Home > The 40 Hadith of Nawawi > Hadith 35 of Nawawi
Hadith number 35 of the collection of the 40 hadiths of Imam an-Nawawi, in a faithful English translation.
Updated on 10 September 2026 at 2:45 AM
📖 37 min readThis hadith belongs to the collection of the 40 hadiths of Imam an-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him), the most studied hadith compilation in the world: foundations of faith, worship and character, all authentic narrations.
Abu Dawud reports "the whole Muslim," to the end. And the two report it in the authentic collections, from the narration of al-A'raj, from Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "Do not envy, do not practice najash, do not hate, do not turn away from one another; be servants of Allah, brothers." And the two report it by other routes, from Abu Hurayra. Imam Ahmad reports from the hadith of Wathila ibn al-Asqa', from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "The whole of the Muslim is forbidden to the Muslim: his blood, his honor and his wealth. The Muslim is the brother of the Muslim: he neither wrongs him, nor forsakes him, nor despises him; and piety is here" (and he pointed to his chest three times); "and it is enough evil for a man to despise his Muslim brother." Abu Dawud reports only the ending. And in the two authentic collections, from the hadith of Ibn Umar, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "The Muslim is the brother of the Muslim: he neither wrongs him nor abandons him." Imam Ahmad reports it, its wording: "The Muslim is the brother of the Muslim: he neither wrongs him, nor forsakes him, nor despises him; and it is enough evil for a man to despise his Muslim brother." And in the two authentic collections, from Anas, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Do not hate, do not envy, do not turn away from one another; be servants of Allah, brothers." And its meaning is reported from the hadith of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, in raised form and as Companion's statement.
His saying (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "do not envy" means that none of you envies the other. Envy is implanted in human natures: it is that a man dislikes that anyone of his kind exceed him in some virtue. Then the people divide, after this, into kinds.
There is he who strives for the removal of the envied one's blessing, by transgressing upon him in word and deed; then he who strives to transfer it to himself; and he who strives only to remove it from the envied one, without transferring it to himself: he is the worse of the two and the more corrupted of the two.
This is the blameworthy envy that is prohibited. It was Iblis's sin: he envied Adam, upon him peace, when he saw him having surpassed the angels, for Allah created him with His hand, made His angels prostrate to him, taught him the names of all things, and made him dwell in His neighborhood; and he did not cease striving to expel him from Paradise until he was expelled from it. It is reported from Ibn Umar that Iblis said to Nuh: "Two things by which I ruin the sons of Adam: envy, and by envy I was cursed and made a stoned demon; and greed: Adam was permitted all of Paradise, and my need was met by greed." Ibn Abi al-Dunya reports it.
Allah described the Jews with envy in places of His book, like His word:
"Many of the People of the Book wish they could turn you back to disbelief after your faith, out of envy from their souls, after the truth became clear to them."
Al-Baqara, 109
and His word:
"Or do they envy the people for what Allah gave them of His bounty?"
An-Nisa, 54
Imam Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi report from the hadith of az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "The disease of the nations before you has crept to you: envy and hatred; hatred is the razor: the razor of the religion, not the razor of hair. By Him in whose hand is Muhammad's soul, you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I tell you of something: when you do it, you will love one another? Spread the salam among you." Abu Dawud reports from the hadith of Abu Hurayra, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Beware of envy, for envy devours good deeds as fire devours wood," or he said: "the grass." Al-Hakim and others report from the hadith of Abu Hurayra, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "My community will be struck by the disease of the nations." They said: O prophet of Allah! What is the disease of the nations? He said: "Pride in wealth and offspring, competition over the world, hatred and envy, until rebellion comes, then chaos."
Another division of people: when he envies another, he does not act upon the requirement of his envy, and does not transgress on the envied one by word or deed. It is reported from al-Hasan that he does not sin by that; and it is reported in raised form by weak routes. This is of two kinds: the first, that he cannot remove that envy from himself: he is overwhelmed by it, so he does not sin by it. The second: he who speaks thus to his soul by choice, returning to it and initiating it in himself, finding rest in wishing the removal of his brother's blessing: he is like the resolute determination upon disobedience.
