Amar Razali

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "When you smile to your brother's face, it is charity."

This is an authentic hadith. It is related in Sunan al-Tirmidhi and al-Tirmidhi declared it to be good. It is also related in Saheeh Ibn Hibban and Musnad al-Bazzar.

Think about this situation: A man called his friend on the phone thousands of miles away. He said: "So I can be sure of your feelings, I want you to give me smile." And his friend really did smile – a genuine smile from the heart – and the effects of his smile could be heard in his voice while he spoke to his friend overseas. This made the man happy – that someone would smile upon a suggestion, though the other person could not even see him.

There is great wisdom in the Prophet's words (peace be upon him): "When you smile to your brother's face is charity."

And indeed, the Prophet (peace be upon him) followed this advice in his everyday life, so much so that 'Abd Allah b. al-Harith said: "I have never seen anyone more in the habit of smiling than Allah's Messenger." [Sunan al-Tirmidhi]

Even on the day he died, while lying in his sickbed, he did not neglect to smile. While Abu Bakr was getting the people lined up for prayer, the Prophet managed to stand up and move aside the curtain of his room. He smiled at them, a bright laughing smile. [Saheeh al-Bukhari and Saheeh Muslim]

The prophet (peace be upon him) saw a smile as a gift of joy – an emotional gift, not a material one – a gift whose substance is received by the heart. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "your brother's face" he (peace be upon him) was not implying that smiling is only prescribed upon meeting someone. This advice applies to every occasion where a smile can bring cheer, lighten the mood, or reduce the stress that people are feeling.

Jarir b. 'Abd Allah said: "Since the time I accepted Islam, the Prophet (peace be upon him) never once failed to notice me. Whenever he saw me, he would smile at me." [Saheeh al-Bukhari and Saheeh Muslim]

To continue reading, visit the IslamToday web site. This is an excerpt from Shaykh Salmaan Al 'Oudah's article.