"The believers are nothing else than
brothers. So make reconciliation
brothers, and fear Allah, that you may
receive mercy." [Al-Hujjurat, 49:10]
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم
also said about brotherhood: "None of you truly believes until he loves
for his brother what he loves for himself." [Bukhari & Muslim]
Upon
completion of the Hijrah and building the masjid in Madinah, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم proceeded to establish one of the
main pillars of an Islamic community - brotherhood. He paired up the Muhajireen
and Ansar, who were virtual strangers to each other prior to this. The two
groups understood and accepted the responsibilities that came with this
pairing, leading to unique acts, such as sharing wealth and other brotherly
deeds, which helped ease the difficulties facing the Muhajireen who left
everything behind in Makkah.
This
action had brought about a profound transformation in perception of what
brotherhood means between members of the Muslim community. It redefined the
concept of brotherhood beyond the typical understanding of blood or tribal
relationships. This was clearly demonstrated by Mus'ab Ibn Umayr when he found
his blood brother Abu ‘Azeez - who was among those captured during the battle
of Badr. Upon reaching Madinah, Abu 'Azeez was lodged with Abu Yusr Alansari,
and Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr said to Abu Yusr: "Treat him harshly, for his mother
is a wealthy woman." Abu 'Azeez said: "Brother is it for you to give
this counsel?" "You are not my brother," replied Mu'sab,
"my brother is the one who is tying up your hands." [Ibn Hisham]
The
brotherhood established after Hijrah came with explicit and implicit
responsibilities between Muslims, as individuals and as members of the Islamic
State. It was the responsibility of the strong to help the weak, of the rich to
help the poor, and of the knowledgeable to help those seeking knowledge.
Furthermore, it was a responsibility of brotherhood to enjoin the good and
forbid the evil.
We
should always keep these actions of the Sahabah at the forefront of our minds,
since they are the practical interpretation of brotherhood as defined by Islam.
Brotherhood
is an obligation, not a choice
The
evidences (Adilla) regarding the obligation of brotherhood in the Qur'an, the
Sunnah and the life of the Sahabah are strikingly clear. We must be extremely
vigilant in correctly upholding this concept to prevent transforming the
relationship into a shallow bond, lacking the true essence of Islamic
brotherhood.
Sadly,
one of the issues facing Muslims in the West is "life in the fast
lane," and due to this lifestyle, we tend to rush our dealings with one
another. We should, for example, try to take a few minutes after Jum'ah prayers
and greet our brothers next to us with Salaam, and introduce ourselves to them.
We should neither be shy nor be afraid of a cold response, keeping in mind that
we are only seeking the pleasure of Allah سبحانه
وتعالى and following the
Sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
The
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "You will not enter paradise until you believe, and
you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not guide you to
something which if you carry out you will love one another? Spread salaam
amongst yourselves." [Muslim]
It
is necessary to let our brothers know that we care for their well-being, that
we sincerely love them as we do our own blood brothers, and that we are ready
to help them in any way we are able to.
It
has been narrated by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adaabul-Mufrad that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم
said: "If one of you loves his brother for Allah's sake, then let him
know, since it causes familiarity to endure and firmly establishes love."
Muslims
have the responsibility to give sincere advice to their fellow brothers and
sisters to abstain from haram and stay on the course of halal in every aspect
of life, following the basic rule of verifying every action with Hukum Shar'iee
- whether in our ibadah (worship) or muamulat (social transactions).
The
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "Each of you is the mirror of his brother, so if he
sees a fault in him he should wipe it away from him." [Tirmidhi]
Brotherhood
in Islam imposes a great responsibility on us to protect our brothers and
sisters from harm, even from their own selves. We should ensure that we do not
allow ourselves or others around us to engage in activities that could affect
the unity of the Muslim Ummah. One such activity is backbiting; we must refrain
from initiating or participating in it. Allah سبحانه
وتعالى revealed:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا
اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيراً مِّنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ وَلَا
تَجَسَّسُوا وَلَا يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًا أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ
لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ
تَوَّابٌ رَّحِيمٌ
"O
you who believe! Avoid much suspicion, indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy
not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of
his dead brother? You would hate it. And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is the One
Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful." [Al-Hujjurat, 49:12]
Envy
and jealousy are also forbidden, which are the common causes of problems
amongst brothers and sisters.