Concerning punishment for that, the scholars differ, and it may be mentioned elsewhere, Allah willing. But it is far-fetched that he escapes transgression upon the envied one by word, and sins by that.
Another division: he does not envy to the point of wishing the removal of the envied one's blessing, but strives to acquire the like of his virtues and wishes to be like him. If the virtues are worldly, there is no good in that, as Allah, the Most High, said:
"Those who desire the life of this world said: would that we had the like of what Qarun was given!"
Az-Zukhruf, 33
And if they are religious virtues, it is good.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wished for himself martyrdom in the path of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. And in the two authentic collections, from him (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "There is no envy except in two: a man whom Allah gave wealth, and he spends it night and day; and a man whom Allah gave the Qur'an, and he stands with it night and day." This is ghibta, and he named it envy by way of metaphor.
Another division: when he finds envy in himself, he strives to remove it, and to show kindness to the envied one, by doing good to him, praying for him, spreading his virtues, and removing from himself the envy found in his soul, until he replaces it with love that his Muslim brother be better than he and more excellent. This is of the highest degrees of faith. Its owner is the complete believer who loves for his brother what he loves for himself; the discourse on this preceded in the explanation of the hadith: "None of you believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself."
His saying (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "do not practice najash": many of the scholars explained it as najash in sale, which is that one who does not intend to buy raises the price of the goods, either for the seller's profit by raising the price, or to harm the buyer by inflating the price upon him.
In the two authentic collections, from Ibn Umar, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), that he forbade najash. And Ibn Abi Awfa said: "The najish is an eater of usury, a traitor." Al-Bukhari mentions it.
Ibn Abd al-Barr said: they agreed that its doer disobeys Allah, the Most High, if he knows of the prohibition. They differed over the sale: some said it is void: this is a narration from Ahmad, chosen by a group of his companions. Some said: if the najish is the seller, or one whom the seller colluded with in najash, it is void, for the prohibition here returns to the contracting party himself; if not, it is not void, for it returns to a third party. And likewise it is reported from al-Shafi'i that he based the validity of the sale on the seller not being the najish. Most jurists hold the sale valid absolutely: the view of Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him, Malik, al-Shafi'i, and Ahmad in a narration from him. Except that Malik and Ahmad granted the buyer the option if he did not know of the situation and was cheated grossly beyond custom; Malik and some of Ahmad's companions estimated it at a third of the price: if the buyer then chooses rescission, he has it; if he wishes to keep it, what he was cheated of is deducted from the price. Our companions mention it.
It may also be that the najash prohibited in this hadith is interpreted as broader: for the root of najash in the language is stirring a thing by cunning, trickery and deception; hence the najish in sale is called najish, and the hunter in the language is called najish, for he stirs the game by his cunning against it and his deception of it. The meaning would then be: do not deceive, and let none of you treat another with cunning and fraud. What is meant by cunning and deception is conveying harm to the Muslim, whether directly or to draw his benefit thereby. It entails harm reaching him and entering upon him. The Most High said:
"And evil plotting envelops only its own people."
Fatir, 43
And in the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Whoever deceives us is not one of us; and cunning and deception are in the Fire." We have already mentioned the hadith of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, in raised form: "Cursed is he who harms a Muslim or plots against him." At-Tirmidhi reports it.
On this estimate, all kinds of dealings by deception and the like enter the prohibited najash: concealing defects and hiding them, passing off bad goods as good, and cheating the naive buyer who does not know bargaining. Allah, the Most High, described in His book the disbelievers and hypocrites with plotting against the prophets and their followers. And how good is the saying of Abu al-Atahiya: "There is no world without religion, and no religion but noble character; cunning and deception are in the Fire: they are traits of the people of hypocrisy." Plotting is only permitted against one against whom introducing harm is permitted: the disbelievers and those at war, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "War is deception."
His saying (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "do not hate one another": a prohibition to the Muslims of hating among themselves for other than Allah, the Most High, but upon the whims of souls; for Allah made the Muslims brothers, and brothers love one another and do not hate. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Him in whose hand is my soul, you will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I direct you to a thing which, when you do it, you will love one another? Spread the salam among you." Muslim reports it. We have already mentioned hadiths prohibiting hatred and envy.
