The Meaning of Islamic Brotherhood

The meaning of Islamic brotherhood

Allah ﷻ says in the Qur’aan:

إِنَّمَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌۭ فَأَصْلِحُوا۟ بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ ( سورة الحجرات: ١٠)

“The believers are but brothers, so make settlement between your brothers. And fear Allah, that you may receive mercy” (Soorat al-Hujuraat: 10)

Allah ﷻ also says:

وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاء بَعْضٍ ( سورة التوبة : ٧١)

“The believing men and the believing women are allies of one another.” (Soorat at-Tawbah:71)

He further says:

وَٱعْتَصِمُوا۟ بِحَبْلِ ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًۭا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا۟ ۚ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَآءًۭ فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِۦٓ إِخْوَٰنًۭا وَكُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفْرَةٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنْهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ ( سورة آل عمران: ۱۰۳)

“And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allah upon you when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together so you became, by His favor, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the fire and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make clear to you His aayaat that you may be guided.” (Soorat Aali Imraan: 103)

The three aayaat above clearly outline the fact that Allah has established brotherhood among the believers.
Brotherhood in the Islamic context would mean that a believer (male or female) cares for the needs of fellow believers and desires for them what he/she desires for him/herself.

This entails,

• assisting another Muslim in time of need,
• providing food, clothing and shelter to a needy believer,
• offering a helping hand at times of adversity,
• supporting those who are vulnerable,
• defending one who is being attacked,
• advising someone who has gone astray,
• inviting towards good and forbiding evil,
• sharing in the joy and happiness of a fellow Muslim,
• celebrating the accomplishments of other believers,
• showing sympathy when others are suffering.

By establishing brotherhood among the believers Allah ﷻ has made it a responsibility for a Muslim to see to the desperate needs of others. It is a religious duty to help a Muslim who is in need. A Muslim is responsible for fellow Muslims.

It is important to note that Muslims are ordered by Allah ﷻ to love for the sake of Allah. They do not love anything except what Allah ﷻ and the Prophet love. This is an integral part of the brotherhood that Islam encourages. The Prophet ﷺ said:

” من أحب الله ، وأبغض الله ، وأعطى الله ، ومنع الله ، فقد استكمل الإيمان ( أبوداود )

“Whoever loves for the sake of Allah, dislikes for the sake of Allah, gives for the sake of Allah and withholds for the sake of Allah has completed his faith.” [Aboo Daawood]

The beauty of this hadeeth lies in the many issues that flow from it. The first consequence of such actions is that a solid bond is forged between muslims for the sake of Allah. It connects total strangers by a mutual spiritual link that encompasses love, respect and allegiance to Allah ﷻ

The Prophet ﷺ said:

قال الله تبارك و تعالى: “وجبت محبتي للمتحابين في، والمتزاورين في، والمتبادلين في “ ( مسلم )

“Allah has said, “My Love is a right for those who visit each other for My sake, And my Love is a right for those who support each other for My sake.” [Muslim]

The support that one person gives to another assumes many forms. Support can be moral, positive, spiritual and otherwise. The important factor to consider is that it has to be done for the sake of Allah and should not be motivated by the desire for wordly benefits or material gain. This raises an important issue in regard to the relationship between friends. On many occasions people have the tendency to go into a friendly relationship for material gain. Muslims are advised to connect with friends on a spiritual level, with faith in Allah ﷻ as the common bond.