Man is lonely as he he never was and one of the greatest blessing of Islam is it's admirable success in creating strong, warm, rich and durable bonds of love and brotherhood between man and man. This was made possible on the basis of faith in one God (Tawhid) but has also inspired man to follow a pattern of behavior which will sustain and strenghten mutua brotherhood.

The contract of brotherhood is a bond between two persons, like the contract of marriage between two spouses. For just as marriage gives rise to certain duties which must be fulfilled when it is entered into, so does the contract of brotherhood confer uponyour brother a certain right touching your property, your person, your tongue and your heart - by way of forgiveness, prayer,sincerity, loyalty, relief and considerateness.

The first duty is THE MATERIAL ONE

The holy Prophet (saw) said that two brothers are likened to a pair of hands, one of which washes the other. He chose the simile of the two hands, rather than the hand and the feet because the paue are of mutual assistance towards a single aim.

The lowest degree is where you palce your brother on the same footing as your slave or your servant, attending to his need from your surplus. Some need befalls him when you have more than you require to satisfy your own, so you give spontaneously, not obliging him to ask.

At the second degree, you place your brother on the same footing as yourself. You are contented to have him as partner in your property and to treat him like yourself, to the point of letting him sharev ti equally.

At the third degree, the highest of all, you prefer your brother to yourself and set his need before your own. This is the degree of the Siddiq and the final stage for those united in spiritual love.

Salam, babs787

I like this OP; although quite short but very precise. It hits the nail on the head.

But I kinda all the time feel afraid and unsure of the way the Muslim brotherhood/sisterhood is dwindling. Muslims are virtually always mistrusting one another; refusing to assist one another; leaving ones' in need helplessly; some are almost dying because there is no-one to turn to for their need, for instance in hospitals, some even in their homes; and mention other numerous scenarios. There's need for overhauling and reshuffling of things in our lives, wallahi.

I many a times wish I own the earth to enrich everyone. Wallahi seeing needy on a street leaves me deeply thoughtful, sometimes pensive.

May Allah strengthen Muslim brotherhood/sisterhood among ummah as practised during the reign of His Noble Prophet, Mahammad (S.A.W) by his guided Companions, amin.

Salam

I like this OP; although quite short but very precise. It hits the nail on the head.

Jazakhallah

But I kinda all the time feel afraid and unsure of the way the Muslim brotherhood/sisterhood is dwindling.

Very correct here.

Muslims are virtually always mistrusting one another; refusing to assist one another; leaving ones' in need helplessly; some are almost dying because there is no-one to turn to for their need, for instance in hospitals, some even in their homes; and mention other numerous scenarios. There's need for overhauling and reshuffling of things in our lives, wallahi.

I feel like weeping at your post above. This is what we are facing in the muslim world. We have lots of very rich muslims who could assist the needy but prefer spending  money on musicians.

Two muslims could come together and build a mosque but Muslims prefer spending money on 'gambling' of any sort and promote unclothedness. You could see a storey building meant for mosque under construction for up to 10 years or more but wealthy muslims pray there and would never assist. Rather than donate generously, they would donate generously with 200 or 100!!

Muslims are supposed to be their brothers' keepers but some have thrown that into a thrash can, resorting to greediness.

If we are to follow Shariah (the area of Zakat and sadaqah), no muslim would be poor but Muslims prefer spending their money on what would not profit them in the hereafter.

I could say Muslims are the richest, yet the poorest.

We all saw what happpened recently when nine activists were killed but Muslim world would not come together to arrive at a reasonable conclusion (not war).

I could go on and on but to me, I believe there would be a change and I have been seeing those changes though it may take time. The change would further be achieved when we abide by the teaching of Allah and His prophet (saw). I have been seeing changes in the way people are being taught by their leaders. What I mean is that, some that have indulged in Bidah are now seeing the difference between Sunnah and leaving the Bidah practice while some that love 'follow follow' ' my chief Imam said this, said that' have changed and seek proof, facts from the Quran or Hadith before accepting such.

I believe you and I can achieve what we felt is lacking by talking to people we come in contact with, beautiful preaching with citation from Quran,. Hadith, dwelling on the life of the companions, media, fora etc and I know that change is coming because ISLAM is from Allah and would keep increasing no matter what but the increment would be based on monotheism, acceptance of Shariah, message of Allah and Sunnah of the prophet (saw).

