Chapter VI: Seclusion
DUTIES TO RELATIVES, NEIGHBOURS, SLAVES AND MUSLIMS
Man is social being and he is to observe certain rules and regulations if he lives in society. I am going to discuss these rules and regulations to be observed by a Muslim while dealing with persons of various types.
DUTIES TOWARDS A MUSLIM
(1) The following instructions have come in the Quran and Hadis. When you meet a Muslim, give him Salam. when he invites you, accept his invitation. When he sneezes, respond to him. When he falls ill, call on him. When he dies, join his funeral prayer. If he seeks your advice, give him advice. If he is absent, guard his proprieties. Love for him what you love for yourself.
Don't love for him what you do not love for yourself . The Prophet said: There are four duties on you to help the pious, to seek forgiveness for the sinners, to invoke good for the unfortunate and to love those who make repentance. God says :
They are sympathetic towards one another. Hazrat Ibn Abbas explained it by saying : The pious among them seek forgiveness for the sinners. When a sinner among the Muslim looks to a pious man, the latter should say : O God, give him the blessing of good of which you have decreed for him and keep him firm over it and give him benefit therewith. When a pious man looks to a sinner among them, he should pray for him thus : O God, give him guidance, accept his repentance and forgive his sins.
(2) Love for the believers what you love for yourself and dislike for the believers what you dislike for yourself . The Prophet said: The Muslim society is like a body in respect of mutual love and sympathy. If a limb of the body suffers pain, the whole body responds to it by sleepessness and fever. The Prophet said : One believer is like a building to another believer a portion of which strengthens another portion.
(3) Don't give trouble to a Muslim by your words and actions.
The Prophet said : A Muslim is he from whose tongue and hands other Muslim remain safe. The Prophet advised the people to do good deeds in a long sermon. He said in the midst of his sermon.
118 The Book of Wordly Usages Vol-II