Explanation of the Hadith: Whoever Relieves a Muslim of a Distress

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Question:
And this is what he says: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

and whoever relieves a Muslim of a burden, Allah will relieve him of a burden from the burdens of the Day of Judgement

من فرج عن مسلم كربة فرج الله عنه كربة من كرب يوم القيامة

Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1426Sahih (Darussalam)

. This questioner from the Emirates says: I would like a few words from the Shaykh (may Allah preserve him) regarding this hadith.

Answer:
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

Whoever alleviates a burden among the burdens of the world for his brother, Allah alleviates a burden among the burdens of the Day of Judgement for him. And whoever covers (the faults) of a Muslim, Allah covers him in the world and in the Hereafter. And whoever makes things easy for one in dire straits, Allah makes things easy for him in the world and the Hereafter. Allah is helping as long as

من فرج عن مسلم كربة من كرب الدنيا نفس الله عنه كربة من كرب يوم القيامة، ومن ستر مسلما ستره الله في الدنيا والآخرة، ومن يسر على معسر يسر الله عليه في الدنيا والآخرة، والله بعون العبد ما كان

Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2945Sahih (Darussalam)

with a doer who conceals it. This is an authentic hadith narrated by Muslim in his Sahih. This is among the great means of drawing near to Allah, for a Muslim to relieve his brother of a distress by giving him a loan to pay off his debt, by giving him a gift that he can benefit from, by giving him charity, or by interceding for him. All of this is among the causes of good and the relieving of distress, and its doer is rewarded, whether he gave a gift, charity, a loan, or interceded for him. All of this contains great good in paying off his debt, in meeting his need, in facilitating his marriage, in removing an injustice from him, and in other forms of good. Cooperation in righteousness and piety is necessary, for Allah says:

And cooperate in righteousness and piety

وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَىٰ

[Al-Ma'idah 5:2]

So if he relieves his brother’s distress with a loan, a gift, charity, or intercession, he has this great reward. Whoever relieves a distress on the Day of Resurrection, the believer strives in this.

If anyone removes his brother’s anxiety of this world, Allah will remove for him one of the anxieties of the Day of resurrection; if anyone makes easy for an impoverished man

من فرج كربة من كرب الدنيا فرج الله عنه كربة من كرب يوم القيامة، ومن يسر على معسر يسر الله له

Sunan Abi Dawud 4946Sahih (Al-Albani)

In this world and the Hereafter, Paradise is of the nature of security. And whoever covers a Muslim by covering his religious exposure, finding him in sin and covering it for him, this is the greatest exposure, the exposure of religion. Or if he is poor and has no clothing, and he gives him clothing to cover his physical exposure, he is rewarded, whether the exposure is religious or physical, and the greatest of them is the religious one. If he covers a sin he sees in him, advises him, directs him to good, and covers it for him, this is a great act of worship, a great means of nearness to Allah, and a great benefit to his brother. And if he covers his physical exposure with clothing, if he is poor and has no clothing and he gives him a shirt to cover his exposure, he has done a great good.

Source فضل العلم وآدابه — islamhouse.com (25:39)

The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.

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