Mu'akhaah-Brotherhood in Islam

 

Al-Hujuraat 49:10. The Believers are but A single Brotherhood: So make peace and
Reconciliation between your Two (contending) brothers; And fear God, that ye
May receive Mercy. 

Islam is  call to Peace and a call to cease hostilities with Allah and with each other.  The law, the Shariah sets forth guidelines for our relationship with Allah and our relationship with each other.  The Qur’an provides the basis for a basic social contract between humans and calls upon Muslims to set up a social system based upon brotherhood and sisterhood.

In the modern world, many of us have become obsessed with the individual, the personal.  America has exported its concept of the supremacy of the individual world wide and has been very successful in convincing all of us to “have it your way.”  Considering that the current world economy is precariously tottering on the unstable whims of individual consumption, it is no wonder that we are bombarded with messages to think only of ourselves.

However, Allah calls us to brotherhood and sisterhood, and to a balance between the individual and the social.  Considering how the current economic downturn has revealed the interconnectedness of all people and all countries, how can we ignore our social side?  Only Islam, of all the world’s religions and ideologies is capable of balancing what appear to be competing interests and creating a complete and balance society capable of meeting our individual and social needs.

And it began 1400 years ago in the city of Madina. 

When the Prophet and his Companions made the hijrah to Madina, they left everything behind.  Their wealth and property was confiscated by the Quraish and they were barely left with the izar around their waists.  Allah then revealed ayaat like the one quoted above;

We have a duty as muslims to treat one another as brothers and to establish friendship with one another.

In order to fulfill this duty , the Prophet (SAW) established the institution of mu’akhaah or brotherhood, an institution based on mutual trust and mutual support.

We often think of this institution of Mu’akhaah as a means of providing financial support to the muhajirun who had lost everything, however it was more than that.  Certainly the Ansar, the people of Madina, gave everything to their Muhajirun brothers. 

Al- Hashr 59:9. But those who Before them, had homes
(In Medina) And had adopted the Faith,— Show their affection to such
As came to them for refuge, And entertain no desire
In their hearts for things Given to the (latter),
But give them preference Over themselves, even though
Poverty was their (own lot). And those saved from
The covetousness of their own Souls,—they are the ones
That achieve prosperity.

The Muhajirun said to the Prophet, “O Messenger of Allah!, We have never come to a people like the Ansar!  If they have a little, they are the best of people we have ever seen when it comes to giving support; and if they have much, they are the best in sacrificing it.  They have given us everything we need, allowing us to share in their happiness to such an extent that we are afraid that they would take all the reward from Allah.”  (Ibn Kathir – al-Sirah al- Nabawiyyah 2/320).

However, the brotherhoods were set up not just between Ansar and Muhajirun, but between Muhajirun themselves.  Abu Bakr and Umar were paired, as were Hamzah and Zaid ibn Harithah, Uthman and Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf, Al-Zubayr ibn al Awwam and Abdullah ibn Masud, and the Prophet and his cousin Ali.

This shows that the mu’akhaah was not just for financial reasons, but a means of setting up a system of social support and cooperation.

In the beginning the brothers in Mu’akhaah even inherited from each other, but later this was abrogated by Allah after the Muhajirun gained more financial independence.  Some have taken this to mean that the entire institution of Mu’akhaah was also abrogated, but there a numerous reports of the Prophet establishing Mu’akhaah between Abu al-Darda and Salman al-Farsi, for example.  Salman became Muslim between the battle of Uhud and the battle of the Khandaq. 

Akram Diyaa al Umari in his book, Madinan Society at the Time of Prophet, notes that Mu’akhaah is an unabrogated part of our Deen.  And this overlooked and all but forgotten institution of our Prophet and his companions has many benefits for us today.

First,  this institution of Mu’akhaah teaches us to establish close personal relationships between each other, even when we are unrelated by blood.  In North America and Europe, where Muslims have often emigrated from other lands, the institution of Mu’akhaah is a way to gain the emotional support of family when we are far from home.

Second, Mu’akhaah teaches us to pool resources for mutual support.  It provides the basis for takafful or mutual insurance.  We know that standard insurance is haram under Shariah law for two reasons;  first because it involves gharar or uncertainty and is therefore, potentially unjust and oppressive, and second, because it has certain implications on tawakkul of Allah.  However, mutual forms of insurance are permitted by most scholars based on the mutual form of support practiced by the Prophet and his Companion, especially in Mu’akhaah.

Third,  when we establish close friendships, we establish a means to strengthen our deen.  If we chose our friends carefully, and we should always do so, we can encourage one another to birr and taqwa.  This method is used by many self-help organizations today, such Alcoholics Anonymous or drug rehab groups.  Members can call one another when they are tempted to drink or use drugs and gain support in those times of difficultly.

