I am sending you my problem that keeps me awake, which is: I know the role of a righteous friend in steadfastness upon the religion of Allah

The questioner : He says: O honorable Shaykh, I am sending you my problem that keeps me awake, which is: I know the role of a righteous friend in steadfastness upon the religion of Allah, and I have searched for it a lot, and praise be to Allah, I believe I have found it. But O honorable Shaykh, there is a problem, which is that we often overlook each other's mistakes, and when I speak to him about it, he says: "You are better than me, and it is obligatory for you to advise me." O honorable Shaykh, Allah is my witness that I love that person for the sake of Allah, and I know that he reciprocates the same feeling, and I know that he loves good for me, but that negativity still remains between us.

The Shaykh : What is the negativity?

The questioner : That he says: We have mistakes, and neither of us rebukes the other. I ask you, O honorable one, to direct a word to me and to Muslims in general regarding this topic?

The Shaykh : There is no doubt that love for the sake of Allah is among the best of deeds, to the extent that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: and he mentioned the hadith, and among it is: and these are the strongest ties of faith, that a person loves for the sake of Allah alone. And it is obligatory for each of them, namely the two who love each other for the sake of Allah, to advise his brother, because the believer is a mirror for his brother. But the important thing is the method of advice, and how one advises? As for the advice itself, it is obligatory. One looks for the appropriate time, the appropriate place, and the appropriate words, and every person is according to what he believes, and Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity. As for remaining silent about his faults, and the other remaining silent about his faults, because of the affection between them and the fear that the affection will be hurt, this is a mistake. Rather, reprimand is among the causes of the preservation of affection. That you reprimand your brother, whether in how he treats you or in other matters, is better than you remaining silent with resentment, then events continue, and then separation occurs. Yes.