The Prophetic Biography:  lesson 14/08/2006- "The Construction of brotherhood among Muslims in Al-Madinah"- of his immense Dr. Muhammad Rateb Al-Nabulsi.

All praise to Allah the lord of all worlds, blessing and peace be upon our master Muhammad the truthful in what he had promised and the trustworthy.  O Allah we have no knowledge apart from what you have taught us, for you are the all knower and the all wise, so teach us what is beneficial to us, and let us benefit from what you have taught us and increase our knowledge, and let us see truth as it is and make us comply with it, let us see falsehood as it is and make us avoid it, and let us be among those who listen to what had been said and follow the best of it, and let us be under your mercy with your righteous servant.  Take us out of the darkness of ignorance and illusion to the light of knowledge, and from the mud of lusts to the gardens of obedience.

Honorable brothers, today we shall start with a new lesson of the prophetic biography, I will resume a topic that I started with almost two weeks ago; which is:

The approach the prophet (pbuh) adapted to build a the first Islamic community in Al-Madineh; as a matter of fact we are badly in need of following the honorable prophet (pbuh) in the construction of Muslims society.

The most important basic in this community is fraternization, because Allah exalted He is said:

The believers are nothing else than brothers (in Islamic religion)

Surat Al-Hujurat  verse:  10

You are not a believer unless you belong to the group of believers.

A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim

Narrated by Al-Termithi from Abi Huraira

A Muslim in any time or place is the brother of another Muslim.

Dear brothers, Islamic religion is an essential need for all mankind as air [that we breathe]. Water, a piece of land or a store can be monopolized, but air can not be monopolized by anyone or people or sect or a region or a country or a doctrine, [and so does religion]

Anyone assumes that s/he is solely right, and everyone else is wrong with out a proof or investigation is deluded.

Therefore the prophet (pbuh) started to build the Islamic community through fraternization, so if you do not feel the sense of brotherhood to your fellow believer and that he is one of the closest and most beloved to you, and you do not have that sense of belonging to believers, then your faith is incomplete.

However when we see that believers are accusing, disparaging, insulting and sometimes fighting each other, that is a mark of disgrace.

The believers are nothing else than brothers

Muhajireen:  Are the ones (of whom Quraish unrightfully took all their belonging) who emigrated before with and after the prophet (pbuh) to Al-Madineh Al-Munawara [the enlightened city].

Al-Ansar:  Are the ones who supported the emigrants with food, shelter and money.

The prophet (pbuh) fraternized between the emigrants and the supporters in the house of Anas Bin Malek, they were ninety men (half of the supporters and the other of emigrants) to console and even inherit each other after death; even though they were not related, until the incursion of Bader [is a well where Muslims and the disbeliever of Quraish first fought against each other.  The disbelievers outnumbered Muslims massively, nevertheless; they had a sweeping victory over them by the will of God exalted He is] in Ramadan of the second year of immigration, but when Allah exalted He is said:

And blood relations among each other have closer personal ties in the decree of Allah (regarding inheritance)

Surat:  Al-Ahzab  verse:  6

When Islam first started families used to have believing and non believing sons, and due to the Wisdom of Allah the inheritance was between believing brothers, but after a period of time heritage was brought back among those who are related with disregard of those who are brothers in Islam.

Fraternization was in the month of Ramadan, five month after the emigration.

Aren't we in bad need of fraternization?  You are not alone in life, [as they say] all for one, one for all.  Life with a believing brotherhood would not be cruel, but it will become a happy one; when no one is dearer to a believer than the brother for sake of God, for they help each other, check on one another, assist each other in times of adversities.

If everyone of us takes one as his brother, and shakes his hand saying:

I am called so and so and you are my brother for the sake of God, and this my phone number and my address, I entreat you to call me if you were need anything, am at disposal, and I promise that if I need anything to ask for your help.

This is a marvelous thing if two become brothers, three would be much better, or five checking upon each other.  What will happen, dear brothers?

[For instance] a brother becomes pleased to attend a lesson in the mosque, then he commits a sin that makes him ashamed of himself before The Lord so he would not come, and no one check upon him to see why he did not come.

Week after another the man will not show up anymore, but if someone called him to see if everything is okay, then this would please him and he will return back to attend lessons in the mosque.

If two become brothers and pledged to advice each other, to check upon each other, it will be even better if they become three or four, what if you had become five brothers?  Life would have been almost like paradise.

The second project:  if there were five brothers in the same neighborhood, or in the same craft, or they had something in common, or they were related; sometimes kinship could gather people, the same thing for accommodation or craft or colleagueship or friendship or neighbors.

