Part One: SEERAH (Biographical Sketch) CHAPTER

C:\Users\Admin\Dropbox\The Message - Material of Maulana\16. Books and Review\Apa's Books\Life And 28 The solution to this problem was found in the concept of brotherhood in Islam. The Prophet collected the Muslims and suggested that one Ansari (Madinan) Muslim and one refugee Makkan Muslim should become linked together as two brothers. They immediately accepted the suggestion of the Prophet. Each Ansari took one Makkan Muslim as his brother. This bond between the two became even more powerful than a blood relationship. The Ansari gave his Makkan brother half of everything he possessed—house, land, money and other belongings. The Prophet’s Mosque The next most important task for the Prophet was to build a mosque. This mosque was built on the land he had bought from the orphans. It had mud walls and a roof of palm leaves. Huts were built adjacent to the mosque for the Prophet’s family. A platform with a thatched roof was built in one corner of the mosque. Poor people who had no home or family lived here. They spent their time in worship and prayer. They were fed by those Muslims who could afford to do so. They also sometimes earned their living by collecting wood from the jungle and selling it in the market. These people came to be known as Ashabus-Safa, people of the bench. Abu Hurayrah, also one of Ashabus-Safa, and the most constant attendant of the Prophet, related more traditions of the sayings and doings of the Prophet than any other. Yathrib was inhabited mostly by the tribes of Aws and Khazraj. Both tribes rapidly entered the fold of Islam. Some Jewish tribes also lived in the city. They were rich, owned orchards and were very powerful. Now the Prophet turned his attention to the important task of establishing friendly relations with various tribes. The Banu Qaynuqa, Banu Nazir, Banu Qurayza, the Jewish tribes, were neither friendly nor hostile towards the Aws and Khazraj. But now that the Aws and Khazraj had accepted Islam, it was necessary to make a new treaty to determine each other’s rights and duties in the new scenario, with the Prophet as their leader.