ONE HADITH A DAY

Any person who says to his brother: O disbeliever, it will, indeed, fall upon one of them; if he is as he said, or else it will return to him

Agreed upon · Authentic

عن ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضيَ اللهُ عنهُما قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَيُّمَا امْرِئٍ قَالَ لِأَخِيهِ: يَا كَافِرُ، فَقَدْ بَاءَ بِهَا أَحَدُهُمَا، إِنْ كَانَ كَمَا قَالَ، وَإِلَّا رَجَعَتْ عَلَيْهِ».

“Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Any person who says to his brother: O disbeliever, it will, indeed, fall upon one of them; if he is as he said, or else it will return to him."”

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) warned against a Muslim saying to his Muslim brother: O disbeliever. By saying that word of disbelief, one of them deserves it; if he is as he said, then it applies to the person being addressed, or else the charge of disbelief returns to the sayer.

Benefits

• Deterring a Muslim from attributing to his Muslim brother any of the qualities of defiance or disbelief that he does not possess.
• Warning against such bad speech, as the one who utters it is in great danger if he says it to his brother. Therefore, one should guard his tongue and only speak with insight.

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