Is there anything that prevents us to gather every week or two or three for an hour to have conversation?  One of us might have heard a preachment that touched him, and he mentions it to his brothers, or someone has attended a speech that moved him and talked about its content to his brothers, or read a paper from the book of Allah (Qura'an) to study it.   

Abi Huraira and Abi Sa'eed witnessed that the prophet (pbuh) said:

Every group of people gather [in a place] to mention The Lord exalted He is , will be surrounded by angles and shall be bestowed with mercy and tranquility, and Allah will mention them to angles.

Narrated by Muslim

Every group of people conclude their gathering without the mentioning Allah in it, will be as they were sitting around carrion of a donkey,[such gathering] will cause them regret.

Narrated by Abi Dawood and others from Abu Huraira

Talking about life is quite wearing, while talking about God is quite pleasing.

Therefore brothers, if we want to put theory into practice then everyone must get him a brother for the sake of the Lord [not for the sake of any worldly interest]. 

It is important to exchange phones numbers, addresses and a to know a little about the brother [that you intend to have] such as work, and it would be better if he is close to you in terms of work, residence and kinship; such act is a practice of the fraternization of the prophet (pbuh); bear in mind that all for one and one for all, and that you are not alone in this world.

The prophet (pbuh) said:

A Muslim is a brother of another Muslim, who does not oppress him or disappoint him or betray him.

It is prohibited for a Muslim to attack another Muslim's honor [sister, mother, wife and daughter; not even looking at them], possessions and life.

Narrated by A-Termithi from Abu Hurairah  

It had been mentioned in some books of the [prophetic] biography that the goal of fraternization is to kill the feeling of homesickness.  Believer it or not dear brothers we are feeling homesickness [amongst us].

[Islam] will start as a strange religion and it will become strange again [for corruption and the injustice shall prevail].  May blessings be bestowed upon strangers who [endeavor] to rectify what people have corrupted of my Sunna after I die.  [Sunna is everything that the Prophet (pbuh) had said to be done or had done it himself to be followed]

 Narrated by Termithi from Amro Bin Awf Bin Zaid

If you do not feel alienated then there is something wrong with you faith [alienation in this context means that the current of lust and disobedience is drifting you to go with the flow, so if you go against it, you shall feel like a total stranger]

It has been said:  "At the end of time Muslims become strangers, the one who sticks to her/his religion's teachings is like a person holding an ember in hand, yet their reword is as 70 men of you [it was the time when Islamic nation was becoming strong].  For you may find who support you in your good deeds, but they don't have any kind of support [referring to our modern time]".

One of fraternization's goals is to make believers support each other, but when God enhanced Islam, families were reunited, homesickness is gone, heritage became null [among companions], and everyone was back to her /his own kith and kin.

In hard times, in times of enticement, in times when streets are full of half naked women, in times of space channels and internet [when they for pornography; when no one that you can befriended with as the brother for the sake of God.

It has been mentioned in the divine saying:

Those who love each other, communicate with each other, advise each other, exchange visit and who sacrifice for each other for my sake are entitled of my love, and they are on illuminated dais that they are envied for by prophets, righteous and martyrs.

Narrated by Al-Tabarani from Ubada Bin Al-Samet

The prophet (pbuh) taught us if you love someone for the sake of The Lord then let him know that, tell him:  I love you for the sake of God, in return he should say:  may Allah love you as you love me.

Love is one of the psychological pillars of life, mankind have a reason to perceive with, a heart to love with and a body to move with; when you love a brother for the sake of Allah he will be your support, companion, adviser and affectionate.

Fraternization's goals are more profound and comprehensive than merely inheritance for the following reasons:

The need for the supporters to acquire the knowledge of Islam; you may be fraternized with a brother who recently became committed to mosques, and you have been coming to them for long years [during which] you received an abundant knowledge.

When you give your beginner brother from what you have learnt, [for example], teaching him Quraan and the prophetic biography, having a dialogue with him about fiqh [it is a sort of Islamic knowledge that teaches us how all kind of worship should be performed like praying, fasting, paying Zakat (alms) etc…, and it has other sections which teach us how to deal with people in terms of rights and obligation] and illustrated the nicest of what you heard, this is one of fraternization's goal.

Allah exalted He is says:

Say (to them O Muhammad (pbuh):  I exhort you to one (thing) only:  that you stand up for Allah's sake in pairs and singly, and reflect (within yourselves the life of the prophet (pbuh)) there is no madness in your companion (Muhammad).  He is only a Warner to you in face of a severe torment.

