. I.ii . <': / f·g< "1// (cont.)

• Al-Baitaar points out that Muslim society is built upon two foundations, as is implied by this hadith: mutual support and knowledge. Muslims must help each other and relieve each others' suffering. But that must be done in accordance with what is correct and approved by the shareeah. Many times people of this world help each other but they help each other in actions that are not proper or which are acts of zulm and wrongdoing. The only way to avoid that is by knowing what is correct and what are the proper actions to take.1 • A Muslim should help all others in what is righteous and good. However, a Muslim should never take part in anything or support anything that is evil and sinful. Therefore, if a person is begging a Muslim for money with which he wants to buy cigarettes or alcohol, the Muslim should not help him or give to that cause. Even if the beggar is the person's father or mother, he should not give him or her anything. This is because, in reality, 1 Al-Baitaar, p. 226. 1099 - Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi he is not helping the person in anyway but he will be contributing to something which is an evil. 1 • A Muslim's mind is not solely on dollars and cents of this world. First, when it comes to giving a loan, he must do so interest-free and he should never be thinking later about how much interest he is losing or how much value his money is losing because he has followed the teachings of Islam. Furthermore, when it comes to his brother's debt, he should be willing to be flexible and even forego the debt if he finds that his brother is truly not able to repay it. He should be more concerned for his brother and the Hereafter than for a few dollars. If he takes that approach, Allah may be so pleased with him that He forgives his sins in the same way that he forgave the person's debt. • Al-Haitami states that the phrase, "Whoever alleviates [the situation of] one in dire straits who cannot repay his debt, Allah will alleviate his lot in both this world and the Hereafter," also applies to the scholar who answers a religious question for a layman. This is because the layman was in dire straits with respect to that question and it was the scholar who relieved him of his difficulty.2 • In the same way that it is not proper for a Muslim to demand his money back from a poor Muslim who honestly cannot afford to repay him, it is also a form of zulm (wrongdoing) for a Muslim who can afford to repay his debt to delay in doing so. The Prophet (peace be upon him) has said, "The delaying of repayment by one who has the means is a form of zulm." (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.) • "Concealing a Muslim" may be in reference to either a spiritual or physical concealment. If a person is in need of clothing to cover his body properly, it is possible that the meaning of this hadith also applies to such a case. It may also include concealing a "spiritual shortcoming"; for example, when one is having a difficulty because he is not married, one helps him get married and thereby conceals his shortcoming.3 • If a person is known for his piety and religious knowledge, his writings and works should not be examined with a fine-tooth comb to find any mistakes or slips that he has made in his efforts. If he is mistaken in his ijtihaad on some point, this should not be made a public farce and the person should not be condemned due to a mistake or two. • Especially in countries where the Islamic penalties are not invoked, if a person committed a crime that no one knows about (such as illegal sexual 1 Cf., ibn Uthaimeen, Sharh Riyaadh, vol. 5, pp. 24-25. 2 Al-Haitami, Fath, p. 255. 3 Cf., al-Haitami, Fath, p. 256; al-Mudaabaghi, p. 256. 1 100 Hadith #36: "Whoever Relieves a Believer . . . " intercourse) and wishes to repent, he should repent privately between himself and his Lord. It is not necessary for him to go to the Muslim community and admit his sin to them. Instead, Allah concealed that sin and he should also conceal it and make a sincere repentance to Allah. • This hadith has important implications for what can be called "Islamic media". It demonstrates that, in reality, there is no benefit in broadcasting every mistake and every crime that is committed in society. Nowadays, one small mistake by an otherwise good person could lead to his reputation being ruined forever in the media. Indeed, the constant and general depiction of sins and crimes could have a very negative impact as people begin to believe that everyone is committing sins and therefore there is nothing wrong if they also commit sins.