THE FOUNDATION OF ISLĀMIC BROTHERHOOD | IBNU RAJAB AL-HANBALĪ

[Izhār'ud Dīn]

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
اَلْحَمْدُ للهِ وَحْدَهُ، وَالصَّلاةُ وَالسَّلامُ عَلَى مَنْ لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدَهُ، وَبَعْدُ

The Foundation of Islāmic Brotherhood
Ibnu Rajab al-Hanbalī Rahimahullāh[1]

Hadīth Thirteen

Anas bin Mālik (may Allāh be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

“None of you will have faith till he wishes for his (Muslim) fellow what he wishes for himself.” Recorded by Al-Bukhāry and Muslim.[2]

Commentary on the Hadīth

The negation of faith as referred to in this hadīth means the absence of the true spirit and epitome of faith. Faith may be negated when some of its pillars or duties are not fulfilled. This is exemplified in the following hadīths. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “When an adulterer |or fornicator] commits illegal sexual intercourse, he is not a believer at the time he is committing it; and when one drinks alcohol, he is not a believer at the time he drinks it; and when a thief steals, he is not a believer at the time of stealing.”[3]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said, “By Allāh, he does not believe! By Allāh he does not believe! By Allāh he does not believe!” It was asked, “Who is that, O Allāh’s Messenger?” He said, “That person whose neighbor does not feel safe from his evil.”[4]

Wish for Your Fellow Muslims Whatever you wish for Yourself

One of the obligatory characteristics of faith is that a Muslim should wish the same things for his fellow Muslims that he wishes for himself. Likewise, he should hate for them whatever he hates for himself. If he lacks this characteristic, his faith is incomplete. Abū Hurayrah (may Allāh be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “In order to be a Muslim, wish for your fellow Muslims that which you wish for yourself.”[5]

‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin Al-‘Ās narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever wishes to be delivered from the Fire and to enter the Garden should die with faith in Allāh and the Last Day and should treat the people as he wishes to be treated by them.”[6]

Abū Dharr (may Allāh be pleased with him) said, “The Prophet (peace be upon him) told me, ‘Abū Dharr, I see that you are weak, and I love for you the same things I love for myself. Therefore, never become an amir [a leader], not even over two persons, and never manage the property of an orphan.”[7]

The Prophet (peace be upon him) advised Abū Dharr not to become an amir because he sensed his weakness and desired that those who were weak avoid positions of leadership. The Prophet, however, ruled over people because Allāh gave him the necessary strength. In addition, Allāh ordered the Prophet (peace be upon him) to call people to obey him and to direct their religious and worldly affairs.

In the same vein, Muhammad bin Wāsi’ went to sell a donkey that he owned. A man asked him, “would you like for me to own it?” He answered, “If I didn’t like it, I would not have decided to sell it.” This is an allusion to the fact that he did not wish for his brother in Islam what he did not wish for himself. All of the above incidents are but examples of advice to Muslims, which is a part of religion.

1.	Ibn Rajab, Jami’ Al-‘Ulūm Wal-Hikam, Umm Al-Qura Publications, P. 167-172.
2.	Recorded by Al-Bukhāry in Kitāb Al-Imān (Book on Faith) no. 13; also recorded by Muslim in Kitāb Al-Imān (Book on Faith), no. 45/71.
3.	Recorded by Al-Bukhāry in Kitāb AI-Mazālim (Book on Injustices) no. 2475; also recorded by Muslim in Kitāb Al-Imān (Book on Faith), no 57/100.
4.	Recorded by AI-Bukhāry in Kitāb Al-Adab (Book on Etiquette) no. 6016.
5.	Recorded by At-Tirmidhy in Kitāb Az-Zuhd (Book on Asceticism) no. 13; also recorded by Ibn Mājah in Kitāb Az-Zuhd (Book on Asceticism) 4217; and Ahmad, hadīth no. 2/310.
6.	Recorded by Muslim in Kitāb Al-Imārah (Book on Emirate) chapter 1844/46.
7.	Recorded by Muslim in Kitāb Al-Imārah (Book on Emirate) chapter 1826/17.

