Towards Rahmatan lil ‘Alamin Economy (Analysis of Ukhuwah Islamiyah and Ashabiah for Economic Development in Medina)

Islam provides fundamental sources for human development, including ukhuwah Islamiyah, ashabiah and rahmatan lil ‘alamin. These concepts are strategic in developing the economy of the state. The current article aims to analyze the economic development in Medina carried out by the Prophet Muhammad. The authors employed a qualitative method through narrative reviews of the extant literature. The study shows that before the hijrah of the Prophet, Medina was already a multicultural and heterogeneous society with many prolonged conflicts.. The Prophet devised a strategic approach to build the Medina economy and society. Ukhuwah Islamiyah was used to unify differing, often conflicting cultures, beliefs, and ethnicities to form a strong brotherhood. Ashabiah was applied to tighten the glue among society members, creating high social solidarity. Upon the perfection of Medina, the apostolate of rahmatan lil ‘alamin leads to a universal, inclusive, and sustainable economic development.


INTRODUCTION
Medina was known as Yathrib before the advent of Islam. 1 As a part of the Middle Eastern nation experiencing setbacks and deterioration in the appreciation of divine and humanitarian deeds, it was a conflict-ridden city and has not been systematically and adequately organized, both in politics, society, and culture. The society is heterogeneous in terms of ethnicity, leading to a prolonged conflict between the two main tribes in Medina: the Aus and the Kharaj. 2 Differences in beliefs and faiths of the native Medina and the Jewish immigrants were also contributors to the conflict in Medina. The absence of a social, cultural, political, and especially economic order has brought the people of Medina to be like a forest with all its problems. The stronger and winner in a war will become the ruler with all its consequences.
The prolonged conflict, natural conditions, and weak Economy in Medina have brought its citizens trapped in poverty and underdevelopment. The condition of society like this is a challenge for the Prophet Muhammad's arrival in this city. It was not easy for Allah's Messenger to preach and develop 1 A. Sulaiman Abdo and John Bagot Glubb, "Medina," Encyclopedia Britannica, accessed March 19, 2021, https://www.britannica.com/place/Medin a-Saudi-Arabia.
The concept of ukhuwah Islamiyah (brotherhood in the shade of the flag of Islam) based on the Qur'an and the Sunnah is a strategic concept to face challenges in Medina. Uniting various thought patterns and activities of community life based on brotherhood is one of the keys to dakwah strategy and the development of Medina. 3 Problemsolving from the roots and social potentials with equality is a concept conveyed by the figure of Islamic sociologist Ibn Khaldun. He proposed that ashabiah (potential fanaticism/community loyalty to a particular group of descendant, clan, ethnicity, and religion) is an essential factor in mobilizing community solidarity in social, political, and economic fields. 4 The concept of ukhuwah Islamiyah binds and unites human thought patterns and activities within Islamic brotherhood, which is binding and universal. It is the door to a strategy for settlement and management of the plural and multicultural of Medina society. In principle, ukhuwah Islamiyah is often interpreted as synonymous with the concept of ashabiah, which makes religion the main factor in generating synergy in community development with the solidarity of the Muslim community. However, the debate arose when it came to making religion a source of loyalty and solidarity. In the study of tafsir and hadith, many argue that ukhuwah Islamiyah should focus on fellow Muslims. Besides, the concept of ashabiah seems to divert fanatic solidarity and loyalty from a clan, ethnicity, and the descendant to religion (Islam).
This study aims to discuss the concept of ukhuwah Islamiyah, ashabiah, and rahmatan lil 'alamin in economic development as performed by the Prophet Muhammad in Medina. The article contributes to the formulation of the Islamic economic development strategies applied to improve the Muslim economy and humankind.

