Chapter 265

The desirability of telling a man that one loves him, and what to say in reply

WE RELATE FROM the Sunans of Abū Dāwūd and at-Tirmidhī, from al-Miqdām ibn Ma‘dīkarib Honorific symbol from the Prophet Honorific symbol that “If any of you loves a person as his brother, he should tell him that he loves him.” At-Tirmidhī describes this hadith as ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ.
We relate in the Sunan of Abū Dāwūd that Anas Honorific symbol said: “A man was with the Prophet Honorific symbol when another man passed by. He said: ‘Messenger of Allah, I love this person.’ The Prophet Honorific symbol asked him: ‘Have you let him know?’ ‘No,’ he replied. He said: ‘Let him know.’ He met [the same man] and said: ‘I love you for the sake of Allah.’ He replied: ‘May He for Whose sake you love me love you.’” [1].
Arabic text from the source edition
Aḥabbaka-lladhī aḥbabtanī lah.
Remembrance 1
We relate in the Sunans of Abū Dāwūd and an-Nasā’ī that Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal Honorific symbol reported that the Messenger of Allah Honorific symbol took him by the hand and said: “Mu‘ādh, by Allah, I love you. So do not neglect to say after every ṣalāh: ‘O Allah, help me to remember You, thank You, and worship You well.’” [2].
Arabic text from the source edition
Allāhumma a‘innī ‘alā dhikrika wa shukrika wa ḥusni ‘ibādatik.
We relate in the book of at-Tirmidhī that Yazīd ibn Nu‘āmah aḍ-Ḍabbī reported: “The Messenger of Allah Honorific symbol said: ‘If one takes another as his brother, he should ask him his name and his father’s name and from whom he is descended. This will bring about love [between them]’”. At-Tirmidhī classes this hadith as gharīb and we do not know of it except through this way. He also said that we do not know of Yazīd ibn Nu‘āmah hearing this from the Prophet Honorific symbol. Something like this was narrated by Ibn ‘Umar from the Prophet Honorific symbol, but its isnād is not ṣaḥīḥ.
I say that there is disagreement as to whether Yazīd ibn Nu‘āmah was a Companion. According to ‘Abd ar-Raḥmān ibn Abī Ḥātim, he was not a Companion, also, al-Bukhārī reported that he was a Companion but was wrong.

References

[1] Abū Dāwūd (5125), an-Nasā’ī (182), and Ibn as-Sunnī (197).
[2] Abū Dāwūd (1522) and an-Nasā’ī (3/53).