When the early Muslims left Makkah for Madinah, many were leaving behind homes, property, businesses, family connections, and the security of familiar surroundings. They became known as the Muhajirun, the Emigrants. Waiting for them in Madinah were Muslims who would become known as the Ansar, the Helpers.
What followed became one of the most powerful examples of brotherhood in Islamic history.
The Ansar did more than permit the Muhajirun to live among them. They welcomed them, shared what they possessed, helped them rebuild their lives, and treated them as members of one community. The Qur’an praises their extraordinary generosity and describes them as people who gave preference to others even when they themselves were in need.
Their example remains deeply relevant today. Across the world, families continue to experience displacement, separation and uncertainty. The circumstances are different, but the moral question remains familiar: how should believers respond when vulnerable people arrive in need of safety, dignity and a chance to rebuild?
The Muhajirun were the Muslims who migrated from Makkah to Madinah during the Hijrah. Many had faced persecution because of their faith and left behind homes and possessions as they sought a safer place where they could practise Islam. The Qur’an describes the poor emigrants as people who had been driven from their homes and wealth while seeking the pleasure of Allah.
The Ansar were the Muslims of Madinah who welcomed Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the emigrating Muslims. The word Ansar means helpers or supporters, a title that reflects the assistance they gave to the new arrivals.
Allah mentions both groups together with great honour in Surah At Tawbah:
“As for the foremost, the first of the Emigrants and the Helpers, and those who follow them in goodness, Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him.”
The relationship between these two groups became one of the foundations of the growing Muslim community in Madinah.
The Ansar welcomed the Muhajirun by providing shelter, sharing wealth and resources, helping them establish livelihoods, and forming bonds of brotherhood with them. The Qur’an praises the Ansar for loving those who migrated to them and for preferring the needs of others even when they themselves faced hardship.
Their response transformed migration from a period of vulnerability into an opportunity to build a stronger and more united Muslim community.
One of the clearest descriptions of the Ansar appears in Surah Al Hashr. Allah describes those already established in Madinah as people who loved those who migrated to them, felt no resentment over what the emigrants received, and gave others preference over themselves despite their own needs.
This verse reveals several qualities behind their response.
First, there was love rather than resentment.
The arrival of new people could have been viewed as a burden. Instead, the Ansar saw the Muhajirun as brothers and sisters in faith.
Second, there was generosity rather than competition.
Resources were limited, yet the Ansar were willing to share what they had.
Third, there was ithar, the willingness to give preference to another person even when one has needs of one’s own.
This makes their generosity especially significant. Helping others is admirable when a person has abundance. The Qur’an praises the Ansar for doing so even when generosity required personal sacrifice.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ established bonds of brotherhood between members of the Muhajirun and Ansar after the migration to Madinah.
One famous example is the bond between Abdur Rahman ibn Awf and Sa’d ibn Ar Rabi’.
Sahih al Bukhari records that Sa’d offered to share his wealth with Abdur Rahman. Abdur Rahman thanked him, prayed for blessings in his family and wealth, and instead asked to be shown the marketplace. He then began trading and established his own livelihood.
This story contains two important lessons.
The first is generosity. Sa’d was prepared to make a meaningful sacrifice to help someone who had arrived after migration.
The second is empowerment. Abdur Rahman did not remain permanently dependent on assistance. Once given access to an opportunity, he worked towards rebuilding his independence.
Together, these principles provide a valuable model for humanitarian support today.
People experiencing displacement may require immediate food, shelter and emergency assistance. But long-term dignity can also involve education, opportunity, community support and the ability to rebuild an independent future.
Refugee support is sometimes discussed only in terms of money, food or shelter. These are essential needs, but the example of the Ansar points towards something broader.
The Muhajirun were entering a new city after leaving familiar homes and communities behind. The Ansar gave them belonging.
The Qur’an says that the Ansar loved those who migrated to them. It also describes the two groups as supporters of one another.
A displaced family needs physical assistance, but people also need dignity, acceptance and human connection. Children need safe environments in which they can learn and grow. Parents need opportunities to regain stability. Families need to feel that they are being treated as people with hopes, skills and futures, rather than simply as recipients of aid.
