True believer is like a mirror for a true believer

The Prophet of Rahmah, the Intercessor of the Ummah صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: ‘اَلْمُؤْمِنُ مِرْاٰةُ الْمُؤْمِنِِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُ اَخُو الْمُؤْمِنِِ يَكُفُّ عَنْهُ ضَيْعَتَهُ وَ يَحُوْطُـهُ مِنْ وَّرَائِهٖ’ A true believer is a mirror for a true believer, a true believer is a brother of a true believer that he removes his destruction from him and takes care of him in his absence. (Sunan Abi Dawood, vol. 4, pp. 365, Hadees 4918)

It is stated in another narration that ‘اِنَّ اَحَدَكُمْ مِرْاٰةُ اَخِيْهِ فَاِنْ رَاٰى بِهٖ اَذًى فَلْيُمِطْ عَنْهُ’, i.e. each of you is a mirror of your brother, so if you see an evil in him, you should remove that evil from him. (Tirmizi, vol. 3, pp. 373, Hadees 1936)

Hakeem-ul-Ummat, Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan عَـلَيْهِ رَحْـمَةُ الْـمَنَّانْ has written about the above-mentioned Hadees: As a mirror shows the defects and qualities of the face, similarly a Muslim should continue informing his Muslim brother about his fault so that he may reform himself.

In short, it is prohibited to disgrace others, but we should help to reform others as this is an act of reward. (He has further mentioned) we look at the mirror so that we can see the spots and patches of our faces. We go to the physician so that we can be cured; the company of such true believers is extremely useful. Therefore, the Sufiyya رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی have said: Do not always sit with your disciples and students who praise you all the time, but rather sometimes sit with your spiritual guides, your teachers and your elders where you may become aware of your deficiency. An elephant recognizes its actual state when it sees a mountain. Always ponder over the greatness and glories of the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, so that you may keep feeling your sinfulness and inferiority. Muhaqqiqeen Sufiyya رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی have derived this meaning of the blessed Hadees that a true believer, when sees a fault in a Muslim, he should feel that he has this fault which he can see in him, as whatever spots and patches we can see in a mirror, are of our face, not of the mirror. (Mirat-ul-Manajih, vol. 6, pp. 571)