Al-Hujuraat (The Inner Apartments)

10. The believers are nothing else than brethren. So make reconciliation amongst your brethren [in case contention and conflict arise] and fear Allah that you may receive Mercy.

The blessed Verse in question treats of the relationship amongst believers like that between brothers. The similitude demonstrates a number of points including:

1. The friendship between two brothers is deeply rooted and firm.

2. The friendship between two brothers is bilateral rather than unilateral.

3. Such friendship is based on innate nature and disposition rather than on worldly and mundane appeals.

4. Two brothers are unanimous before strangers and support each other.

5. The two brothers descend from common progenitors.

It is narrated in traditions that two brethren are likened to two hands washing each other.¹ The verbal form aslihu is attested three times in the preceding Verse and the one in question which indicates that the Islamic faith attends to the establishment of peace and reconciliation amongst individuals in society.

At any rate, the blessed Verse in question s lays emphasis upon reconciliation inter se (dhat al-bayn) whose reason is thus expressed:

“The believers are nothing else than brethren.”

The blessed Verse is saying that inasmuch as you strive to reconcile two brothers, it is also incumbent upon you to make peace seriously and decisively amongst conflicting believers. What a meaningful and interesting expression. All believers are like brethren and contentions and conflicts running amongst brethren are to be replaced by peace and sincerity.

Since preferential treatment at times replaces precepts, the blessed Verse warns once more and thus closes:

“fear Allah that you may receive Mercy.”

Thus, one of the most significant social responsibilities of Muslims against one another in administration of justice is clarified with all its dimensions.

It is also worthy of note that the clause:

“The believers are nothing else than brethren”

is one of the fundamental and deeply rooted Islamic slogans, a very remarkable, profound, effective, and meaningful slogans.

When others intend to demonstrate their love for their co-religionists, they make mention of them as comrades; however, the Islamic faith has elevated the friendship amongst Muslims to such an extent that mention is made of the relationship between two human beings based upon equity by the love between two brothers.

Based upon this significant Islamic principle, Muslims from any race and tribe speaking any language and at any age range feel profound brotherly love amongst themselves, even if they live in different parts of the world.

Such love, relationship, and accord are quite intelligible in pilgrimage to Mecca in which Muslims from all parts of the world congregate at the focal point of monotheism and display the objective realization of this significant Islamic law.

In other words, the Islamic faith regards all Muslims as members of the same family and addresses them as brothers and sisters. They are brethren and sisters both in words and slogans and also in practice and mutual obligations.

Islamic traditions lay considerable emphasis on the issue, particularly on its practical aspects. Mention will be herein made of a number of meaningful traditions narrated in this respect:

According to a Prophetic tradition

“Muslims are brethren, they never do wrong to each other, they never forgo supporting each other, they never abandon their brethren in hardships.”

Imam Sadiq (as) says:

“Muslims are brethren and serves as each other’s eye and guide. They never betray each other. They never do wrong to each other. They never deceive each other. They never break their promises.”2

Islamic sources abound in traditions concerning the claims of believers before his Muslim brethren, the kinds of such rights, the merits of visiting believing brethren, shaking hands with, embracing, remembering, and gladdening them and particularly meeting their demands and making efforts in this respect and also alleviating their sorrows, providing them with food and clothes, and respecting them; such claims have been dealt with in different chapters of Usul Kafi.

A Prophetic tradition regarding thirty claims of believers before their believing brethren which is one of the most comprehensive traditions in this respect will be narrated hereunder to crown the discussion.

The Noble Prophet (S) said:

“Muslims enjoy thirty claims before his Muslim brethren whose absence may not be cleared unless he acts upon them or his Muslim brethren waive their rights:

1. Forgive their faults.

2. Be kind to them in afflictions.

3. Keep their secrets.

4. Make good for their errors and mistakes.

5. Accept their apologies.

6. Defend them against slanderers.

7. Be benevolent toward them.

8. Watch over their friendship.

9. Be steadfast against their pacts.

10. Visit them in their ailments.

11. Attend their funeral processions.

12. Answer their calls.

13. Accept their gifts.

14. Return their favors.

15. Be grateful for their bounties.

16. Make efforts to render them aid and support.

17. Preserve their dignity and honor.

18. Meet their demands.

19. Intercede on their behalf.

20. Say Gesundheit when they sneeze.

21. Help them find what they have lost.

22. Return their greetings.

23. Cherish their words.

24. Be benevolent toward their bounties.

25. Acknowledge their oaths.

26. Regard their friends as his own friends.

27. Refrain from enmity against them.

28. Render them aid and support whether they be wrong-doers or wronged such that keep them from doing wrong and help them to reclaim their rights when they are wronged.

29. Stand by them in afflictions and refrain from belittling them.

30. Expect them to have whatever good he favors and disfavor for them whatever he disfavors.”3

At any rate, one of the claims of Muslims before each other is rendering each other aid and support and reconciliation inter se (islah dhat al-bayn) as mentioned in the foregoing Qur’anic Verses and traditions.