Modern refugees live within social, humanitarian and legal circumstances very different from those of seventh-century Arabia. The Muhajirun should therefore not simply be treated as identical to every modern legal category of refugee.
However, the moral principles demonstrated during the Hijrah remain highly relevant.
The Qur’an does not describe the Ansar as reluctantly tolerating the Muhajirun. It describes love, generosity and selflessness.
Modern humanitarian support should likewise protect dignity.
People forced to leave their homes may already have experienced fear, loss and uncertainty. They should not also be made to feel unwanted or inferior.
The Ansar understood that newcomers required practical support.
Today, displaced families may urgently need food, basic necessities, healthcare, protection or emergency assistance.
Meeting these immediate needs can give families breathing space during the most difficult stages of displacement.
The example of Abdur Rahman ibn Awf shows the importance of opportunity alongside generosity. After receiving an extraordinary offer of support, he asked for access to the marketplace and began rebuilding his livelihood.
Modern refugee assistance can similarly move beyond emergency relief to include education, child welfare, skills and community development.
Children can experience displacement differently from adults. Their education, routines and sense of security may all be disrupted.
Supporting their learning and wellbeing can therefore be an important part of helping families recover.
Al Qulub Trust currently supports Uyghur refugee children in Istanbul through an educational centre that combines education with emotional wellbeing, recreational activities and compassionate care.
The Qur’an describes the believers who migrated and those who gave them shelter and assistance as supporters of one another.
Brotherhood in Islam is therefore more than warm words.
It should influence how Muslims respond when others face hardship.
The Ansar hold a distinguished position in the Sunnah.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught that love for the Ansar is a sign connected with faith, while hatred of them is associated with hypocrisy. Sahih al Bukhari records this teaching directly.
Why were they so deeply honoured?
Their faith appeared in their actions.
They opened their community to people who had left much behind. They shared resources. They provided support. They placed brotherhood above tribal and economic divisions.
Their legacy challenges every generation of Muslims to ask whether our compassion becomes visible when people need us most.
Around the world, millions of people continue to rebuild lives after displacement, conflict and persecution.
The circumstances may have changed, but many basic human needs remain familiar: safety, food, education, community, stability and hope.
In Türkiye, Al Qulub Trust works with refugee communities from Istanbul to southern regions of the country. Its programmes currently support Syrian refugee families and Uyghur children through humanitarian assistance, emergency relief, child and family support, education and community development.
The organisation also reports that its teams responded following the devastating earthquakes in southern Türkiye and continue to support communities affected by displacement and recovery.
For Muslims reflecting on the story of the Ansar, this creates a practical opportunity.
We may not be standing in Madinah at the time of the Hijrah, but we can still choose generosity when families are displaced. We can help provide food when a household is struggling, education when a child’s learning has been interrupted and compassionate support when families are trying to rebuild.
You can support this work through the Al Qulub Trust Türkiye Refugee Communities Appeal.
Every contribution becomes part of a wider effort to help vulnerable families regain stability while being treated with dignity and compassion.
The Muhajirun were the early Muslims who migrated from Makkah to Madinah. Many had left homes and possessions behind after facing persecution because of their faith.
The Ansar were the Muslims of Madinah who welcomed Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the Muhajirun. They provided shelter, assistance and community support to the emigrants.
The Ansar shared resources, provided shelter and formed bonds of brotherhood with the emigrants. The Qur’an particularly praises their love and willingness to give others preference even while experiencing needs of their own.
The Qur’an praises both groups in several places, including Surah Al Hashr 59:8 to 9, Surah Al Anfal 8:72 and Surah At Tawbah 9:100.
Their example teaches generosity, hospitality, dignity, community responsibility and practical support for people rebuilding after displacement.
You can support humanitarian programmes providing emergency assistance, family support, education and community development through the Al Qulub Trust Türkiye Refugee Communities Appeal. Al Qulub Trust currently supports Syrian refugee families and Uyghur children across Türkiye.
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