بِنَاءُ الْمُجْتَمَعِ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ

The mosque In Madinah, everyone wanted to host the Prophet ﷺ. He let his camel walk on; she knelt on a plot of land belonging to two orphans, Sahl and Suhayl. He bought it and had his mosque built there (Bukhari 3906). He carried bricks himself with his companions, who sang as they worked (Bukhari 428). The mosque was simple: walls of mud brick, pillars of palm trunks, a roof of palm leaves. It served as a place of prayer, a school, a meeting place and a shelter for the poor (ahl aṣ-ṣuffa). Its rooms, alongside, were those of his family.

The brotherhood The emigrants (al-muhaajiruun) had arrived from Makkah with nothing. The Prophet ﷺ joined each of them to a man of the Anṣaar ("the helpers", the Muslims of Madinah), as brothers. Sa'd ibn ar-Rabii' offered 'Abd ar-Raḥmaan ibn 'Awf half of his property; 'Abd ar-Raḥmaan thanked him and asked only: "Show me the market." He traded and became rich through his own work (Bukhari 2048). Allah praises the Anṣaar in verse 59:9 (below).

The covenant of Madinah The Prophet ﷺ had a document written that organised the life of the town: the Muslims of Quraysh and of Yathrib form one community; the Jewish tribes of Madinah keep their religion and their property; all defend the town together against attack; disputes are brought before the Prophet ﷺ (reported by Ibn Isḥaaq and Ibn Hishaam) [À VÉRIFIER : authenticité de la chaîne et détail des clauses].

The call to prayer The Muslims were looking for a way to call people to prayer; a bell or a horn was suggested. 'Umar suggested sending someone to call, and the Prophet ﷺ said: "Bilaal, stand up and call to prayer" (Bukhari 604, Muslim 377). 'Abdullah ibn Zayd saw the words of the adhaan in a dream; the Prophet ﷺ confirmed that it was a true dream and asked that they be taught to Bilaal, who had a strong voice (reported by Abu Daawud) [À VÉRIFIER : numéro].

The change of qibla In Madinah, the Muslims first prayed towards Jerusalem for sixteen or seventeen months. The Prophet ﷺ wished to face the Ka'ba; Allah revealed: "We see you turning your face towards the sky; We shall turn you towards a qibla that will please you: so turn your face towards the Sacred Mosque" (meaning of verse 2:144). Companions praying elsewhere learned of it during their prayer and turned at once (Bukhari 40, Muslim 525).

The first obligations In the second year of the Hijra, the fast of Ramadan and the charity at the end of the fast (zakaat al-fiṭr) were prescribed; they are studied in the course "Ramadan and fasting" [À VÉRIFIER : date de la zakât sur les biens].

Exercise: the brotherhood of Madinah was born of a practical gesture. Choose someone new in your neighbourhood, your workplace or your mosque, and do something useful for them this week.

The text: Surah Al-Ḥashr (59), verse 9 وَالَّذِينَ تَبَوَّءُوا الدَّارَ وَالْإِيمَانَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ يُحِبُّونَ مَنْ هَاجَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ فِي صُدُورِهِمْ حَاجَةً مِمَّا أُوتُوا وَيُؤْثِرُونَ عَلَىٰ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَلَوْ كَانَ بِهِمْ خَصَاصَةٌ ۚ وَمَنْ يُوقَ شُحَّ نَفْسِهِ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٩﴾

Meaning: "And those who, before them, settled in the town and in faith love those who emigrate to them; they feel in their hearts no envy for what these have been given, and they prefer them to themselves, even if they are in need. And whoever is protected from the stinginess of his own soul, those are the successful." This verse describes the Anṣaar.

Arabic text: Tanzil Quran Text (Simple, version 1.0.2), © 2008-2010 Tanzil.net, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence, reproduced without any change (http://tanzil.net). Each verse is on its own line, followed by its number; the basmala, which the Tanzil file places at the start of the first verse, is written on its own line.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation The first thing the Prophet ﷺ built in Madinah was a mosque: the link with Allah is the foundation of society. The second was brotherhood: the link between people. The third was a covenant: clear rules for living together, including with those who are not Muslims. Scholars see in this order a method for every community. The brotherhood of Madinah shows two noble attitudes. That of the Anṣaar, who give even when in need (59:9). And that of 'Abd ar-Raḥmaan ibn 'Awf, who accepts help with dignity but prefers to work. The generosity of the one and the dignity of the other complete each other. The change of qibla was a test of obedience. The companions who turned in the middle of their prayer show how quickly they responded: they did not wait to understand all the wisdom before obeying.

Lessons to draw from it • Make the mosque a centre of life: prayer, knowledge, mutual help. • Welcome newcomers and share with them. • Accept help with dignity, and prefer to earn one's living. • Respect agreements and live with others by fair rules. • Obey promptly what Allah commands.

Key points to remember • The Prophet's ﷺ mosque (Bukhari 3906, 428). • Brotherhood: Sa'd ibn ar-Rabii' and 'Abd ar-Raḥmaan ibn 'Awf (Bukhari 2048); 59:9. • The covenant of Madinah (Ibn Hishaam). • The adhaan; Bilaal (Bukhari 604, Muslim 377). • The qibla towards the Ka'ba after 16 or 17 months (Bukhari 40, Muslim 525).

The main message A community is built on three pillars: the link with Allah, brotherhood between believers and fair rules for all. Begin with the mosque, and open your heart to your brothers.