From Anas bin Malik –Radi Allaahu anhu–, the servant of the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam–, that the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– said:

“لَا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى يُحِبَّ لِأَخِيهِ مَا يُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِهِ”.

‘None of you [completely] believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.’

Collected by Bukhari and Muslim

Benefits

1 – Meaning of extra wording

The Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– said:

“لَا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى يُحِبَّ لِأَخِيهِ مَا يُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِهِ ( من الخير ) “

‘None of you [completely] believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself [from that which is good]’

Shaykh al-Albaani said in ‘Silsilah as-Saheehah’(1/73/155)

This extra wording has been collected by Abu ‘Awaanah, Nisa’ee, and Ahmad in their other narration and its Isnaad is Saheeh.

Shaykh al-Albaani comments on this hadeeth saying:

‘Know that this extra wording ‘from goodness’ is very important, it restricts the meaning which is intended by the hadeeth with precision, because the word ‘goodness’ is a word which is comprehensive, and it generalizes actions of obedience and the permissible worldly actions, and it excludes prohibitions because the word ‘goodness’ cannot include prohibition, as is clearly understood.

From the completeness of the manners of the Muslim is that he loves for his Muslim brother, goodness the like of that which he loves for himself. Also that he hates for his brother that which he hates for himself from evil. Even though this has not been mentioned in the hadeeth, it is included in it, because loving something necessitates hating the opposite of it, so not actually mentioning it in the text is sufficient as was mentioned by al-Kirmani and Hafidh quoted him in ‘Fath al-Bari’ (1/54) and he agreed with it.’[1]

Another different wording

From Khalid bin Abdullaah al-Qussari from his father who said: ‘The Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– said to me:

أتحب الجنة؟ أحب للناس ما تحب لنفسك

‘Do you love Paradise? Then love for the people that which you love for yourself.’[2]

2 – The Meaning of Eemaan in this Hadeeth

Shaykh al-Albaani was asked

Q. What is the interpretation of the Prophet (-sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam) : <<None of you (completely) believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.>>?

Shaikh al-Albaanee-rahimahullaah-answered:

“Yes. Firstly (None of you [completely] believes): this negation is not a negation of Eemaan absolutely such that it would mean that he would be an Unbeliever (Kaafir) if he does not love for his Muslim brother what he loves for himself, but rather the meaning is ‘He does not believe with complete Eemaan’:

He does not believe with complete Eemaan. Who? The Muslim who does not love for his Muslim brother what he loves for himself. So the meaning of that, and the meaning of the Muslim’s loving for his brother what he loves for himself, must-without a doubt- be restricted in wording, since that occurs in text, and in meaning, and that is the meaning intended from this well-known narration. The well-known narration of the hadeeth is as you have just heard:

“لَا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى يُحِبَّ لِأَخِيهِ مَا يُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِهِ “

<<None of you (completely) believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself>>.

This is how the hadeeth occurs in the two ‘Saheehs’.

However the hadeeth occurs with an addition which makes clear the sole intended meaning, and it is:

“لَا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى يُحِبَّ لِأَخِيهِ مَا يُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِهِ ( من الخير ) “

<<None of you (completely) believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for his brother from that which is good>>.[3] From that which is good. Since the hadeeth in its unrestricted form could include that which is not good. For example a man desires to enter a cinema, and then wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself. No! This meaning should not arise in the mind of the Muslim. Rather the restriction which occurs at the end of the hadeeth, and in an authentic narration, this narration, as is said these days: ‘puts the vowel-points upon the letters’: it makes it clear that what is intended by this love, which is such that if it is not found in the heart of the Muslim then his Eemaan will be deficient, he loves for his brother Muslim the good which he loves for himself.

For example: you possess knowledge, knowledge which is beneficial, knowledge of the Book and the Sunnah: knowledge of recitation, knowledge of the Arabic language; any beneficial knowledge.

