539. He gives ten causes that can save oneself from the evil of hasad. (cont.)

It is clear from the Quran that one of the greatest blessings that Allah gives to the believers is the togetherness and love of the brotherhood of Islam. This is a very special bond. Allah brings the hearts of true believers together in a way that is superior and stronger than any other bond of this world. If the Muslims lose that feeling of brotherhood and strong bond of faith, they have lost a very important bounty. Allah says in the Quran, / J .... ;;; .... ... J ., J / .... ,., .... J ., ,J FLi я;D ਟ ,t; :T-i Ή ML p N\ q; IJ:?'Mlj "And remember Allah's favor upon you. You were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His grace, you became brethren. And you were on a brink of a pit of fire and He saved you from it" (ali-Imraan 103 ). Allah also says, (. Ȟ "; ਞ "clt l.:. ਝ · " '(\ · C: ,: a;t ਠ\ " .Y• Â " ; ग़t; -:..P.-! - . c./' J .)"' ඡ__,..,.., ජ ) ; , . அஆ ; "And He has united their [the believers'] hearts. If you [O Muhammad] had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts. But it is Allah who has united them. Certainly, He is All-Mighty, All-Wise" (al-Anfaal 63). One should never undervalue the importance of loving one another. In another hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 1 Cf., ibn Rajah, Jaami, vol. 2, p. 264. Hadith #35: "Do not be envious of one another . . . " "You will not enter Paradise until you believe. And you will not believe until you love one another. Certainly, I shall guide you to something that, if you do it, you will love one another: Spread the greetings (of peace) among yourselves." (Recorded by Muslim.) Muslims are not allowed to hate each other. Therefore, they must also avoid any and all acts that may lead to them hating each other. They must show respect to each other and treat each other fairly. If they do not do so, they will begin to hate each other, which is prohibited in this hadith. Following all of the teachings of this hadith is a great step that will remove hatred and anger from among the Muslims. Those who interact with each other a lot especially have to be careful about this matter. The more one deals with another, the easier it is to inadvertently do some things to get the other person upset. Furthermore, the more one deals with another, he may discover more characteristics about the other person that are not that pleasing. He should do his best to be patient and overlook a person's small mistakes or poor qualities and concentrate on his good deeds or good qualities. This is especially true with respect to a husband and wife, who have to deal with each other on a regular basis. The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated, 1fJ ,... { ਜT nj β; ਛ nj क़f 0 ॖj.: ॗj.: !lfi 'i "A believing man should not hate a believing woman. If he dislikes one characteristic in her, he is pleased with another." (Recorded by Muslim.) Islam has taken the means to improve love among the believers, such as spreading the greetings of peace among them. It has also forbidden those acts that may lead to enmity and hatred among its adherents. For example, Allah has forbidden alcohol and gambling. Allah makes it clear that those are from the tools that Satan uses to cause hatred and enmity among humans. Allah says, .,, ,., "",., ..,,, ,., J. ,,. ,,. ;:ii. ,., ,,. -?1  *' ;·" re_;i1j aj·:W1 Ά t!· 0i s1 іfw / ; / ,,. ,., ,,. ,., .,, ;:;i .,,,., oJ;-· Έt :.HJ t1 uj N1 fv JBϥj !;.::11j "Satan wants only to excite enmity and hatred among you with intoxicants and gambling, and to hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from the prayer. So, will you not then abstain?" (al-Maaidah 91). Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi In the same way, Allah prohibits backbiting and tale-spreading and praises those who try to make peace and reconciliation among brothers and believers, as has been discussed under an earlier hadith. This is all part and parcel of the overall picture by which the teachings of Islam bring the hearts of the believers together and form a realnot theoreticaland strong brotherhood. When is Hatred among Muslims Permissible? This hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) does not mean that hatred, even among Muslims, is never permitted. One must do one's best to avoid hatred based on personal interests and motives. However, one must still love and hate for the sake of Allah. Indeed, this is one of the most important aspects of faith.