عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم " لَا تَحَاسَدُوا، وَلَا تَنَاجَشُوا، وَلَا تَبَاغَضُوا، وَلَا تَدَابَرُوا، وَلَا يَبِعْ بَعْضُكُمْ عَلَى بَيْعِ بَعْضٍ، وَكُونُوا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ إخْوَانًا، الْمُسْلِمُ أَخُو الْمُسْلِمِ، لَا يَظْلِمُهُ، وَلَا يَخْذُلُهُ، وَلَا يَكْذِبُهُ، وَلَا يَحْقِرُهُ، التَّقْوَى هَاهُنَا، وَيُشِيرُ إلَى صَدْرِهِ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ، بِحَسْبِ امْرِئٍ مِنْ الشَّرِّ أَنْ يَحْقِرَ أَخَاهُ الْمُسْلِمَ، كُلُّ الْمُسْلِمِ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِ حَرَامٌ: دَمُهُ وَمَالُهُ وَعِرْضُهُ" . [رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ].
On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Do not envy one another, and do not inflate prices for one another, and do not hate one another, and do not turn away from one another, and do not undercut one another in trade, but [rather] be slaves of Allah and brothers [amongst yourselves]. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim: he does not oppress him, nor does he fail him, nor does he lie to him, nor does he hold him in contempt. Taqwa (piety) is right here [and he pointed to his chest three times]. It is evil enough for a man to hold his brother Muslim in contempt. The whole of a Muslim is inviolable for another Muslim: his blood, his property, and his honour.” [Muslim]
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This narration is dedicated to the rights of a Muslim upon another Muslim and the necessities that must exist between them in their interactions. From beginning to end, the hadith reflects the Prophet’s ﷺ eloquence in addressing these rights and prohibitions.
This narration contains a series of prohibitions, each introduced with the Arabic style of negation that denotes haram (forbidden). The Prophet ﷺ was not merely advising against these actions but forbidding them. These are not matters of dislike (makruh), nor optional etiquette. They are strict prohibitions.
For example, the Prophet ﷺ said: “Do not be jealous.” Jealousy (ḥasad) is haram. In the books of Sunnah, the Prophet ﷺ warned:
“Beware of jealousy, for indeed jealousy eats away good deeds just as fire eats away firewood.”
Thus, jealousy is not only sinful, but it also destroys a person’s good deeds—salah, zakah, fasting, hajj, etc. This makes it doubly harmful: first as an act of disobedience, and second as an eraser of rewards. Why would anyone choose to engage in something that only brings loss?
The scholars explain that jealousy means wishing that a blessing someone else has be taken away, believing they don’t deserve it, or desiring that Allah deprives them of it. This attitude is detested because it opposes Allah Himself, the One who granted that blessing. Allah is the true Owner of all things, so opposing His will in this way is not merely a social flaw but a matter of manners and adab with Allah.
The opposite of jealousy is what Islam commands: to celebrate your brother or sister’s blessings as if they were your own, and to be sincerely happy for them. This is consistent with the Prophet’s ﷺ teaching:
“None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”
Just as faith requires loving good for others, the opposite, jealousy, is forbidden.
The Prophet ﷺ also prohibited najash, a form of treachery or deception in transactions. Linguistically, najash refers to cheating, deceiving, or manipulating in order to prevent someone from gaining their right or to unfairly bring advantage to oneself.
Another important point is that the Prophet ﷺ used the present tense in these prohibitions, which in Arabic implies continuity. This means the prohibition is not temporary or situational. It applies always, in the present and the future. One of the most profound teachings of Islam is the emphasis on the sanctity of the believer and the bond of brotherhood that unites the community of faith. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ consistently reminded his companions that faith (īmān) is not an isolated matter of rituals and creeds, but a lived relationship with others. The believer’s honor, wealth, and blood are sacred, and protecting these rights is part of fulfilling one’s servitude to Allah.
Allah the Exalted says in the Qur’an:
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ
“Indeed, the believers are but brothers. So make peace between your brothers, and fear Allah that you may receive mercy.” (Qur’an 49:10)
This verse establishes that brotherhood in Islam is not merely social—it is sacred. The command to reconcile between disputing believers and to fear Allah in these relations indicates that the quality of our interactions directly affects our standing with Him.
The Prophet ﷺ elaborated on this by declaring: “The Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. He does not wrong him, abandon him, or belittle him. All of a Muslim is inviolable to another: his blood, his wealth, and his honor.” (Muslim). Here, the Prophet ﷺ mapped out three key violations that break the brotherhood: oppression, abandonment, and belittlement. To oppress a Muslim is to usurp his rights; to abandon him is to leave him without support in times of need; and to belittle him is to undermine his dignity and worth.