Then it is not permissible that you wish to remain alone with this knowledge of yours; rather it is obligatory that you wish that [this knowledge] should be attained by every Muslim, because it is something good. So if you do not do that, then your Eemaan is deficient. And you can derive other examples from this.

So therefore this is the meaning: (None of you [completely] believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself, from that which is good).

So we can imagine a Muslim who sees his neighbour in a state of being poor, and he wishes him to remain poor and destitute, and he does not wish for him the wealth that Allaah has given to himself; and this is part of human nature, as our Lord- the Exalted and Most High-said in the Qur’aan:

وَإِنَّهُ لِحُبِّ الْخَيْرِ لَشَدِيدٌ

[[Meaning: And he is indeed intense in his love of wealth (al-khayr)]].[4]

‘al-khayr’ here means wealth.

So this wealthy neighbour when he sees his poor and destitute neighbour must wish for him the like of the wealth which he himself possesses.

However, as an addition to a previous discussion, if his earnings are from that which is forbidden then he must not wish that for his poor neighbour. Rather before everything else, it is obligatory upon him to wish for himself that he acquires lawful wealth, and then that he wishes it for the Muslim, so that this hadeeth applies to him: (None of you (completely) believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself from that which is good.)”[5]

[Silslilah as-Saheehah]

[Translated by Aboo Talhah Daawood ibn Ronald Burbank]

3 – From the perfection of Eemaan

The author of ‘Durar Saneeyah bifawaid Arba’een Nawawi’ said:

‘From the perfection of Eemaan and its obligatory characteristics, is that a person loves for his brother that which he loves for his self from the matters of the Deen and the Dunyaa, and that he dislikes for him that which he dislikes for himself, and this is what necessitates brother hood of Eemaan.

This is why the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said:

مَنْ أحبَّ منكم أنْ يُزَحْزَحَ عنِ النارِ ، ويَدْخُلَ الجنةَ ، فلْتَأْتِهِ منيتُهُ

وهوَ يؤمِنُ باللهِ واليومِ الآخرِ ، وليأْتِ إلى الناسِ ،

الذي يُحِبُّ أنْ يُؤْتَى إليه

‘Whoever loves that he is moved away from the fire and is entered into Paradise, then when death reaches him, he believes in Allaah and the Last day, then he should deal with the people how he would love to be dealt with.’

Collected by Muslim

The Salaf –Radi Allaahu anhum– had great concern for this, Muhammad bin Wasia’ sold a donkey which he had, and the man asked him: ‘Do you think it is okay for me?’

He answered: ‘If I did not think it was okay for you I would not have sold it to you.’

This is an indication from him that he was not pleased for his brother except with that which he would be pleased for himself.’[6]

4 – The Believers are Like One Soul

Ibn Daqeeq al-Eid (d.702 A.H.) said:

‘Some of the scholars said: ‘from the Fiqh of this hadeeth is that a believer with regard to a another believer is like one soul, so it is necessary for one to love for the other what one loves for himself, as if it is one soul as is mentioned in another hadeeth: the believers are like one body if one limb complains, the rest of the body summons to it with fever and wakefulness.’[7]

5 – Why was the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- not pleased for Abu Dharr with leadership?

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (d.795) -Rahimahullaah- said:

‘From Abu Dharr –Radi Allaahu anhu– who said the Messenger of Allaah –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam– said to me:

يا أبا ذر، إني أراك ضعيفاً، وإني أحب لك ما أحب لنفسي، لا تَأمَّرنّ على اثنين، ولا تَولَّينَّ مال يتيم

‘O Aba Dharr indeed I see that you are weak, and indeed I love for you what I love for myself, do not be in command over two people and do not be responsible for the wealth of an orphan.’

