The Emigrants and Helpers( Muhajireen and Ansar)

The Holy Quran has presented Ansar and Muhajireen as the two groups of people who sacrificed in the way
of Allah and who happily accepted every possible loss for the upliftment of Islam.

The word Muhajireen, which is the plural of Muhajir, is derived from Hijra, which is not mere migration from
one’s homeland for settlement in another place for the purpose of safety or betterment. Instead, migration, in
the religious connotation carries a different proposition altogether. Here it stands for leaving one’s permanent
adobe, not for some selfish end, but for the cause of Allah. Muhajireen were the emigrants who migrated from
Makkah to Madinah for the pleasure of Allah.

The word Ansar is the plural of Nasir, which means the one who helps, and it is generally used for those
believers who were early residents of Madinah, and who welcomed the believers migrating from Makkah
under the Command of Allah and His Prophet (saw).

The Messenger of Allah established brotherhood between the Muhajireen and the Ansar, and they were put
under an obligation to assist one another. He instituted his brotherhood with Hazrat Ali ibn Abu Talib, his uncle
Hazrat Hamza became the brother to his servant Hazrat Zayd, and Hazrat Abu Bakr and Kharijah ibn Zayd
became brothers after a similar fashion. He then invited the Muhajireen and Ansar to form a similar
brotherhood, so Hazrat Umar ibn al-Khattab and Hazrat Utbah ibn Malik al- Khazraj became brothers to each
other, as did Hazrat Talha ibn Ubaydullah and Hazrat Abu Ayub al-Ansari and Hazrat Abd-al-Rahman ibn Auf
and Hazrat Sa’ad ibn al-Rabi and so on.

The Ansar of Madinah welcomed with love and affection whoever came to them from amongst the
Muhajireen. They were so eager to form a brotherhood that they had to draw lots to allocate their shares. The
Ansar gave the Muhajireen authority over their homes, their furniture, their land and their animals. They
always preferred their brother Muhajirs over themselves in every way. Even if they themselves were indigent
and living a life of hardship.

The brotherhood had its material effect as well, for the Ansar had shown a great deal of generosity towards
their emigrant brethren, which made the ties between them all the stronger. The Ansar offered them money
and property and shared everything with them. They traded and farmed together too. The traders amongst
cheese, and others who were business-minded did likewise. Those who did not take up trading went into
farming, like Hazrat Abu Bakr and Hazrat Ali who worked the lands given to them by the Ansar. From the Ansar
there was great benevolence as they demonstrated their generosity to their Muslims brothers while the
Muhajireen retained their self-respect.

The Holy Quran speaks of the Muhajireen and Ansar as the first and the foremost of the righteous believers,
with whom Allah was well-pleased and they were well-pleased with Allah and for them Allah has prepared
Gardens of Paradise underneath which rivers flow, wherein they shall dwell forever, and that is the Supreme
Achievement from the life of this world. Moreover, those Muslims who, until the day of Judgment follow in the
footsteps of the Muhajireen and Ansar of the other Companions, Allah will be pleased with all of them. “And
the first and the foremost emigrants and helpers and those who followed them with good, Allah is pleased
with them and they are pleased with Allah. And for them Has prepared Gardens under which rivers flow.
This is the greatest success.”(9:100)

The Holy Prophet thus, established the society in Madinah on a solid foundation that stood in the way of
disbelief and which was able to resist the conspiracies of the hypocrites and Jews. The Islamic society
remained united throughout, and the Messenger of Allah was reassured by this unity among the Muslims.