Muakhat-e-Madina (Brotherhood of Madina)

The Holy Prophet, the kind and merciful, migrated and appeared in Madina the Pure in the year 622 A.D. Here begins the series of those radiant lights of truth which connected the seekers of truth with their desired destination.

An important link in this series is Muakhat-e-Madina. Muakhat is an Arabic word derived from ‘Al-Akh’, which means brotherhood. According to some other sources, Muakhat is derived from ‘Al-Ukhiya’, which refers to the rope with which many animals are tied.

In Islamic terminology, Muakhat is the agreement which is the first pillar of the collective life of Muslims. Upon this pillar, the whole building of the unity of the people of Islam, selflessness, mutual love, and standing shoulder to shoulder for achieving the Shariah objectives was built.

Just imagine, can that nation stand on its own feet where intellectual, mental, and ideological differences exist? Is that region not at the mercy of outsiders where all units from individuality to collectivity are scattered? Can those people pay attention to internal strength whose every tribe is entangled with another and every family is clashing with another?

If we ponder, these were the very aspects which could not remain hidden from the sight of Prophethood.

Therefore, after perfuming the atmosphere of Madina the Pure with the light of Prophethood, the Leader of the Worlds (peace and blessings be upon him and his companions) established Muakhat-e-Madina.

Thus, the sons of Tawheed and Prophethood were threaded into the string of Muakhat-e-Madina. This was the string behind which were working common values, ideologies, and objectives.

Due to this, the enmities between Aws and Khazraj ended, the issue of regional loneliness of the Muhajireen came to its logical end forever, the foundation of internal stability was laid through unity and harmony, and the young state of Madina, by passing through the phase of evolution, quickly moved towards the height of justice and fairness and towards stopping the tale of oppression.

Behind Muakhat-e-Madina, two principles were at work.

The first principle was to support truth and righteousness, to respond to the call of truth, to smooth the way for the spread of truth, and to sacrifice one's life at the movement of the Prophet of Truth (peace and blessings be upon him).

The second principle was mutual cooperation. This cooperation was required not only for nurturing the ideologies but also in personal, financial, economic, social, and collective matters.

As a result of this beautiful management and peak of rational arrangement of the Prophetic era, the fruits that began to bless the people of Islam are unmatched.

The first fruit was the elimination of social inequalities—i.e., the difference of color, race, and tribe vanished, and the classes that were chained in slavery were honored with freedom.

The outcomes of this second aspect were surely four-directional, which even attracted people from other religions.

The second fruit was the shift from a narrow circle of decision-making to a universal and strategic sphere—i.e., those decision-makers who earlier used to think only at the level of their family and tribe, now became responsible for decisions in global limits.

The effects of Muakhat-e-Madina that appeared in return can be outlined as follows:

First, a priceless series of social bonding started which provided a strong foundation for the Islamic society.

Second, economic support ended the financial difficulties of the Muhajireen; otherwise, in trying to become financially stable in this new homeland, a lot of valuable time would have been lost. Also, this agreement helped the Muhajireen to merge and mingle into the Madinan society.

Third, due to the joint effort of the Muhajireen and Ansar, the defensive capacity increased immensely, due to which the protection of the young state became certain.

Fourth, through the mingling of different tribal and regional units, the process of intellectual and cultural exchange began.

Fifth, through generosity, selflessness, and brotherhood, spiritual and moral values were promoted, which later became the hallmark of the Islamic society.

Sixth, since the aim of Muakhat was the strength of collectivity, the political stability of the State of Madina became assured.

Muakhat-e-Madina is the result of those Prophetic excellences of the blessed life whose example cannot be found at any non-Prophetic level. Surely, I am presenting this model of Muakhat in this writing as a sample for the Muslims of the present age.

Today, the reason for the poverty and humiliation the Muslim Ummah is facing is surely the distance from their values and from the practical following of the blessed life.

From Morocco to Indonesia and from Kazakhstan to Kenya, the Ummah spread across vertical and horizontal lines is moaning from the painful wounds of decline.

Along with other problems, one important problem is the lack of national unity and religious solidarity.

Because of this, there is no effective presence of the Ummah at the global level.

There is indeed weakness in diplomatic fields as well as economic downfall which is no secret.

Even till today, the ability to implement policies based on national interests has not been acquired.

Political governments seem incapable of properly representing many Muslim societies and upholding moral values.

This is the very reason that, despite the end of the colonial era, true freedom is absent from Muslim societies.

On the other hand, in Muslim areas like Palestine, Lebanon, and Kashmir, there is no global hearing on the oppression and tyranny faced by Muslim people.

Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Yemen have remained victims of aggression.

Furthermore, the Muslim Ummah is also a victim of economic and moral downfall.

The reason for all this is the distance from adopting the blessed life as a practical model.

Therefore, in these conditions, suffering the consequences was a necessary outcome.

An effective and unmatched solution to these mentioned problems is to take the blessed life as a model and to make such collective decisions that have far-reaching impacts.

A Muakhat should be formed on the pattern of Muakhat-e-Madina, from which the following positive effects will appear:

First, Muslims will appear on the global level as a nation.

Second, defensive weakness will turn into defensive strength.

Third, political dependence and weakness will move towards political stability.

Fourth, the wave of disappointment and hopelessness running in Muslim societies will vanish.

Fifth, cooperation among Muslim countries will become stronger and stronger.

Sixth, collectivity will flourish, and the poison of individuality will die down.

But all this will only be possible when practical steps are taken on these proposals and Muakhat-e-Madina is adopted as a model.

This is exactly what the Sage of the Nation, Muhammad Iqbal, pointed to:

"Let Muslims be one for the protection of the Sacred Sanctuary,

From the shore of the Nile to the land of Kashghar."