Sahih al-Bukhari 2587
Sahih
Sahih al-Bukhari — Hadith 2587
Narrated by An-Nu'man ibn Bashir
مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي تَوَادِّهِمْ وَتَرَاحُمِهِمْ وَتَعَاطُفِهِمْ مَثَلُ الْجَسَدِ إِذَا اشْتَكَى مِنْهُ عُضْوٌ تَدَاعَى لَهُ سَائِرُ الْجَسَدِ بِالسَّهَرِ وَالْحُمَّى
Translation
The Prophet said: 'The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion, and sympathy are like one body. When one limb suffers, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever.'
Commentary
This hadith uses a powerful biological metaphor to describe the ideal Muslim community: an interconnected organism where the suffering of any part triggers a collective response. It establishes communal solidarity and empathy not as optional virtues but as natural expressions of genuine faith.