Past Medina at Glance
Rasulullah's journey in Makkah for 13 years, both secretly and openly, 5 has not obtained optimal results; even the opposition and threats of murder befell Rasulullah and his companions who had converted to Islam. 6  Meccan leaders to commit murder drove the Prophet to migrate to Medina. The determination of Rasulullah's migration to Madinah was because there were already some people who have performed bai'at aqobah who are unknown to other nations. 7 Their arrival was three waves; the first wave in the 10th prophetic year with some professing conversion to Islam, the second wave in the twelfth prophetic year with 12 men and one woman, and the third wave in the thirteenth prophetic year with 73 people and committed to supporting, maintaining and ready to sacrifice his soul, body, and property for the Prophet and Islam. In the next period, when the pressure on the Muslims in Mecca was more extensive, the Prophet ordered 150 Muslims to migrate to Medina in two months. The companions of Ali ibn Abi Talib and Abu Bakr As-Sidik remained in Makkah until they migrated with Rasulullah to Madinah. 8 There are several factors about the acceptance of Islam in Medina; the first is that there was already a heavenly religion in Medina, namely Judaism, which has discussed a lot about the arrival of the last Prophet. Second, the threat of the Jews against the Arabs of Yathrib; if they see Muhammad arrives, they will expel 7 Ibid., 156. 8 Abdurrahman Muhammad Ibn Khaldun, Tārīkh al-ʻAllāmah Ibn Khaldūn : kitāb al-ʻabr wa-dīwān al-mubtadā wa-al-khabar fī ayyām al-ʻArab wa-al-ʻajam wa-Barbar waman ʻāṣarahum min dhawī al-sulṭān al-akbar, vol. 2 (Beirut: Dar al Fikr, 1981), 421-422. him. Third, the long-standing rivalries of the Aus and Kharaj tribes deliberately sought partners to strengthen their group. 9 The first step of Rasulullah to build Madinah was to establish the Prophet's mosque 10 as a center of worship, information, the council of science and politics. The mosque is a center of civilizational, cultural, social, and political changes, 11 which later produced many great and qualified scholars, politicians, and leaders in their field. The Medina people's sociopolitical aspects were very diverse and pluralistic because never before had been a ruler who can unite them in one leadership. This situation was different from that in Mecca, where the holders of political and economic power were in the hands of the Quraish aristocracy, which is the most dominant tribe. The protracted conflict between the Aus and Khazraj tribes in Medina made them never united, even though they were of one faith and trust. The victory of the 'Aus tribe over the Khazraj in the Bu'ats battle shows the weakness of the Medina people in forging unity due to leadership crisis. 12  was even more pluralistic than premigration. They consisted of the Medina Arabs who have converted to Islam called the Anshar, the people of Mecca who migrated called the Muhajirin, a group of people of Medina who still adhere to paganism, the Jews consisting of various tribes, both Arabs and Jews themselves, the hypocrites and polytheists of Madinah, and the Christian minorities. 13 The Jews held almost all sectors of the economy, especially agriculture and industry, and dominated the market. They were the immigrants who owned the land and controlled the capital, while the Arabs only became the secondclass economic servants in their state. Finally, they had tribal prejudices on different customs. 14 This situation forces each group to act alone to realize their interests in achieving progress according to the principles and philosophy of life they believe in and their culture.

Ukhuwah Islamiyah as the Socio-Economic Foundation
The Islamic teachings give the concept of brotherhood (ukhuwah brothers because they are both God's creation and subject to God. Then all human beings are brothers because they come from one ancestor. The community is a brotherhood, and fellow Muslims are brothers. The spirit of equality among fellow Muslims should be based on Allah alone because it is a barometer to measure excellent and destructive relationships. 15 Surah al-Hujurat -49:10 uses the word ikhwah translated as brothers. 16 The words ikhwah and ikhwan are the plurals of the word akh [un] (brother). The words ikhwah and ikhwan can be used interchangbly. However, generally, the word ikhwah indicates relatives, while ikhwan indicates friends and companions. 17 Although the word innama does not always mean hasyr (restriction), there is no brotherhood except fellow believers, 18 indicating that the Islamic brotherhood is stronger than the lineage brotherhood. 19 The brotherhood between fellow believers is forged by the similarity of faith and by reconciling two brothers. Because 15 Ali Anas Nasution, "Persaudaraan dalam Perspektif al-Qur'an," HIKMAH: Jurnal Ilmu Dakwah dan Komunikasi Islam 7, no. 2 (July 2013): 143. 