The rights of one Muslim over another
Ulama Institute #1
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Islamic brotherhood brings with it certain responsibilities and rights. It is important for every Muslim who seeks the pleasure of Allah ﷻ to adhere to certain principles that ensure a meaningful and sustained Islamic brotherhood that will fulfill its desired aims. The following are some of the responsibilities and rights:
- Every Muslim must be willing to help others and give them preference over him/herself. A Muslim must also check on fellow Muslims constantly.
- A Muslim must also visit fellow Muslims who are ill, help them when they are in need, remind them of Allah’s commands and prohibitions if they forget, welcome them when they arrive, make room for them to be seated, and listen to them when they speak.
- Thirdly, a Muslim should not speak about another Muslim except when saying good and positive things. It is not correct to highlight any of the shortcomings of others, either in their presence or their absence. A Muslim must not expose any of the problems or reveal the secret matters of another Muslim to the public.
- Everything a Muslim says about another Muslim must be such that he/she would love others to speak the same about him/her. A Muslim should call others by the names they like and convey to them the good things that others say about them.
- A Muslim should not reprimand a fellow Muslim in public; but rather show him/her privately how to improve his/her state. A Muslim should also overlook the slips and lapses of others. If one commits a sin, either secretly or publicly, he/she should not be cut off from the community. He/she should rather be urged to repent and return to Allah ﷻ .
- It is a responsibility for one Muslim to offer help to another. It is recommended that Muslims assist one another and offer financial assistance to Muslims in need.
- A part of this brotherhood is that one does not request of another Muslim what would be difficult to fulfill. He/she must not try to take advantage of another Muslim’s influence or wealth. The foundation of this complete brotherhood is being brothers for the sake of Allah. It is important for the friendship not to revolve around material gain, so that the unnecessary burden and strain of this world does not affect a person’s love for Allah ﷻ
- A Muslim must pray for fellow Muslims and their families in the same way and with the same commitment as he/she prays for him/herself. This is because there is absolutely no difference between the two of them as a united brotherhood. The Prophet ﷺ said:
عن أبي الدرداء رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أنه سمع رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم يقول : ” ما من عبد مسلم يدعو لأخيه بظهر الغيب إلا قال الملك : ولك بمثل ( رواه مسلم )
“Whoever prays for his brother behind his back, will have an angel saying to him, ‘The same for you!” [Muslim]
- Inviting towards what is good and forbidding what is evil is also the duty of every Muslim towards other Muslims. A Muslim should always guide others towards doing what is right. He should give good advice and help others to fulfill the commands of Allah ﷻ
- When a Muslim passes away, it is natural for others to grieve over him/her. They will be concerned about what their brother/sister will face, and they will pray for him/her and ask for forgiveness for him/her.
- When the Prophet ﷺ emigrated form Makkah to Madinah (the hijrah), many Muslims emigrated as well. The Muhaajiroon (the emigrants) were warmly welcomed by the Ansaar (the helpers) on their arrival in Madinah. The Prophet ﷺ established, a special type of brotherhood among them. He made every man from the Muhaajiroon a brother to a man from the Ansaar and instructed them to be brothers. The Ansaar gave half of their wealth to the Muhaajiroon. They were farmers and offered half of their yields to help the Muhaajiroon. They embodied the spirit of brotherhood and possessed the intrinsic characteristics of true Muslims.
- A person must aspire to fulfill the ties of brotherhood until his/her death.
- It must also be noted that most of these rights are not limited to Muslims only.
- The rights of Islamic brotherhood once again reflect the complete wisdom of Allah ﷻ and the consequences of this wisdom. It is the duty of every Muslim to make a concerted effort to maintain a warm and friendly relationship with others regardless of whether they are family members or just friends, for the sake of Allah ﷻ .
