The obligation of Brotherhood. Human beings should not be individualistic and selfish as capitalism tries to encourage us to. We should be more collective in thought and care more for each other in the way that the Quran and Sunnah has taught us to. We should always want the best of one another.

1. The duties of a Muslim

2. Believers are Brothers
 ْ‫ي‬ َ‫َو‬‫خ‬َ‫أ‬ َ‫ْن‬‫ي‬َ‫ب‬ ‫وا‬ُ‫ح‬ِ‫ل‬ْ‫ص‬َ‫أ‬َ‫ف‬ ٌ‫ة‬ َ‫و‬ْ‫خ‬ِ‫إ‬ َ‫ون‬ُ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ْ‫ؤ‬ُ‫م‬ْ‫ال‬ ‫ا‬َ‫م‬َّ‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬َ‫ح‬ ْ‫ر‬ُ‫ت‬ ْ‫م‬ُ‫ك‬َّ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬َ‫ل‬ َ َّ‫اَّلل‬ ‫وا‬ُ‫ق‬َّ‫ت‬‫ا‬ َ‫و‬ ْ‫م‬ُ‫ك‬َ‫ون‬ُ‫م‬
 “The believers are nothing else than brothers. So
make reconciliation between your brothers, and
fear Allah, that you may receive mercy.” [Al-
Hujjurat, 49:10]

3. Brotherhood is a matter of faith
 The Prophet ‫وسلم‬ ‫عليه‬ ‫هللا‬ ‫صلى‬also said about
brotherhood: “None of you truly believes until he
loves for his brother what he loves for
himself.” [Bukhari & Muslim]

4. Brotherhood transcends blood ties
 Upon completion of the Hijrah and building the masjid in
Madinah, the Prophet ‫وسلم‬ ‫عليه‬ ‫هللا‬ ‫صلى‬proceeded 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.

5. Brotherhood transcends blood ties
 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]

6. Brotherhood is an obligation, not a choice
 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.

7. Brotherhood is an obligation, not a choice
 Sadly, one of the issues facing Muslims is the rapidly
growing trend of “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 ‫وتعالى‬ ‫سبحانه‬and following the Sunnah
of the Prophet ‫وسلم‬ ‫عليه‬ ‫هللا‬ ‫صلى‬.

8. The punishment for abandoning
brotherhood
 The Prophet ‫وسلم‬ ‫عليه‬ ‫هللا‬ ‫صلى‬said: “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]

9. Brothers for the sake of Allah
 It has been narrated by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adaabul-
Mufrad that the Prophet ‫وسلم‬ ‫عليه‬ ‫هللا‬ ‫صلى‬said: “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.”

10. Duties towards your brother
 The Prophet ‫وسلم‬ ‫عليه‬ ‫هللا‬ ‫صلى‬said: “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
‫وتعالى‬ ‫سبحانه‬revealed:

11. Duties towards your brother
 ‫ا‬َ‫ي‬َّ‫الظ‬ َ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ ً‫ا‬‫ير‬ِ‫ث‬َ‫ك‬ ‫وا‬ُ‫ب‬ِ‫ن‬َ‫ت‬ْ‫اج‬ ‫وا‬ُ‫ن‬َ‫م‬‫آ‬ َ‫ين‬ِ‫ذ‬َّ‫ل‬‫ا‬ ‫ا‬َ‫ه‬ُّ‫ي‬َ‫أ‬َ‫ج‬َ‫ت‬ َ‫َل‬ َ‫و‬ ٌ‫م‬ْ‫ث‬ِ‫إ‬ ِ‫ن‬َّ‫الظ‬ َ‫ض‬ْ‫ع‬َ‫ب‬ َّ‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬ ِ‫ن‬‫وا‬ُ‫س‬َّ‫س‬
َ‫أ‬ ْ‫م‬ُ‫ك‬ُ‫د‬َ‫ح‬َ‫أ‬ ُّ‫ب‬ ِ‫ح‬ُ‫ي‬َ‫أ‬ ‫ا‬ً‫ض‬ْ‫ع‬َ‫ب‬ ‫م‬ُ‫ك‬ُ‫ض‬ْ‫ع‬َّ‫ب‬ ‫َب‬‫ت‬ْ‫غ‬َ‫ي‬ َ‫َل‬ َ‫و‬ُ‫ت‬ْ‫ه‬ ِ‫ر‬َ‫ك‬َ‫ف‬ ‫ا‬ً‫ت‬ْ‫ي‬َ‫م‬ ِ‫ه‬‫ي‬ ِ‫خ‬َ‫أ‬ َ‫م‬ْ‫ح‬َ‫ل‬ َ‫ل‬ُ‫ك‬ْ‫أ‬َ‫ي‬ ‫ن‬ُ‫ه‬‫و‬ُ‫م‬
ٌ‫م‬‫ي‬ ِ‫ح‬َّ‫ر‬ ٌ‫اب‬َّ‫َو‬‫ت‬ َ َّ‫اَّلل‬ َّ‫ن‬ِ‫إ‬ َ َّ‫اَّلل‬ ‫وا‬ُ‫ق‬َّ‫ت‬‫ا‬ َ‫و‬
 “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]