The
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "Do not have malice against a Muslim; do not be
envious of other Muslims; do not go against a Muslim and forsake him. O the
slave of Allah! Be like brothers with each other. It is not allowed for a
Muslim to desert his brother for over three days." [Muslim & Tirmidhi]
We
should also be aware that a brother or sister in Islam has five rights over us,
as the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "Every Muslim has five rights over another Muslim:
to return the greetings, to visit the sick, to accompany funeral processions,
to accept an invitation, and to respond to the one that sneezes." [Bukhari
& Muslim]
It
is clear from the above examples that, in Islam, brotherhood is not merely a
word we mention to each other when we meet casually or when we engage in
business transactions. Rather, it is an obligation, and a deep sense of
responsibility and caring for the well-being of our brothers and sisters, not
only in our local communities but around the world as well.
Muslims
are like one body
One
of the most fatal ideas to the concept of brotherhood that has been promoted is
the concept of "Ummah fragmentation." This concept suggests that
issues of Muslims in one country should not be of concern to Muslims in other countries.
The fragmentation of the Ummah is like a fatal virus that, when adopted
intentionally or unintentionally by the Muslims, leads to a clear violation to
the aforementioned evidences in the Qur'an and Sunnah, and consequently causes
a complete decay in the obligation of brotherhood.
The
Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم described the Ummah as one body; if one member becomes sick
then the other members of this one body will take care of the sick one:
"The
Believers, in their mutual love, mercy and compassion, are like one body: if
one organ complained, the rest of the body develops a fever." [Bukhari
& Muslim]
The
media outlets and internet have no shortage of news revealing the turmoil that
Muslims are living in around the world: from occupation of Muslim lands to the
dire poverty of our brothers and sisters. This is where a sense of brotherhood
becomes the vital connection between Muslims around the globe. It is our
obligation to be politically and intellectually aware of all affairs impacting
Muslims everywhere. Allah سبحانه وتعالى has described the believer as a brother to
another believer, and therefore it should pain us - just as it would if it were
our own blood brother - when we read about the plight of our fellow Muslims.
Sustaining
the sense of brotherhood
The
enormity of events facing Muslims, coupled with the visible impotence and
corruption of the ruling regimes in Muslim lands, are creating frustration and
an artificial sense of helplessness among Muslims. This sense of frustration
and helplessness is also further fuelled by the daily pressures of life facing
Muslims. All these factors lead to a gradual decline in reacting to the turmoil
facing Muslims outside of their immediate circle of friends and blood relatives
- causing a fatal departure from the very foundations and ties of the Ummah.
Muslims
should always gravitate toward the concept of brotherhood and the obligation of
helping and sympathizing with our brothers and sisters in Islam regardless of
where they are or what their condition is.
Although
helping our brothers and sisters may not be physically possible in all
circumstances, it is imperative to always care and be concerned for their
affairs, regardless of geography or language, and do whatever is possible
within the circumstances. It is imperative to care, or even train ourselves to
care for Muslims in nearby or remote parts of the world by reminding ourselves
that our bond with all Muslims is that of brothers and sisters.
Preserving
our Muslim identity is both an obligation and a challenge at the same time. It
is paramount for Muslims anywhere and at anytime to remain aware of the concept
of brotherhood as a most critical tool in striving to keep our distinct
identity, especially in the West. Therefore, it is an obligation to follow the
lead of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and his Companions in this manner and do
whatever is necessary to maintain it.
May
Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless us with the same brotherhood the Sahabah had under the
shade of Khilafah Rashidah. Ameen.
وَاعْتَصِمُواْ بِحَبْلِ اللّهِ
جَمِيعًا وَلاَ تَفَرَّقُواْ وَاذْكُرُواْ نِعْمَتَ اللّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ
كُنتُمْ أَعْدَاء فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِ
إِخْوَانًا وَكُنتُمْ عَلَىَ شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِّنَ النَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنْهَا
كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللّهُ لَكُمْ آيَاتِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ
Credit goes to Brother Ben Yahia from Tunisia it was his idea for this post.
