Building the Mosque and Brotherhood
🕌 Building the Mosque and Brotherhood — The Foundations of the Islamic State
﴿ A mosque founded on piety from the first day is more worthy that you stand in it. In it are men who love to purify themselves, and Allah loves those who purify themselves ﴾
— Surah At-Tawba, verse 108
📍 Medina the Illuminated — The New Capital of Islam
The Prophet ﷺ arrived in Medina in Rabi' al-Awwal of the first year of Hijra. Medina — which was called "Yathrib" — had been waiting for this blessed day.
📜 The Scene:
The Prophet ﷺ settled in the house of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari رضي الله عنه. He spent seven months under his generous hospitality, until the Prophet's Mosque and the apartments of the Mothers of the Believers were built.
🏗️ Building the Prophet's Mosque
Choosing the Site
The Prophet's ﷺ she-camel knelt on a date-drying ground belonging to two orphans from Banu Najjar: Sahl and Suhayl, sons of 'Amr.
📜 The Scene:
The Prophet ﷺ wanted to buy the land. The two boys said: "Rather, we give it to you as a gift, O Messenger of Allah!"
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ refused and insisted on buying it. He purchased it for ten dinars, paid by Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه.
The Specifications of the First Mosque
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Length | 100 cubits (about 50 meters) |
| Width | 100 cubits |
| Walls | Mud bricks (adobe) |
| Pillars | Palm tree trunks |
| Roof | Palm fronds |
| Floor | Gravel and sand |
| Qibla | Toward Jerusalem (initially) |
The Prophet ﷺ Works with His Hands
📜 The Scene:
The Prophet ﷺ did not simply sit giving orders. He rolled up his sleeves and carried bricks and stones with his Companions!
The Companions chanted as they worked:
🎵 "O Allah, there is no life except the life of the Hereafter" 🎵
"So forgive the Ansar and the Muhajirin"And the Prophet ﷺ chanted with them!
The Suffa — The First Islamic School
The Suffa was established in the mosque — a covered space for the poor among the Muhajirin who had no shelter:
| Characteristic | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | At the back of the mosque |
| Residents | The poor among the Muhajirin |
| Purpose | Learning and worship |
| Most famous resident | Abu Hurayra رضي الله عنه |
| Number | Sometimes reached 70 men |
💬 Abu Hurayra رضي الله عنه said:
"I would fall unconscious between the minbar of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and 'Aisha's room. Someone would come and put his foot on my neck, thinking I was mad! I was not mad, it was only hunger!"
📢 The Adhan — The Call from Heaven
How Was the Adhan Instituted?
The Muslims wondered: How do we gather people for prayer?
| Proposal | Proponent | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| The bell | Some Companions | Rejected (Christian symbol) |
| The horn | Some Companions | Rejected (Jewish symbol) |
| Fire | Some Companions | Rejected (Zoroastrian symbol) |
| The vocal call | Abdullah ibn Zayd | Accepted after a vision |
The Vision of Abdullah ibn Zayd
📜 The Scene:
Abdullah ibn Zayd رضي الله عنه came to the Prophet ﷺ and said:
"O Messenger of Allah! I saw in a dream a man wearing two green garments, carrying a bell. I said to him: O servant of Allah, will you sell this bell? He said: What will you do with it? I said: We will call to prayer with it. He said: Shall I not guide you to something better? I said: Yes. He said: You say:
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar..."
When he informed the Prophet ﷺ, he said: "This is a true vision, if Allah wills! Stand with Bilal and teach it to him so he can make the call, for his voice carries better than yours"
Bilal — The First Muezzin in Islam
📜 The Scene:
Bilal رضي الله عنه climbed onto the highest house in Medina and raised his melodious voice for the first adhan:
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar
(Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest)
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar
Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah
(I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah)
Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah
Ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullah
(I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah)
Ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullah
Hayya 'ala as-Salah, Hayya 'ala as-Salah
(Come to prayer)
Hayya 'ala al-Falah, Hayya 'ala al-Falah
(Come to success)
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar
La ilaha illa Allah
(There is no deity except Allah)'Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه heard it and rushed to the Prophet ﷺ saying: "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah! I saw the same thing he saw!"
🤝 The Mu'akhat — The Greatest Social Experiment
The Problem
The Muhajirin arrived in Medina having left everything in Mecca:
- No money — confiscated by Quraysh
- No houses — left behind
- No work — they didn't know agriculture
- No family — all their relatives in Mecca
The Prophetic Solution: Brotherhood
📜 The Scene:
The Prophet ﷺ gathered the Muhajirin and Ansar in the house of Anas ibn Malik رضي الله عنه. He stood among them and said:
"Form brotherhood for Allah's sake, two by two"
Then he established brotherhood between them — each Muhajir with an Ansari — until they reached 90 men: 45 Muhajirin and 45 Ansar.
Immortal Examples of Brotherhood
1. 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn 'Awf and Sa'd ibn ar-Rabi'
📜 The Scene:
The Prophet ﷺ established brotherhood between 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn 'Awf (the Muhajir) and Sa'd ibn ar-Rabi' (the Ansari).
