Rasulullah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: "Friday is the best of days. It was on this day that Hadrat Aadam alayhis salaam was created, it was on this day that he was granted entry into jannah, it was on this day that he was removed from jannah (which became the cause for man's existence in this universe, and which is a great blessing), and the day of resurrection will also take place on this day. " (Sahih Muslim)

The 3^rd March 2010 was the 86^th anniversary of the destruction of the Khilafah. After tasting the bitter fruits of socialism in the 1950's and then the mirage of independence throughout the 1960's and 1970's, the situation of the Ummah across the world remains the same if not worse. As a result, the problems the Ummah faces have ballooned into many other issues.

The Ummah faces a number of challenges since the destruction of the Khilafah that would need to be overcome for change. Challenges such as poverty, development, healthcare as well as sustainable economic growth, distribution of wealth and industrial development have for long been the centre of debate and discussion between policy makers, intellectuals and government ministers. Unfortunately such a debate has skewed the discussion of change, and whilst many material obstacles need to be overcome by the Ummah, change from some perspectives remains a physiological barrier rather than material i.e. do the Ummah believe change is possible.

The birth of any nation would require those who espoused change and those that participated in its emergence to ascertain the nation's strengths and advantages. Those elements considered necessary but absent would need the development of policies so they can be overcome.  

Otto Van Bismarck oversaw German unification which set the nation on the path to industrial supremacy. Beginning in 1884, Germany established several colonies outside of Europe in order to overcome its shortage of mineral resources. Bismarck managed to achieve unification of the German lands which many had attempted for nearly a thousand years. Such unification meant German resources and minerals could all follow one unified policy and for once Germany could be domestically developed without facing any secessionist calls.

Similarly Japan by the turn of the 20^th century had managed to develop its industries. However the rapid growth of the economy had made Japan painfully aware of its limited natural resources. Japan overcame such disadvantages through a programme of aggressive territorial expansion through conquering the Korean peninsula and surging deep into China in order to exploit labour and resources.  In a similar manner the British Empire conquered foreign territories for export markets and utilised slave labour to overcome small workforce.

These examples show that all nations need some very basic ingredients to emerge as a powerful states and ones that can very quickly establish a prosperous standard of living for its people with  secure borders. The development of infrastructure, defence industries and energy are fundamental for any nation, the possession of mineral resources would therefore be a strategic strength and a huge advantage for the emergence of a nation. The examples of Germany and Japan are examples of societies - rightly or wrongly, who overcame shortages of the key building blocks for a new nation.

When one looks at the potential of the Muslim Ummah, the Muslim lands do not just posses the key building blocks for a new nation, but over a beyond this reality the Khilafah would emerge a very powerful state due to the many strengths it will inherit that are present in the Muslim lands.

Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:

الَر ك�تَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاه� إ�لَيْكَ ل�ت�خْر�جَ النَّاسَ م�نَ الظّ�ل�مَات� إ�لَى النّ�ور� ب�إ�ذْن� رَبّ�ه�مْ إ�لَى ص�رَاط� الْعَز�يز� الْحَم�يد�

"Alif. Lam. Ra. This is a book which we have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that you might bring mankind out of darkness into the light by the permission of their Lord - to the path of the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy." [Ibrahim, 14:1]

The propagation of Islam is achieved through projecting an image of strength globally, so that those who have designs on the Ummah should consider the existence of its deterrent force so powerful as to render success in an attack too doubtful to be worthwhile.

And Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:

وَأَع�دّ�واْ لَه�م مَّا اسْتَطَعْت�م مّ�ن ق�وَّة� وَم�ن رّ�بَاط� الْخَيْل� ت�رْه�ب�ونَ ب�ه� عَدْوَّ اللّه� وَعَد�وَّك�مْ وَآخَر�ينَ م�ن د�ون�ه�مْ لاَ تَعْلَم�ونَه�م� اللّه� يَعْلَم�ه�مْ وَمَا ت�ن��ق�واْ م�ن شَيْء� ��ي سَب�يل� اللّه� ي�وَ�َّ إ�لَيْك�مْ وَأَنت�مْ لاَ ت�ظْلَم�ونَ

"And prepare against them what force you can and horses tied at the frontier, to frighten thereby the enemy of Allah and your enemy and others besides them, whom you do not know (but) Allah knows them; and whatever thing you will spend in Allah's way, it will be paid back to you fully and you shall not be dealt with unjustly." [Al-Anfal: 60]

All of this makes it essential for the Khilafah to field an advanced military and have a strong manufacturing base.