12. Duties towards your brother
 Envy and jealousy are also forbidden, which are the
common causes of problems amongst brothers and
sisters.
 The Prophet ‫وسلم‬ ‫عليه‬ ‫هللا‬ ‫صلى‬said: “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]

13. Rights of Muslims over one another
 We should also be aware that a brother or sister in
Islam has five rights over us, as the Prophet ‫عليه‬ ‫هللا‬ ‫صلى‬
‫وسلم‬said: “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]

14. 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.

15. Muslims are like one body
 The Prophet ‫وسلم‬ ‫عليه‬ ‫هللا‬ ‫صلى‬described 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]

16. Muslims are like one body
 May Allah ‫وتعالى‬ ‫سبحانه‬bless us with the same brotherhood
the Sahabah had under the shade of Khilafah Rashidah.
Ameen.
 ُ‫ك‬ْ‫ذ‬‫ا‬ َ‫و‬ ْ‫ا‬‫و‬ُ‫ق‬َّ‫ر‬َ‫ف‬َ‫ت‬ َ‫َل‬ َ‫و‬ ‫ا‬ً‫ع‬‫ي‬ِ‫م‬َ‫ج‬ ِ‫اَّلل‬ ِ‫ل‬ْ‫ب‬َ‫ح‬ِ‫ب‬ ْ‫ا‬‫و‬ُ‫م‬ ِ‫َص‬‫ت‬ْ‫ع‬‫ا‬ َ‫و‬ْ‫م‬ُ‫ت‬‫ن‬ُ‫ك‬ ْ‫ذ‬ِ‫إ‬ ْ‫م‬ُ‫ك‬ْ‫ي‬َ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬ ِ‫اَّلل‬ َ‫ت‬َ‫م‬ْ‫ع‬ِ‫ن‬ ْ‫ا‬‫و‬ُ‫ر‬‫اء‬َ‫د‬ْ‫ع‬َ‫أ‬
ْ‫خ‬ِ‫إ‬ ِ‫ه‬ِ‫ت‬َ‫م‬ْ‫ع‬ِ‫ن‬ِ‫ب‬ ‫م‬ُ‫ت‬ْ‫ح‬َ‫ب‬ْ‫ص‬َ‫أ‬َ‫ف‬ ْ‫م‬ُ‫ك‬ِ‫ب‬‫و‬ُ‫ل‬ُ‫ق‬ َ‫ْن‬‫ي‬َ‫ب‬ َ‫ف‬َّ‫ل‬َ‫أ‬َ‫ف‬َّ‫ن‬‫ال‬ َ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬ ٍ‫ة‬َ‫ر‬ْ‫ف‬ُ‫ح‬ ‫ا‬َ‫ف‬َ‫ش‬ َ‫ى‬َ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬ ْ‫م‬ُ‫ت‬‫ن‬ُ‫ك‬ َ‫و‬ ‫ا‬ً‫ن‬‫ا‬ َ‫و‬‫م‬ُ‫ك‬َ‫ذ‬َ‫ق‬‫ن‬َ‫أ‬َ‫ف‬ ِ‫ار‬
َ‫ت‬ ْ‫م‬ُ‫ك‬َّ‫ل‬َ‫ع‬َ‫ل‬ ِ‫ه‬ِ‫ت‬‫ا‬َ‫ي‬‫آ‬ ْ‫م‬ُ‫ك‬َ‫ل‬ ُ‫اَّلل‬ ُ‫ن‬ِ‫ي‬َ‫ب‬ُ‫ي‬ َ‫ك‬ِ‫ل‬َ‫ذ‬َ‫ك‬ ‫ا‬َ‫ه‬ْ‫ن‬ِ‫م‬َ‫ُون‬‫د‬َ‫ت‬ْ‫ه‬
 “And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of
Allah and be not divided among yourselves, and
remember Allah’s Favour on you, for you were enemies
one to another but He joined your hearts together, so
that, by His Grace, you became brethren, and you were
on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it.
Thus Allah makes His Ayat clear to you, that you may
be guided.” [Al-Imran, 3:103]