Islam is the religion of love, peace, and affection. Islam teaches the lesson of brotherhood between Muslims which we can say the Muslim Brotherhood. Muslim Brotherhood is the basis for a good Muslim society and making friends among Muslims opens the way toward better understanding and building a better Muslim Community. Although we use the word “brotherhood,” what we mean is a faith-based community that includes both men and women as brothers and sisters in religion. Allah says:

وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا وَاذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَاءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِ إِخْوَانًا

“Hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. Remember the favour of Allah upon you, when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became brothers by his favour.” (Surat Ali Imran 3:103)

Brotherhood in Islam is a comprehensive concept that is based upon a good character with others, treating others the way we want to be treated, and uniting together upon common values. It has three levels of degree: religion, family, and humanity. Each of these levels has a set of rights and duties that a Muslim must uphold with others.  Allah says:

إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

“The believers are but brothers, so make reconciliation between your brothers and fear Allah that you may receive mercy.” (Surat al-Hujurat 49:10)

Islam teaches the lesson of brotherhood between Muslims which we can say the Muslim Brotherhood. It is befitting for them to be like that. As one hand would not love except what the other loves and one eye or one leg or one ear would not love except what the other loves. Likewise, he should not love his Muslim brother except for what he loves for himself.  Islam establishes brotherhood based on faith.

Here are some ways to strengthen brotherhood among Muslims:

1. Muslim never charges of infidelity, heresy, and misguidance
2. Muslim has greeting of peace in the right of brotherhood
3. Muslims should be secure from the enmity of the desires
4. Muslim secure the heart from every type of enmity
5. Muslims should be servants of Allah like brothers
6. Muslim over another Muslim is covered his faults
7. Muslim brother except what he loves for himself
8. Muslims should brotherhood on the social level
9. Muslims should fulfil the rights of brotherhood
10. Muslims are entitled to a religious community
11. Muslims should forgiveness and tolerance
12. Muslims never turn away from each other
13. Muslims should have empathy and care 
14. Muslims should love each other
15. Muslims never hate each other
16. Muslims is the source of unity
17. Muslims never envy each other
18. Muslim should have a pure heart
19. Muslims give sincere counsel, and love
20. Muslims should love for the Sake of Allah 
21. Muslims must praise Allah for this blessing
22. Muslims is to receive mercy from Allah SWT
23. Muslims give them sincere counsel and love 
24. Muslims urges treating others in a good way
25. Muslims never hatred and malice towards them
26. Muslim should acknowledge his brothers’ merits
27. Muslim could help due to a bond of brotherhood
28. Muslims should realize the rules of disagreement
29. Muslims pray to Allah to support us and reward us
30. Muslims should brotherhood on the individual level
31. Muslims calls unity in a brotherhood of good deeds
32. Muslim be a responsibility to pray for him when he sneezes

The strongest level of brotherhood is the sense of community, friendship, and common purpose in Islam for the sake of Allah. At this level, the believers work together towards fulfilling the goals of the religion and living out its divine values. Although we use the word “brotherhood,” what we mean is a faith-based community that includes both men and women as brothers and sisters in religion. Allah says:

إِيَّاكُمْ وَالظَّنَّ فَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ أَكْذَبُ الْحَدِيثِ وَلَا تَحَسَّسُوا وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا وَلَا تَنَافَسُوا وَلَا تَحَاسَدُوا وَلَا تَبَاغَضُوا وَلَا تَدَابَرُوا وَكُونُوا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ إِخْوَانًا

“Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the most false of speech. Do not seek out faults, do not spy on each other, do not contend with each other, do not envy each other, do not hate each other, and do not turn away from each other. Rather, be servants of Allah like brothers.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5719)

Brotherhood is not only based on faith, but it is also a part of that faith. The Prophet (SAW) said: “You cannot enter paradise unless you become a total believer and you won’t become a total believer unless you love each other.” Faith and community are inseparable in the faith community produced by Islam. Islam also teaches about brotherhood regarding the original parentage that is concerning to earthly origin all are descendants of the same pair of human beings those are Adam and Eve. Allah says:

يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِي قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّا لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ

“They say: Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts any resentment toward those who have faith. Our Lord, you are kind and merciful.” (Surat al-Hashr 59:10)

The level of brotherhood involves purifying the heart of all enmity, hatred, and grudge for those who have faith, including for the righteous predecessors of Islam, those who believed in the previous prophets, and the general masses of believers throughout all of history. The believers love for each other what they love for themselves. They avoid harming one another, they are generous with one another, and they behave in the best manner.

Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:

• “Verily, this Brotherhood of yours is a single Brotherhood, and I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore serve Me (and no other).” (Surah Al-Anbiya, 92)
• “And verily this Brotherhood of yours is a single Brotherhood, and I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore fear Me (and no other).” (Surah Al-Muminun, 52)
• “If only they had listened to us they would not have been slain.” Say: “Avert death from your selves, if ye speak the truth.” (Surah Al-Imran, 168)
• “O, my Lord! I have power only over myself and my brother: so separate us from this rebellious people!” (Surah Al-MaÂ’ida, 25)
• “But their brethren (the evil ones) plunge them deeper into error, and never relax (their efforts).”  (Surah Al-A‘raf, 202)
• “The Believers are but a single Brotherhood: So make peace and reconciliation between your two (contending) brothers; and fear Allah, that ye may receive Mercy.” (Surah Hal-Hujurat, 10)

Among the rights of a Muslim over another Muslim are that he cover his faults, forgive his mistakes, have mercy for his errors, overlook his missteps, reject his backbiting, always give him sincere advice, preserve his good traits, guard his covenants, answer his invitations, accept his guidance, repay his gifts, show gratitude for his favours, assist him in the best manner, fulfil his needs. Allah says:

وَإِن جَاهَدَاكَ عَلَىٰ أَن تُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا ۖ وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًا ۖ وَاتَّبِعْ سَبِيلَ مَنْ أَنَابَ إِلَيَّ

“If they strive to make you associate with Me that of which you do not know, do not obey them but accompany them in the world with good conduct and follow the way of those who turn back to Me.” (Surat Luqman 31:15)

The objective of this tradition is to unite the hearts of people and rectify their circumstances, and it is a major principle in Islam that Allah the Exalted has enjoined… In clarification of that, if every person loved for others what he loves for himself he would treat them in the best manner, he would not harm them as he loves for himself to be treated well and not harmed. Allah says:

مَا مِنْ ذَنْبٍ أَجْدَرُ أَنْ يُعَجِّلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى لِصَاحِبِهِ الْعُقُوبَةَ فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعَ مَا يَدَّخِرُ لَهُ فِي الآخِرَةِ مِثْلُ الْبَغْىِ وَقَطِيعَةِ الرَّحِمِ

“There is no sin more deserving for Allah to quicken its punishment in this life, in addition to the Hereafter, other than transgression and cutting off family ties.” (Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2511)

As a Muslims, we must treat them well according to the rights for which they are entitled, whether they are family members or fellow human beings. We should promote brotherhood so that we can portray the true and best picture of the Islamic religion to the world so that non-Muslims would adopt this faith much more readily because they would see the fruits of this faith in its enthusiast. May Allah help us to establish the true spirit of brotherhood by forgetting our so-called differences.