Love for your Brother what you Love for Yourself - Shaykh Dr Muhammed Dawi

Love for Your Brother What You Love for Yourself

Therefore, a great hadith came from our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. We will start this lecture with this hadith, God willing, and we will stop at its meaning. This hadith, which some of the scholars have counted as one of the four hadiths upon which Islam is based.

As for the hadith, it is the hadith of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him:

"None of you will believe until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 13; Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 72)

Some scholars have said that religion is based on four hadiths:

"Actions are but by intentions."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1; Sahih Muslim, Book 33, Hadith 4692)

"Whoever does something that is not part of our order, it will be rejected."
(Sahih Muslim, Book 18, Hadith 4267)

"The halal is clear and the haram is clear."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 52; Sahih Muslim, Book 22, Hadith 4882)

And the fourth: "None of you will believe until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself."

This hadith, for its greatness, was narrated by all the Imams. It was narrated by Imam Bukhari, Imam Muslim, the four Imams, the owners of the Sunnan, and other scholars. This hadith has great meanings, and the words of these Imams have been applied to its greatness and significance.

This hadith, without a doubt — the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, counted it as one of the signs of faith. It is that a person loves what is good for his brother. And why does a believer love what is good for his brothers? The answer is because faith is in harmony with the love of good for Muslims, and faith is incompatible with the love of evil for Muslims. Because a believer is truly the one who loves what is good for his brothers — he loves for them what he loves for himself.

And that is why this person lowers himself to the level of his brothers, because he loves what is good for them, and he devotes all the means of good to them. And that is why the one who loves what is good for his brothers is one of the greatest people, far away from jealousy, hatred, envy, and selfishness, and from all kinds of sins. Because a person like this has lowered his heart to the level of his brothers, so his heart is at peace and his heart is purified.

And he knows that all the good that he loves for others is also connected to him in one way or another. And that is why Imam Ibn al-Qayyim, may God have mercy on him, says in beautiful words: "God has treated him in the same way — so God is for the servant according to what the man is for His creation." This is a proof that whoever loves what is good for the Muslims, the reward is of the kind of the work.

Images of Loving Good for the Muslims

And there are many images of the love of what is good for the Muslims.

First: Removing Ignorance and Spreading Knowledge

The first of these images is the love of removing ignorance from them and teaching them what benefits them in the matter of their religion and their life. And that is why Imam al-Shafi'i, may God have mercy on him, gives us a great example of the love of what is good for the Muslims. He said: "I do not pass by a verse from the Book of God without understanding it — by God, I would like all people to understand it as I understood it."

So the benefit, may God have mercy on him, is that it benefits all people. And this is the duty of everyone to whom God has provided knowledge — to love teaching people. Because the love of spreading knowledge among people is good for all. And there is also the removal of ignorance from them, and clarifying for them what God loves so they come to it, and what God hates so they avoid it.

Second: Desiring the Guidance and Steadfastness of Others

There is also the love of what is good for the Muslims — the love of their guidance, their steadfastness, and their well-being. Even if that person is from among the Muslims who are disobedient, and perhaps he is from among those who are ignorant of sin. But even so, such a person should not be burdened with our hatred for him, and the expression of disgust in his face. Because such an attitude is a reason for his hatred, his distance, and his turning away from the way of God, Almighty.

And this is a man who comes to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, and asks a strange question. If one of us were asked such a question, his reaction would have been harsh. A young man comes to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and says, "O Messenger of God, permit me to commit adultery." If one of us were asked such a question, perhaps he would have become angry in his face, and perhaps he would have reprimanded him, and perhaps he would have kicked him out. But the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was not like that.

And for this reason he, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Would you love it for your sister? Would you love it for your mother? Would you love it for your daughter?" And every time the young man said, "I would not love it for my mother and father, I would not love it for them." He said: "And likewise, people do not love it for their mothers, their sisters, their daughters, their wives, their aunts," and so on.

So think about how the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, met such a disobedient man with such an answer, which was a reason for his guidance. Then he wiped his chest, peace and blessings be upon him, and made du'a:

"O Allah, forgive his sin. O Allah, purify his heart." The young man said: "By Allah, nothing was more hateful to me thereafter than adultery."

And when the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered the punishment of a man who repeatedly drank alcohol — meaning this young man did not only drink alcohol once, but was addicted to it — the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered that he be punished. Abu Hurairah said: "And among us was the one who struck with his hand, and among us was the one who struck with his garment, and among us was the one who struck with his sandal." So they carried out the prescribed punishment as it should be.

Then a man from among the Muslims spoke up and said: "May Allah curse him, how often he is brought!" Here, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, became very angry — although he was not angry when the punishment was carried out upon this man. But this statement, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, knew it was a reason for the man's hatred and might be a reason for his continuity in disobedience, and even an increase in his evil. So the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

"Do not be helpers of Satan against your brother."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6777)

So it is incumbent upon us to be a reason for the guidance of creation, even if this man is among those who disobey.

Third: Commanding Good and Forbidding Evil

Also, the love of goodness for Muslims includes the love of commanding good and forbidding evil. A person should live today with the feeling of a single brotherhood. For this reason, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, likened the Muslim community to a ship — those who were in it, some were at the top, and some were at the bottom. He said, those at the bottom said: "If we pierce a hole in our portion until we reach the water, we will not harm our brothers above us."

"If they were left to do what they wanted, they would have all perished. And if they took them by their hands, they would have survived, and they all would have been saved."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2493)

For this reason, a person should not seek to say today, "I am righteous in my own soul." Rather, he should seek to increase the number of those who are righteous. Because reformation is the reason for the preservation and salvation of any community. And this is incumbent upon all of us to carry out this duty. It is not enough for a person to be righteous in his own soul; rather, he should pass this on to others.

Fourth: Feeling the Pain of Muslim Suffering

And because of the love of goodness for Muslims, a Muslim should feel what is happening to Muslims today — from these disasters and wars, this killing and humiliation that is happening to them by their enemies. A person should lower himself to the level of these brothers. He should feel that the one who is killed is his son, and the one whose house is destroyed is his house, and the one who is injured is his relative. So the wound is your wound, and the pain is your pain, and the injured is your injured.

This is the duty of brotherhood. This is why there is no greater likeness given by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, of the Muslims than when he likened them to one body:

"The example of the believers in their love, compassion, and sympathy for one another is like that of one body: when one part of it suffers, the rest of the body responds with sleeplessness and fever."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6011; Sahih Muslim, Book 45, Hadith 84)

Don't say, "This hand has nothing to do with it." If the hand hurts, every part of your body will hurt. And if your elbow is injured, every part of your body will hurt. You will not sleep well, and you will not live well, because the injured is your injured. So what is happening today to our brothers in any part of the world — a Muslim should feel that the pain is his pain and the injury is his injury.

This is the meaning of the love of goodness for Muslims. Because this will lead you today to every possible means of support for your Muslim brothers — du'a, charity, the word, spreading awareness of this calamity on social media, and gaining compassion in the world. This is all our role. Don't say, "This matter does not concern me." We have no doubt that this attitude is a form of selfishness which, unfortunately, is intended for Muslims to live away from the pain of their brothers.

I say what you hear, and I ask Allah to forgive me and you, so seek His forgiveness. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

Second Part of the Khutbah

All praise is due to Allah for His goodness, and thanks to Him for His grace and favour. And I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner.