Allah Almighty says: {The believers are but brothers, so make peace between your brothers} [Surat al-Hujurāt: 10] He also says: {and do not cooperate in sin and transgression} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 2]
1591/1- Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Do not sever ties with one another, do not turn your backs on one another, do not harbor hatred for one another, do not envy one another, and be, O slaves of Allah, brothers. It is not lawful for a Muslim to desert his brother beyond three (days).” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
1592/2- Abu Ayyūb (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “It is unlawful for a Muslim to desert his fellow Muslim for more than three nights. As they meet, they both turn their backs on each other. The best of them is the one who initiates greeting the other.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
1593/3- Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The deeds (of people) are presented (to Allah Almighty) every Monday and Thursday. Every person who does not associate anything with Allah is forgiven except for a person who has enmity between him and his brother. He says: ‘Leave these two until they reconcile.’” [Narrated by Muslim]
1594/4- Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: “Verily, the devil has lost hope of being worshiped by those who engage in prayer in the Arabian Peninsula, but has not lost hope in sowing enmity between them.” [Narrated by Muslim]
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1595/5- Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “It is unlawful for a Muslim to desert his fellow Muslim for more than three (days); whoever deserts (his brother) for more than three then dies, he will enter the Hellfire.”
[Narrated by Abu Dāwūd with an Isnād that meets the conditions of Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
1596/6- Abu Khirāsh Hadrad ibn Abi Hadrad al-Aslami, or al-Sulami, the Companion (may Allah be pleased with him), said that he heard the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: “Whoever forsakes his brother for a year is like shedding his blood.”
[Narrated by Abu Dāwūd, with an authentic Isnād]
1597/7- Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “It is not permissible for a believer to forsake a believer for more than three (days). If three have passed, he should meet him and greet him. If the other responds to it, they will both share the reward. But if he does not respond, he will bear the sin, and the one who greeted (the other) will be absolved of the sin of forsaking (his fellow believer).” [Narrated by Abu Dāwūd with a sound Isnād] Abu Dāwūd said: if he forsook him for the sake of Allah Almighty (i.e. for a valid reason), this Hadīth does not apply to him.
1) It is impermissible for a Muslim to forsake his brother for more than three days.
2) Spreading the greeting of peace among Muslims is one of the reasons for fostering love and entering Paradise. A Muslim should be keen on applying this prophetic guidance of spreading the greeting of peace among Muslims, and initiate it to those whom he knows and does not know.
3) The occurrence of desertion and enmity among Muslims is an aspect of obeying the devil, and a reason for alienation between the believers.
4) Insistence on desertion and abandonment without a valid Shariah reason is one of the major sins that makes the doer deserving of punishment.
When is it permissible for a Muslim to desert another for more than three days?
It is permissible to extend the period of desertion when this would realize a Shariah interest, like when the deserted person is persisting on committing sins in public. Desertion in this case is meant to deter the sinner and warn the people of his evil, so there is nothing wrong if he is deserted beyond three days, as this is considered a treatment for him and deterrence for those who act like him. This, however, should be done to honor the right of Allah Almighty, not for one’s own interest.