Narration · Early 1 AH (622 CE)
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sat down and carried out the muakha in our house.
withMuhammad ﷺ
~Beginning 1 AH (622 CE), continuing through the Madani period · 1 AH
One of the first things the Prophet ﷺ did after arriving in Madinah was the muakha, the "brothering." Some early scholars say he did it even before the masjid was built. He paired every male Muhajir (an emigrant from Makkah) with an Ansari (a Muslim native of Madinah), and each pair became brothers.
Over 100 pairs were made. The Prophet ﷺ chose every pairing himself, because he knew each of the Muhajirun better than anyone. The two people in a pair usually had a great deal in common. For example, he paired Abu Bakr RA with Kharijah ibn Zayd RA, and both were noblemen of their people. Anas ibn Malik RA recalled that the Prophet ﷺ sat down and arranged the muakha "in our house," which scholars take to mean in Anas's part of Madinah.
At first the bond was so complete that the brothers even inherited from one another. This rule was abrogated after the Battle of Badr, when Allah revealed in Surah al-Anfal that blood relatives are more entitled to inheritance (8:75).
The Ansar were already very generous to the Muhajirun. They even offered the Prophet ﷺ half of their land for the Muhajirun. He made du'a for them but declined the gift. Instead, the Muhajirun would work the land and the Ansar would share the produce with them. He wanted the Muhajirun to earn their living rather than live on free handouts, which might one day breed resentment among the descendants of the two groups.
The muakha did not stop after the early days. It continued through the whole Madinan period. Ja'far ibn Abi Talib RA only reached Madinah in the 7th year of the Hijrah, and the Prophet ﷺ still paired him with Mu'adh ibn Jabal RA. It is also reported that he arranged a muakha for Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, who accepted Islam after the Conquest of Makkah (8 AH).
The muakha shows that a healthy society needs a strong bond to hold it together. It also shows that a true leader puts his guidance into practice himself rather than only giving advice. Finally, it shows how the shariah was revealed gradually. Inheritance between brothers suited the Muhajirun while they had no family in Madinah, and the rule was changed once they had families of their own.
Other events recorded in 1 AH. Their order within the year is not established; use the storyline above for the sequence.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sat down and carried out the muakha in our house.
No. They shall do work, and take their wages in dates and in food. And you shall have your share as well.
Said in response to the Ansar's offer to give half their land to the Muhajirun.
No. They will not get all of your reward, so long as you praise them and make du'a for them. You have your reward, and they have theirs.
Said to reassure the Muhajirun, who worried that the Ansar's generosity might take away the reward due for what they had themselves given up and endured in Makkah.
The sign of Iman is to love the Ansar; and the sign of hypocrisy is to hate the Ansar.
وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحْسَانٍ رَّضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي تَحْتَهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ
“Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him.”
This ayah's praise of the earliest Muhajirun and Ansar reflects the same two groups the Prophet ﷺ paired together at this event.
وَالَّذِينَ تَبَوَّءُوا الدَّارَ وَالْإِيمَانَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ يُحِبُّونَ مَنْ هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ فِي صُدُورِهِمْ حَاجَةً مِّمَّا أُوتُوا وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ
“And those who prepared the abode (the home) and [adopted] the faith before them...They love those who Emigrated to them and found no hesitancy in their hearts for whatever [of the gains] is given to the Muhajirun, and they preferred them over themselves, even if they were in poverty.”
This ayah (Q59:9), describing the Ansar's generosity and preference for the Muhajirun over themselves, is the Qur'an's own praise of the very bond instituted at this event.
وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِن بَعْدُ وَهَاجَرُوا وَجَاهَدُوا مَعَكُمْ فَأُولَٰئِكَ مِنكُمْ ۚ وَأُولُو الْأَرْحَامِ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلَىٰ بِبَعْضٍ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
“And those who believed after [the initial Emigration] and Emigrated and fought with you - they are of you. But those of [blood] relationship are more entitled [to inheritance] in the decree of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Knowing of all things.”
This ayah (Q8:75), which shifted inheritance rights from the muakha brotherhood bond back to blood relations, is the Qur'an's own reference to the pairing instituted at this event.