Allah forbade the believers what casts enmity and hatred between them, as Allah, the Most High, said:
"Satan only wants to cast enmity and hatred between you through wine and gambling, and to turn you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer: will you not then desist?"
Al-Ma'ida, 91
And He graced His servants by uniting their hearts, as the Most High said:
"And remember the favor of Allah upon you: you were enemies, and He united your hearts, and by His favor you became brothers."
Al Imran, 103
And He said:
"It is He who supported you with His help and with the believers, and united their hearts. Had you spent all that is on the earth, you could not have united their hearts, but Allah united them."
Al-Anfal, 62-63
For this meaning, tale-carrying was forbidden for what it contains of casting enmity and hatred; and lying was permitted for reconciliation between people, and Allah desired reconciliation between them, as the Most High said:
"No good is there in much of their private conversation, except for one who orders charity, or what is right, or reconciliation between people; and whoever does that seeking Allah's pleasure, We will give him a great reward."
An-Nisa, 114
And He said:
"And if two factions of the believers fight, reconcile between them."
Al-Hujurat, 9
And He said:
"So fear Allah and amend your mutual relations."
Al-Anfal, 1
Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi report from the hadith of Abu al-Darda, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "Shall I not tell you of what is better than the degree of prayer, fasting and charity?" They said: yes, O Messenger of Allah! He said: "Amending mutual relations; and the corruption of mutual relations is the razor." Imam Ahmad and others report from the hadith of Asma bint Yazid, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "Shall I not tell you of the worst of you?" They said: yes, O Messenger of Allah! He said: "Those who walk with tale-bearing, who separate between loved ones, and who seek fault in the innocent."
As for hatred for Allah, it is of the firmest bonds of faith, and does not enter the prohibition, even if a man sees evil from his brother and hates him for it: the man is excused in the matter itself. The hater is rewarded even if his brother is excused. As Umar said: "We knew you when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was among us, when revelation descended, when Allah told us your news; but the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has gone, and revelation ceased: we know you only by what you inform us. Whoever of you shows us good, we think well of him and love him for it; whoever shows evil, we think ill of him and hate him for it: your secrets are between you and your Lord, the Most High." Ar-Rabi' ibn Khuthaym said: "If you see a man showing good and concealing evil, love him: may Allah reward you for your love of good. If you see a man showing evil and concealing good, hate him: may Allah reward you for your hatred of evil."
When the people's differences in matters of religion multiplied, and their dispersion multiplied, their mutual hatred and cursing multiplied because of it; each shows that he hates for Allah, while he may be excused in the matter itself, or may not be excused, rather following his whim, neglectful of seeking knowledge of what he hates upon: much of such hatred occurs only from contradicting a followed leader thought to say nothing but truth; this belief is certainly false, even if it were meant that he says nothing but truth in what one contradicts him in.
This belief may err and does err, and what drives the inclination may be mere whim, familiarity or habit: all of this undermines this hatred being for Allah. It is obligatory on the believer to counsel his own soul and take the utmost precaution in this, and not enter what is unclear to him, for fear of falling into prohibited hatred.
Here is a hidden matter needing attention: many imams of religion may state a preponderantly rejected opinion, being in ijtihad over it, rewarded for their ijtihad, their error effaced; and the defender of that opinion of theirs is not at the rank of that class; for he defends that saying only because his followed imam said it: had another of the imams of religion said it, he would not have accepted it, nor defended it, nor sided with who agreed, nor taken as enemy who contradicted him, yet he thinks he defends only truth for the standing of his followed imam, and it is not so: for the followed imam intended only the defense of truth even if he erred in his ijtihad. As for this follower, his defense of what he deems truth was mixed with the desire for his imam's exaltation, the triumph of his word, and not being ascribed error. This is a scheme undermining the intent of defending truth: understand this, for it is a great and important matter; and Allah guides to a straight path whom He wills.
