05. The Declaration of Brotherhood

After his arrival in Madina, the Holy Prophet (S) was faced with a new challenge. For the first time, the Muslims were centralised and arrangements had to be made to run this new Muslim state.

The Holy Prophet (S) faced three main challenges. These were:

  1. The danger of attack from the Quraish in Makka and other idol worshippers from the rest of Arabia.
  2. The presence of the Jews of Madina who lived within and outside the city and possessed enormous wealth.
  3. The differences which existed between his own supporters.

The Holy Prophet (S) first dealt with the issue concerning the Muslims. There were two main issues:

  • The people who had migrated with him from Makka (Muhajireen) and the local Muslims who lived in Madina (Ansar) had been brought up in different environments and there was a great difference in their thinking and culture.
  • The Ansar themselves were made up of the tribes of Aws and Khazraj, who were sworn enemies of each other and had been fighting for over a hundred years.

image027The first thing the Holy Prophet (S) did was to create peace between the tribes of Aws and Khazraj. He united them on the basis of their common faith in Islam, and told them to forget their old differences.

Then, the Holy Prophet (S) turned his attention to the needs of the Muhajireen. These brave Muslims had left all their wealth and possessions in Makka to come with the Holy Prophet (S) to Madina. They had no wealth or property. On the command of Allah, the Holy Prophet (S) established brotherhood between the Muhajireen and Ansar. He paired off each Muhajir with one Ansar and declared them brothers. The generous Ansar gave over one half of their wealth to their new brothers so that they could live comfortably in Madina.

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If our Imam asked us to share everything we owned with someone else, would we do this willingly?

At the end of all the pairings, only Imam Ali (A) was left. He asked the Holy Prophet (S) who his brother would be. The Holy Prophet (S) declared, "O Ali, you are my brother in this world as well as the next."

By this simple method, the Holy Prophet (S) ensured the unity of the Muslims and this unity also enabled him to concentrate on the other two problems.

The next issue that the Holy Prophet (S) decided to tackle concerned the security for all citizens of Madina from the Jews. He, therefore, drafted an agreement to establish peace between the Muslims and the Jews. The contents of that document represented a great leap forward for the unprincipled Arabs. For the first time, the Arabs were introduced to a constitution that outlined the principles of freedom, order and justice.

A part of that agreement is quoted below:

"In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Most Merciful"

  1. Anybody from amongst the Jews who embraces Islam shall be entitled to the assistance of the Muhajireen and the Ansar. There will be no difference between such a person and any other Muslim, and nobody shall oppress him or be his enemy.
  2. Groups of Muslims should go for Jihad (Holy War) alternately, so that the blood shed in the path of Allah is divided equally.
  3. The authority of resolving differences shall always rest with Allah and Muhammad.
  4. When the Muslims fight for the defence of Madina, the Jews must pay their share in the expenses of war.
  5. The Muslims and Jews are free to practise their law and religion.
  6. Lives of neighbours and those who have been granted asylum are like our own lives, and must be respected. No asylum shall be granted to the Quraish or their allies.
  7. The signatories of this agreement take joint responsibility for the defence of Madina.
  8. When the Muslims invite the Jews to conclude peace with the enemy, they should accept the proposal. The Muslims should also accept any such proposal made by the Jews, except when the enemy is opposed to the religion of Islam.

"Allah is the Protector of the good and the pious, and Muhammad is His Prophet."

This document was gladly accepted by most people in Madina. The few Jews who rejected it at first also added their signatures at a later date. Having made arrangements to secure Madina, the Holy Prophet (S) could now concentrate on the threat of the Quraish of Makka.

Now You Know....

  • The three main problems that the Holy Prophet (S) faced in Madina:
  • 1. Danger of attack from the Quraish in Makka
  • 2. The presence of the Jews of Madina
  • 3. The which existed between his own supporters.
 
  • The first thing the Holy Prophet (S) did was to unite the two tribes of the Ansar called Aws and Khazraj because of their common faith in Islam.
  • He then established brotherhood between the Muhajireen and Ansar by pairing off each Muhajir with one Ansar and declaring them brothers.
  • At the end of all the pairings the Holy Prophet (S) himself paired up with Imam Ali (A) and declared, "O Ali, you are my brother in this world as well as the next."
  • Finally the Holy Prophet (S) introduced an agreement between the Jews and the Muslims that outlined the principles of freedom, order and justice.

 

Moral Box

  • There is no point in sticking to your petty differences and quarrelling but is better to unite with your Muslim brothers and sisters like the Aws and Khazraj.
  • We should learn from the generosity of the Ansar who shared all they had with the Muhajireen for the sake of Islam.

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