authority.

Unity and brotherhood of all mankind is a fundamental conception of Islām. The Muslims were, however, particularly exhorted to be kind to one another and to help one another. Believers are frequently described in the Holy Qur’ān as brethren, and the quality of being “merciful among themselves” (48:29) is expressly mentioned. Muslims have been specifically prohibited from deriding others or looking down upon other Muslims with contempt, seeking faults in and being unduly suspicious of one another, etc: “O you who believe, let not people laugh at people, perchance they may be better than they, nor let women (laugh) at women perchance they may be better than they. Neither find fault with your own people, nor call one another by nicknames. Evil is a bad name after faith … O you who believe, avoid most of suspicion, for surely suspicion in some cases is sin; and spy not, nor let some of you backbite others. Does one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You abhor it! And keep your duty to Allāh, surely Allāh is oft-returning (to mercy). Merciful” (49:11, 12). Ḥadīth describes Muslims as parts of one structure and compares them to a human body; when one member of it ails, the entire body ails. The Holy Prophet said: “Thou wilt recognize the believers in their having mercy for one another and in their love for one another and in their kindness towards one another like the body; when one member of it ails, the entire body ails, one part calling out the other with sleeplessness and fever (Bu. 78:27). Books of Ḥadīth are full of reports of a similar nature, some of which are given below:

“A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim; he does him no injustice, nor does he leave him alone (to be the victim of another’s injustice); and whoever fulfils the need of his brother, Allāh fulfils his need; and whoever removes the distress of a Muslim, Allāh removes from him a distress out of the distresses of the Day of Resurrection; and whoever covers (the fault of) a Muslim, Allāh will cover his sins on the Day of Resurrection” (Bu. 46:3).

“Help thy brother whether he does wrong or wrong is done to him”. The Companions said, “O Messenger of Allāh! We can help a man to whom wrong is done, but how can we help him, when he himself does wrong?” The Holy Prophet said, “Take hold of his hand from doing wrong” (Bu. 46:4).