The Muslim Ummah collectively possesses over 700 billion barrels of oil and half of the world's gas. Both the worlds key energy sources. It is for this reason the Muslim countries produce half of the world's daily oil requirement and 30% of the world's gas needs. Alongside this Saudi Arabia posses the worlds largest oil field, whilst Qatar and Iran posses the worlds largest gas field.

The Ummah globally number 1.6 billion, more importantly over 60% of the Ummah is below the age of 28. The importance of a large population is critical for domestic economic development and defence. The absence of a large pool of labour means the nation cannot be constructed or in many cases would take decades before it was able to become self sufficient. On the emergence of the Khilafah for the defence of its borders the Khaleef will have the capability to deploy armed forces of over 4 million personnel.

Alongside this the Ummah will inherit many of advantages. The geographical distribution of the Ummah and the Muslim lands means some of the world's key strategic waterways and airspace will be Islamic periphery. 40% of the world's oil passes through the Straits of Hormuz waterway that straddles between the Gulf of Oman in the southeast and the Persian Gulf in the southwest. This fact alone makes it the most important waterway in the world. The Suez Canal is considered one of the world's most important waterways as it links Asian markets to the Mediterranean and Europe. 7.5% of global sea trade transits the canal. Similarly the Messenger of Allah  ØµÙ„Ù‰ الله عليه وسلم ensured that key trade routes in the Hijaz were under Islamic control, which severely weakened the enemies of Islam to manoeuvre and weaken the Ummah.

Whilst many in the Ummah live in severe poverty, this by no means is due to the absence of agriculture in the Muslim lands. In fact the facts on ground, with the right polices will make the Khilafah the worlds bread basket. Egyptian agriculture takes place in some 6 million acres of fertile soil in the Nile Valley and Delta, It has made Egypt amongst the worlds largest agricultural producers and is the worlds largest producer of dates, second largest producer of geese meat and the worlds third largest producer of buffalo and camel meat. Pakistan's not only irrigates more land than the whole of Europe combined, but Pakistan is also the world's largest producer of ghee (Clarified Butter), the 2nd largest producer of chickpeas, buffalo meat and milk, the 3rd largest producer of Okra vegetables, the 4th largest producer of apricot, cotton, goat's milk and mangos and the 5th largest producer of onion and sugar cane. At the same time Turkey is the world's largest producer of hazelnut, fig, apricot, cherry, quince and pomegranate. The Ummah already before the Khilafah is the world's breadbasket.

The Muslim lands also posses the world's largest aluminium smelter in Bahrain, critical for industrialisation, the worlds largest open pit Gold Mine in Uzbekistan's Qizilqum Desert, the worlds largest aluminium plant in Tajikistan, the world largest coal field in the Thar dessert in Pakistan and the worlds largest producer of tin - Indonesia.

The real question that needs to be asked is how is it possible for a people so rich and so plentiful in resources, to be so poor in reality? There is only reason for this and that is the rulers over the Muslim lands have never had any intention of making the right use of such huge wealth for their people. The Muslim lands posses all the necessary ingredients to take its own destiny into its own hands; it now just needs a ruler who fulfils the destiny of the Ummah. The Ummah has no need to colonise other peoples or engage in territorial expansion as Germany and Japan and the British Empire did, as it has all the necessary ingredients within its own borders.

The definition of Brotherhood varies between dictionaries, ranging from blood relationships to associations based on common interests and activities such as unions and professional associations.

Islam redefined brotherhood in a new and profound manner by changing the relationship from one based on personal interest or mutual activity to a permanent bond based on belief and acceptance of Islam.

Allah سبحانه وتعالى revealed:

إ�نَّمَا الْم�ؤْم�ن�ونَ إ�خْوَةٌ �َأَصْل�ح�وا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْك�مْ وَاتَّق�وا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّك�مْ ت�رْحَم�ونَ

"The believers are nothing else than brothers. So make reconciliation between your brothers, and fear Allah, that you may receive mercy." [Al-Hujjurat, 49:10]

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم also said about brotherhood: "None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself." [Bukhari & Muslim]

Upon completion of the Hijrah and building the masjid in Madinah, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم proceeded to establish one of the main pillars of an Islamic community - brotherhood. He paired up the Muhajireen and Ansar, who were virtual strangers to each other prior to this. The two groups understood and accepted the responsibilities that came with this pairing, leading to unique acts, such as sharing wealth and other brotherly deeds, which helped ease the difficulties facing the Muhajireen who left everything behind in Makkah.