I many a times wish I own the earth to enrich everyone. Wallahi seeing needy on a street leaves me deeply thoughtful, sometimes pensive.

Together we could make a change through beautiful preaching,media,fora and discussion with those we come across. 

I came to know that most of these rich people have not opened the Quran let alone known what it entails and they are the ones you would be seeing flashing their golden tooth to show that they are Alhajis or Alhajas.

May Allah strengthen Muslim brotherhood/sisterhood among ummah as practised during the reign of His Noble Prophet, Mahammad (S.A.W) by his guided Companions, amin.

Amin.  I believe the time would come and there are changes as Allah swt said that we should invite people to the way with beautiful preaching.

Hmm,

Allah, the Exalted, says;Verily the believers are but brothers (49:10)

The Messenger of Allah s.a.w said: ‚Do not envy one another; do not inflate prices by overbidding against one another; do not hate one another; do not harbor malice against one another; and do not enter into commercial transaction when others have entered into that (transaction); but be you, O slaves of Allah, as brothers. A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim; he neither oppresses him nor does he look down upon him, nor does he humiliate him. Piety is here, (and he pointed to his chest three times). It is enough evil for a Muslim to hold his brother Muslim in contempt. All things of a Muslim are inviolable for his brother-in-faith: his blood, his property and his honor.‛ (Muslim)

The Messenger of Allah s.a.w said: "A Muslim is a brother to a Muslim. He should neither deceive him nor lie to him, nor leave him without assistance. Everything belonging to a Muslim is inviolable for a Muslim; his honor, his blood and property. Piety is here (and he pointed out to his chest thrice). It is enough for a Muslim to commit evil by despising his Muslim brother." (Tirmidthi)

The second duty is to render personal aid in the satisfaction of needs, attending to them without waiting to be asked, and giving them priority over private needs.

Here too, there are different degrees, as in the case of material support.

The lowest degree consists in attending to the need when asked and when in plenty, though with joy and cheerfulness, showing leasure and gratitude.

Someone said: If you ask your brother to satisfy a need, and he does not do so, then remind him, for he may have forgotten. If he still does not do it, pronounce 'Allahu Akbar' over him and recite this verse, as for the dead, Allah would raise them up" (Quran 6 v 36)

A muslim in the early days would see to the maintenance of his brother's wife and children for forty years after his brother's death, attending to their needs, visiting them daily and providing for them from his wealth so that they missed only the father's person; indeed they were treated as not even by their father in his lifetime.

It was known for a man to go regularly to the door of his brother's household and enquire:

'have you oil, salt or is there anything you need?
If anything is needed, he would attend to it unknown to his brother.

This is how brotherhood and compassion are shown. If a man does not manifest compassion towards his brother in the same degree as to himself, then there is no goodness in it.

In short, your brother's need ought to be like your own, or even more important than your own. You should be on the watch for times of need, not neglecting his situation any more than you would your own. You should see that he does not have to ask, nor to reveal his need to appeal for help. Rather should you attend to it as if you did not know that you had done so. You should not see yourself as having earned any right by virtue of what you have done, but rather count it a blessing that he accepts your effort on his behalf and your attention to his affair. You should not confine yourself to satisfying his need, but try from the start to be even more generous, to prefer him and put him before relatives and children.

Al-Hassan said:
'If a man stands by his brother to the end, then on the day of resurrection, Allah wil send angels from beneath His Throne to escort him to the Garden of Paradise.

It is related that Ibn Umar was looking about to right and left in the presence of of God's messenger (saw), who asked the reason. He replied:
-'there is someone dear and I am searching for him but do not see him.
-If you love someone, ask his name, his father's name and where he lives, then if he is sick, visit him and if he is busy, help him.

Those words point to compassion and generous treatment.

Part of complete compassion is not to partake in solitude of delicious food, nor to enjpy alone an occasion of happiness;rather should the brother's absemce be distressing and the separation sad.

The third duty concerns the tongue, which should sometimes be silent and at other times speak out.

