Friday Sermon: Muslims are Brothers and One Body!, By Murtadha Gusau

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation - may He exalt the Messenger in the highest company of Angels and send His peace and blessings upon him - likewise upon his family, his Companions and his true disciples.

Dear brothers and sisters! This week's (Friday) article will be In Shaa Allah on Brotherhood in Islam.

Respected servants of Allah! Wallahi, Islam has taken all necessary measures to preserve humanity from division and discord. One of these measures is the principle of brotherhood. This principle erases all the differences that exist between people, such as lineage, wealth and all the other qualities that people use to distinguish themselves from each other.

It's the closest brotherhood.

The meaning of brotherhood as I understand it is a brotherhood based on faith and respect. It is a brotherhood that exists between a large number of people who share the same beliefs and religious identity. Allah Almighty says:

"And He united their hearts. If you had spent all there was on Earth, you would not have united their hearts."

And Allah Almighty describes the believers as brothers. He says:

"Believers are but brothers."

The reason they are described this way is that they all: share the same beliefs, work towards the same goals, and share the same code of behavior.

Brotherhood can be based on creed and religious identity. This is the intended meaning when talking about faith and other related matters. Allah Most High says:

"The Believers are one Brotherhood." [Quran, 49:10]

And He said:

"... thus you, by His grace, have become brothers."

This verse means that they became brothers by virtue of their Islam and they loved each other and were united by the greatness of Allah, so they cooperated in acts of righteousness and piety . The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

"A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim, so he should not oppress, abandon or despise him."

Dear brothers and sisters! Please think for a moment: why did Islam establish brotherhood on the basis of faith and not on the basis of relationship or race?

The reason why Islam has not built its concept of brotherhood on blood relationship or race is that both of these things are grounded in material considerations. Consequently, they cannot bring out a strong and united community that can withstand the misunderstandings and conflicts that could tear it apart. This is especially true if the differences are ideological in nature or based on beliefs and methodology. It has been repeatedly observed that blood brothers can be led to kill each other when their beliefs or interests differ (for example: Kabilah (Cain) and Habilah (Abel)). In contrast, people who share the same faith or belief system can work together even if they come from different countries, speak different languages, or have different racial backgrounds.

The concept of the Ummah (Nation), whereby all Muslims are bound together in a community of faith and belief, is an integral part of Islam. The Islamic Brotherhood is not based on economic interests, race or color. It is based on something infinitely higher: the rejection of falsehood and the acceptance of the Truth as revealed by the One True Allah (God). Not only is this Brotherhood based on faith, but it is also part of that faith. The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said:

“You cannot enter heaven unless you become a total believer and you will not become a total believer unless you love yourself. Shall I tell you what would increase your love? peace), among you."

In one of his Hadiths, our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) says:

"They do no injustice to others and tolerate no injustice to themselves. In their love and concern for one another, all the members of this Brotherhood form one body: when a part of body suffers, the whole body feels the pain. When one of its organs fails, the rest of the body reacts and watches over it by contracting a fever. [Muslim]

It is narrated by Abu Musa Ash'ari (RA) that the Messenger of Allah...