Therefore one should make every effort to bring joy to his fellow Muslims—by conveying good news, meeting them with a cheerful face, and any other suitable means.

An illustration of this is the Prophet’s report to his Companions that on the Day of Resurrection Allah will say: “O Adam!” Adam will reply, “Here I am at Your service; all good is in Your Hands.” Allah will then command, “Send forth the contingent for the Fire.” Adam will ask, “And what is the contingent for the Fire?” Allah will answer, “Out of every thousand, nine-hundred and ninety-nine.” This weighed heavily on the Companions, and they said, “Messenger of Allah, which one of us will be that single person?” He replied, “Rejoice! For from Gog and Magog there will be a thousand, whereas from you there will be one.” Then he added, “By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, I hope you will be one-quarter of the people of Paradise.” They exclaimed “Allahu akbar!” He said, “I hope you will be one-third of the people of Paradise.” They again proclaimed “Allahu akbar!” He continued, “I hope you will be one-half of the people of Paradise.” They cried “Allahu akbar!” He then said, “In comparison with the rest of mankind you are but like a single black hair on the hide of a white bull, or a single white hair on the hide of a black bull.”

Accordingly, a believer should share glad tidings with his brothers whenever he can. At times, however, giving a warning is in a Muslim’s best interest: your brother may be neglecting an obligation or violating a prohibition, and it may be beneficial to caution and remind him. Thus one must act with wisdom, though the side of good news should generally prevail. If, for instance, someone comes to you confessing that he has wronged himself with grave sins and asks whether there is any repentance for him, you should answer, “Yes—rejoice! If you repent, Allah will accept your repentance.”