what is the golden rule of hadith?

Ab Hurayrah (d. 679), the most prolific narrator of Hadith, also shares what he heard from the Prophet , Love for people what you love for yourself, you will be a believer. Their tastes may be different" is no doubt a smart saying. Cush, D., Robinson, C., York, M. ", He said to him, "You have answered correctly. This statement is in the context of a lesson from Jesus about loving our enemies. The Golden Rule or ethic of reciprocity is a maxim, [1] ethical code or morality [2] that essentially states either of the following: (Positive form of Golden Rule): One should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself. Towards a Global Ethic: An Initial Declaration, United States Declaration of Independence, Reciprocity (social and political philosophy), "Parliament of the World's Religions Towards a Global Ethic", A Late Period Hieratic Wisdom Text: P. Brooklyn 47.218.135", "The Sentences of Sextus -- The Nag Hammadi Library", "The Golden Rule Poster - A History: Multi-faith Sacred Writings and Symbols from 13 Traditions", "Tosefta on Mishnah Seder Nezikin Sanhedrin 8.49 (Erfurt Manuscript)", "Sol Singer Collection of Philatelic Judaica", "John Wesley's Explanatory Notes on Luke 10", "Bah Reference Library The Hidden Words of Bah'u'llh, p. 11", "The Hidden Words of Bah'u'llh Part II", "The Buddha (BC 623BC 543) Religion and spirituality Article Buddha, BC, 623", Detachment and Compassion in Early Buddhism, "The Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions", "The Creativity Movement | Southern Poverty Law Center", How to Make Good Decisions and Be Right All the Time, "Mary Wakefield: What 'The Water Babies' can teach us about personal", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Golden_Rule&oldid=1158381608, tr. Furthermore, in verse 312, Valluvar says that it is the determination or code of the spotless (virtuous) not to do evil, even in return, to those who have cherished enmity and done them evil. Commentators interpret that this applies to foreigners (= Samaritans), proselytes (= 'strangers who reside with you')[38] and Jews. Do not hate each other, do not envy each other, do not turn away from each other, but rather be servants of God as brothers.. In happiness and suffering, in joy and grief, we should regard all creatures as we regard our own self. Culture and intellectual heritage of Japanese Muslims, Philippine Congress moves a step closer to expanding Islamic banking, 'Cryptocurrency can be used among Islamic countries'. Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: , None of you has faith until he loves for his brother or his neighbor what he loves for himself. [Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Number 72]. St. Paul also comments on the golden rule in the book of Romans: The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery", "You shall not murder", "You shall not steal", "You shall not covet", and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."[51]. The ethics of reciprocity, known as the golden rule, is any moral dictum that encourages people to treat others the way they would like to be treated. ", The passage in the book of Luke then continues with Jesus answering the question, "Who is my neighbor? Thus the "golden rule" might still express the essence of a universal morality even if no two men in the world had any needs or tastes in common.[99]. Even from the traditions of Anas alone, inclusive language was used by the Prophet often enough to justify a universal golden rule: None of you has faith until he loves for the people what he loves for himself, and only until he loves a person for the sake of God, the Great and Almighty. St Columbans Mission Society Interfaith Relations. Maqil ibn Yasr, while on his deathbed, recounted what he learned from the Prophet , No one is appointed over the affairs of the Muslims and then he does not strive for them or show them good will but that he will never enter Paradise with them. In another wording, the Prophet said, He does not protect them as he would protect himself and his family but that Allah will cast him into the fire of Hell. In this regard, a Muslim leader must necessarily treat their followers as they would treat themselves and their own families, if such a terrible fate is to be avoided. Empathy is at the root of kindness, compassion, understanding and respect qualities that we all appreciate being shown, whoever we are, whatever we think and wherever we come from. It clearly doesnt and is clearly referring to fellow Muslims. Like one of them who said, I would like to be a bridge over the fire [of hell] so that creatures might pass over me and not be harmed by it. The perfection of that virtue occurs when not even anger, hatred, and the harm he might receive can keep him from altruism and goodness. It is a rule that aims to help people behave toward each other in a way that is morally good. [90], Philosophers, such as Immanuel Kant[91] and Friedrich Nietzsche,[92] have objected to the rule on a variety of grounds. Shayast-na-Shayast 13:29[23], Seneca the Younger (c.4 BCE 65 CE), a practitioner of Stoicism (c.300 BCE 200 CE) expressed a hierarchical variation of the Golden Rule in his Letter 47, an essay regarding the treatment of slaves: "Treat your inferior as you would wish your superior to treat you. Instead he attacked them. Hear ye these words and heed them well, the words of Dea, thy Mother Goddess, "I command thee thus, O children of the Earth, that that which ye deem harmful unto thyself, the very same shall ye be forbidden from doing unto another, for violence and hatred give rise to the same. How do you read it? Hillel the Elder (c.110 BCE 10 CE),[29] used this verse as a most important message of the Torah for his teachings. Your email address will not be published. A rule of reciprocal altruism was stated positively in a well-known Torah verse (Hebrew: .mw-parser-output .script-hebrew,.mw-parser-output .script-Hebr{font-family:"SBL Hebrew","SBL BibLit","Taamey Ashkenaz","Taamey Frank CLM","Frank Ruehl CLM","Ezra SIL","Ezra SIL SR","Keter Aram Tsova","Taamey David CLM","Keter YG","Shofar","David CLM","Hadasim CLM","Simple CLM","Nachlieli",Cardo,Alef,"Noto