[Muslim – Kitab al-Amaraa]

The Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- prohibited him from this, due to what he saw of his weakness, and he –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- loved this for every weak person. The Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- used to rule over/be responsible for the people because Allaah strengthened him for this and commanded him to invite them all to Allaah’s obedience and that the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- used to govern the politics of their Deen and their Dunyaa.

It has been narrated from ‘Alee –Radi Allaahu anhu– that he said: ‘The Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said to me:

‘Indeed I am pleased for you with that which I am pleased for myself, and I hate for you that which I hate for myself. Do not read the Qur’aan when you are Junuub (in a state of defilement), nor when you are in Rukoo’ or in Sajdah.’ [Muslim][8]

Ibn Daqeeq al-Eid (d.702 A.H.) said:

‘Shaykh Abu ‘Amr ibn Salah said: ‘Loving for your brother what you love for yourself could be counted as being difficult and impossible, but that is not the case, since the meaning is that the Eemaan of one of you will not be complete/perfect until you love for your brother in Islaam that which you love for yourself. To attain this completion of Eemaan, is that one does not restrict this love for his brother, that the blessings that come to your brother should decrease, and that is easy for a heart which is correct. Subsequently, it is difficult upon a heart which is corrupt, we ask Allaah Ta’ala to pardon us and all our brothers.

Abu Zinaad said: ‘What appears from the hadeeth is equality between Muslims, however the reality is that superiority occurs, because a human loves to be the best person; so if he loves for his brother what he loves for himself then this also enters generally into superiority and betterment, do you not see that a person loves that he receives justice for his rights and hates injustice done to him. Therefore, if his Eemaan is completed/perfected and his brother has done an injustice or taken a right of his, then he hastens to do justice from himself [due to his Eemaan] even though he has hardships regarding that.’

It has been mentioned that al-Fadl bin ‘Aayyad said to Sufyan bin ‘Uayynah:

‘You want the people to be like you, however you do not advise them for the sake of Allaah the Kareem (The Most Generous), so how is it that you see them less than you.’

Some of the scholars said: there is a Fiqh (understanding) in this hadeeth which is that a believer to another believer is like one person, so it is necessary for a person to love, what one loves for himself since it is as if it is one person, as is mentioned in another hadeeth:

‘The believers are like one body if a limb from the body complains/is affected the rest of the body summons to it with fever and wakefulness.’ [Bukhari & Muslim][9]

6 – The Opposite is Jealousy

Shaykh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymeeyah (d.728 A.H.) -Rahimahullaah- said:

‘If a slave of Allaah dislikes that Allaah has blessed someone else other than him, then he has been jealous of him, even if he did not wish that it was taken away from that person.’[10]

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (d.795) -Rahimullaah- said:

‘The hadeeth of Anas which we are discussing just now, indicates that a believer becomes happy with what makes his believing brother happy and he wants/wishes for his believing brother what he wants for himself of goodness, and all of this comes from perfecting and correcting the heart from cheating, hatred and jealousy. Jealousy dictates that the jealous person dislikes anyone being better than him in goodness or equaling him in it. Because he loves to be distinguished amongst the people with his virtue/excellence and to be the only one with these virtues above all the people. However, Eemaan dictates the opposite of that, which is that all the Muslims partake in what Allaah has given him from goodness without his decreasing from it at all.

Allaah Ta’ala praised in His Book those who do not want greatness and status on the earth nor do they want any corruption, Allaah said:

تِلْكَ الدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ نَجْعَلُهَا لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوًّا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فَسَادًا وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

<<That home of the Hereafter (i.e. Paradise), We shall assign to those who do not rebel against the truth with pride and oppression in the land nor do mischief by committing crimes. >>[al-Qasas:83][11]

7 – Eemaan becomes deficient

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (d.795) -Rahimahullaah- said:

‘The intent is that from the general characteristics of Eemaan which are obligatory to have, is that a man loves for his brother who is a believer that which he loves for himself and dislikes for him what he dislikes for himself, and if this characteristic is not there then his Eemaan becomes deficient.’[12]

