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All Muslim communities are required/supposed to shape their working in conformity to the first ever Muslim community founded at Medina by the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) in the years 622 AD and onwards. This community was structured on certain golden foundational principles that have full potential to guide all the communities at all times. These principles were drafted in the form of the Charter of Medina that served as the constitution for all Medinan individuals and tribal communities.
The Mosque of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) served multiple purposes for the Muslim community: Firstly, it emerged as the cardinal sign of the Muslim community; secondly, it was the Parliament Hall as well as the Executive Secretariat where not only legislation was carried out, but also executed by the Supreme law-giver, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
Thirdly, it remained the only courtroom to settle various
civil and criminal litigations, and finally, the same mosque was used as the
emergency operations headquarters where defense-related matters were discussed
and decisions were taken accordingly. That is how the first Muslim community
gradually evolved within a decade. Muslims belonging to a diverse variety of
tribes were welded together in the light of the following divine commandment: "Believers
are a single brotherhood" (49: 10).
The followers of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ), the
Muhajireen of Mekka, and the Ansar of Medina, quickly followed the command and
became a single fraternity. The mosque provided them the opportunity five times
a day to further strengthen this bond: "And establish Salat and pay Zakat
and bow your heads with those who bow"(2: 43). In this Muslim community,
it was ensured that everyone was equal before the law.
A famous incident about the Holy Prophet (ﷺ)can be quoted as related
to his aspect. A woman, named Fatima was proven guilty of theft in the court of
the Holy Prophet. Her kinsmen tried to intercede for the community quians of
the punishment, but the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) refused and upheld the
punishment. He further said that he would have given the same punishment cutting
off of hand) even if Fatima bint Muhammad had committed the crime.
There were well-defined rules regarding the relations of the
Muslims with the non-Muslim citizens of Medina. The Jews, in particular, were
granted complete religious and civic liberty and Muslims and Jews were declared
a single political community. Both were supposed to maintain peace within Medina
and guard its borders against external aggression. The Quran, at the same time,
declared Jews and Christians as Ahl-i-Kitab (People of the Book) and awarded
them a more dignified status than other non-Muslims.
Thus, the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) was able to enforce the Islamic
Sharia'h (law) in the city-state of Muslims. Now, with the growth and
establishment of this Muslim community, several Muslim communities sprang up in
various parts of the world in the coming years. These Muslim communities can
easily apply the guiding principles of the first Medinan Muslim community.
The best means of promoting mutual love and brotherhood is
provided every year on the eve of Hajj (pilgrimage to Mekka). Muslims from across
the globe gather at the center point of Islam, the Holy Ka'ba, and present a
unique scene of uniformity and equality. Similarly, in the month of Ramadan,
all Muslim communities carry a peculiar and uniform look. Muslim communities
help each other in all good matters, and make joint efforts to suppress evil in
the light of this Quranic injunction: "And help one another in
righteousness and piety, but help not one another in sin and
transgression" (5: 2). The Muslim communities can contribute to all collective
efforts aimed at maintaining and promoting global peace while making efforts to
spread God's message peacefully.