As for silence, the tongue should not mention a brother's faults in his absence or his presence. Rather should you feign ignorance. You should not contradict him when he talks nor dispute nor argue with him. You should not pry anmd quiz him about his affairs. On seeing him in the street or about some business, you should not start a conversation about the object of your coming and going, nor ask him about his, for perhaps it will be troublesome to him to discuss it or he may have to lie about it.

Keep silent also about the secrets he confides in you, and on no account divulge them to a third party, not even to his closest friends. DO not reveal anything about them, not even after separation and estrangement, for to do so would be meanness of character and impurity of the Inner.

Keep silent from criticism of his dear ones, his family, his children, also from relating other people's criticism of him, for it is your informant who directly abuses you.

Anas said that God's Messegner (saw) never faced anyone with something displeasing to him, for the hurt comes immediately from the informant and only indirectly from the original speaker.

Brother where were you hide i am very happy reading from this thread because it's contain alot of important religious duties but God so kind will not let you to deliver the massage to us,meanwhile i pray for Almighty Allah to strength you and keep posting to this thread been it's beneficial and as well it help when reading it carefully to unite us as a Ummah.

Unity is what we muslims need. We belong to the Ummah of The Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). We are kith and kin. May Allah reconcile us in Jannah. Ameen.

Jazakhallah

I would continue Insha Allah

Salam Babs Jazak ALLAH kheyr
Brotherhood in Islam or what we call (Ukhuwah Islamiyah)  according to Imam Al nawawi is brotherhood in general so it's including Muslim and non Muslim so beside loving our Muslim brothers it's also necessary to love non Muslims which don't fight against us in the definition to hope goodness to
them like guidance ease etc we must not judge anyone will be thrown to hell because as long he/she is still alive the gate of repentance will still be opened for him no matter how big his/her sins are only Allah knows the end of anyone's life

The Brotherhood in Islam is not limited by country borders tribes skin colors languages or any worldly limits    we should be only bound by our Aqida
it is sad to notice that on this site some folks are asking others to behave in Islamic way while the same very persons still very Tribalistic 
and galvanize around their tribal affiliation which is nothing but another type of Jahiliya
Finally (Ukhuwah Islamiyah ) Brotherhood in Islam is the quintessential for the strength of the Muslim Ummah against oppression May Almighty God counts us among His servants those loved by Him and sheltered by His shadow where there is no other shadow but His Allahumma Amin

Of course you should not hide any praise you may hear, for the pleasure in it is received directly from the conveyer of the compliment as well as indirectly from the original source. Concealment here would mean envy.

In short, you should keep silent about any speech unpleasant to him in general and in particular- unles obliged to speak out to promote good and prevent evil, and even then only if you can find no valid excuse for saying nothing. In such cases you need not worry about his disapproval, since what you do is beneficial to him when rightly understood, even if it looks bad at first sight.

As for mentioning his deeds and faults, and the misdeeds of his family, this is a slander and unlawful in respect of every Muslim. Two things turn you from it:

First examine your own condition and if you find there one blameworthy thing then be tolerant of what you see in your brother.It may be that he is unable to control himsef in that particular characteristics, just as you are important in the face of your own difficulty.So do not be too heavy on him on account of one blameworthy trait wehat man is completely upright? Wherever you find yourself lacking in your duty to God, do not expect as much from your brother in his duty to you, for your right over him is not greater than God's right over you.

Second, you know that were you to seek for someone free of all blemish you would exhaust the entire creation without ever finding a companion. For there is not one human being who dies not have both good and bad qualities and if the good outweight the bad, that is most than can be hoped for.

The noble believer always keeps present in himself the good qualities of his brother, so that his heart may be the source of honour, affection and respect. As for the hypocrite of low character, he is always noticing misdeeds and faults.

al-Mubarak said: 'The believer tries to finds excuses for others while the hypoctire looks out for mistakes.

Salam,

The author of this thread should continue advancing it forward you shouldn't have been discourage because of merely words of mouth from the people around, however, all what you have to do for the seek of Allah and also for the benefit of those around the reward of the deed is with Allah.Expecting you soon to cotinue your beneficial thread.

Ma'asalam.

Al- Fudayl said; 'Manliness is pardoning the slips of one's brothers.