16  they are brothers, their everyday and natural lives are filled with love, peace, and unity. A dispute and war between them is a form of deviation, which must be returned to normal by correcting those in dispute, that is, inviting them to seek a solution to Allah and His Messenger's laws. 20 The Qur'an usually uses the word ikhwan to indicate a brother who is not a sibling, yet it uses the word ikhwat as a plural form of the word akh to mean siblings. Nevertheless, the brotherhood of fellow Muslims is described with the word ikhwat, "indeed the believers are ikhwat." Thus, the brotherhood of fellow believers is forged by the similarity of faith and hereditary brotherhood. 21 The al-tashawur (mutual consultation) is the teaching of consultation in some worldly matters. The fifth is al-ta'awun (cooperation), the teaching to help each other in goodness. The last is aladalah (justice) in carrying out the obligations and accepting the rights of each. 27 Medina society's pluralistic nature demands laws to regulate social order free from obstacles and barriers considered endangering people's lives. 28 One of the characteristics of civil society realized in Medina is the balance between rights and social obligations. Zakat, infaq, shadaqah, and hibah for Muslims, and jizyah and kharaj for non -Muslims are laws that strengthen balanced rights and social obligation. 29 The balance of rights and obligations applies to all aspects of social life so that no one group is more respected than the other based on the majority. the Anshar, some of whom offered the Muhajirin to cultivate the land for plantations. 33 The concept of brotherhood produces a mutual bond among humans with the principle of altruism, regardless of ethnicity, religion, politics, and other motives. However, Ibn Khaldun has a different view, that it is challenging to establish brotherhood without ashabiah. Etymologically ashabiah comes from the word ashaba, which means binding. Functionally Ashabiah refers to socio-cultural ties used to measure the strength of a social group. 34 Besides, ashabiah can also be understood as social solidarity, emphasizing group awareness, cohesion, and unity.
Furthermore, according to Naqvi, the spirit of brotherhood in the Islamic economic system is manifested in three ways: first, the Islamic Economy is directed towards realizing al' adl wal ihsan (justice and virtue). In this context, ethics must dominate economic activity. Second, efforts should be made to have policies that are pro-poor as an attitude of egalitarianism. Third, the state is a regulator and plays an active and positive role in the economy that defends the interests of the public at large, both in consumption and production.
The pillar of brotherhood in Islamic economics is an economic agent not from the religious 33  stipulates several Islamic economic norms: a) God truly owns the world, while humans are khalifah who obey all of His orders, and this has implications for the idea of ownership; 2) since God is Almighty, there is only one rule to be followed, and this norm has implications for an agent in managing the economic system; c) the presence of the afterlife court should encourage agents to seek rewards in both the world and the afterlife. Therefore, even though worldly profit maximization is acceptable, it must still be subjected to the ukhrawî element. Also, Kahf 36 has placed the role of the state as one of the vital agents of the economy.
In life, there will always be conflicts of personal and social interests. The state is expected to guarantee the creation of a balanced standard of living for all people. Sadr argues that this effort can be realized by promoting brotherhood through education among community members and public policies such as investments directed at assisting the poor through 35 37 Besides, Zarqa' suggests that the Muslim's rational behavior in applying the concept of needs will encourage individuals to reach a level of adequacy. 38 For Ibn Khaldun, religion has an essential role in forming a unity, ashabiah. Unity formed by religion is much stronger than that formed by other factors, such as ethnicity, nationality, descendant, or even family. 39 Ashabiah can mean the closeness of one's relationship in the group and tries his best to uphold the principles and values of the group. 40  The terms nomadic and permanent are two concepts that often appear in Ibn Khaldun's explanations of society. The nomadic is synonymous with backwardness, primitive and permanent is synonymous with city, civilized, advanced.
Ibn Khaldun then classified the two conceptual models from the point of view of social control into two types: badawah and hadarah. Badawah is the concept of a society with a strong Ashabiah, which tends to be primitive, rural, and nomadic. Ibn Khaldun developed the term badawah from his observations of the nomadic, primitive, but powerful Bedouin community.
