Cooperate in Righteousness and Piety, Not in Sin and Aggression
tadabbur
Level: basic
akhlaq
td-170
وَتَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى ٱلۡبِرِّ وَٱلتَّقۡوَىٰ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُواْ عَلَى ٱلۡإِثۡمِ وَٱلۡعُدۡوَٰنِ
— المائدة 2
Verse: "And cooperate in righteousness and piety, and do not cooperate in sin and aggression." (5:2)
The Islamic cooperation principle: Islam is fundamentally communal — "cooperate" is a participatory verb. Good is built by collective hands, not isolated individual effort.
Practical lesson: Before helping anyone in any project — ask: is this from righteousness and piety or sin and aggression? The answer determines whether your help is obligatory or forbidden.
Source: Ibn Kathir (3/4); Al-Sadi; Al-Qurtubi (6/32)
Question: What is the difference between "ithm" (sin) and "udwan" (aggression) in the verse?
Answer: Ithm: wrong against Allah (religious prohibitions). Udwan: transgressing against people with injustice and harm — the verse forbids cooperation on both.