Selected Hadith’s
#5
Anas reported on the authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, He said:
“None of you has faith unless he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”
A hadith refers to a collection of sayings and morals the Prophet of Muhammad preached, or followed himself, constituting a major portion of the guidance the Quran gives.
The name Anas refers to Anas ibn Malik ibn Nadr al-Khazraji Al-Ansari, a “sahabi” or companion of the Prophet Muhammad. 10 years older than Muhammad, Anas was originally offered as a servant to the Prophet, by Anas’ mother, and was the last of Muhammad’s companions to eventually die (at the age of 103 (lunar) years).
Anas grew to become one of the most well-known orators of Hadiths. And it’s through Anas, and Muhammad’s other companions, that we’re given insight into the daily life of Muhammad and how he conducted himself.
The selected hadith talks about wanting for your “brother”, or neighbor, what you want for yourself. Or, in other words, caring for those around you and creating a community that cares for its members. It says that through the connections one has with others, in Islam, people are able to experience a more true faith and what it means to be Muslim.
Lastly in the Quran, 5:2, it says “…Help ye one another in righteousness and piety, but help ye not one another in sin and rancour: fear Allah: for Allah is strict in punishment.” Here we see the same theme being applied, the care and help for another will help you be closer to Allah as well as a more devoted follower (if it’s just and moral).
When I think about how being a more devoted follower, can also mean (in terms of the Quran), being closer to the community around you I think about how many times religion points to the things around us as made by God. If you were closer to those around you, you’d be closer to God (Allah). Personally, I believe God is those who’re around us and that everything around us is made by God (or Nature). I feel being that energy is not in the form of a higher power but in the form of a higher understanding and connection between people for the betterment of the community and quality of life of everyone in the community.