ভূমিকা
Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books A Glance at the Life of the Holy Prophet of Islam Chapter 12: Islamic Fraternity Laying the Foundation for an Islamic Fraternity in Medina The existence of sympathy, sincerity, and harmony among the people of a society makes that society a living one - one that is fit for human life and evolution, in which all can find salvation and progress and can enjoy each other's sympathy and sincerity.
In the process of establishing such an ideal human society, Islam does not pay the least bit of attention to such considerations as race, language, skin colour, and geographical location. Rather, this holy religion regards all Muslims as equal." [^1] It looks only at the people's faith in God, which is the root of all unity. `Islamic brotherhood' is the phrase best revealing this all embracing unity.
This meaningful, clear expression in the Holy Qur'an describes this Islamic precept: `Truly the faithful are brothers' (49:10). The Prophet's Initiative In Creating Islamic Brotherhood After having settled in Medina and after building a mosque that was indeed the military and constitutional base of the Muslims, the Holy Prophet of Islam took an excellent initiative.
He laid the foundation of Islamic brotherhood, so that great unity and sincerity would be engendered in Muslim society and so that the emigrant Muslims would know that, though they had lost a number of their friends and relatives and had been forced to leave their homes, in return, they had gained brothers who were much more loyal and sympathetic from every point of view.
Therefore, besides the general fraternity and brotherhood that exists among all Muslims, the Prophet concluded contracts of brotherhood among his followers. He announced each two Muslims to be brothers. He himself selected 'Ali as his own brother and said, "Ali is my brother'.
[^2] In the Holy Qur'an, Islamic brotherhood has been elevated and held in reverence: `And hold fast to the covenant of God, all together, and remember the favour of God upon you when you were enemies, then He united your hearts so by His favour you became brethren, and you were on the brink of a pit of fire, then He saved you from it; thus does God make clear to you His communications that you may follow the right way' (3:3).
Islamic Brotherhood: Byword Of Unity And Fraternity Islamic brotherhood is not a honorific expression but a reality mingled with the spirit of faith whose fruits emerge one after the other.