The brotherly bond is a fundamental notion, in both the literal and religious sense. Who would question the status of brother? No one can. In fact, Allah mentions the brotherly bond many times in the Koran, using the word akhy. Find out more about the meaning of this Arabic word.
Learn all about the word akhy
Linguistically, the word akhy means "my brother". The root of the word is combined with a possessive pronoun. To simply say "brother", we use the term"akhoun". To address several brothers, we say"ikhwatoun".
If we use the word akhy to designate a brother, we'd rather use the word oukhty to refer to a sister. The notion of brotherhood concerns both men and women in Islam.
What we also know is that this Arabic term is widely used in the Muslim world, both in Arabic-speaking countries and in the remnants of the nations that make up the Muslim community. Why is this so? Because Islam places great emphasis on the notion of brotherhood through religion. Calling your brother fillah akhy can only reinforce a feeling of affection. In fact, Islam represents a bond far superior to that of blood. Your co-religionist means more to you than your blood brother or sister.
Our sincerity towards Allah illustrates the power of brotherhood between co-religionists. Why is this so? Numerous hadiths mention the need to love your fellow man as you love yourself. What's more, love for Allah is part of faith, and so is hating for Allah.
What does Islam say about the word akhy?
Muslims have over two billion brothers around the world. As you can see, we're talking about brotherhood in the religious sense. It's one of the immense blessings bestowed upon us by Allah.
This bond reflects an unshakeable closeness between believers. A Muslim must be able to count on his akhy. Indeed, Allah's Messenger ﷺ described this in the best possible way. According to him, Muslims are made up like a single body. So when one limb suffers, the rest of the body feels the same pain.
The meaning of the word akhy in Islam has a profound significance. Muslims owe each other a certain affection and mutual generosity. According to the scientists, a faithful person must be able to count on his neighbor. Indeed, Islam promotes benevolence. In particular, it represents the highest degree of faith.
Behaving well towards one's akhy tends to improve life in society. Indeed, the success of the Ummah has been achieved by putting into practice the noble teachings of Allah's messenger.
What about blood ties?
Preserving family ties is one of the obligations of Islam. Allah repeatedly mentions the need to maintain them. Numerous passages in the Koran stress the importance of behaving well towards one's parents. Muslims must also nurture their siblings. Visiting one's akhy in the hope of attaining Allah's pleasure is a praiseworthy and meritorious action.