His saying: "do not turn away from one another." Abu Ubayd said: "The turnings away are rupture and boycott, taken from a man turning his back to his companion and averting his face from him: it is severance." Muslim reports from the hadith of Anas, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Do not envy, do not hate, do not sever; be servants of Allah, brothers, as Allah, the Most High, commanded you." He reports it also in meaning from the hadith of Abu Hurayra, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). And in the two authentic collections, from Abu Ayyub, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "It is not lawful for a Muslim to boycott his brother beyond three days: they meet, this one turns away and that one turns away; and the better of the two is the one who begins with the salam." Abu Dawud reports from the hadith of Abu Kharash as-Salami, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Whoever boycotts his brother a year is like one who sheds his blood." All of this is regarding severance over worldly matters.
As for severance for the sake of religion, exceeding three is permitted: Imam Ahmad stated it explicitly, citing the story of the three left behind, when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ordered their boycott, fearing hypocrisy from them; and he permitted boycotting the people of gross innovations and the callers to whims. Al-Khattabi mentions that a father's boycott of his son, a husband of his wife, and the like as discipline, exceeding three is permitted; for the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) boycotted his wives a month.
They differed: does the salam cut the boycott? A group said: it does. It is reported from al-Hasan, and from Malik in the narration of Ibn Wahb; a group of our companions say it. Abu Dawud reports from the hadith of Abu Hurayra, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "It is not lawful for a believer to boycott a believer beyond three days; if three pass, let him meet him and greet him; if he returns the salam, they share the reward; if he does not return it, he bears the sin, and the Muslim leaves the boycott." But this is when the other withholds returning the salam. As for returning it, while there was affection between them before the boycott and they do not return to it: that has observation. Ahmad said, in the narration of al-Athram, asked whether the salam cuts the boycott: "He may greet him, and he may have turned away from him." Then he said: the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "They meet, this one turns away and that one turns away": so if he has habituated him to speaking or shaking hands. Likewise it is reported from Malik that he said: "The boycott does not cut without return of affection."
Some distinguished between relatives and strangers: for strangers, boycott between them ceases by mere greeting, unlike relatives. He said this for the obligation of maintaining kinship.
His saying (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "and let none of you outbid the sale of another." The prohibition has multiplied on this: in the two authentic collections, from Abu Hurayra, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "The believer does not outbid his brother's sale, nor propose over his brother's proposal." In a narration of Muslim: "The Muslim does not outbid his brother's offer, nor propose over his proposal." The two report from the hadith of Ibn Umar, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "A man does not outbid his brother's sale, nor propose over his brother's proposal, unless he permits him." Its wording is Muslim's. Muslim reports from the hadith of Uqba ibn Amir, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "The believer is the brother of the believer: it is not therefore lawful for the believer to buy over his brother's sale, nor propose over his brother's proposal, until he lets it go." This indicates this is a right of the Muslim over the Muslim: the disbeliever is not his equal in that; rather the Muslim may buy over the disbeliever's sale and propose over his proposal: the view of al-Awza'i and Ahmad; as the right of preemption is not established for the disbeliever over the Muslim with them.
Many jurists held the prohibition general, for the Muslim and the disbeliever, and they differed: is the prohibition for forbiddance or disapproval? Then they differed over the kind of prohibition: of our companions, some said: it is for disapproval, not forbiddance. The correct view, upon which the majority of scholars are, is that it is for forbiddance.
They differed: is the sale over his brother's sale, and marriage over his proposal, valid? Abu Hanifa, al-Shafi'i, and most of our companions say: valid. Malik said, for marriage: if he has not consummated, they are separated; if he has consummated, they are not separated. Abu Bakr, of our companions, said of sale and marriage that it is void in every case; and it is reported from Ahmad.
The meaning of selling over his brother's sale: that he has sold something of his, and one offers the buyer his goods so he buys them and rescinds the first sale. Is that specific to the offer being within the option period such that the buyer can rescind within it, or general to the option period and after it? The scholars differ. Imam Ahmad reports it in the narration of Harb, and inclined to generality in both cases: the view of a group of our companions; others restricted it to the option period: the apparent of Ahmad's word in the narration of Ibn Muhaysh, and the explicit text of al-Shafi'i. The first is more apparent: for the buyer, even if unable to rescind himself after the option period lapses, if he wishes to return the first goods to its seller, he will manage to return it by ways entailing his harm, even by insistence in the request. Whatever leads to the Muslim's harm is forbidden. And Allah knows best.
