sahihah, No: 2196.
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Nu'man bin Bashir رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
ترى المؤمنين فى تراحمهم وتوادهم وتعاطفهم كمثل الجسد إذا اشتكى عضوا تداعى له سائر جسده بالسهر والحمى .
“You will see the Muslims in mutual sympathy, mutual love, and mutual compassion like one body; when one part of it suffers, the whole body suffers from sleeplessness and fever.”
Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Book of Manners, Chapter: Mercy on people and animals: 6011 – Sahih Muslim, Book of Righteousness and Maintaining Ties, Chapter: Mercy and Sympathy among Believers, No: 6585.
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Each one of you is a mirror to his brother. So if he sees any fault in him, he should remove it in such a way that he only reveals the fault to the one who has the fault and not to others. Thus, a person should correct the fault of his brother secretly and not disgrace him.
Reference: Sunan Abu Dawood, Book of Manners, Chapter: On Advice and Modesty, No: 4918 – Al-Silsilah Al-Sahihah, No: 926
It is narrated from Iyad Majashi رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
إن الله أوحى إلى أن تواضعوا حتى لا يفخر أحد على أحد ولا يبغي أحد على أحد .
“Allah Almighty has revealed to me that all people should adopt humility so that no one boasts over another, and no one oppresses another.”
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book of Paradise, Chapter: The characteristics by which it is known, No: 7210.
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jarir bin Abdullah رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
لا يرحم الله من لا يرحم الناس .
“Allah does not have mercy on the one who does not have mercy on people.”
Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Book of Monotheism, Chapter: What has been narrated about the supplication of the Prophet ﷺ, No: 7376.
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
انصر أخاك ظالما أو مظلوما. قالوا: يا رسول الله! هذا ننصره مظلوما، فكيف ننصره ظالما؟ فقال: تأخذ فوق يديه .
“Help your Muslim brother, whether he is the oppressor or the oppressed.” The Companions said: O Messenger of Allah! We help if he is oppressed, but how do we help if he is the oppressor? He ﷺ said: “Prevent him from oppression. Your action in doing so is the help to that oppressor.”
Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Book of Oppressions, Chapter: Help your brother whether oppressor or oppressed, No: 2444 – Sahih Muslim, Book of Righteousness and Maintaining Ties, Chapter: Helping a brother whether oppressor or oppressed, No: 6582.