Surat Saba'  verse:  46

When you sit with you brother, let your talk be about this religion, about this honorable prophet, about the greatness of Islam.

Another thing; religion is passed on to others by being a good example; it is a fact with a proof.  In fact Islam does not go on unless there is an example, it does not grow in books but it does when your eye sees it in a Muslim.

Therefore the universe is a silent Quraan and Quraan is an articulate universe and the prophet (pbuh) is a walking Quraan; we are badly in need of a Muslim that walks on two feet who you should see his trustworthiness, his honesty, his chastity [in Islam and eastern communities chastity is a virtue for women and men to be followed], his compassion, his fairness and his dispense with anybody but God.

[Once again] it’s the need to acquire the knowledge of religion and passing on religion to others through being a good example.

Makkeh time is gone, and all the Quraan that was brought down during which, the strive for the sake of the [Islamic] call, being patient for all the harm done, the migration and the companionship and the prophetic education [all the aforementioned] can not be passed on- when migration took place- to Al-Ansar [people of Al-Madineh- the Supporters] but through their brothers Muhajereen [who migrated from Mekkeh to Al-Madineh].

 It is impossible that prophet (pbuh) could pass on, whether to individuals or groups, all the knowledge that they [Muhajereen] had witnessed.

Once a man came to the prophet (pbuh) to tell him something but he did something wrong, the prophet (pbuh) said:  "your brother has done something wrong so correct him".  The prophet (pbuh) had taught his companions for long years, but now he came to Al-Madineh where the AL-Ansar who despite there love to the prophet (pbuh) but they know very little.  

By mean of fraternization, he (pbuh) made the ones who preceded to acquire the knowledge, that they have learnt form the messenger of Allah (pbuh), to give it the their Al-Ansar brothers.

However it is necessary to distribute Al-Muhajereen on Al-Ansars' clans to live everything with them, so that they could make a good example and the unity of prophetic education among all, this can not be achieved unless they live with each other which helps to overcome difficulties caused by problems of accommodation, work and companionship.

Through fraternization emigrants had become brothers of supporters of whom were not to be parted by customs and social traditions or studies etc…… referring to our present time]

As the prophet (pbuh) fraternized between emigrants and his new companions (supporters), powerful and rich brothers must be fraternized with the weak and poor ones.

There is a new kind:  An opulent man could be fraternized with a student who is seeking knowledge by supporting him.  I suggest that those who have financial leverage to employ students for half time with half wages, this will solve a problem.

A student may need limited allowance to support him self with; this will help focus on his studies.  This student will grow to become a herald, and every thing that he had done will be accounted for the one who sponsored him.

Now we will tackle a new topic, the rich being fraternized with the poor, the powerful with the weak and the one who mastered a [certain] craft who become fraternized with someone who does not.

I sweat to God, I know someone who has a sweet shop, one day a man from a remote county from the north east who was not a Muslim.

He asked him:  Can you teach me how to make sweets?

The man said:  Sure, he let him in to the factory and made the recipe before him, then he wrote it for the man and asked him:  Show me how you can do it.

He swore that it has been thirty years since then, and every worker comes from a far place holding a precious present telling him:  by virtue of your support.

There is nothing wrong if you had a craft to be fraternized with someone who does not know it.

Honorable brothers, the west has taught us greediness and to withhold information in a way that if [a technician] wanted to dismantle an engine he tells the worker to go out in order not to learn so that he can compete his master.

There is nothing wrong to instruct the worker, who does his work with out being paid, in order to master the craft.

And whosoever is saved from his own covetousness, such are they who will be the successful.

Surat Al-Hashr  verse:  9

A disbeliever is a niggard who hides information; on the other hand fraternization takes another dimension, the rich and the poor, the powerful and the weak, the crafted [and the worker].

If a student, who came from a far country to study, had a brother who lives in it, he will be of help to him for he knows things are done in this country.

Therefore fraternization is more helpful when it comes to dissimilarities in characters.

Dear brothers; Islam intrinsically is not established on clannishness nor tribalism nor racism, listen carefully:  there is no word or any kind of addition to Muslim, or else such thing would lead to fanaticism.

He who calls for clannishness, he who fight for clannishness, he who died on clannishness is not one of us [Islamic nation]

Documented by Abu Dawood from Jabir Bin Mata'am                         

When were Muslims all around the globe we were one nation, but when we said:  we are Arab, the Turks said:  we Turk and the Kurds said:  we demand self government.

Islam is an international religion, all who believe in what we do and implement what we do, is considered one of us has the rights that we have and is committed to what are.