His saying (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "and be servants of Allah, brothers": the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) mentions it as the rationale of what preceded, with the indication that, when they leave envy, najash, hatred, turning away and selling over one another's sales, they are brothers.
[The means of brotherhood:] In it is a command to acquire what makes the Muslims brothers absolutely, including fulfilling the Muslim's rights on the Muslim: returning the salam, blessing the sneezer, visiting the sick, following the funeral, answering the invitation, initiating the salam at meeting, and secret counsel.
In at-Tirmidhi, from Abu Hurayra, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Exchange gifts, for the gift removes rancor of the heart." Others report it, its wording: "Exchange gifts and you will love one another." In the Musnad of al-Bazzar, from Anas, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Exchange gifts, for the gift dissolves the rancor."
It is reported from Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, raising the hadith: "Shake hands, for it removes rancor; and exchange gifts." Al-Hasan said: "Handshaking increases affection." Mujahid said: it reached me that when the two lovers meet, one smiles at the other and they shake hands, their sins fall as the leaves of the tree fall. It was said to him: this is a light deed. He said: "You say light, and Allah says: had you spent all that is on the earth, you could not have united their hearts, but Allah united them. He is the Mighty, the Wise."
His saying (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "The Muslim is the brother of the Muslim: he neither wrongs him, nor forsakes him, nor lies to him, nor despises him." This is taken from the word of the Most High:
"The believers are but brothers, so reconcile between your two brothers."
Al-Hujurat, 10
The believers being brothers, they were commanded, among themselves, with what requires the accord and union of hearts, and prohibited from what requires their repulsion and division: and this is of that.
[Conveying benefit and withholding harm:] Moreover, the brother is of the kind to convey benefit to his brother and withhold harm from him; and the greatest of harms that must be withheld from the Muslim brother is injustice. This is not specific to the Muslim: it is forbidden against anyone; the discourse on injustice preceded in full at the mention of Abu Dharr's divine hadith: "O My servants! I have forbidden injustice to Myself and made it forbidden among you: so do not wrong one another."
Of this is the Muslim forsaking his brother: for the believer is commanded to help his brother, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Help your brother, oppressor or oppressed." It was said: O Messenger of Allah! I help him oppressed; how do I help him oppressor? He said: "You restrain him from injustice: that is your help to him." Al-Bukhari reports it in meaning from the hadith of Anas. Muslim reports it in meaning from the hadith of Jabir.
Abu Dawud reports from the hadith of Abu Talha al-Ansari and Jabir ibn Abd Allah, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "No Muslim man forsakes a Muslim man in a place where his sanctity is violated and his honor attacked, but Allah forsakes him in a place where he loves to be helped; and no man helps a Muslim in a place where his honor is attacked and his sanctity violated, but Allah helps him in a place where he loves to be helped." Imam Ahmad reports from the hadith of Abu Umama ibn Sahl, from his father, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Whoever has a believer humiliated before him and does not help him while able to help him, Allah humiliates him over the heads of creatures on the Day of Resurrection." Al-Bazzar reports from the hadith of Imran ibn Husayn, from the Prophet (peace be upon him): "Whoever helps his brother in secret while able to help him, Allah helps him in this world and the Hereafter."
Of this is lying to his brother in greeting: it is not lawful for him to tell him and lie to him; rather he tells him only truth. In the Musnad of Imam Ahmad, from an-Nuwas ibn Sim'an, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "It is great treachery that you tell your brother a report he believes of you while you are a liar in it."
Of this is the Muslim's contempt for his Muslim brother; it arises from pride, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Pride is rejecting truth and despising people." Muslim reports it from the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud. Imam Ahmad reports it; in a narration of his: "Pride is the foolishness of truth and disdain of people." In a narration: "and belittling of people." In a narration, the addition: "so he sees nothing of them."
Belittling people: attacking them and disdaining them. Allah, the Most High, says:
"O you who believe! Let not a people mock another people, perhaps they are better than them; nor women other women, perhaps they are better than them."