This is why the prophet (saw) said: 'seek refuge in Allah from the bad neighbour who sees some good and conceals it, sees some bad and reveals it.

There is no one at all whose condition cannot be improved in some respects or made worse.

Tradition tells how a certain man praised another in the presence of God's messenger (saw) then blamed him the very next day. So the prophet (saw) said: 'You praise him one day and blame the next! Yesterday I told the truth about him and today I did not lie about him. He pleased me yesterday so I told the best I knew of him. He angered me today so I spoke the worst I knew of him.

Just as it is incumbent upon you to hold your tongue from mentioning his misdeeds, so ought you to observe silence in your heart. This is done by giving up suspicions, for suspicions consitute slander in the heart, which is also unlawful. Keep within the bounds by not putting a bad construction on his action, so long as you can see it in a good light. As for what is revealed unmistakenly and before your very eyes, so that it is impossible for you not to know about it you should if possible ascribe what you witness to absent mindedness and forgetfulness.

Jazakumullahu Khairan. As chakula said please continue whenever you find time.

Suspicion is formed in two ways: first by what is called perception which rests on some outward sign. This causes a necessary movement of the thinking which cannot be set aside. Secondly, there is that which arises from your prejudice against someone. There emanates from him some act which could be taken in either of two ways; but your prejudice against him causes you to settle for the worse interpretation, even though there is no outward sign to justify it. This is an offence against him in the Inner, something unlawful in respect of every believer. For the prophet (saw) said,'God has forbidden one believer to tamper with the blood, property or honour of another or to hold a bad suspicion of him.

Also 'Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the most untruthful report, and suspicion leads to prying spying.

Further: 'Do not spy and do not pry. Do not severe relationships and no not fall out,but serve God as brothers.[b][/b]

Prying consists in listening to rumours, spying in visual observation.

Jazakumullahu Khairan brother

Concealing faults, feining ignorance of them and overlooking them- this is the mark of religious people. You have sufficient notice of the perfect degree in concealing what is ugly and revealing what is good, in that God (swt) is so qualified in the prayer where is it said: 'O Thou who revealest the beautiful and concealest the ugly! What is desirable in God's sight is what we modelour character after His, for He is the Veiler of faults, forgiver of sins, indulgent towards His creatures. So how can you fail to be indulgent towards one who is your equal or your superior, but in no way your slave or your creatures?

You must know that a man' belief is imcomplete as long as he does not wish for his brother what he wishes for himself. The lowest degree in brotherhood is where you treat your brother as you would wish to be treated yourself, and there is no doubt that he would expect you to veil his shame and keep quiet about his misdeeds and faults. If shown the opposite of what he expected he would be very annoyed and angry. How unworthy then, if he were to expect what he himself would not conceive and intend. Woe to him then in the words of the Book of God (SWT), for He says: " Woe to the givers of short measure, who exact in full when others measure out to them, but skimp in measuring or weighing out to others (Q83v 1-3)

I can't help saying Subhanallah being reading from this thread which for a long time wanted to do so because of the kinda of admonishings as well as Islamic Tips in which the thread encouraged. Jazakallah khairan Akhy.

babs787:

The third duty concerns the tongue, which should sometimes be silent and at other times speak out.

As for silence, the tongue should not mention a brother's faults in his absence or his presence. Rather should you feign ignorance. You should not contradict him when he talks nor dispute nor argue with him. You should not pry anmd quiz him about his affairs. On seeing him in the street or about some business, you should not start a conversation about the object of your coming and going, nor ask him about his, for perhaps it will be troublesome to him to discuss it or he may have to lie about it.

Keep silent also about the secrets he confides in you, and on no account divulge them to a third party, not even to his closest friends. DO not reveal anything about them, not even after separation and estrangement, for to do so would be meanness of character and impurity of the Inner.

Keep silent from criticism of his dear ones, his family, his children, also from relating other people's criticism of him, for it is your informant who directly abuses you.

Anas said that God's Messegner (saw) never faced anyone with something displeasing to him, for the hurt comes immediately from the informant and only indirectly from the original speaker.

May God help us all.Amin

The source of deficiency in veiling another's shame and of striving to display it, is a hidden disease of the Inner, namely rancour and envy.For the rancorous and envious has his Inner full of dirt but keeps it imprisoned in his Inner, conceals it and does not show it as long as he lacks a pretext. But when he finds an opportunity the restraint is released, the reserve is abandoned and the Inner sweats with its hidden dirt[/b].

