Bonds of Brotherhood in Medina

There are a few narrations about the bond of brotherhood established with Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra). In one narration, [it is recorded] that the Holy Prophet (sa) established a bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and Hazrat Kharijah bin Zaid (ra).

(Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah, Vol. 2, Kharijah bin Zaid [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi, 2005], p. 190)

In another narration, it is recorded that the Holy Prophet (sa) formed a bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and Hazrat Umar (ra).

(Ibn Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 3, Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra) wa min Bani Tayyim… [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi, 1996], p. 93)

The bond of brotherhood established with Hazrat Umar (ra) took place in Mecca. The narration regarding this states that the bond of brotherhood established with Hazrat Umar (ra) was formed in Mecca.

Allamah Ibn Asakir writes:

“The Holy Prophet (sa) established a bond of brotherhood between Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra) and Hazrat Umar (ra) bin Khattab in Mecca. After migrating to Medina, all such bonds of brotherhood were annulled with the exception of two; one was the bond of brotherhood between the Holy Prophet (sa) himself and Hazrat Ali (ra), and the other was between Hazrat Hamzahra and Hazrat Zaid bin Harithah (ra).”

(Ibn ‘Asakir, Tarikh Dimashq al-Kabir, Vol. 16, Abdullah bin Uthman bin Quhafah [Beirut, Lebanon: Dar Ihya’ al-Turah al-‘Arabi, 2001], p. 32)

With respect to when these bonds of brotherhood were formed, historical accounts state that these bonds were established on two occasions. Allama Qastallani, who wrote a commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, writes:

“Bonds of brotherhood were established on two occasions. The first time the Muslims were joined in bonds was in Mecca before the migration – they were between Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) and Hazrat Umar (ra), Hazrat Hamza (ra) and Hazrat Zaid (ra) bin Haritha, Hazrat Uthman (ra) and Hazrat Abdur Rahman (ra) bin Auf, Hazrat Zubair (ra) and Hazrat Abdullah (ra) bin Mas‘ud, and Hazrat Ali (ra) and the Holy Prophet (sa) himself. Thereafter, when the Holy Prophet (sa) migrated to Medina, he established bonds of brotherhood between the Muhajirin and the Ansar in the house of Hazrat Anas bin Malik (ra).”

Ibn Saad writes, “The Holy Prophet (sa) joined 100 Companions (ra) in bonds of brotherhood.”

In other words, these were formed between 50 Muhajirin and 50 Ansar.

(Irshad al-Sari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 7, p. 133, Hadith 3937, Dar al-Fikr, 2010)