Defects and Nullifiers of Brotherhood
1 – Backbiting
The Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Do you know what backbiting is?” They said: “Allaah and His Messenger know best.” He said: “When you say about your believing brother something that he dislikes.” They said: “What if what I say about my brother is true?” He said: “If it is true then you have backbitten him and if it is not true you have slandered him.” [Muslim]
THIS ARTICLE IS IN THREE PARTS, READ PART 1 and 2 OF BROTHERHOOD IN ISLAM
2 – Gossiping
The Messenger of Allaah (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “No one who spreads malicious gossip will enter Paradise.” [Muslim]
3 – Spying
Allaah (Ta’ala) says in Surat Al-Hujuraat [49:12]:
وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا
“And spy not”
At-Tabari (Rahimahullaah) said: “Do not follow up the defects of one another, nor look for his secrets.”
Ibn Katheer (Rahimahullaah) said: “And spy not on each other. Tajassus (spying) usually harbors ill intentions and the spy is called Jasoos.” [Tafseer Ibn Katheer]
4 – Mocking and making fun
The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “It is evil enough for someone to belittle his Muslim brother.” [Saheeh At-Tirmidhi and authenticated by Al-Albaani who graded it Saheeh]
5 – Defamation
Allaah (Ta’ala) says in Surat Al-Hujuraat [49:11]:
وَلَا تَلْمِزُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ
“Nor defame one another”
meaning, none of you should defame each other.
And Allaah (Ta’ala) says in Surat Al-Humazah [104:1]:
وَيْلٌ لِّكُلِّ هُمَزَةٍ لُّمَزَةٍ
“Woe to every slanderer and backbiter.”
Hamz is defamation by action, whilst Lamz is by words.
6 – Enmity and grudges
There are many texts which prohibit one from hatred and resentment. The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Do not hate one another, and do not be jealous of one another, and do not desert (cut your relation with) each other, and O Allaah’s worshippers! Be brothers. Lo! It is not permissible for any Muslim to desert (not talk) to his brother (Muslim) for more than three days.” [Al-Bukhaari no. 6065]
7 – Anger and envy
Anger is a burning flame of fire which burns the brotherhood of faith and leads a person to the way of Shaytaan.
The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) advised a man who asked for advice from him by saying: “Do not be angry” and repeating it many times. [Reported by Al-Bukhaari]
Envy is the evilest of the sins of the hearts, as the sins of the hearts are more serious than many of the sins of the limbs because of their many dangerous impacts on one’s behavior.
Allaah’s Messenger (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “The disease of the nations before you is creeping towards you; envy and hatred, it is the Haaliqah. I do not speak of what cuts hair, but what severs the Religion.” [Muslim]
8- Arrogance
The Prophet (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “No one who has an atom’s weight of pride in his heart will enter Paradise.” A man said: “What if a man likes his clothes to look good and his shoes to look good?” He (Salla-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Allaah is Beautiful and loves beauty. Pride means rejecting the truth and looking down upon people.” [Muslim]
9 – Other diseases cause shortcomings in fulfilling the rights of brotherhood, such as: abandonment, harshness, breach, curiosity, jealousy, treachery, covetousness, suspicion, doubt, rejoicing at the misfortune of others, and other matters which have an evil effect on the brotherhood of faith.
Sources:
📚 Brotherhood for the Sake of Allaah, by Al-‘Allamatain Al-Albaani and Ibn Baaz
📚 Khutbah about Brotherhood in Faith by Shaikh Al-Munajjid
📚 Tafseer Ibn Katheer
📚 Tayseer Al-Kareem
📚 Sharh Riyadus-Saliheen by Shaikh Ibn ‘Uthaimeen
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