What did al-Nawawi say about brotherhood?

"Etiquette with Brothers and Friends Regarding brothers and friends, you have two responsibilities, the requirements of companionship and friendship. Firstly, seek out the requirements of companionship and friendship. Only choose suitable individuals for brotherhood and friendship. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said, A person follows the religion of his close friend, so let one of you look to whom he takes as a friend."

"Within the meaning of brotherhood lies friendship and companionship. It could also be neighborhood, companionship of travel or study, or friendship or brotherhood. Each of these bonds has levels. Kinship has its rights, but the rights of the forbidden (marriageable) kin are more emphatic, and the rights of the unmarriageable (non-marriageable) kin even more so."

"Every close friend is a beloved, but not every beloved is a close friend. The variations in degrees of friendship are clear through observation and experience. As for closeness being higher than brotherhood, it means that the term closeness signifies a condition more complete than brotherhood, as understood from the saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him: "If I were to take a close friend, I would have taken Abu Bakr as a close friend, but your companion is the close friend of Allah.""

"Abu Sulayman al-Darani shared a story about a brother in Iraq who, when approached for help, would offer his purse without question. However, when he once asked, "How much do you need? the sweetness of brotherhood was lost. Another perspective is that if you ask your brother for money and he questions your intentions, he has abandoned the rights of brotherhood. The foundation of brotherhood lies in speech, action, and compassion."

"for hearts come to life with wisdom just as dead land is revived by torrential rain." The second chapter on the rights of brotherhood and companionship: Understand that the bond of brotherhood between two persons is like the marriage contract between a husband and wife. Just as marriage entails rights that must be fulfilled to uphold the marriage contract, so too does the bond of brotherhood."

"peace be upon him, from among his companions, may Allah be pleased with them. There is some scrutiny regarding certain mentions. As for the brotherhood of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and Ali, some scholars question its authenticity. They argue that this brotherhood was established for mutual support and unity, so there was no need for the Prophet, peace be upon him, to make anyone his brother, nor for a migrant to be made brother to another migrant, as mentioned in the brotherhood of Hamza and Zayd ibn Haritha."

"He kissed him between the eyes, embraced him, and hugged him. Ibn Ishaq said: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, established brotherhood between Ja'far ibn Abi Talib and Mu'adh ibn Jabal. Al-Waqidi had a different view, stating that the brotherhood was established before the Battle of Badr. He mentioned that the verse of inheritance was revealed, ending the brotherhood, while Ja'far was in Abyssinia at that time."

"It is noted that Sa'd ibn Mu'adh and As'ad ibn Zurarah were maternal cousins. Ibn Ishaq mentioned that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, established brotherhood between Sa'd ibn Mu'adh and Abu 'Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah. Some say he established brotherhood between him and Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas. It is widely reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "The Throne shook at the death of Sa'd out of joy for him." It is confirmed that he also said about a robe they admired: "The handkerchiefs of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh in Paradise are better than this.""

"If someone enters between adversaries and flatters each one sincerely, he is neither a hypocrite nor two-faced. One may maintain ties with adversaries with weak bonds, not reaching the level of true friendship. True friendship would require enmity towards their enemies, as mentioned in the Book of Etiquette of Companionship and Brotherhood."

"A friend in what they advise. The definition of advice is that a person is troubled by what harms the other, whether or not it troubles the other, and is pleased by what benefits them, whether or not it pleases them. This is an additional condition for advice beyond the conditions of friendship. The ultimate goal of friendship, which cannot be surpassed, is when someone shares with you their soul and their wealth without any compelling reason and prefers you over others."