This action had brought about a profound transformation in perception of what brotherhood means between members of the Muslim community. It redefined the concept of brotherhood beyond the typical understanding of blood or tribal relationships. This was clearly demonstrated by Mus'ab Ibn Umayr when he found his blood brother Abu ‘Azeez - who was among those captured during the battle of Badr. Upon reaching Madinah, Abu 'Azeez was lodged with Abu Yusr Alansari, and Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr said to Abu Yusr: "Treat him harshly, for his mother is a wealthy woman." Abu 'Azeez said: "Brother is it for you to give this counsel?" "You are not my brother," replied Mu'sab, "my brother is the one who is tying up your hands." [Ibn Hisham]

The brotherhood established after Hijrah came with explicit and implicit responsibilities between Muslims, as individuals and as members of the Islamic State. It was the responsibility of the strong to help the weak, of the rich to help the poor, and of the knowledgeable to help those seeking knowledge. Furthermore, it was a responsibility of brotherhood to enjoin the good and forbid the evil.

We should always keep these actions of the Sahabah at the forefront of our minds, since they are the practical interpretation of brotherhood as defined by Islam.

Brotherhood is an obligation, not a choice

The evidences (Adilla) regarding the obligation of brotherhood in the Qur'an, the Sunnah and the life of the Sahabah are strikingly clear. We must be extremely vigilant in correctly upholding this concept to prevent transforming the relationship into a shallow bond, lacking the true essence of Islamic brotherhood.

Sadly, one of the issues facing Muslims in the West is "life in the fast lane," and due to this lifestyle, we tend to rush our dealings with one another. We should, for example, try to take a few minutes after Jum'ah prayers and greet our brothers next to us with Salaam, and introduce ourselves to them. We should neither be shy nor be afraid of a cold response, keeping in mind that we are only seeking the pleasure of Allah سبحانه وتعالى and following the Sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "You will not enter paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not guide you to something which if you carry out you will love one another? Spread salaam amongst yourselves." [Muslim]

It is necessary to let our brothers know that we care for their well-being, that we sincerely love them as we do our own blood brothers, and that we are ready to help them in any way we are able to.

It has been narrated by Al-Bukhari in Al-Adaabul-Mufrad that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "If one of you loves his brother for Allah's sake, then let him know, since it causes familiarity to endure and firmly establishes love."

Muslims have the responsibility to give sincere advice to their fellow brothers and sisters to abstain from haram and stay on the course of halal in every aspect of life, following the basic rule of verifying every action with Hukum Shar'iee - whether in our ibadah (worship) or muamulat (social transactions).

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "Each of you is the mirror of his brother, so if he sees a fault in him he should wipe it away from him." [Tirmidhi]

Brotherhood in Islam imposes a great responsibility on us to protect our brothers and sisters from harm, even from their own selves. We should ensure that we do not allow ourselves or others around us to engage in activities that could affect the unity of the Muslim Ummah. One such activity is backbiting; we must refrain from initiating or participating in it. Allah سبحانه وتعالى revealed:

يَا أَيّ�هَا الَّذ�ينَ آمَن�وا اجْتَن�ب�وا كَث�يراً مّ�نَ الظَّنّ� إ�نَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنّ� إ�ثْمٌ وَلَا تَجَسَّس�وا وَلَا يَغْتَب بَّعْض�ك�م بَعْضًا أَي�ح�بّ� أَحَد�ك�مْ أَن يَأْك�لَ لَحْمَ أَخ�يه� مَيْتًا �َكَر�هْت�م�وه� وَاتَّق�وا اللَّهَ إ�نَّ اللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَّح�يمٌ

"O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion, indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it. And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful." [Al-Hujjurat, 49:12]

Envy and jealousy are also forbidden, which are the common causes of problems amongst brothers and sisters.

