A JOURNEY THAT BUILT CHARACTER AND BROTHERHOOD

 FAJR REMINDER: A JOURNEY THAT BUILT CHARACTER AND BROTHERHOOD

By: Umm Affān

Muḥarram 26, 1448 (11-July-2026)

The Hijrah of the Prophet (ﷺ) also teaches us a timeless lesson in honesty and integrity. Although many of the Quraysh rejected the Prophet‘s (ﷺ) message and fiercely opposed him, they still entrusted their most valuable possessions to him because they knew him as the most trustworthy of people. As he prepared to migrate to Madīnah, the Prophet (ﷺ) instructed ‘Alī (Raḍiyallāhu 'Anhu) to remain behind and return every trust to its rightful owner before joining him. Allāh Akbar! Even those who persecuted him were not deprived of their rights. Allāh (ﷻ) says: “And verily, you (O Muḥammad ﷺ) are on an exalted standard of character.” [Sūrah Al-Qalam (68): 4]

The testimony to the Prophet's noble character did not come from people alone—it also came from the One Who created him. How many of us would have acted the same way? Many would have viewed it as the perfect opportunity for revenge or retaliation. Yet the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) responded with honesty, justice, and mercy.

Furthermore, among the lessons in the Hijrah underscoring the excellent characters of the Prophet (ﷺ) was his care and kindness for his Companions (Raḍiyallāhu 'Anhum). Soon after arriving in Madīnah, he (ﷺ) established bonds of brotherhood between the Muhājirūn (the emigrants from Makkah) and the Anṣār (their helpers in Madīnah). This was not a ceremonial declaration. It was a real partnership of life. They shared their homes, wealth, businesses, food, and hardships.

Among the finest examples was Sa‘d Ibn Ar-Rabī' (Raḍiyallāhu 'Anhu), who told his newly appointed brother, ‘Abdur-Raḥmān Ibn ‘Awf (Raḍiyallāhu ‘Anhu): “I am the richest of all the Anṣār, so I want to divide my property (between us), and I have two wives, so see which of the two you like and tell me, so that I may divorce her, and when she finishes her prescribed period (i.e. ‘Idda) of divorce, then marry her.” [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3780] Yet ‘Abdur-Raḥmān (Raḍiyallāhu ‘Anhu) politely declined such generosity and simply replied, “May Allāh bless your family and your wealth. Show me the marketplace.” One displayed remarkable generosity, while the other demonstrated honourable self-reliance. Both embodied true Islāmic brotherhood.

The Prophet (ﷺ) also uprooted every form of racism and tribal arrogance. He (ﷺ) nurtured hearts that sincerely desired good for one another. He said: “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 13, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 45] Imagine if every Muslim measured his faith against this single statement before speaking, competing, or dealing with others. Envy would diminish, oppression would disappear, and sincere love would replace selfishness.

He (ﷺ) further described the relationship between believers by saying: “The example of the believers in their mutual love, mercy, and compassion is that of one body; when one limb suffers, the whole body responds with sleeplessness and fever.” [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6011, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2586] This was exactly how the Companions lived. They felt one another‘s pain. They defended one another‘s honour. They gave preference to others even while they themselves were in need.

Dear brothers and sisters! The Hijrah is not merely a historical journey. It is a lesson for every generation. Today, many of us proudly claim to belong to the Ummah of Prophet Muḥammad (ﷺ), yet we often allow ethnicity, tribalism, nationalism, political differences, personal interests, and worldly competition to divide us. We may pray in the same rows, recite the same Qur‘ān, and face the same Qiblah, yet our hearts remain distant from one another. 

True brotherhood is not expressed only through words such as “Akhī” or “Ukhtī.” It is proven by sincere advice, overlooking faults, helping those in difficulty, making Du'ā' in their absence, protecting their honour when they are slandered, forgiving their mistakes, visiting them during illness, comforting them during hardship, and rejoicing at the blessings Allāh bestows upon them without envy.

The Prophet (ﷺ) built a generation whose bond of faith became stronger than blood relations, wealth, language, and nationality. They conquered hearts before they conquered lands because they first conquered their own egos. If we sincerely revive this Prophetic brotherhood in our homes, Masājid, and communities, many of the divisions weakening the Ummah today would disappear by the Permission of Allāh.

I beseech Allāh (ﷻ) to unite our hearts upon the truth, remove hatred and envy from our chests, make us love one another purely for His Sake, make us among those who sincerely follow the lofty example of His beloved Messenger (ﷺ) and embody his noble character, and remain steadfast upon the truth until we meet Him. Aameen