You will not enter Paradise until you believe and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I guide you to something which, if you do, you will love one another? Spread the greeting of peace among yourselves

Chapter: Clarifying that no one will enter paradise but the believers; loving the believers is part of faith and spreading Salam is a means of attaining that

Authentic hadith of Sahih Muslim Sahih Muslim 54a

Narrator:Abu Hurayrah

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، وَوَكِيعٌ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏

لاَ تَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى تُؤْمِنُوا وَلاَ تُؤْمِنُوا حَتَّى تَحَابُّوا ‏.‏ أَوَلاَ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى شَىْءٍ إِذَا فَعَلْتُمُوهُ تَحَابَبْتُمْ أَفْشُوا السَّلاَمَ بَيْنَكُمْ ‏"

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said:

"You will not enter Paradise until you believe and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I guide you to something which, if you do, you will love one another? Spread the greeting of peace among yourselves."

Reported by Muslim (No. 54a), Abu Dawud (No. 5193), At-Tirmidhi (No. 2688), Ibn Majah (No. 68, 3692) and Ahmad (No. 8723, 9332, 9788, 10027, 10238).

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified that none will enter Paradise except the believers, and faith will not be perfect and the Muslim society will not be in good condition unless they love one another. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) guided us to the best means of spreading love, namely spreading the greeting of peace among Muslims, as Allah has made peace a greeting for His slaves.

Lessons

Entering Paradise is contingent on faith.
Perfect faith entails that a Muslim loves for his brother what he loves for himself.
It is recommended to spread the greeting of peace and extend it among Muslims, as this results in spreading love and security between people.
The greeting of peace is to be extended only to Muslims, as the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Among yourselves".
Extending the greeting of peace eliminates division, abandonment, and rancor.
The importance of love between Muslims, which is a part of perfect faith.
Another Hadīth mentions that the complete form of the greeting of peace is: "As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh" (may the peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you); however, it is sufficient to say: "As-salāmu ‘alaykum" (peace be upon you).

Explanation in Arabic

بَيَّنَ النبيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه لن يدخل الجنة إلا المؤمنون، ولا يكتمل الإيمان ولا يَصلُحُ حَالَ المجتمعِ المسلم حتى يُحِبَّ بعضُهم بعضًا.

ثم أَرْشَدَ النبيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إلى أفضلِ الأُمور التي بها تَعُمُّ المَحبةُ، وهي إفشاء السلام بين المسلمين، الذي جعله الله تحية لعباده.

دخول الجنة لا يكون إلّا بالإيمان.
من كمال الإيمان أن يُحِبَّ المُسلمُ لأخيه ما يحب لنفسه.
استحباب إفشاء السلام وبذله للمسلمين؛ لما فيه من نشر المحبة والأمان بين الناس.
السلام لا يُلْقَى إلا على مسلم؛ لقوله -صلى الله عليه وسلم-: "بينكم".
بذل السلام فيه رَفْعُ التقاطُعِ والتهاجر والشحناء.
أهمية المحبة بين المسلمين وأنها من كمال الإيمان.
جاء في حديث آخر أن صيغه السلام الكاملة: "السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته"، ويكفي: "السلام عليكم".

Classical commentary

An-Nawawi — Sharh Sahih Muslim

قَوْله صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : ( لَا تَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى تُؤْمِنُوا , وَلَا تُؤْمِنُوا حَتَّى تَحَابُّوا أَوَلَا أَدُلّكُمْ عَلَى شَيْءٍ إِذَا فَعَلْتُمُوهُ تَحَابَبْتُمْ : أَفْشُوا السَّلَام بَيْنكُمْ ) وَفِي الرِّوَايَة الْأُخْرَى : ( وَاَلَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَا تَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّة حَتَّى تُؤْمِنُوا ) هَكَذَا هُوَ فِي جَمِيع الْأُصُول وَالرِّوَايَات وَلَا تُؤْمِنُوا بِحَذْفِ النُّون مِنْ آخِره وَهِيَ لُغَةٌ مَعْرُوفَةٌ صَحِيحَةٌ. وَأَمَّا مَعْنَى الْحَدِيث فَقَوْله صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : ( وَلَا تُؤْمِنُوا حَتَّى تَحَابُّوا ) مَعْنَاهُ لَا يَكْمُل إِيمَانكُمْ وَلَا يَصْلُح حَالُكُمْ فِي الْإِيمَان إِلَّا بِالتَّحَابِّ. وَأَمَّا قَوْله صَلَّى اللَّه عَ…

Scholars’ grades

Grade taken from the status of the collection (Sahih Muslim).

Other versions

Authentic Sunan Abu Dawud 5193

By him in whose hand my soul is, you will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another: should I not guide you to something doing which you will love one another: spread out salutation among you.

لاَ تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى تُؤْمِنُوا وَلاَ تُؤْمِنُوا حَتَّى تَحَابُّوا أَفَلاَ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى أَمْرٍ إِذَا فَعَلْتُمُوهُ تَحَابَبْتُمْ أَفْشُوا السَّلاَمَ بَيْنَكُمْ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Authentic Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2688

that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "By the One in Whose Hand is my soul! You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I inform you about a matter which if you do it, then you will love one another? Spread the Salam among each other."

لاَ تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى تُؤْمِنُوا وَلاَ تُؤْمِنُوا حَتَّى تَحَابُّوا أَلاَ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى أَمْرٍ إِذَا أَنْتُمْ فَعَلْتُمُوهُ تَحَابَبْتُمْ أَفْشُوا السَّلاَمَ بَيْنَكُمْ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Authentic Sunan Ibn Majah 68

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'By the One in whose Hand is my soul! You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not (truly) believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you of something which, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread the greetings of Salam amongst…

لاَ تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى تُؤْمِنُوا وَلاَ تُؤْمِنُوا حَتَّى تَحَابُّوا أَوَلاَ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى شَىْءٍ إِذَا فَعَلْتُمُوهُ تَحَابَبْتُمْ أَفْشُوا السَّلاَمَ بَيْنَكُمْ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Authentic Sunan Ibn Majah 3692

"By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, you will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you of something which, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread (the greeting of) peace among yourselves.'"

لاَ تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى تُؤْمِنُوا وَلاَ تُؤْمِنُوا حَتَّى تَحَابُّوا ‏.‏ أَوَلاَ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى شَىْءٍ إِذَا فَعَلْتُمُوهُ تَحَابَبْتُمْ أَفْشُوا السَّلاَمَ بَيْنَكُمْ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

Not graded Musnad Ahmad 8723