The Rights of Muslims upon One Another

As we have already mentioned, love for the sake of Allah is the most profound bond which all Muslims share.

From this bond the rights and obligations of Muslims with respect to one another are derived. These rights are many indeed, they include such things as; aid and assistance, affection, generosity and respect, justice and equality, and numerous other things, all of which are outlined both in the text of the Qur'an and in the Sunnah of the Prophet. Of these rights the two most relevant to our discussion are assistance and affection.

1) Affection is meant to be between the believers. The disbelievers, the corrupt and the heretical have no place in it. Likewise, the Muslim wants for his brother what he wants for himself, as the Prophet said, "None of you believes until he wants for his brother what he wants for himself."[1] (Agreed upon).

2) Assisting the Muslims is required by faith. Every Muslim is the brother of another regardless of race or colour, national origin or social class. You must help him and defend him with your money and your life. Whoever has refused to do this should take heed of the words of the Prophet who said, "No (Muslim) man will desert a man who is a Muslim, in a place where his respect may be violated and his honour aspersed, without Allah deserting him in a place where he wishes his help; and no (Muslim) man who will help a Muslim, in a place where his honour may be aspersed and his respect violated, without Allah helping him in a place where he wishes his help".[2]

Allah himself praised the Ansar for their assistance to their brothers from Makkah saying:

Those who believe and who migrated and who struggled in the Path of Allah, and those who gave shelter and aid, these are the true believers.[3]

The Prophet also ordered the believers to be mindful to assist one another saying, "Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is an oppressed one"[4]. Helping him, when he is right, goes without saying; to help him when he is wrong means to prevent him from oppressing others.

He also said, "A Muslim is a brother of another Muslim, he should not oppress him, nor should he hand him over to an oppressor. Whoever fulfilled the needs of his brother, Allah will fulfill his needs; whoever brought his (Muslim) brother out of a discomfort, Allah will bring him out of the discomforts of the Day of Resurrection, and whoever screened a Muslim, Allah will screen him on the Day of Resurrection."[5]

Within Islamic society every individual is important. If any one's rights are abused, then everyone is damaged; they are like the parts of a body; if some part of it is ill, all of it is ill. Thus the Prophet said, "A believer to another believer is like a building whose different parts enforce each other"[6],

and he said, "You see the believers as regard their being merciful among   themselves, showing love among themselves and being kind among themselves, resembling one body; so that, if any part of the body is not well, then the whole body shares the sleeplessness and fever with it."

Also he said, "The believer is the reflection of his brother; and the believer is another believer's brother, who guards him against loss and protects him when he is absent."[7] 

If we were to report all the relevant sources here our discussion would lengthen considerably. Suffice it to say that the conduct of the Prophet, the Companions and those who followed in their footsteps and guidance, throughout the history of the Islamic society, only confirms this important principle.

The cohesion and solidarity of the Muslims has been exemplary, whether on the communal or individual level; whenever the alliances and the enmities of the Muslims have been, clearly, for the sake of Allah.

The Muslims will never be successful except if they observe this fundamental truth; that the Muslim's love for his brother is like his love for his own self; that he feels his pain as if it were his own; that he is pleased by his success as if it were his own accomplishment. Finally, Allah will surely come to the aid of the one who is mindful to serve Him.

As for helping the Muslims, this includes such things as coming actively to their defense, giving them whatever material and moral support is necessary whenever they are threatened, offering their Wealth and their lives to break the power of the oppressor.

They would reject all those who long for the humiliation of the Muslims. They concern themselves with the affairs of the Muslims wherever they are, helping and supporting them as much as they can.

All of these things serve to cement relations between Muslims, bringing them together in word and deed, in the fold of Islam.