You may be astonished if tell you that names of great scholars who are not Arabs, Imam Boukhahri  [his book Sahih Al-Boukhari is considered one of the major references for Muslims after Qur'an and the prophetic biography] he is not an Arab.

Salah Al-Din Al-Aubi [he is the leader who librated Jerusalem against the vicious crusades] is not an Arab, aren’t we proud of him?

The right thing is that Islam must be international; there is nothing wrong to be an Arab or to belong to this nation, but without racism or to disparage others or someone disparages you.

Therefore a foundation was put for a new society far from influences and heredity of ignorance, such new society shall be a good example to be followed by Muslims at times.

I will give you unbelievable example, but they are true:

Bilal Al-Habashi is from a low class in the ignorant society [prior to Islam], he is not and an Arab, not originated form Quraish.  He is a black slave owned by a master who tortured him for believing in Muhammad (pbuh), Abu Baker came to buy him with the price his master asked for.

The master of Bilal said:  By God I would sell him to you for one dirham if you asked.

Abu Baker said: By God I would pay one hundred thousand dirham for him if you asked.

Abu Baker took Bilal with him and put his arm under his as gesture to his master that he has become his brother in Islam.

Omar Bin Al-Khattab the giant of Islam went to receive Bilal when he came to Al-Madineh; this is Islam, if the honorable companions mentioned Abu Baker, they would say:  He is our master who released our master (Bilal).

No preference is given to an Arab rather than non Arab, nor a white [man] rather than a black one unless based on piety

Narrated by Tabarani form Abi sa'ad

The most honorable of you are the most pious

Documented by Al-Uqaili and Tabarani form Um Ayman

Such society shall improve.  Allah, exalted He is, did not consider preponderance [as a criterion] among His creation unless for two values, the value of knowledge and the value of work.  In regard to the value of knowledge Allah said:

Say:  Are those who know equal to those who know not?

Surat Az-Zumar  verse:  9

Allah will exalt in degree those of you who believe and those who have been granted knowledge.  And Allah is well-acquainted with what you do.

Surat Al-Mujadilah  verse:  11

In regards to work, Allah says:

For all there will be degrees (of ranks) according to what they did.

Surat Al-An'am  verse:  132

This nation will not stand on both feet unless taking into consideration these two preponderances, because there is a value to money, a value to family name, a value to lineage, a value to beauty, a value to inelegance and a value to origin. These values are absolutely not accounted for in terms of faith as the value of knowledge and work.

The fifth goal of fraternization is to accomplish integration, solidarity and social collaboration in all situations and all fields.  We perform all sorts of Islamic ordinances such as praying, fasting, alms and pilgrimage; but what makes the goal of fraternization in its whole form one is the prayer in its united performance.  The king and the guard are prying next to each other in the mosque.

During pilgrimage the king and guard are circumnutating Al-Ka'aba [it is one of pilgrimage rituals], and both do Al-Sa'ei [it is another rituals of pilgrimage where pilgrims walk between two hills called Al-Safa & Al-Marwa  to commemorate when the wife of our prophet Abraham (pbuh) was looking for water between these two hills]. 

In pilgrimage there is no difference between a prince and a guard, nor between the strong and the weak or between the rich and the poor.

Hence worships are all practiced by everyone without exception; there is no allocated path to do Sa'ei  forVIP or diplomats, nor is there especial place to do circumnutating for dignitaries; the rituals of pilgrimage, Alummra, fasting and praying are the same for everybody.

Thus believers are of help and support of one another, who else do Al-Muhajereen have but Al-Ansar to share their lives, food, pain, joy and defending their home with?

One the other hands who else do Al-Ansar have but Al-Muhajereen to pass on the teaching of religion and Qura'an?

Can you see the integral interest?  The wonderful thing about integration is that each side completes the other with what it lacks.

For instance, an old man owns some money but he is not good at investment, and a young agronomist who is educated and has a lot of potential but has no fund.  If these two set up a business by equal shares, the first will do the funding and the second will use his administration skills. 

Fraternization has a profound meaning; even commercial companies could be from of fraternization.

Dear brothers, fraternization ultimate goal are integration amongst Al-Ansar & Al-Muhajereen; the images of fraternization illustrate the elevation that both had reached.

The purified human soul has a tendency towards sincere compassion, sacrifice and altruism, how is it going to be as Islam had glorified the standing of the ones who love each other for the sake of God?

Based on that religious feeling one of Al-Ansar, called sa'ed Bin AL-Rabie, offered his brother Abed Al-Rahman Bin Awof-now we have one of Al-Ansar sa'ed Bin AL-Rabie & one of Al-Muhajereen Abed Al-Rahman Bin Awof- saying:  I am the most affluent of Al-Ansar, and I have two groves and two houses and I have to two shops, so am going to share have of them with you.

