1341 – Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “A believer is the mirror of his fellow believer.” It was recorded by Abu Dawud with a good chain of transmission (1).

Authenticity of the hadith
Its chain is judged good. Imam Ahmad said, “There is no harm in it,” and al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar likewise graded its chain as good, as stated here. Al-Munawi relates from al-Zayn al-ʿIraqi that its chain is good, and it has a corroborating narration from Anas, transmitted by al-Qudaʿi and al-Bazzar.

Vocabulary
– mirʾāh (mirror): pronounced with a kasrah on the mīm, a silent rāʾ, followed by an extended alif and then the feminine tāʾ. Al-Muḥīṭ defines it as any object—of crystal or otherwise—in which one beholds his reflection. It is a noun of instrument; its plurals are marāʾin and marāyā.

Points derived from the hadith

1. This noble hadith contains a beautiful prophetic description and an eloquent analogy that clarifies a Muslim’s stance toward his brother and defines his responsibility toward him: he is to him like a polished mirror that shows him his true self and everything that is in it.

2. The sincere Muslim who loves for his brother what he loves for himself observes his brother’s faults, mistakes, and slips, then alerts him to them, shows him how to correct them, guides him to straighten them, and advises him to abandon them—so that he may adorn him before his Lord, who looks at His servants’ hearts and deeds—just as a Muslim beautifies his fellow Muslim in the eyes of people.