Whenever the [b]Inner is wrapped up with with rancour and envy, it is better to break off relations. Some wise men say that open blame is better than hidden rancour. The only thing to soften the rancorous is isolation. If a man carries in his heart a bad feeling towards another Muslim, then his belief is weak, his affair is risky, his heart is dirty and unfit to meet God.

Part of the matter is keeping quiet and not divulging a brother's secret which he has entrusted to you. You should deny knowledge of it, even if this means lying, for to speak the truth is not incumbent in every circumstance[/b]. [b]Just as it is permitted to a man to hide his own faults and secrets, even if he needs to lie, so may he do for his brother's sake. For his brother stands in his own shoes and the pair are like one person, different only in body. This is the true nature of brotherhood.

Furthermore, in what one does in one's brother's presence one should not be hypocritical, nor abandoned one's private for one's public behaviour. For your brother's knowledge of what you do is like your own knowledge of it, without distinction.

All sessions are confidential bar three: that in which blood is shed unlawfully, that in which unlawful sexual intercourse takes place and that in whicu property is unlawfully used.

When two sit down in session together, their proceedings are confidential and neither of them may divulge anything distasteful to the other.

Al-Abbas said to his son Abdullah:'I see this man (meaning Umar, may God be pleased with him) preferring you over the elders. So remember five bits of advice from me: on no account divulge a secret to him: on no account slander anyone in his presence, on no account give currency to a lie about him;on no account disobey him in anything; on no account let him catch you in any treachery. 

Ibn Abbas said: 'do not dispute with the fool, for he will hurt you;nor with the mild man, for he will dislike you.[/b]

The Prophet said:  [b]If a man gives up contention when he is in the wrong, a house will be built for him within the Garden of Paradise; but if a man gives up contention even when he is in the right, a house will be built for him in the loftiest part of the Garden.

When it is his duty to give up if he is in the wrong, the reward for what is above duty is made greater. For to remain silent when one is right is harder on the soul than keeping quiet when one is wrong. Recompense is in prop0rtion to the effort.

The most serious causes than fan the fire of rancour between brothers are contention and disputation. These are the essence of variance and rupture. For rupture start off with opinions, then becomes verbal and finally physical.

The prophet (saw) said:
Do not fall out with one another, do not hate one another, do not envy one another, do not break off one with another. Serve God as brothers, The Muslim is brother to the Muslim. He does not wrong him or offend him or forsake him. A man can do no worse than disgrace his Muslim brother.

The worst disgrace is contention, for if you reject what another says you accuse him of ignorance and stupidity or forgetfulness and absent-mindedness in understanding his subject. All this constitutes disgrace, annoyance and alienation.

In general the only motive for contention is to display intellectual superiority and to belittle one's opponent by showing up his ignorance. This amounts to arrogance, contempt, hurtfulness and the insulting charge of folly and ignorance. There is no meaning to enmity but this, so what part can it have in brotherhood and true friendship?

Contention is incompatible with such goodness of character. The early believers went to great lengths in guarding against contention and in urging mutual assistance; so much so that they frowned on questioning altogether. They said, 'If you say to your brother 'come along' and he asks 'where?, then do not make him your fellow. According to them he should rather come along unquestioningly.

Abu Sulayman al-Daranj said:'I once had a brother in Iraq. I would go to him when times were bad and say,'Give me some of your money'. He would throw me his purse for me to take what I wanted. Then one day I came to him and said,'I need something'. He asked 'How much do you want? And so the sweetness of brotherhood left my heart.

Another said,' If you ask your brother for money and he says,'What are you going to do with it? He has abandoned the duty of brotherhood.

Know that the mainstay of brotherhood is concord in word and deed and compassion. Abu Uthman al-Hiri said: Concurring with brothers is better than having compassion for them.

Asalamu Aleikum all.

Hope all is well?
Am just wondering where our brothers are,its not good we are not asking after them.Any one with the info of Jarus,Abuzola,Muhsin,Sweetnecta has been off for some days too now?may the good Lord be with them and us,amin.