For Muslims, this kind of support is critical in a world full of temptations and bala. May Allah give us this kind of support, to have friends that amr bi al-maruf wa nahi anna al-munkar,  and prevent us from falling from his Sirat al-Mustaqim. 

This institution of Mu’akhaah is not just for brothers.  Our sisters need to support one another as well.  Islam teaches sisterhood.  But too often our sisters forget that Islam came to unite all humanity, and they focus too much on differences.  Competition is often thought to be a hallmark of male behavior.  We hear about men competing in business, but men also cooperate in business ventures, and form alliances with one another.  Competition is to often a hallmark of female behavior. 

We all know the stereotype of the mother in law and daughter in law.  How many marriages have ended in fitnah and divorce due to competition between these two?  Why does this practice persist?  

The Prophet (SAW) said,
"None of you has Iman (faith) until he desires for his brother (or sister) Muslim that which he desires for himself (or herself)." (Bukhari and Muslim)

He (SAW) also said,
"The Muslims in their mutual love, kindness and compassion are like the human body where when one of its parts is in agony the entire body feels the pain, both in sleeplessness and fever." (Bukhari and Muslim)

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said,
"On the Day of Judgement, Allah, the Most High, will announce, 'Where are those who love each other for the sake of My pleasure? This day I am going to shelter them in the shade provided by Me. Today there is no shade except My shade." (Muslim)

The Prophet (SAW) said,
"Do not be envious of other Muslims; do not overbid at auctions against another Muslim; do not have malice against a Muslim; do not go against a Muslim and forsake him; do not make an offering during a pending transaction. O' servants of Allah, be like brothers (or sisters) with each other. A Muslim is the brother (or sister) of another Muslim; do not hurt him (or her), or look down upon him (or her) or bring shame on him (or her). Piety is a matter of heart (The Prophet (SAW) repeated this thrice). It is enough evil for a person to look down upon his Muslim brother (or sister). The blood, property and honor of a Muslim is inviolable to a Musilm." (Muslim)

The Prophet (SAW) said,
"Keep company with a believer only, and let your food be eaten only by the righteous." (Abu Dawud and Tirmidi)

He (SAW) also said,
"A person is likely to follow the faith of his friend, so look whom you befriend." (Abu Dawud and Tirmidi) 


The Prophet (SAW) said,
"One who helps a fellow Muslim in removing his (or her) difficulty in this world, Allah will remove the former's distress on the Day of Judgement. He who helps to remove the hardship of another, will have his difficulties removed by Allah in this world and in the Hereafter. One who covers the shortcomings of another Muslim, will have his faults covered up in this world and the next by Allah. Allah continues to help a servant so long as he goes on helping his own brother (or sister)." (Muslim)


"The believers, men and women. are Auliya (helpers, supporters, friends, protectors) of one another, they enjoin (on people) Al-Ma'ruf (i.e. Islamio Monotheism and all that Islma orders one to do), and forbids (people) from Al-Munkar (i.e. polytheism and disbelief of all kinds, and all that Islam has forbidden); they offer their prayers perfectly (Iqamat-as-Salat); and give the Zakat and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah will have His mercy upon them. Surely, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise." (At-Tauba 9:71)

The Prophet (SAW) said,
"A Muslim owes six obligations towards another Muslim: when you meet him (or her), salute him (or her) saying 'Assalamu Alaikum; when he (or she) invites you, accept his (or her) invitation; when he (or she) solicits your advice, advise him (or her) sincerely; when he (or she) sneezes and praises Allah, respond with the supplication Yarhamuk Allah (Allah have mercy on you); when he (or she) falls sick, visit him (or her); on his (or her) death, join his (or her funeral)." (Muslim)

We need to promise one another, brothers and sisters, to hold each other in mutual respect, to be as merciful and compassionate to one another as we hope Allah to be to us on Yawm al-Qiyaama, to keep company with one another and show mutual support in all our needs, to lower our wings to one another, and to work hard to reestablish this great Prophet Sunnah, long neglected by us.

As we shall see, this institution of Mu'akhaah is essential to Wilayyat Al Ummah, the Islamic Shurah Democratic System.  In order for consensus to function we have to respect each other and treat each other as brothers and sisters, as one great Ummah family. When we feel brotherhood with each other, we will be able to look beyond differences, and understand that we have a stake in crafting solutions together.  With Mu'akhaah and Shurah, we can form a democratic Ummah that will be able to ensure freedom for all.  When joined with an independent judiciary ensuring justice for all, and the ever-watchful shuhada'a ensuring equal dignity, human rights and freedom from oppression, the Islamic system will provide the most humane and balanced society possible, to the benefit of all humanity.  

Any good contained herein is from Allah, and I seek Allah's forgiveness for any error, which is only from myself.  May Allah SWT guide and bless us all.

M. Ali Sadiqi      Falls Church, VA