Explanation of the words of Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) regarding what he quoted: "
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The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful:
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said, quoting from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: : A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim, meaning in religion, as Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) said: [Ali 'Imran 3:103] , and Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Ahzab 33:5] . This brotherhood is the strongest of all brotherhoods, stronger than the brotherhood of kinship, for the brotherhood of kinship may fail, or its implications may fail, and your relative by blood may become an enemy to you, hating you, in this world and the Hereafter. Allah the Exalted said: [Az-Zukhruf 43:67] .
As for the brotherhood of religion, it is a firm and established brotherhood in this world and the Hereafter; it benefits a person in his life and in his death. However, this brotherhood does not entail what the brotherhood of kinship entails, such as inheritance, the obligation of financial maintenance, and the like.
Then he said:Sahih al-Bukhari 6951 He does not wrong him, not in his wealth, not in his body, not in his honor, and not in his family, meaning he does not wrong him in any type of wrongdoing.
Meaning: he does not hand him over to one who would wrong him; rather, he defends him and protects him from their evil. Thus, it combines two things:
The first thing: that he does not wrong him.
The second thing: that he does not hand him over to one who would wrong him, but rather he defends him.
For this reason, the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) said: "It is obligatory for a person to defend his brother in his honor, his body, and his wealth" . In his honor: meaning if he hears someone insulting or backbiting him, it is obligatory for him to defend him. Likewise, in his body: if someone intends to assault your Muslim brother and you are able to repel him, it is obligatory for you to do so. And likewise in his wealth: if someone intends to take his wealth, it is obligatory for you to defend him, .
Then he said, may the prayers and peace be upon him:As-Sunan al-Kubra lil-Nasa'i 52:157 Meaning: if you are in the need of your brother, fulfilling it and helping him with it, then Allah the Exalted will help you in your need and assist you with it, as a just recompense.
It is understood from this that if a person wrongs his brother, his brotherhood is deficient. And if he hands him over to one who would wrong him, his brotherhood is deficient. And if he is not in his need, he misses this great good, which is that if Allah is in the need of his brother, Allah will be in his need.
Then he said:As-Sunan al-Kubra lil-Nasa'i 52:156 . Distresses: that which constricts a person and is difficult for him, and he finds in himself anxiety and sorrow. So if you relieve your brother of this distress, Allah will relieve you of a distress from the distresses of the Day of Resurrection.
Relieving distresses, if it is a financial distress, is by giving him the money by which the distress is removed. If it is a moral distress, it is by striving to restore his dignity and his standing until the distress is removed from him.
If the distress is one of anxiety and sorrow, it is by being generous with him and giving him relief, and explaining to him that things do not last, and that the permanence of a state is impossible, and explaining to him the great reward and recompense in this, until the distress becomes easy for him.
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2945Sahih (Darussalam) This is not absolute; rather, there are texts indicating that it is not absolute. Covering may be commanded and praiseworthy, or it may be forbidden. If we see a person in sin, and he is a wicked man immersed in sins, and covering him only increases his transgression, then we do not cover him; rather, we report him so that he is restrained in a way that achieves the objective.
As for if he is a man who has not shown bad signs, but a slip occurred from him, then it is recommended that you cover it and do not reveal it to anyone, neither to the responsible authorities nor to others. If you cover it, Allah will cover you in this world and the Hereafter.
Also included in this is covering his congenital defect. If he has a defect in his creation, such as noticeable wounds in his skin, or leprosy, or vitiligo, or the like, and he covers it and does not like for people to see it, then you cover it. If you cover it, Allah will cover you in this world and the Hereafter.
Likewise, if he is of bad character but he appears to people as being of good character and broad-minded, and you know from him the opposite, then cover it. Whoever covers a Muslim, Allah will cover him in this world and the Hereafter. So covering, as I said, regarding the actions a person performs, the bad actions, is divided into two categories:
One category is from a person who is immersed in sins and reckless; this is not covered.
