Brotherhood of the Muhajirun and Ansar

Part oneArriving with almost nothing

Imagine a successful Makkan trader walking into the market of a farming town and asking only one question, which is where the stalls are. Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) had been a wealthy man in Makkah. In Madinah he had nothing but his skill. We will come back to him.

Most of the Muslims who made the Hijrah left Makkah with little more than what they could carry. Houses and shops stayed behind, and some of that property was taken by those who stayed. Many of the newcomers fell ill with fever in their first weeks, since the climate of the oasis was new to them. Bilal ibn Rabah (may Allah be pleased with him), sick with fever, was heard speaking wistfully of the valleys and springs of Makkah. The Prophet ﷺ prayed that Madinah would become as dear to them as Makkah and that it would be made a healthy place for them.

They are called the Muhajirun, the emigrants. The people of Madinah who received them are called the Ansar, the helpers. Most of the Ansar belonged to the Aws and the Khazraj, two tribes that had fought each other for generations before Islam. Now they were at peace, and they were hosting the man they had met at Aqabah a few years before, when they had pledged to defend him as they would defend their own families. Families were so eager to take in guests that, in some cases, lots had to be drawn to decide who would host whom.

Housing was only the start. Families who have lost their livelihood cannot live on goodwill for long. They need work and dignity. The Prophet ﷺ answered with something simple and personal. He asked men from each group to stand as brothers to one another, one emigrant with one helper, and he joined them in pairs. For a time, the brothers even inherited from one another, until later revelation settled inheritance on family ties again.

Part twoWhat brotherhood looked like

Back to Abd al-Rahman. His brother in this pairing was Sa'd ibn al-Rabi' (may Allah be pleased with him), one of the wealthier men among the Ansar. Sa'd offered to divide his property in half and share it with him, and he offered more besides. Abd al-Rahman thanked him and refused. He asked only to be shown the way to the market.

He began with small deals in everyday goods and built up from there. In time he became one of the richest men among the Companions, and he was known for how freely he gave. The story shows both sides of the bond. The Ansar gave without being asked, and the Muhajirun accepted help but did not want to live on it.

Other pairs are remembered too. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was joined with Kharijah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) of the Khazraj. Salman al-Farisi (may Allah be pleased with him), a freed man from Persia, was joined with Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him), a merchant of the Khazraj. The bond cut across tribe, wealth and country, which was new in a land where loyalty had always followed the clan.

It was a real friendship, not a formality. The brothers visited each other and shared their concerns. Once Salman visited Abu al-Darda and found his wife in plain, neglected dress. She explained that her husband no longer cared for worldly things. Abu al-Darda served his guest a meal but said he was fasting. Salman would not eat until he joined him. That night, when Abu al-Darda rose to pray, Salman told him gently that his Lord had a right over him, his body had a right over him and his family had a right over him, and that each should be given its due. When the Prophet ﷺ heard of it, he said Salman had spoken the truth.

From the hadith

Narrated Anas:

When `Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf came to Medina, the Prophet (ﷺ) established a bond of brotherhood between him and Sa`d bin Ar-Rabi al-Ansari. Sa`d was a rich man, so he said to `Abdur-Rahman, "I will give you half of my property and will help you marry." `Abdur-Rahman said (to him), "May Allah bless you in your family and property. Show me the market." So `Abdur-Rahman did not return from the market) till he gained some dried buttermilk (yogurt) and butter (through trading). He brought that to his house-hold. We stayed for sometime (or as long as Allah wished), and then `Abdur-Rahman came, scented with yellowish perfume. The Prophet (ﷺ) said (to him) "What is this?" He replied, "I got married to an Ansari woman." The Prophet (ﷺ) asked, "What did you pay her?" He replied, "A gold stone or gold equal to the weight of a date stone." The Prophet (ﷺ) said (to him), "Give a wedding banquet even if with one sheep."

Part threeSharing the work and the city

The Ansar owned the date groves. They asked the Prophet ﷺ to divide the palms between them and their brothers, and he declined. The Ansar then proposed another arrangement. The emigrants would work in the groves alongside the owners and share the harvest, and both sides agreed. In this way people kept their self-respect and the farms had more hands.

The Ansar's generosity reached into ordinary homes. Umm Sulaym, a woman of the Ansar, brought her young son Anas to serve the Prophet ﷺ, and he stayed at his side for years. Anas grew up to become one of the great narrators of the Prophet's ﷺ words and actions.

A market also grew. The Prophet ﷺ set aside an open space in Madinah where the Muslims could trade, so that newcomers who knew trade, as many Makkans did, could earn their own living. Those with no family and no means found shelter in the mosque.

The Quran praises the Ansar for how they behaved in this period. It says they loved those who came to them, felt no envy at what the newcomers were given, and put others ahead of themselves even when they were in need. Surah al-Hashr describes them.

From the Quran

وَٱلَّذِينَ تَبَوَّءُو ٱلدَّارَ وَٱلْإِيمَـٰنَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ يُحِبُّونَ مَنْ هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ فِى صُدُورِهِمْ حَاجَةً مِّمَّآ أُوتُوا۟ وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَىٰٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ ۚ وَمَن يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِۦ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ ۝٩

As for those who had settled in the city and ˹embraced˺ the faith before ˹the arrival of˺ the emigrants, they love whoever immigrates to them, never having a desire in their hearts for whatever ˹of the gains˺ is given to the emigrants. They give ˹the emigrants˺ preference over themselves even though they may be in need. And whoever is saved from the selfishness of their own souls, it is they who are ˹truly˺ successful.

The Prophet ﷺ said that loving the Ansar is a sign of faith. Both names, Muhajirun and Ansar, are used with honour to this day. One group had given up its home for faith. The other had opened its home for faith.

The Ansar gave without being asked, and the Muhajirun accepted help but did not want to live on it.

More on How to Muslim

• guide.howtomuslim.orgHow to give sadaqahGiving, as the Ansar gave.

The mapWhere it happened

• The quarters of the Aws
• the quarters of the Khazraj
• the Prophet's ﷺ Mosque
• the market of Madinah

This map is a simple sketch to help you picture where events took place. Positions, distances and borders are approximate, so please use it for reference only, not as an accurate map.

SourcesSources for this chapter