O you who believe!
Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not
Except in a state
Of Islam.

And hold fast,
All together, by the Rope
Which Allah (stretches out
For you), and be not divided
Among yourselves;
And remember with gratitude
Allah's favor on you;
For He joined your hearts
In love, so that by His Grace,
Ye became brethren…
Quran 3:102-103

Allah (swt) in the preceding verses outlines for us the basis for brotherhood in Islam.  Our mutual obligations, responsibilities and rights are defined and we are reminded that our mutual ties are indeed a favor from Him.  Much has been said and written about this seemingly simple concept (of brotherhood) but the reality of it remains an elusive commodity in the Muslim world today.

To understand what brotherhood truly entails and to discharge its responsibilities, one should begin by understanding our aqeeda or creed – the most fundamental idea in Islam.  "And your God is One God: There is no god but He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful" (2:63). An understanding of this statement is not only logical, it is also imperative in that Allah (swt) Himself has made our belief or faith in Him a necessary precondition for everything we do in life.

A tradition (hadith) of the Prophet (saw) states, "By Him in whose hand is my soul, a servant (of Allah) does not believe (truly) until he likes for his brother what he likes for himself."  Like the Companions of the Prophet, we are held to the same standards today – if, as we say, we claim to be true believers.  Another well known hadith of the Prophet (saw) describes the Muslim community as, "…being like a single hand, like a compact wall whose bricks support each other."