Al-Hujurat, 11
The arrogant views his soul with the eye of perfection, and others with the eye of deficiency: he despises and disdains them, sees them unworthy of his fulfilling their rights, of accepting truth from any of them when they bring it against him.
His saying (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "piety is here," pointing to his chest three times: it indicates that nobility of creation with Allah is in piety; many whom people despise for their weakness and small share of the world are greater in worth with Allah, the Most High, than one of standing in the world: people differ only by piety, as Allah, the Most High, said:
"The most noble of you with Allah is the most mindful of you."
Al-Hujurat, 13
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked: who is most noble of people? He said: "The most mindful of them toward Allah, the Most High." In another hadith: "Nobility is piety." Piety's root is in the heart, as the Most High said:
"That; and whoever honors the symbols of Allah, it is of the piety of hearts."
Al-Hajj, 32
This meaning preceded in the discourse on Abu Dharr's divine hadith, at his saying: "Were the first of you and the last, your men and your jinn, upon the most pious heart of a single man among you, it would add nothing to My dominion."
Piety's root being in the hearts, none perceives its reality but Allah, the Most High, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Allah looks not at your forms nor your wealth, but He looks at your hearts and deeds." It may then be that many a man of beautiful form, wealth, standing or leadership in the world has a heart ruined of piety, and that one having none of that has a heart full of piety: he is then the most noble with Allah, the Most High.
Rather this is the more frequent, as in the two authentic collections, from al-Haritha ibn Wahb, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "Shall I tell you of the people of Paradise? Every weak, despised one: were he to swear by Allah, He would fulfill it. Shall I tell you of the people of the Fire? Every rough, harsh, arrogant one."
In the Musnad, from Anas, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "As for the people of Paradise: every weak, oppressed one, disheveled, in two worn sandals: were he to swear by Allah, He would fulfill it. As for the people of the Fire: every gruff, harsh, gathering and withholding one, trailing garments." In the two authentic collections, from Abu Hurayra, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Paradise and the Fire disputed, and the Fire said: I was preferred with the arrogant and the haughty; and Paradise said: why do none enter me but the weak of people and their humble? Allah, the Most High, said to Paradise: you are My mercy: by you I show mercy to whom I will of My servants. And He said to the Fire: you are My punishment: by you I punish whom I will of My servants." Imam Ahmad reports it from the hadith of Abu Sa'id, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Paradise and the Fire boasted, and the Fire said: Lord! Tyrants, the arrogant, kings and nobles enter me; and Paradise said: Lord! The weak, the poor and the destitute enter me." He mentions the hadith.
In the Sahih of al-Bukhari, from Sahl ibn Sa'd: a man passed by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and he said to a man sitting with him: "What do you think of this one?" He said: "A man of the nobility of people: this one, by Allah, deserves, were he to propose marriage, to be married; were he to intercede, to be granted; were he to speak, to be listened to." The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) fell silent. Then another man passed, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to him: "What do you think of this one?" He said: "O Messenger of Allah! This is a man of the poor of the Muslims: this one deserves, were he to propose, not to be married; were he to intercede, not to be granted; were he to speak, not to be listened to." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "This one is better than the fill of the earth of the like of that one." Muhammad ibn Ka'b al-Quradhi said, of the word of the Most High:
"When the Event occurs, there is no denial of its occurrence: it abases and exalts."
Al-Waqi'a, 1-2
"It abases men who were high in the world, and raises men who were low in the world."
His saying (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "It is enough evil for a man to despise his Muslim brother": it suffices him as evil to despise his Muslim brother, for he only despises him out of arrogance toward him, and pride is among the greatest traits of evil. In the Sahih of Muslim, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), that he said: "None enters Paradise who has in his heart an ant's weight of pride." And in it also from him: "Might is My garment, and greatness My cloak: whoever contests Me with them, I punish him." Contesting Allah, the Most High, in His attributes unbefitting the creature suffices as evil. In the Sahih of Ibn Hibban, from Fadala ibn Ubayd, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Three whom none asks about: a man who contests Allah his cloak, while his cloak is greatness and his garment might; a man who doubts Allah's command, the Most High; and despair of Allah's mercy." In the Sahih of Muslim, from Abu Hurayra, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Whoever says: the people have perished: he is their greatest perisher." Malik said: if he says that in grief at what he sees in the people, meaning their religion, I see no harm in it; and if he says it out of self-conceit and belittling the people: it is the disliked thing prohibited. Abu Dawud mentions it in his Sunan.