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "Do not have malice against a Muslim; do not be envious of other Muslims; do not go against a Muslim and forsake him. O the slave of Allah! Be like brothers with each other. It is not allowed for a Muslim to desert his brother for over three days." [Muslim & Tirmidhi]

We should also be aware that a brother or sister in Islam has five rights over us, as the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: "Every Muslim has five rights over another Muslim: to return the greetings, to visit the sick, to accompany funeral processions, to accept an invitation, and to respond to the one that sneezes." [Bukhari & Muslim]

It is clear from the above examples that, in Islam, brotherhood is not merely a word we mention to each other when we meet casually or when we engage in business transactions. Rather, it is an obligation, and a deep sense of responsibility and caring for the well-being of our brothers and sisters, not only in our local communities but around the world as well.

Muslims are like one body

One of the most fatal ideas to the concept of brotherhood that has been promoted is the concept of "Ummah fragmentation." This concept suggests that issues of Muslims in one country should not be of concern to Muslims in other countries. The fragmentation of the Ummah is like a fatal virus that, when adopted intentionally or unintentionally by the Muslims, leads to a clear violation to the aforementioned evidences in the Qur'an and Sunnah, and consequently causes a complete decay in the obligation of brotherhood.

The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم described the Ummah as one body; if one member becomes sick then the other members of this one body will take care of the sick one:

"The Believers, in their mutual love, mercy and compassion, are like one body: if one organ complained, the rest of the body develops a fever." [Bukhari & Muslim]

The media outlets and internet have no shortage of news revealing the turmoil that Muslims are living in around the world: from occupation of Muslim lands to the dire poverty of our brothers and sisters. This is where a sense of brotherhood becomes the vital connection between Muslims around the globe. It is our obligation to be politically and intellectually aware of all affairs impacting Muslims everywhere. Allah سبحانه وتعالى has described the believer as a brother to another believer, and therefore it should pain us - just as it would if it were our own blood brother - when we read about the plight of our fellow Muslims.

Sustaining the sense of brotherhood

The enormity of events facing Muslims, coupled with the visible impotence and corruption of the ruling regimes in Muslim lands, are creating frustration and an artificial sense of helplessness among Muslims. This sense of frustration and helplessness is also further fuelled by the daily pressures of life facing Muslims. All these factors lead to a gradual decline in reacting to the turmoil facing Muslims outside of their immediate circle of friends and blood relatives - causing a fatal departure from the very foundations and ties of the Ummah.

Muslims should always gravitate toward the concept of brotherhood and the obligation of helping and sympathizing with our brothers and sisters in Islam regardless of where they are or what their condition is.

Although helping our brothers and sisters may not be physically possible in all circumstances, it is imperative to always care and be concerned for their affairs, regardless of geography or language, and do whatever is possible within the circumstances. It is imperative to care, or even train ourselves to care for Muslims in nearby or remote parts of the world by reminding ourselves that our bond with all Muslims is that of brothers and sisters.

Preserving our Muslim identity is both an obligation and a challenge at the same time. It is paramount for Muslims anywhere and at anytime to remain aware of the concept of brotherhood as a most critical tool in striving to keep our distinct identity, especially in the West. Therefore, it is an obligation to follow the lead of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and his Companions in this manner and do whatever is necessary to maintain it.

May Allah سبحانه وتعالى bless us with the same brotherhood the Sahabah had under the shade of Khilafah Rashidah. Ameen.

وَاعْتَص�م�واْ ب�حَبْل� اللّه� جَم�يعًا وَلاَ تَ�َرَّق�واْ وَاذْك�ر�واْ ن�عْمَتَ اللّه� عَلَيْك�مْ إ�ذْ ك�نت�مْ أَعْدَاء �َأَلَّ�َ بَيْنَ ق�ل�وب�ك�مْ �َأَصْبَحْت�م ب�ن�عْمَت�ه� إ�خْوَانًا وَك�نت�مْ عَلَىَ شَ�َا ح��ْرَة� مّ�نَ النَّار� �َأَنقَذَك�م مّ�نْهَا كَذَل�كَ ي�بَيّ�ن� اللّه� لَك�مْ آيَات�ه� لَعَلَّك�مْ تَهْتَد�ونَ

Open source is a concept of free sharing of technical information that has been around for much longer than most of us would imagine. When we think of open source today, we usually think of software. As wonderful and widely used as open source software is, according to Linus Torvalds, "the future is open source everything." From foods and beverages to scientific and health research studies and advanced technological innovations, the world has turned to open source.