And another category is where a slip occurred from him; this is the one that is covered. As for other matters, covering them is more complete and better. And Allah is the One to be sought for help.
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said, quoting from 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
The Muslim is the brother of the Muslim
المسلم أخو المسلمand you became, by His favor, brothers
فَأَصْبَحْتُمْ بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَاناًthen they are [still] your brothers in religion and those entrusted to you
فَإِنْ لَمْ تَعْلَمُوا آبَاءَهُمْ فَإِخْوَانُكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَمَوَالِيكُمْClose friends, that Day, will be enemies to each other, except for the righteous
الْأَخِلَّاءُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلَّا الْمُتَّقِينَAs for the brotherhood of religion, it is a firm and established brotherhood in this world and the Hereafter; it benefits a person in his life and in his death. However, this brotherhood does not entail what the brotherhood of kinship entails, such as inheritance, the obligation of financial maintenance, and the like.
Then he said:
he should neither oppress him nor hand him over to an oppressor
لا يظلمه ولا يُسلمهNor does he hand him over
ولا يسلمهThe first thing: that he does not wrong him.
The second thing: that he does not hand him over to one who would wrong him, but rather he defends him.
For this reason, the scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) said: "It is obligatory for a person to defend his brother in his honor, his body, and his wealth" . In his honor: meaning if he hears someone insulting or backbiting him, it is obligatory for him to defend him. Likewise, in his body: if someone intends to assault your Muslim brother and you are able to repel him, it is obligatory for you to do so. And likewise in his wealth: if someone intends to take his wealth, it is obligatory for you to defend him,
Nor does he hand him over
ولا يسلمهThen he said, may the prayers and peace be upon him:
And Allah is in the need of the servant as long as the servant is in the need of his brother
والله في حاجة العبد ما كان العبد في حاجة أخيهIt is understood from this that if a person wrongs his brother, his brotherhood is deficient. And if he hands him over to one who would wrong him, his brotherhood is deficient. And if he is not in his need, he misses this great good, which is that if Allah is in the need of his brother, Allah will be in his need.
Then he said:
And whoever relieves a Muslim of a distress from the distresses of this world, Allah will relieve him of a distress from the distresses of the Day of Resurrection
ومن فرج عن مسلم كربة من كرب الدنيا، فرج الله عنه كربة من كرب يوم القيامةRelieving distresses, if it is a financial distress, is by giving him the money by which the distress is removed. If it is a moral distress, it is by striving to restore his dignity and his standing until the distress is removed from him.
If the distress is one of anxiety and sorrow, it is by being generous with him and giving him relief, and explaining to him that things do not last, and that the permanence of a state is impossible, and explaining to him the great reward and recompense in this, until the distress becomes easy for him.
And whoever covers (the faults) of a Muslim, Allah covers him in the world and in the Hereafter.
ومن ستر مسلماً ستره الله في الدنيا والآخرةAs for if he is a man who has not shown bad signs, but a slip occurred from him, then it is recommended that you cover it and do not reveal it to anyone, neither to the responsible authorities nor to others. If you cover it, Allah will cover you in this world and the Hereafter.
Also included in this is covering his congenital defect. If he has a defect in his creation, such as noticeable wounds in his skin, or leprosy, or vitiligo, or the like, and he covers it and does not like for people to see it, then you cover it. If you cover it, Allah will cover you in this world and the Hereafter.
Likewise, if he is of bad character but he appears to people as being of good character and broad-minded, and you know from him the opposite, then cover it. Whoever covers a Muslim, Allah will cover him in this world and the Hereafter. So covering, as I said, regarding the actions a person performs, the bad actions, is divided into two categories:
One category is from a person who is immersed in sins and reckless; this is not covered.
And another category is where a slip occurred from him; this is the one that is covered. As for other matters, covering them is more complete and better. And Allah is the One to be sought for help.