Sa'd said to 'Abd ar-Rahman: "My brother! I am the wealthiest of the people of Medina. Look at half of my wealth and take it! And I have two wives, look at which one pleases you more so I can divorce her for you!"
'Abd ar-Rahman said: "May Allah bless your family and your wealth! Show me the market"
He went to the market, bought and sold, until he became one of the wealthiest Companions! He married a woman from the Ansar for the weight of a date stone in gold.
2. Abu Bakr and Kharija ibn Zayd
| Muhajir | Ansari |
|---|---|
| Abu Bakr as-Siddiq | Kharija ibn Zayd |
3. 'Ali ibn Abi Talib... and the Prophet ﷺ!
📜 The Scene:
When the Prophet ﷺ established brotherhood between the Companions, 'Ali رضي الله عنه remained without a brother. His eyes filled with tears.
The Prophet ﷺ said to him: "Are you not satisfied to be to me what Aaron was to Moses, except that there is no prophet after me? You are my brother in this world and the Hereafter"
What Brotherhood Included
| Right | Details |
|---|---|
| Housing | The Muhajir lived with the Ansari |
| Wealth | They shared their wealth |
| Work | He taught him agriculture and trade |
| Inheritance | They inherited from each other (initially) |
| Support | Each defended the other |
💬 Allah تعالى said:
﴿ Those who settled in the home and in faith before them love those who emigrated to them and find in their hearts no need for what they were given. They prefer them over themselves, even if they are in need. Whoever is protected from the stinginess of his soul, those are the successful ﴾
— Surah Al-Hashr, verse 9
🏘️ Organizing the New Society
The Demographic Composition of Medina
| Group | Details |
|---|---|
| The Muhajirin | From Mecca and elsewhere |
| The Ansar (Aws) | Arab tribe |
| The Ansar (Khazraj) | Arab tribe |
| The Jews | Banu Qaynuqa', Banu Nadir, Banu Qurayza |
| The Hypocrites | Pretended to be Muslim (later) |
The Mosque — The Heart of Society
The Prophet's Mosque became the center of all life:
| Function | Explanation |
|---|---|
| 🙏 Worship | The five prayers, Friday, the two Eids |
| 📚 Education | Circles of knowledge, the Suffa |
| ⚖️ Justice | Resolving disputes, judgments |
| 🏛️ Government | Receiving delegations, decisions |
| 🤝 Meetings | Consultation, announcements |
| 🏥 Medical care | Treating the wounded (during battles) |
🕌 The Change of Qibla
The First Qibla: Jerusalem
The Muslims prayed toward Jerusalem for 16 or 17 months after the Hijra.
Longing for the Ka'ba
📜 The Scene:
The Prophet ﷺ would turn his gaze toward the sky, hoping to be directed toward the qibla of Ibrahim عليه السلام — the sacred Ka'ba.
Allah تعالى said:
﴿ We see the turning of your face toward the sky. We will turn you toward a qibla that will please you. So turn your face toward the Sacred Mosque. Wherever you are, turn your faces toward it ﴾
— Surah Al-Baqara, verse 144
The Moment of Change
📜 The Scene:
The Prophet ﷺ was praying with his Companions the dhuhr prayer in the mosque of Banu Salama. In the middle of the prayer, Jibril descended with the command to change!
The Prophet ﷺ turned from Jerusalem toward the Ka'ba, and the Companions turned behind him!
The mosque was called after that: Masjid al-Qiblatayn (the Mosque of the Two Qiblas) — the only mosque where people prayed toward two qiblas in a single prayer!
The Reactions
| Group | Position |
|---|---|
| The Muslims | They heard and obeyed |
| The Jews | They protested and condemned |
| The Hypocrites | They doubted and sowed discord |
| Quraysh | They were amazed (he's turning to our Ka'ba!) |
﴿ The foolish among the people will say: "What has turned them away from their qibla which they used to face?" Say: "To Allah belong the East and the West. He guides whom He wills to a straight path" ﴾
— Surah Al-Baqara, verse 142
📊 Summary of First Achievements
| Achievement | Impact |
|---|---|
| Building the Mosque | Center of Islamic life |
| The Suffa | First residential school |
| The Adhan | Audio identity of Muslims |
| Brotherhood | Unique social unity |
| Change of Qibla | Distinct identity from People of the Book |
🎯 Lessons and Teachings
1. 🏗️ Building Starts with the Mosque
The first thing the Prophet ﷺ did was build the mosque — center of education, worship, and governance.
2. 🤝 Brotherhood Above Tribalism
Islam abolished tribal fanaticism and made the bond of faith stronger than the bond of blood.
3. 💪 Work and Dignity
'Abd ar-Rahman ibn 'Awf refused charity and asked for work — "Show me the market."
4. 🎁 Altruism
The Ansar offered everything they had to the Muhajirin — an immortal example of sacrifice.
5. 📢 Islamic Identity
The Adhan and the change of Qibla gave Muslims a distinct and unique identity.
🌅 Conclusion
In a few months, Medina transformed from a collection of warring tribes into a united Islamic society:
- A mosque that gathers them
- An adhan that calls them
- A qibla that unites them
- A brotherhood that binds them
These are the foundations of the Islamic state that would change the course of history.
In the next lesson: The Constitution of Medina — the first written constitutional document in history... 📜