Shaykh Muhammed bin Salih al-Uthaymeen (d.1421 A.H.) said under the chapter heading:

‘The greatness of the sacredness of Muslims and an explanation of their rights and having compassion for them and mercy for them

Therefore, it is obligatory upon you O my Muslim brother that you educate and train yourself upon this, that you love for your brothers that what you love for yourself until Eemaan is materialised, and it is authentic from the Prophet –sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- that he said:

‘Whoever loves that he is kept away from the fire and enters Paradise, then he should believe in Allaah and the final day when death approaches him, and that he loves that what comes to the people is that what comes to him.’ [Muslim 1844]

So the first part is the right of Allaah, and the second part is the right of the worshippers, death approaches you and you believe in the last Day – we ask Allaah that He makes us and you likewise – and that you love that which comes to your brother is what you would love to come to you.’[13]

8 – The believer strives to correct his brother

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (d.795) -Rahimullaah- said:

‘So generally, it is required for the believer to love for the believers that which he loves for himself and dislike for them that which he dislikes for himself, so if he sees a deficiency that his brother has in his Deen, then he strives to rectify him.

Some of the righteous people from the Salaf said: ‘The people who love for the sake of Allaah, view things with the light of Allaah, and they have compassion on those people who are disobedient to Allaah, they detest their actions, and they are compassionate to them so that you can stop them from their bad actions with admonitions and they are compassionate to keep their bodies away from the fire.

A believer cannot be a true believer until he is pleased for the people with what he is pleased for himself, even though he sees a virtue which someone else has excelled him in, so he wishes the like of that for himself and if that is a religious virtue then that is better.’[14]

All Praise belongs to Allaah, may His praise

and security be upon our final

Prophet Muhammad, his

family, his companions

and all those who

follow his

guidance.

[1] Silsilah Saheehah no. 73

[2] [Collected by Bukhari in ‘at-Tareekh al-Kabeer’, Ibn Aasakir & Al-Albaani graded it Hasan in Silsilah Saheehah no. 72]

[3] 1 Shaikh al-Albaanee said in ‘as-Saheehah’ (nos. 73): “The addition is reported by Aboo `Awaanah, an-Nasaa.ee, Ahmad, Aboo Ya`laa (5/2887, 2950, 2967,…), and Ibn Hibbaan (1/229/235) in a narration of theirs, and its chain of narration is ‘Saheeh’.”

[4] [Sooratul-`Aadiyaat (100): 8]

[5] Silsilah Saheehah no. 72

[6] [Durar Saneeyah bifawaid 40 Nawawi p.57]

[7] [al-Ibreezeeyah p.77]

[8] [Taken from: ‘Jamia’ al-Uloom wal-Hikam’ – by Ibn Rajab (d.795 A.H.) 1/p.245]

[9] [Taken from: ar-Riyadh an-Nadeeyah Sharh al-Arbaeen an-Nawawi p.88-89]

[10] [Taken from ‘Sharh al-Arbaeen an-Nawawi’ – Shaykh Muhammad bin Salih al-Uthaymeen p.187]

[11] [Taken from: ‘Jamia’ al-Uloom wal-Hikam’ – by Ibn Rajab (d.795 A.H.) 1/246]

[12] [Taken from: ‘Jamia’ al-Uloom wal-Hikam’ – by Ibn Rajab (d.795 A.H.) vol.1 p.244]

[13] [Taken from : ‘The Explanation of Riyad as-Saliheen 2/p.590]

[14] [Taken from: ‘Jamia’ al-Uloom wal-Hikam’ – by Ibn Rajab (d.795 A.H.) vol.1 p.248]

HADEETH NO. 13 LOVES FOR HIS BROTHER WHAT HE LOVES FOR HIMSELF – FROM THE FORTY AHADEETH OF IMAM NAWAWI

Hadeeth No. 13 – loves for his brother what he loves for himself