Risala ila Akhi fi Allah
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- Editions
- Mu’assasat Iqra’ lil-Nashr wa-al-Tawzī‘ wa-al-Tarjamah
Risala ila Akhi fi Allah (A Letter to My Brother in God) is a treatise by the contemporary Egyptian author Magdi al-Hilali, published in 1993 by Dar al-Tawzi' wa-al-Nashr al-Islamiyya. The work outlines the spiritual foundations, moral responsibilities, and practical etiquettes of Islamic brotherhood for the sake of God (al-ukhuwwa fi Allah).
Structure and Overview
The treatise begins with a dedication to those united in God's love and obedience, followed by an introduction framing brotherhood as a divinely bestowed bond that transcends worldly interests and personal utility. Written in direct epistolary prose, the text is structured as a series of direct reminders and practical guidelines addressed from the author to his fellow believer.
Content and Themes
Foundations of Brotherhood
Al-Hilali defines loving for the sake of God as loving individuals in proportion to the qualities pleasing to God rather than for their personal essence, citing the theological formulation of Ibn Taymiyya and various prophetic traditions on the sweetness and firmest bonds of faith. In a dedicated section titled Man Dhaqa 'Araf ("He Who Tastes Knows"), he discusses the profound spiritual joy of genuine fraternity, observing how this bond unites individuals across disparate social backgrounds and professions—such as engineers with laborers, physicians with farmers, and students with teachers.
The author warns against the risk of personal attachment (al-irtibat al-shakhsi), where affection shifts from devotion to God to devotion to specific personalities. To illustrate the correct standard, he cites the reaction of Abu Bakr following the death of the Prophet ﷺ, where the community was redirected from attachment to individuals toward devotion to the living God.
Interpersonal Etiquette and Speech
The work details practical social and spiritual manners necessary to preserve brotherhood:
- Spiritual collaboration and time preservation: Brothers are advised to assist each other in acts of worship, such as night prayer (qiyam al-layl) and remembrance, while strictly guarding time and avoiding unnecessary late-night socializing after the evening prayer.
- Avoidance of flattery: Al-Hilali cautions against praising others directly to their face, warning that flattery induces arrogance and self-satisfaction.
- Safeguarding personal dignity: The text forbids backbiting (ghiba), public embarrassment, derogatory nicknaming, whispering in groups of three to exclude a companion, taking belongings without explicit consent, and startling or pranking others even in jest.
- Managing speech and suspicion: The author emphasizes rejecting unfounded assumptions (zann), verifying news before transmitting it, withholding negative gossip to maintain soundness of the heart (salamat al-sadr), and restraining curiosity regarding other people's private matters.
Disagreements, Material Dealings, and Mutual Support
Al-Hilali addresses friction that can arise in human interactions, noting that differences of opinion are natural and unobjectionable if aimed at reaching the truth. He urges mutual advice and enjoining good and forbidding wrong between juniors and seniors alike, maintaining allegiance to the truth rather than to persons, and pardoning human shortcomings without revealing confided secrets after personal fallouts.
In practical and financial affairs, the treatise counsels practicing altruism (ithar), meeting others with a cheerful countenance, promptly settling any grievances (mazalim), and maintaining clarity and transparency in business partnerships without using brotherhood as an excuse for financial negligence or favoritism. The author concludes with an appeal not to abandon a brother during times of adversity and spiritual vulnerability, ending with a narration describing the reunion of brothers in Paradise.
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