Abed Al-Rahman Bin Awof said (by God I will never forgot his words):  may Allah bless your money and your family; tell me where the market is.

The companions of whom the prophet (pbuh) raised are amazing, Al-Ansar are magnanimous and Al-Muhajereen are continent.

Now if a filthy rich man is able to treat a poor person in a hospital, he must not hesitate for it’s the poor' right.

He (Abed Al-Rahman) was directed to the market of Al-qainuqa'a' clan market [a Jewish clan], he came back with some cheese and fat, he kept on going to the market, then one day he came with a pale face.

The prophet (pbuh) asked him:  what's the matter?

He said:  O messenger of God, I got married.

He entered the market to buy and sell which made him money then he got married.

 Honorable brothers, every person asks [people] for money, shall be destined by God in poverty.

If anyone grovels before a rich man, shall lose two third of his religion

Narrated by Al-Tabarani, and narrated by Al-Sheikh from Abi AL-Darda'

The thing that draws the attention is that the one form Al-Ansar was so generous but the one from Muhajereen was continent.

He offered him a house, a shop and a grove but he did not accept to take anything.  He told him may God your money, tell me where the market is, he worked as a trader and won cheese and fat; he continued trading until he got married.  When the prophet (pbuh) saw his pale face he asked him:

What is the matter?

He said:  I got married O messenger of God.

The prophet (pbuh) said:  how much did you pay for her dowry?

He said:  A little piece of gold.

The prophet (pbuh):  Make a feast even with a goat.

Therefore it is of sunnah [an act that the Prophet (pbuh) recommended to be done or did it him self] to have a feast in weddings.

Al-Ansar are another example of fraternization; they told the prophet (pbuh) to split the palm trees of Al-Madineh with their brothers Al-Muhajereen, but they said:  you keep your palm trees but we work on them and we take share of the dates. 

Have you seen such continence?

This is called speculation, it is the best kind of company in Islam; the prophet (pbuh) was the first speculator in Islam, he ran the business and Mrs. Khadijeh funded it, his trustworthiness and continent may had been the reason behind their marriage.

Al-Ansar accepted the offer; Haza Bin Abed Al-Mutaleb [the prophet's (pbuh) uncle] and Zaid Bin Harethah were brothers, and to him Hamza made his will on the day Uhod battle when he went to fight.

Abu Baker Al-Sedeeq stayed at Kharijah Bin Zaid in Al-Madinah, and he married his daughter Habibeh; he (Abu Baker remained in the clan of Hareth Bin KHazraraj until the death of the prophet (pbuh), they are still brothers.

I implore that these facts could be transformed into your behavior, i.e. fraternization, we have learned something new; anyone how has the fund but is not good at investing, let him become a brother of someone who is an expert at it but does not have money, the rich become a brother the poor, the one who mastered a craft become a brother of an unskilled one; thus the life of Muslims becomes integrated.

Al-Muhajereen said the prophet (pbuh):  O messenger Of Allah, we have never seen people as yours [Al-Ansar], we came to them [empty handed] and they comforted us with the little they had, yet they were more openhanded than someone who had a lot, they sufficed us the rations and shared us their professions, to the extent that we feared that they would take all of the reword [from God].

The prophet (pbuh) said:  Praising and praying form them is a kind of repayment.

The prophet (pbuh) said:

Reword someone who has done you a favor, but if you could not then pray for him to know that you repaid him.

Documented by Abu Dawood and Al-Nasa'ei from Bin Omar

If someone had done you a favor then the perfect thing to do is to do him something in return, he offered you a present then you should give him a present as a token of gratitude; but if was rich and you were poor and he has been very kind and generous to you, but you have nothing to repay him, tell him:  may God recompense you with better one.

God exalted He is had praised Al-Muhajereen & Al-Ansar for these good bonds between them, and he showed the precedence and the standing of some of them over the other, He says:

And (it is also for) those who, before them, had homes (in AL-Madineh) and had adopted the faith, love those who emigrate to them, and have no jealousy in their breasts for that which they have been given (from the booty of Banu An-Nadir), and give them (emigrants) preference over themselves even though they were in need of that.  And whosoever is saved from his won covetousness, such are they who will be the successful.

Surat Al-Hashr  verse:  9

The prophet (pbuh) said:

Al-Ansar are not loved by anyone but a believers and are not detested by anyone but a hypocrite, he who loves them will be loved by God and who detests them is hated by Him.

Agreed upon