The Roles of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) in the Sphere of Civilization (Part 5)
The Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, and the Creation of Brotherhood Between the Ansar and the Emigrants
The next step taken by the Prophet, peace be upon him, in laying the foundation for Islamic civilization was to foster a spirit of solidarity and integration. Since unity is essential for the progress of any civilization, and true unity is not possible without shared beliefs, the best way to achieve this unity was through the creation of a bond of brotherhood. The beloved Messenger, peace be upon him, chose this path because it was the command of Almighty God. Therefore, establishing a bond of brotherhood was an effective means of ensuring unity. When beliefs are aligned, the efforts and struggles of all become unified, resulting in true solidarity.
Eight months after the Hijrah, the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, established a bond of brotherhood between the emigrants (Muhajirun) and the Ansar. They were to support one another on the righteous path and, after death, inherit from each other. The Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, united the Muhajir and the Ansar in every way. With this action, he established the principles of equality and brotherhood to the extent that every Muslim prioritized his Muslim brother over himself. As it was recorded, “On the day of the distribution of the spoils of war of Banu Nadir, the Prophet said to the Ansar: ‘If you like, let the emigrants share in this spoil; if not, let it all be yours.’ The Ansar responded: ‘We will not only give the booty to our immigrant brothers; rather, we will share with them our properties and houses as well.’ It should be remembered that the ruling of inheritance on brotherhood with the revelation of the Holy Verse«وَأُوْلُواْ الأَرْحَامِ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلَى بِبَعْض فِي كِتَابِ اللّهِ»””Was Canceled After the Battle of Badr.
From the onset of his arrival in Yathrib, the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, despite the racial and tribal differences within the Muslim community in Madinah, created conditions that led to the homogenization, solidarity, and equality among Muslims, specifically between the Muhajirin (Immigrants) and the Ansar, may Allah be pleased with them.
The Story of Abd al-Rahman bin Auf with Saad bin Rabi
Imam Ahmad narrated from Anas that Abd al-Rahman bin Auf came to Madinah, and the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, established a pact of brotherhood between him and Saad bin Rabi, may Allah be pleased with him. Saad said to him: “O my brother, I am the richest of all the people of Madinah. Take half of my wealth, and I have two wives; see which one you prefer, so that I can divorce her.” Abd al-Rahman replied: “May Allah bless you with your family and property. Please guide me to the market.” They showed him the way, and he went, He began to business, and he profited. He brought back cheese and oil. The beloved Messenger, peace be upon him, asked, “How are you doing?” Abd al-Rahman said: “O Messenger of Allah, I married a woman.” The Prophet, peace be upon him, asked: “What do you give her?” He replied: “The weight of a gold nugget.” The Prophet said: “Have a walima (feast) even if it is with a sheep.” Abd al-Rahman remarks: “I felt so blessed that if I picked up a stone, I hoped it would yield gold and silver.”
A Legacy Among the Muhajirin (Emigrants) and Ansar
Bukhari narrated from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, that when the emigrants came to Madinah, the emigrant would inherit from the Ansar instead of his own relatives due to the fraternity established by the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. However, when the verse was revealed: «وَلِكُلّ جَعَلنَا مَوَٰلِيَ», the act of inheriting based on this brotherhood was abrogated. In this narration, it is clear that the abrogation of inheritance by means of alliance corresponds to this verse; but from the next narration, it is evident that the abrogation refers to another verse: «وَأُوْلُواْ ٱلأَرحَامِ بَعضُهُم أَولَىٰ بِبَعض», which translates to “, And relatives are more worthy and closer to each other.”
After the bond of friendship and brotherhood was established, the Ansar made sacrifices that were unparalleled in the history of mankind. When people in a society refer to each other as brothers, that society is bound to grow and thrive. In fact, civilization stems from brotherhood and collective unity. When goals align in a single direction, such unity amplifies power, inevitably leading to growth and development.
