One Ummah Network
Mon, 14 Aug 2000 10:30:15 -0700
Submission by: Islamic Unification Movement <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Topic: How Real is the Brotherhood of Believers
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Text:
With the Name of Allah, The Merciful Benefactor, The Merciful Redeemer
The following is a message that was posted on the Al-Islam Message Forum
(located on our web site) by a brother who goes by Razaq. It was so good
that we decided to share it with you, insha'Allah.
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How Real is the Brotherhood of Believers
“A believer is a mirror to his brother. A believer is a brother of a
believer: he protects him against any danger and guards him from behind.”
(Related by Al Bukhari in Al Adab Al Mufrad and by Abu Dawood.)
Like all other teachings of Islam, the brotherhood of Muslims acquires more
substantive reality when Muslims take their faith seriously, implement it
in their lives and abide by its teachings, commandments its roots deep in
their hearts, the Muslims do not feel their brotherhood to be a real bond
which unites them in all situations. On the other hand, the more aware they
are of the requirements of their faith and the more willing they are to
fulfill these requirements, the more real their brotherhood is to them and
the keener they are to preserve and strength it.
The brotherhood of Muslims is stated very clearly in no lesser an authority
that the Qur’an. Allah says: “Believers are but brothers.” This is a
general statement which applies to every believer regardless of race,
Moreover, every believer is a brother to all believers in past and future
generations as well as those who are his contemporaries. This bond of
brotherhood is even felt with those who lived before the advent of Islam
and followed other prophets who conveyed to them the messages of Allah.
Thus a Muslim living today feels a strong bond with an Israelite who joined
Prophet Moses against the Pharaoh and with a Christian disciple of Jesus
when he stood up to the corruption that prevailed in his society. He feels
that they all belong to the same camp, united by its faith in the Oneness
of Allah and its determination to stand against disbelief.
This brotherhood is not confined to the realm of feelings and ideals. It
must have practical effects. By its nature, Islam cultivates the community
feeling among its followers. They pray in congregation, standing side by
side, shoulder to shoulder, with no distinction made in favour of rank,
position or class. What applies to prayer is equally true of all other acts
of worship, which Islam requires of its followers.
Moreover, a Muslim must look after his neighbours and make sure that they
have what they need. That sense of good neighbourliness is strongly
emphasised by the Prophet who has spoken about every aspect of it.
We will only remind ourselves of its essence by quoting the Hadith in which
the Prophet swears by Allah three times that a certain person is not a
believer. When his companions asked him to define that wretched person, he
said: “He who goes to bed having eaten well while his neighbour remains
hungry and he is aware of that fact.”
The brotherhood among the believers imposes on them certain duties, which
are summed up by the Prophet in the following Hadith: “A believer is a
mirror to his brother. A believer is a brother of a believer: he protects
him against any danger and guards him from behind.” (Related by Al
Bukhari in Al Adab Al Mufrad and by Abu Dawood.)
When the Prophet says that a believer is a mirror to his brother he points
out the way for the Muslim community to get rid of any shortcomings, which
affect its individual members or affect the whole community. A mirror shows
a person exactly as he is. When we stand opposite to a mirror, we want to
know whether we are well dressed or whether we look in a good shape. The
mirror tells us about every defect in our appearance. Moreover, we are not
angry with the mirror for showing us as we are. A believer acts like a
mirror to his brother.
This means that if he notices that his brother is doing something wrong or
making a certain mistake, he gives him a kind warning. He tells him that
such an action may not be good for his well being either in this life or in
the life to come. But he does that in a very kind manner, giving a sound
advice without sounding like a fault-finder. He speaks about it to his
brother because he cares that his brother should do only what serves his
interest. He is only after what brings benefit to his brother.
This kindly attitude is stressed by the next statement by the Prophet
emphasising the fact that all believers are brothers.
In other words, everyone of them acts as a mirror to all the others. Thus,
the duty to give advice is not limited to a certain group of Muslims. It
applies to all, since every one of them is a brother to all.
The Prophet leaves us in no doubt as to what this brotherhood entails. He
gives it its proper direction. “He protects him against any threat.”
Anything which many threatened the life or the welfare of a believer comes
under this statement.
Moreover, it applies to anything that endangers a believer’s well-being
in the hereafter. In other words, if you find your Muslim brother doing
something which is bound to incur Allah’s displeasure, you warn him
against it in a kindly manner. You do not give that warning in public
because a mirror does not reveal defects in public. You speak to him
privately and kindly. When he feels that you are after his interests, he is
bound to accept your advice.
A believer also guards his brother “from behind”. This means that he is
always ready to come to his aid against outside danger. He does not stand
idle when his brother is exposed to any kind of danger of which he might
not be aware, without rushing to his defence. When we consider these
details, we are bound to conclude that the brotherhood of the believers is
very real indeed.
The Prophet has taken care to emphasise that every single believer, must be
well respected in Muslim society. No one may be ridiculed or treated as an
object of laughter because of some perceived defect. The Prophet gives the
best example of treating everyone of his companions with the respect he
deserves. Abdullah ibn Mas’oud, one of his early companion who was also a
scholar, was short man with very short legs. In a authentic Hadith, Ali,
the Prophet’s cousin, reports that the Prophet once bid Abdullah ibn
Mas’oud to climb up a tree and fetch him something from it. When Abdullah
climbed up, those who were there looked up and laughed at the fact that his
legs were very small,. The Prophet was angry. He said to them: “Why do
you laugh? One of Abdullah’s legs is heavier in Allah’s scales than the
mount of Uhud.”
This is an example of how the Prophet was keen that everyone of his
companions., and indeed every Muslim, must be treated with the respect he
deserves. Abdullah was a devoted servant of Islam. He never hesitated to
render any sacrifice required of him. When battle flared up against
non-believers, he was at the forefront of the Muslim army. Hence, he earned
high esteem. The size of his leg was immaterial. It was his action, which
counted. By his actions, Abdullah ibn Mas’oud achieved a very high
position as a devoted servant of Islam. Hence, he was not one to be made
fun of in any situation. The Prophet stresses that idea by stating that
either one of his too small legs is heavier that a mountain, when it comes
to the evaluation of deeds and services given to Islam.
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