Khunays asked Imam Sadiq about what one Muslim owes another.

Khunays asked Imam Sadiq about what one Muslim owes another. Imam replied: “There are seven duties incumbent upon him. Should he neglect but one of them, he is not a friend or a servant of God, and truly he has done nothing for the sake of God”. Then Imam mentioned the following: a) Wish for your brother what you wish for yourself, and wish that what you do not desire for yourself should not befall your brother. b) Do not make your brother angry, but seek to please him and obey his wishes.

c) Help him with your soul, your tongue, your hands and your feet. d) Be his eye to see by, his guide and his mirror. e) Do not eat your fill when he is hungry, nor drink and clothe yourself when he is thirsty and naked. f) If he has no servant, but you do, it is incumbent on you to send your servant to him to wash his clothes, cook his food and spread out his mattress.

g) Accept his promise and his invitation; visit him when he is sick, attend his funeral, and see to his needs before he asks you, hurrying to do them if you can.[^1] Unfortunately, there have always been some short-sighted people among each group or sect who have tried to magnify the differences and have called for separation instead of unity and brotherhood.

They hasten to find some excuses to call anyone who disagrees with them a k‚fir (disbeliever) or a mushrik (polytheist) and any act that does not please them bid’ah (heresy). Of course, there are disbelievers and there are heretics, but one must be very cautious in applying these terms. Great Islamic leaders and scholars, whether they be Sunni or Shi’a, have never attached these labels to each other.

In this way, they have represented in their fatwas, sayings and deeds the real spirit of Islam, this harmonious and universal message of peace, justice, unity and mercifulness. Islam brought unity and solidarity for those who suffered a lot from enmity and hostility (3:103). This act of unifying people is highly esteemed as a Divine act (8:63). On the contrary, it was the action of people such as Pharaoh to disunite people (28:4).

The Qur’an warns believers that if they start conflicting each other they will weaken and they will, therefore, be defeated (8:46). In fact, the call for unity is not limited to Muslims. The Qur’an invites all people of faith such as Christians and Jews to unify their efforts and concentrate on their common ground (3:64). Let us hope and pray that day by day this sense of unity and solidarity becomes stronger and intensifies.