Brotherhood
In the name of God the most merciful the most kind.
I have thought about the reason why I blog and I have come to notice that the intention was more personal than for the sake of Allah. Therefore, I will start each blogpost with the way each chapter of the Quran starts, in the name of God, the most merciful the most kind, to remind me that these blogposts are made for the sake of God because knowledge only originates from Him.
Ever since I have gone on a path to gain Islamic knowledge, one of the things I have come to notice is the bond of brotherhood in Islam. Unlike any other bonds, to be a brother in Islam is a status which is upheld dearly by Muslims. In the Quran, Allah s.w.t. says,
‘Surely the believers are but brothers. So set things right between your two brother, and be aware of God – perhaps you will obtain mercy’ Al-Hujurat [49:10]
Furthermore, in the hadiths or the sayings and life of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, it is said:
“A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. He does not oppress him, nor does he leave him at the mercy of others.” (Sahih Muslim Book 032, Number 6219)
The Prophet said, “None of you will have faith till he wishes for his (Muslim) brother what he likes for himself.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari Volume 1, Book 2, Number 12)
In fact, Imam Al-Ghazali who held the name ‘Proof of Islam’ as being a revivor of Islam in the 11th Century wrote a good section on brotherhood, which Faraz Rabbani summarised here. In it, he wrote:
Know that the contract of brotherhood is a bond between two persons, like the contract of marriage between two spouses. In all, this comprises of eight duties…The first duty is the material one [providing materially for him]…The second duty is to render personal aid in the satisfaction of needs, attending to them without waiting to be asked, and giving them priority over private needs…The third duty concerns the tongue, which should sometimes be silent and at other times speak out…The fourth duty is to use the tongue for speaking out [speak of pleasant things]….The fifth duty is forgiveness of mistake and failings…The sixth duty is to pray for your brother, during his life and after his death, that he may have all he might wish for himself, his family and his dependants…The seventh duty is loyalty and sincerity…The eighth duty is relief from discomfort and inconvenience…
In other words, Imam Al-Ghazali is saying that friends are for life (and beyond). In fact, it is related in a hadith that on the Day of Judgement, there will come a time where it will become so hot that there will be no shade except that of Allah s.w.t.
It is related on the authority of Abu Haraira (Rahimahullaah) that the Holy Prophet(salAllahu `alaihi wa sallam) said,”Seven people will be shaded by Allah under His shade on the day when there will be no shade except His. They are:
1) The judge who is just;
2) The man who devotes his life in the worship of God even in his youth;
3) The man who eagerly awaits the call to prayer to go to the Mosque and worship God;
4) The two friends, who love each other for the sake of God, when they meet they meet for the sake of God, when they separate they separate for the sake of God;
5) The man who resists the temptation of a woman who is beautiful and comes of a respectable family and tries to incline him towards her for evil purposes;
6) The man who gives alms with his right hand but conceals it from the left;
7) The man when alone, meditates on God, and his eyes become filled with tears.”
(Bukhari)
It is number 4 that really ensembles what true brotherhood means. Not long ago, I was discussing with some friends about the status of brotherhood, and the term ‘bromance’ was used. In fact, Mas’ud, one of the forerunners of promotion of Sunni Islam on the internet (www.masud.co.uk) wrote a blog post about Man love in an Islamic/Eastern context. One of the things mentioned in Mas’ud’s blog is that in today’s western society, it is considered ‘gay’ to talk about man love, and it almost seem that the only (acceptable) place for 2 men show their love for each other is in a homosexual setting. Which, in my mind, is rather sad. Firstly, it takes away the sense of morality in a society and secondly it condemns the ability to have any true friends which has connections beyond the surface. Such a topic is perhaps best left for another time.
Let me end this blog post with a story of my granduncle’s deathbed. My granduncle got a stroke in a committee meeting in a mosque. During the last few days of the granduncle’s life, when he was lying there unconscious, his friend was by his death bed day in and day out. I guess they grew up together, prayed together, ran the mosque together. Sometimes, I think friends who are willing to sit by your deathbed are really hard to come by, and I wonder if I would have commanded enough brotherly love and respect amongst my friends to have them sit at my deathbed when I am about to die.
