0 The Role of Brotherhood in Islam

By: Ahmadi (Admin)

Islam is a brotherhood religion. Its bill says that the brotherhood amongst Muslim must be stressed. The prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) really paid attention about it and said \'Each of you cannot be a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.\'   
Brotherhood might be defined as a sharing, loving, praising and caring each others. Nowadays, there are enemies which against Islam through many ways. Some of them force in economic sector, culture, media and politics. The forces that they stake are not being realized by Muslim. Despite, Muslim people are welcoming them as they admire them as good idealism. The enemies of Islam can easily break Muslim’s ideology, aqidah and ethics. However, the broken could be avoided by brotherhood amongst Muslims themselves. Muslims may together to defend these principles. As a significant element, brotherhood in Islam has several roles such as to gain the unity of ummah, to help the unable and to perform in da’wah.

       Islam is a huge religion and elsewhere existed. Every country in this world has Islam in it, either in west or east, south or north of the globe. Therefore, there have to be a good relationship amongst Muslim around the world, in order to gain the unity of ummah. Brotherhood may play role doing good to people as good as Muslim can. In this context Allah says in the Qur’an “And to cooperate with one another in all that is good and pious and do not cooperate in sin and aggression.” (Al-Ma’idah:2). Islam nowadays shown that there is less cooperate in brotherhood, as a result enemies from west can easily destroy the unitary of Islam. Particularly, security may suffer the threat if there is no brotherhood amongst Muslim around the world. In Gaza present days, for example, Israel started attack and occupy the people of Palestine since more than sixty years ago, but still no solution for it. As an effect, people around the world appeal to care for them, but what are they doing is nothing. Because there is no unitary of Muslim leaders to solve the problem, as a result the people of Palestine are being the victim.

        Another role of Brotherhood in Islam is to help the unable people. A Muslim who has ability must help whoever has not, because Islam society is built in helping one another. Allah’s messenger was asked “who is dearest person to Allah?” He said: ”Those who are most useful to other people”. In another hadith he said “And Allah will surely help the person as long as he helps his brother”. Let talk about economic as an example, economic sector is a significant term in a country or nation. It shows how success the government ordering is, it closely relate to politics. If the economic grows, automatically, politics will grow. On the other hands, when politics is disorder, it influences the growth of economic in the country. Both are complex problems influencing each other. When it happens, the enemies will take opportunity to obsess Islam. In Indonesia, for example, when the country suffered politics crisis in 1997, monetary crisis followed immediately. During that time, United States offered the financial support through IMF (International Monetary Financial) to recover the crisis. The money that US offered would take high interest, this is opposite to Muslim ideology. To overcome this problem, Muslim countries-through OIC (Organization of Islamic Countries)-must help Indonesia in its financial problem.

       The most important role of brotherhood in Islam is to perform da’wah. Abu Hurairah related that the prophet has said “ There are five claims of a Muslim on a Muslim: Return his greetings when he greets; Visit him when he falls ill; Attend his funeral; Accept his invitation to a meal and to pray for him; When he sneezes saying yarhamukallah  ( may the mercy of Allah be on you)”. All these things are representing the humble and modesty which can help a da’i regards his da’wah. A Muslim should exercise humbleness and modesty in his dealing with other Muslims, may even with all other people non-Muslim. That is why one precious piece of advice a pious father called [Luqman] gave to his son as the Qur\'an reports is that: \'Never turn your cheek to other people in arrogance.\' (Luqman:18). As we know that Islam is peace full religion, peace full is only can be find in brotherhood. Thus, brotherhood plays a role to perform da’wah in order to be accepted by people.

       We have seen many of them, at the times that their brothers are being slaughtered at some other parts of the globe, they pass time at cafes, hotels, giving out celebrations, as if nothing happened. We Muslims need to feel for each other, not hypocritically, but heart and soul. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: \'You will not enter Paradise until you have faith, and you will not have faith until you love each other. Shall I direct you to something which if you fulfill you will love one another? Spread peace among yourselves.\' (It was reported by Muslim).

     To conclude, steeling coalescence, aiding difficulty and extending missionary endeavor are the role of confraternity in Islam. As many Muslims think that it suffices to consider each other as brothers without taking necessary steps to put that principle of brotherhood into practice. That is why we see nowadays Muslims showing indifference to calamities befalling their brethren across the globe, thinking that so far they are far away from the hot spots, from the scene of calamities, they have nothing to worry about. Economic sector is a significant term in a country or nation. It shows how success the government ordering is, it closely relate to politics. If the economic grows, automatically, politics will grow. On the other hands, when politics is disorder, it influences the growth of economic in the country. Both are complex problems influencing each other. When it happens, the enemies will take opportunity to obsess Islam. In Indonesia, for example, when the country suffered politics crisis in 1997, monetary crisis followed immediately. During that time, United States offered the financial support through IMF (International Monetary Financial) to recover the crisis. The money that US offered would take high interest, this is opposite to Muslim ideology. To overcome this problem, Muslim countries-through OIC (Organization of Islamic Countries)-must help Indonesia in its financial problem.