The Qur’an further affirms this principle:
وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ
“The believing men and the believing women are allies of one another.” (Qur’an 9:71)
This alliance (wilāyah) is not limited to prayer or greetings; it encompasses protection of rights, defense of honor, support in hardship, and solidarity in faith.
Yet the human ego often resists these responsibilities. A person may backbite, belittle, or betray, finding temporary satisfaction in putting another down. But Islam warns against this illusion of strength. True strength lies in humility and forgiveness. The Prophet ﷺ said: “No one humbles himself for the sake of Allah except that Allah raises him in rank.” (Muslim). Forgiving a brother is not weakness but honor, for as another narration affirms: “Allah only increases a servant in honor when he forgives.” (Muslim).
The sanctity of the believer was emphasized in the Prophet’s Farewell Sermon, where he declared: “Indeed, your blood, your wealth, and your honor are sacred to you, like the sanctity of this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this land of yours.” (Bukhari, Muslim). Just as Makkah is a sanctuary, so too is the dignity of every Muslim inviolable. To violate it is to step into what Allah has made haram.
This brotherhood is not only about rights but also about hearts. The Prophet ﷺ reminded his companions that piety (taqwā) resides in the heart, unseen and immeasurable by others. To belittle a believer is therefore arrogance before Allah, who alone knows the true rank of His servants. As the Qur’an teaches:
إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ
“Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.” (Qur’an 49:13)
What elevates one believer over another is not lineage, wealth, or education, but taqwā—a quality hidden in the heart. To look down on a fellow Muslim is therefore both injustice to them and disrespect to Allah.
The greeting of peace, as-salāmu ‘alaykum, reflects the depth of this ethic. Every time Muslims exchange this greeting, they are making a covenant: “You are safe from my tongue, my hand, and my harm. I wish for you safety in this life and the next.” If this covenant were upheld, the rows of prayer would not be divided by grudges, envy, or betrayal, but would stand as a fortress of unity.
The beauty of Islamic brotherhood lies in its balance. It does not deny that Muslims may hurt one another, nor does it command blind tolerance of oppression. Islam allows the oppressed to speak of the wrong done to them, but it declares that forgiveness is the higher path, for it spares the oppressor from punishment on the Day of Judgment and raises the forgiver in divine rank. At the same time, Islam calls believers to stand against injustice, to support each other in hardship, and to never leave a brother or sister abandoned in need.
In the end, the hadiths and verses on brotherhood converge on one truth: the strength of the ummah is not built on wealth, politics, or numbers, but on trust, dignity, and love between believers. When each Muslim honors the other’s sanctity, the ummah becomes an unbreakable bond, productive, proactive, selfless, and united.
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This hadith pushes me to confront my own shortcomings. Brotherhood is easy to claim but hard to live. Do I secretly enjoy when another falters? Do I justify backbiting under the guise of “venting”? Do I hold grudges instead of forgiving for Allah’s sake? Each of these habits chips away at the bonds the Prophet ﷺ commanded us to protect.
The Prophet ﷺ tied brotherhood to faith itself, meaning, my relationship with others is a reflection of my relationship with Allah. If I belittle, betray, or envy my brother, I am not just failing him; I am failing my īmān. On the other hand, every act of forgiveness, every effort to protect dignity, every moment I silence my tongue from exposing a fault, is an act of worship that strengthens my faith.
The reminder for myself and others is clear: our ummah does not fracture because of external threats alone. It fractures when we fail to live as brothers and sisters. Healing begins when we return to the Prophet’s ﷺ guidance: give salam sincerely, forgive generously, protect honor diligently, and wish for others what we wish for ourselves. Only then will our faith be complete, and only then will we deserve Allah’s mercy.
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Disclaimer:
Instructor: Sheikh Dr. Sajid Umar | STEPS TO JANNAH S4 | Forty Hadith Imam Nawawi
These are notes sharing from the Steps of Jannah classes online taught by Sheikh Dr Sajid Umar focusing on Hadith 40 an-Nawawi. The classes are still ongoing, every Monday 8pm UK time. If you would like to join, please email stepstojannah12@gmail.com
The notes written are from a student’s personal notes transcribed from the sessions. Should there be any error, May Allah forgive us, and do feedback (ain1810@gmail.com) so that it can get amended, and may it be beneficial to all of us and may Allah reward Jannah to Sh Sajid and his team for the beneficial ‘ilm being shared and to all of the students Steps to Jannah, Ameen.