The Ruling on the Hadith: (Your Brother Is Better Than You)
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Is this text a hadith from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)? It is narrated that he (peace and blessings be upon him) entered the mosque and found a man who did not leave the mosque and remained in it constantly. So he asked him, "Who provides for you?" He said, "My brother." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him, "Your brother is better than you." Is this a hadith?
Answer: I do not know this hadith. I say: I do not know of any basis for it. However, the Sunnah indicates the legitimacy of earning a livelihood and that it is not befitting for him to sit in the mosque, but rather he should go out to earn, seeking sustenance. So the one who seeks sustenance is better than the one who sits in the mosque and does not seek sustenance. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Bulugh al-Maram 7:1 And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih al-Bukhari 2072.
So the believer comes for the prayers at their times, racing to them, but he does not sit in the mosque and neglect his work. Rather, he goes to work in agriculture, buying and selling, blacksmithing, carpentry, shoemaking, or tailoring, seeking sustenance. Seeking sustenance is among the best of acts of worship. In fact, it is obligatory when there is a need for it. It is obligatory to seek sustenance through lawful earnings. For this reason, when he (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked:Mishkat al-Masabih 2783, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih al-Bukhari 2072 regarding the maker of armor, (peace and blessings be upon him).
So the meaning of the hadith is correct, even if I do not know of a basis for this hadith where he said to the one who sat in the mosque: (Your brother is better than you). But the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and his hadiths indicate this meaning, and that the believer does not sit in the mosque or in his home and become idle from work. No, rather he works in what Allah has made permissible for him, he eats, gives charity, and benefits people.
Answer: I do not know this hadith. I say: I do not know of any basis for it. However, the Sunnah indicates the legitimacy of earning a livelihood and that it is not befitting for him to sit in the mosque, but rather he should go out to earn, seeking sustenance. So the one who seeks sustenance is better than the one who sits in the mosque and does not seek sustenance. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
The Prophet (ﷺ) was asked, 'What type of earning is best?' He replied, "A man's work with his hand and every transaction which is free from cheating or deception."
«يقول النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لما سئل أي الكسب أطيب؟ قال: عمل الرجل بيده وكل بيع مبرورNobody has ever eaten a better meal than that which one has earned by working with one's own hands. The Prophet (ﷺ) of Allah, David used to eat from the earnings of his manual labor.
ما أكل أحد طعامًا خيرًا من أن يأكل من عمل يده، وإن نبي الله داود كان يأكل من عمل يده عليه الصلاة والسلامSo the believer comes for the prayers at their times, racing to them, but he does not sit in the mosque and neglect his work. Rather, he goes to work in agriculture, buying and selling, blacksmithing, carpentry, shoemaking, or tailoring, seeking sustenance. Seeking sustenance is among the best of acts of worship. In fact, it is obligatory when there is a need for it. It is obligatory to seek sustenance through lawful earnings. For this reason, when he (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked:
what type of earning was best and replied, “A man’s work with his hand and every business transaction which is approved.”
أي الكسب أطيب؟ قال: عمل الرجل بيده وكل بيع مبرورNobody has ever eaten a better meal than that which one has earned by working with one's own hands. The Prophet (ﷺ) of Allah, David used to eat from the earnings of his manual labor.
ما أكل أحد طعاماً خيرًا من أن يأكل من عمل يده، وإن نبي الله داود عليه الصلاة والسلام كان يأكل من عمل يدهSo the meaning of the hadith is correct, even if I do not know of a basis for this hadith where he said to the one who sat in the mosque: (Your brother is better than you). But the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and his hadiths indicate this meaning, and that the believer does not sit in the mosque or in his home and become idle from work. No, rather he works in what Allah has made permissible for him, he eats, gives charity, and benefits people.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.