Serif Hebrew","Noto Sans Hebrew","David Libre",David,"Times New Roman",Gisha,Arial,FreeSerif,FreeSans} ): You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your kinsfolk. Do not oppress as you do not like to be oppressed. It does not preclude doing good deeds and taking moral positions. If thou desirest thy Beloved, then hurt thou not anyone's heart. (2008) "Mahbhrata" in, Kedoshim 19:18, Toras Kohanim, ibid. It is not reasonable to expect that the golden rule by itself can solve all the conflicts of the modern world, but what it can do is activate the innate conscience of human beings in a process of collective, intercultural moral reasoning. ." This rule of conduct is a summary of the Christian's duty to his neighbour and states a fundamental ethical principle. Blessed is he who preferreth his brother before himself. [101] An article by Jouni Reinikainen develops this suggestion in greater detail. Abu Al-Mughirah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: He said, O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), tell me about a deed that will bring me near Paradise and distance me from the Hellfire. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: , Establish the prayer, give the charity, perform pilgrimage to the House, fast the month of Ramadan, and love for people what you would love for yourself, and hate for people what you would hate for yourself.[Musnad Ahmad, Number 15453, Hasan]. Seek for mankind that of which you are desirous for yourself, that you may be a believer. Az-Zubair ibn Awwam (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: , The diseases of the former peoples are creeping towards you, envy and hatred, and hatred is the razor; I do not say that it shaves hair, but rather it shaves the religion; and none of you has faith until he loves others; shall I tell you what will establish that for you? This page was last edited on 3 June 2023, at 18:44. Though not always understood literally, as it is often qualified by competing moral imperatives, it generally functions as an intuitive method of moral reasoning. Rather, the righteous man is only he who loves for people greater than he loves for himself. In Al-Junayds telling, true righteousness is not simply the equality implied in the golden rule, but rather a definite preference to benefit others that amounts to altruism (al-ithar). Also, its very insulting that you used Do not hate each other, do not envy each other, do not turn away from each other, but rather be servants of God as brothers. as some sort of verse that stresses tolerance of non-muslims. In this case, the rule has at least some kind of application to every single human being. Islam is one of the worlds great religions, with over one billion followers living on every continent and speaking hundreds of languages. Muhammad continued to send his soldiers out farther and farther to conquer, attack, and dominate non-Muslims. [1] It can be considered an ethic of reciprocity in some religions, although different religions treat it differently. The rule often appears as a summarizing principle of good conduct, the supreme moral principle of right action between human beings. He is currently Research Librarian for Middle East Studies at New York University in Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Research Fellow for Yaqeen Institute, and Instructor for Mishkah University. [1] It can be considered an ethic of reciprocity in some religions, although different religions treat it differently. The Jewish Publication Society's edition of Leviticus states: Thou shalt not hate thy brother, in thy heart; thou shalt surely rebuke thy neighbour, and not bear sin because of him. Muhammad taught, It has been narrated on the authority of Abdullah b. As transmitters of Hadith, the Imams link subsequent . Benefiting From The Majesty Of Divine Will | Thirteen Points In Making The Best Of The Situation, Podcast: The Prophet and Secrets To A Good Death | Dr. Muhammad Wajid Akhter. ", by telling the parable of the Good Samaritan, which John Wesley interprets as meaning that "your neighbor" is anyone in need. "Sukhanan-i-Muhammad" [Conversations of Muhammad], Wattles (192); Rost (100); Donaldson Dwight M. (1963). It is our duty to act in such a manner that we would want everyone else to act in a similar manner in similar circumstances towards all other people. Commentators sometimes mention that all good manners are derived from this tradition and three others, Whoever believes in God and the Last Day, let him speak goodness or be silent, and, It is from a mans excellence in Islam that he leaves what does not concern him, and, Do not be angry. Like many religious writers and philosophers, Muslim scholars took note of the summarizing function of the golden rule as a broad principle for good conduct. Rather, God only prescribes worship and righteous deeds for the benefit of believers. They are afraid that the Hellfire will consume their bodies. Try not to do things to others that you would not like them to do to you. And why was Adam created last of all beings? Walter Terence Stace, in The Concept of Morals (1937), wrote: Mr Bernard Shaw's remark "Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Rashi commented what constitutes revenge and grudge, using the example of two men. Love for people what you love for yourself! In a variant of this tradition, the Prophet (s) asks him, Do you love Paradise? Yazid says yes, so the Prophet replies, Then love for your brother what you love for yourself. In yet another variant, Yazids grandson quotes the sermon of Prophet upon the pulpit, Do not treat people but in the way you would love to be treated by them.. The HINDU religion taught: This is the sum of duty: do naught to others which if done to thee would cause thee pain. What Is An Imam Worth? If the entire Dharma can be said in a few words, then it isthat which is unfavorable to us, do not do that to others. Sometimes Hadith traditions do not explicitly state the golden rule, but it is drawn out by the commentators. Answer. In one passage of the New Testament, Paul the Apostle refers to the golden rule, restating Jesus' second commandment: For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Moral directives do not need to be complex or obscure to be worthwhile, and in fact, it is precisely this rule's simplicity which makes it great. The Abbasid Caliphate was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad.It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566-653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes its name. All of this is documented in the Islamic theological materials. Seek for mankind that of which you are desirous for yourself, that you may be a . Harry J. Gensler reponds to this criticism by formulating the rule in these terms: Treat others only as you consent to being treated in the same situation. Context matters in the process of moral reasoning; what the rule demands is not rudimentary application as much as it is ethical consistency vis--vis human beings, as the first principle from which the morality of an action is analyzed. Muhammad had Asma Marwan, a women with five children murdered because she objected to Abu Afaks murder The Prophet engages him in an imaginative role-reversal, asking a series of Socratic questions and appealing to the young mans conscience to convince him against it, Would you like that for your mother? Intrigued, he interjects himself into the conversation to ask, How can anyone have compassion for people who contradict their Beloved [God]?. They hate their actions but show mercy to them so that through their admonitions they might leave their actions. None of you will find the sweetness of faith until he loves a person only for the sake of God. For one would do for others as one would do for oneself. "[95] This suggests that if your values are not shared with others, the way you want to be treated will not be the way they want to be treated. This is not reciprocity this is aggression against the other, i.e. "[40], Israel's postal service quoted from the previous Leviticus verse when it commemorated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on a 1958 postage stamp. Muammad ibn al-usayn Sharf al-Ra and Al ibn Ab lib (eds. None of you has faith until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself. Ibrahim Adham (d. 782) remembers during his travels that he overheard a pair of Muslim ascetics discussing the love of God amongst themselves. According to the Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, the golden rule is defined as follows: Any form of the dictum: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Once, he was challenged by a gentile who asked to be converted under the condition that the Torah be explained to him while he stood on one foot. The development of human "rights" is a modern political ideal that began as a philosophical concept promulgated through the philosophy of Jean Jacques Rousseau in 18th century France, among others. A believer ought to love for sinners to repent, to be guided, and to be forgiven. [102], It is possible, then, that the golden rule can itself guide us in identifying which differences of situation are morally relevant. Muammad ibn Isml al-ann (d. 1768), a Yemeni reformer in the Salafi tradition, includes in his legal commentary a chapter on the rights of the neighbor, in which he employs some of the broadest language of the late classical to early modern period. Ibn Rajab comments on these traditions, saying: , Some of the righteous predecessors said, The people who love Allah look by the light of Allah, and they are compassionate with those who disobey Allah. The idea behind it is readily graspable: before performing an action which might harm another person, try to imagine yourself in their position, and consider whether you would want to be the recipient of that action. [43] Various applications of the Golden Rule are stated positively numerous times in the Old Testament: "Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. [26] Creating the poster "took five years of research that included consultations with experts in each of the 13 faith groups. [2] As part of the 1993 "Declaration Toward a Global Ethic", 143 leaders of the world's major faiths endorsed the Golden Rule. [5] Simon Blackburn also states that the Golden Rule can be "found in some form in almost every ethical tradition". The following line from the Acaranga Sutra sums up the philosophy of Jainism: Nothing which breathes, which exists, which lives, or which has essence or potential of life, should be destroyed or ruled over, or subjugated, or harmed, or denied of its essence or potential. Whoever says the other shall not perch, may they show the other where to perch. Hillel accepted him as a candidate for conversion to Judaism but, drawing on Leviticus 19:18, briefed the man: What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: this is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn. From the hadith, the collected oral and written accounts of Muhammad and his teachings during his lifetime: A Bedouin came to the prophet, grabbed the stirrup of his camel and said: O the messenger of God! The golden rule itself is not the answer per se, rather it is the right question at the start; it is the first step in a journey we must take together, the first conversation in a dialogue we must have. The same idea is also presented in V.12 and VI.30 of the Analects (c.500 BCE), which can be found in the online Chinese Text Project. [87] Sociologically, "love your neighbor as yourself" is applicable between individuals, between groups, and also between individuals and groups. The Eastern religions say it is enough to hold your negative behavior in check; Jesus says to look for ways to act positively. The early authorities Sufyan al-Thawri (d. 778) and Al-Fudayl ibn Iyad (d. 803) say that the righteous man (al-muttaqi) is he who loves for people what he loves for himself. Al-Junayd ibn Muhammad (d. 910), on the other hand, disagreed with them and took it a step further, The righteous man is not he who loves for people what he loves for himself. But what exactly is the Golden Rule? ), tasmd dharma-pradhnna bhavitavyam yattman | tath cha sarva-bhthu vartitavyam yathtmani ||, Ivanhoe and Van Norden translation, 6869. 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