His saying (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "The whole of the Muslim is sacred to the Muslim: his blood, his wealth and his honor." This is among what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) preached in the great assemblies: he preached it at the farewell pilgrimage, on the day of sacrifice, the day of Arafat, and the second day of the days of tashriq, saying: "Your bloods, your wealths and your honors are sacred to you, like the sacredness of this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this land of yours." In a narration of al-Bukhari and others: "and your skins." In a narration: "he repeated it several times, then raised his head and said: O Allah! Have I conveyed? O Allah! Have I conveyed?" In a narration, then he said: "Let the present convey to the absent." In a narration of al-Bukhari: "Allah has forbidden you your bloods, your wealths and your honors, except by their right." In a narration: "Your bloods, your wealths and your honors are sacred to you like this day, like this land, until the Day of Resurrection." In a narration he said: "The believer is sacred to the believer, like the sacredness of this day: his flesh is forbidden to him, that he not eat it or backbite him in absence; his honor forbidden, that he not violate it; his face forbidden, that he not strike it; his blood forbidden, that he not shed it; and forbidden to him to shove him a shove that debases him."
In the Sunan of Abu Dawud, from some of the Companions, that they were walking with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him); a man of them slept, and some went to his rope and took it: he startled. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "It is not lawful for a Muslim to frighten a Muslim." Ahmad, Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi report from as-Sa'ib ibn Yazid, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: "Let none of you take his brother's staff in play while it is serious." Abu Ubayd said: meaning he takes his goods not intending theft, but intending to provoke anger in him: he is playful in the ruling of theft, serious in provoking fright and harm on him. In the two authentic collections, from Ibn Mas'ud, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "When you are three, let not two confer secretly without the third: that grieves him." Its wording is Muslim's. At-Tabarani reports from the hadith of Ibn Abbas, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Let not two confer secretly without the third: that hurts the believer, and Allah hates hurting the believer." Imam Ahmad reports, from the hadith of Thawban, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Do not harm the servants of Allah, do not taunt them and do not seek their shames: whoever seeks his Muslim brother's shame, Allah seeks his shame, until He disgraces him in his own house." In the Sahih of Muslim, from Abu Hurayra, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked about backbiting and said: "Your mentioning your brother with what he dislikes." It was said: what if what I say is in him? He said: "If what you say is in him, you have backbitten him; and if it is not in him, you have slandered him."
All these texts have contained that the Muslim may not lawfully be harmed in any way of word or deed, without right. Allah, the Most High, said:
"Those who harm the believing men and believing women for other than what they earned have borne a slander and a manifest sin."
Al-Ahzab, 58
Allah made the believers brothers that they sympathize and show mercy to one another. In the two authentic collections, from an-Nu'man ibn Bashir, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "The believers, in their mutual affection, compassion and mercy, are like the body: when a limb complains, the whole body resorts to it with fever and sleeplessness." In a narration of Muslim: "The believers are like one man: if his head complains, the whole body resorts to it with fever and sleeplessness." In another version of his: "The Muslims are like one man: if his eye complains, all of him complains, and if his head complains, all of him complains." And in the two, from Abu Musa, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "The believer to the believer is like a building strengthening one another." Abu Dawud reports from the hadith of Abu Hurayra, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "The believer is the believer's mirror; the believer is the believer's brother: he guards his property and protects him from behind." At-Tirmidhi reports it, its wording: "One of you is his brother's mirror: if he sees harm in him, let him remove it from him." A man said to Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz: "Make the elder of the Muslims to you a father, the young a son, the middle a brother: which of them do you love to wrong?!" Of the sayings of Yahya ibn Mu'adh ar-Razi: "Let the believer's share from you be three: if you do not benefit him, do not harm him; if you do not rejoice him, do not grieve him; if you do not praise him, do not blame him."