Reconciling the
Hearts
Allaah – the One free from all imperfections –
said:
So have taqwaa (fear and obedience) of
Allaah and reconcile the differences between yourselves.” [Soorah al-Anfaal 8:1]
“Indeed the believers are but Brothers. Therefore reconcile the differences between
your brothers, and fear Allaah so that you may receive mercy.” [Soorah
al-Hujuraat 49:10].
“So this is a knot which
Allaah has bound the Believers together with, such that whenever a person is
found possessing eemaan (faith) in Allaah, His Angels , His Books, His
Messengers and the Last Day – whether in the eastern or western part of the
world – then such a person becomes the brother of the Believers. This brotherhood obligates that the
Believers should love for that person that which they love for themselves, and
hate for that person that which they hate for themselves. Therefore, the Prophet sallallaahu
‘alayhi we sallam said – whilst ordering the brotherhood of eemaan
(faith): “Do not envy one another.
Do not forsake one another. Do
not under-cut one another. But be
worshippers of Allaah and brothers. The
Muslim is the brother of another Muslim; he neither oppresses him nor
humiliates him, nor lies to him, nor holds him in contempt. And piety is right here – and he pointed
to his chest three times. It is
enough evil for a person to hold his brother Muslim in contempt. The whole of a Muslim for another Muslim is
sacred; his blood, his property and his honour.”[1] And he sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam
said: “The Believer to the Believer is like a solid structure, one part
supporting the other.” And he
interlaced his fingers to demonstrate this.[2]
Thus Allaah and his Messenger sallallahu
‘alayhi wa sallam ordered that the right of the Believers be fulfilled by
each other, and that those matters which will bring about harmony, love and
togetherness be carried out. All of
this is to be done in order to further the rights that they have over one
another. So from such rights is that
when fighting occurs between them – thereby causing their hearts to separate
and to have hatred and to cut-off from one another – then the Believers should
bring about reconciliation between their brothers and do that which will remove
the enmity. Then Allaah ordered taqwaa
in general and made the bestowal of His Mercy the consequence of their
having taqwaa and their fulfilling the rights of the Believers. So He said: “And have taqwaa of
Allaah in order that you may receive mercy.”
Thus, if Allaah’s mercy is attained, then the good of this world and
the Hereafter will also be attained.”[3]
‘Aaishah radiallahu ‘anhaa used to say:
that when people abandoned acting upon this Aayah (verse): “When two
parties of the Believers fight each other, then make reconciliation between
them.” [Soorah al-Hujuraat 49:9].
So when the Muslims began fighting each other, it was obligatory to
reconcile them, as Allaah – the Most High – ordered. However, when they did not do this, then fitnah (trials and
tribulations) spread, as did ignorance, and this is what caused the differences
to continue.[4]
Allaah’s Messenger sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa
sallam said: “Shall I not inform you of something that is greater in degree
than (optional) fasting, charity and Prayer?” They said: Indeed inform us.
So he said: “It is reconciling the people. For indeed causing corruption between them is the shaver!”[5]
And he sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam
explained this shaving in another saying: “The disease of the people
before you has overcome you: namely envy and hatred, and it is the shaver, I do
not say that it shaves-off the hair.
Rather, it shaves off the religion!”[6]