[Izhār'ud Dīn]

Utmost Goodwill

This hadīth indicates that a believer is pleased with what pleases his fellow believers and that he desires for them the good that he desires for himself. This is a result of being completely free from holding grudges, cheating, and envy. The envious person likes to be superior to others and hates that others are superior or equal to himself. This feeling contradicts faith, which stipulates that one should wish others to enjoy the same blessings that he enjoys without losing any of them. In the Qur’ān, Allāh has praised those who are not haughty towards others and hate corruption. Allāh says,

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

which means (That home of the Hereafter (i.e. Paradise), We shall assign to those who rebel not against the truth with pride and oppression in the land nor do mischief by committing crimes.) (Al-Qasas; 28:83)

Envy is Permissible in Two Cases

A believer becomes a true believer only when he likes for others what he likes for himself. It is good for a believer to wish for that with which another person has been given if it is beneficial for one’s religion. The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself aspired to the position of martyrdom.

[Izhār'ud Dīn]

He (peace be upon him) said, “Do not wish for the likes of anyone except two: a man upon whom Allāh bestowed knowledge of the Book [the Qur’ān], who stands up [in salah (prayer)] and recites it during the hours of the night, and a man upon whom Allāh bestowed wealth, and he spends it in charity during the hours of the night and the hours of the day.”[1]

The Prophet also said, concerning the person who sees another spending his money according to the prescriptions of Allāh and says, “If I had money, I would have spent it in the same way he spends it,” that he would be given an equal reward.”[2] However, one should not aspire to worldly pleasures. This is shown in the following Qur’ānic verse, in which Allāh says,

فَخَرَجَ عَلَى قَوْمِهِ فِي زِينَتِهِ قَالَ الَّذِينَ يُرِيدُونَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا يَالَيْتَ لَنَا مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيَ قَارُونُ إِنَّهُ لَذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٍ. وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ وَيْلَكُمْ ثَوَابُ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لِمَنْ آمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا وَلَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلَّا الصَّابِرُونَ

which means, (So he [Korah] went forth before his people in his pomp. Those who were desirous of the life of the world said, “Ah, would that we had the like of what Qārūn [Korah] has been given! Verity, he is the owner of a great fortune.” But those who had (religious) knowledge said, “Woe to you! The reward of Allāh (in the Hereafter) is better for those who believe and do righteous good deeds.”) (Al-Qasas; 28:79-80)

As for the verse in which Allāh says,

وَلَا تَتَمَنَّوْا مَا فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بِهِ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ

which means, (And wish not for the things in which Allāh has made some of you to excel others.) (An-Nisā’; 4:32),

Wishing has been interpreted here as envy, in the sense longing ardently and wrongfully for something that belongs to another. It has also been interpreted as aspiring to illegal things or things that are decreed by Allāh impossible for that person to obtain. By an example would be the desire of women to become men or to have the same religious and/or worldly advantages such as jihād, inheritance of a heritage portion equal to men, having the same degree of manly rationalism, and being equal to men as witnesses, etc.

Nevertheless, a believer should regret missing religious virtues. Hence, he has been ordered to consider those who are more religious than him as an example and compete with them as much as he can. This is revealed by the following verse,

وَفِي ذَلِكَ فَلْيَتَنَافَسِ الْمُتَنَافِسُونَ

which means (…and for this, let (all) those strive who want to strive (i.e., hasten earnestly to the obedience of Allāh).) (Al-Mutaffifīn, 83:26)

A believer should not dislike for others to have the same religious virtues. Rather, he should like all people to compete in attaining such virtues and encourage them to do so. This is part of giving sincere advice to his fellows.

1.	Recorded by Al-Bukhāry in Kitāb Fadā’il Al-Qur’ān (Book on the Virtues of the Qur’ān) no. 5025; also recorded by Muslim in Kitāb Salāt Al-Musāfirīn (Book on the Prayer of the Travelers) 815/266.
2.	Recorded by At-Tirmidhy in Kitāb Az-Zuhd (Book on Asceticism) no. 2325; also narrated by Abū Kabshah Al-Anmāry and classified as “good authentic” (sahīh hasan).