Commentary
This is a report on what is required of one who takes on the task of reconciling between those who have fallen into discord among the believers. It clarifies that faith has bound its people through close ties and close kinship. If brotherhood is not preferred and does not stand out, it will not diminish nor fall short of its goal. It has become customary for people that when such a situation arises between two siblings, it is necessary for the others to strive to resolve it and remove it. They should take on the difficult and the easy, walking towards reconciliation and sending ambassadors between them, until they find what will mend their discord. What is rejected from connection should be moistened by it. Brotherhood in faith is more deserving of this and even more so. The Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, said: 'The Muslim is the brother of the Muslim; he does not wrong him, nor abandon him, nor insult him, nor build up above him in a way that would shield him from the wind except with his permission, nor harm him with the smoke of his cooking.' Then he said: 'Preserve this, and only a few of you will preserve it.' It was narrated by Al-Thalabi from the narration of Ismail ibn Rafi' from Sa'id from Abu Huraira with the same wording and added: 'And he does not harm him with the smoke of his cooking except if he serves him from it. And he does not buy fruit for his children, sending them out to the children of his neighbor and then not feeding them from it.' I say: Its chain is weak, and the beginning of the hadith is in the two Sahihs from another source from Abu Huraira. It will come at the end of the Tafsir of Surah Al-Waqi'a. If you say: Why were the two mentioned specifically rather than the group? I say: Because the minimum number that can fall into discord is two. If reconciliation is required between the lesser number, it is even more necessary among the greater number. This is because the corruption in the discord of a group is greater than that in the discord of two. It is said that the two brothers refer to Aws and Khazraj. It has been read: 'between your brothers and your brethren.' The meaning is that the believers are nothing but brothers, and they are pure in this regard. They have been freed from foreign doubts, and the kindness of their situation in mingling and unity prevents them from engaging in anything that would lead to severance. Therefore, they should hasten to cut off any occurrence of that if it arises and put an end to it. And fear Allah, for if you do so, piety will not lead you except to connection and unity, and to hasten to remove any excess that may arise from it. Your actions in this regard will bring the mercy of Allah to you, and His compassion upon you is truly deserving of you to place your hope in it.
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