The concept hadarah is a manifestation of a more complex, permanent, urban civilization, weak solidarity but civilized. According to Khaldun, in the badawah community, blood relations are prioritized so that their social control is still relatively high. On the other hand, in a civilized society, social control is 41  much lower. 43 Sociologically, the classification of badawah and hadarah is based on Ashabiah that develops in society, assuming that in the badawah community, Ashabiah is still powerful while in the hadarah community Ashabiah tends to weaken. The concepts of badawah and hadarah in modern sociological theory can be found in Emile Durkheim's thinking with the terms mechanical solidarity (similar to badawah) and organic solidarity (similar to hadarah). 44 Social solidarity is the essence of social organization, and ashabiah binds groups together through language, culture, and division. When society at different levels: family, clan, tribe, kingdom, and nation, fundamentally tries to approach ideal behavior, it functions normatively and constitutes a unity. 45 Besides, social solidarity can fundamentally evolve from three relationships: (1) blood relationship; (2) friendly or client relations and equality of fate; and (3)  any pain that may befall them is under their nature and embedded in them. If the level of kinship between the two assistants is very close, then it is clear that the bonds of blood, according to the evidence, lead to true solidarity. 47 There are several factors of social solidarity, including nomadic life in which its social solidarity is fanatical and hearty as it is built based on clan, lineage, and shared interests. 48 Social solidarity is generally not based too much on blood ties but other elements, such as marriage, patronage, shared interests, and leadership (ad-Daulah). 49 Religion gives meaning to individual and group life and hopes about the permanence of life after death. Religion can be a means for humans to lift themselves from the difficulties of a worldly life full of suffering to spiritual independence. Religion, then, strengthens group norms, moral sanctions for individual actions and forms the basis for common goals and values on which the balance of society lies. 50 The end goal of social solidarity is sovereignty. People who have social solidarity and become the chief of the tribe and are obeyed will attempt to gain sovereignty as expected. Nevertheless, they will not accomplish this goal perfectly if they do not have the social solidarity leading others to obey them. Thus, the sovereignty of the kingdom is the ultimate goal of social solidarity. Ibn Khaldun has combined psychological and material factors in a dynamic theory of the rise and fall of political power and connected social phenomena as a basic form of human behavior influenced by kinship, reciprocity, and empathic feelings. 51 The Sharia state has stronger social solidarity because it seizes the harmful consequences, such as tyranny and indulgence. The religious law praises justice, honesty, performance of religious duties and defends them. 52 The economic concept proposed by Ibn Khaldun, such as tax reduction and government export volume, was a remedy for the economic recession. The government is the largest revenue market. If the government market declines, other markets will also decline. There are several main points on Ibn Khaldun's Economy; the first must start with value, then the division of labor, the price system, the law of supply and demand, consumption and production, agriculture, industry, and commerce, as well as prosperity rights. 53 Ibn Khaldun explained humans would not be able to live alone, and they will need other people. A man cannot do much without joining other forces if he obtains food for himself and his fellowmen. By working together, humans can meet their needs. 54 This notion suggests that one community must cooperate and complement each other to meet its needs. Ibn Khaldun's economic theory of Ashabiah is similar to the community-based theory of economy. Economic Ashabiah leads to "community economics," both organic and mechanical.

Development strategy of Economic Rahmatan lil 'Alamin
Although religion is the most vital community force, the impression of exclusivity is far from the teachings of Islam. Allah revealed Islam through the Prophet Muhammad as an answer to the rise of ethnicity fanatism and unnecessarily social grouping, with the Islamic concept of rahmatan lil 'alamin as stipulated in the Qur'an in Surat al-Anbiyā' verse 107: "We have sent you ˹O Prophet˺ only as a mercy for the whole world." 55  rahmat (mercy) is etymologically identical to the womb, a symbol of a mother's genuine love for her child. This relationship implies that humans have true grace towards others, like a mother who sincerely dedicates herself, time, and energy to looking after and taking care of her child. Mothers need to have a high level of strength and fortitude to control fatigue, anger, and frustration. Humans are encouraged to have a sense of mercy because they are more dependent on compassion than other creatures. 56 Al-rahmah is the quality of compassion that establishes good deeds towards loved ones. So, the word al-rahmah includes two meanings: compassion and doing good. When it is associated with Allah, mercy means giving favors and virtues, while when it is associated with humans, it means loving and doing favors.
The word rahmatan is a masdar of the word rahima mentioned in the Qur'an four times, while the word rahmatan is repeated 79 times. 57 According to Shihab, the verse, despite being short, contains four important main points: (1) the messenger of Allah, in this case, is the Prophet Muhammad, (2) the sender, namely Allah, (3) sent to them (al-'alamin), and (4) risalah (treatizes), all of which indicate its characteristics, namely a tremendous Rasulullah is a blessing; his arrival brings teachings, and his figure and personality are blessings bestowed on him by Allah. This verse fragment is one proof that Allah educated and shaped the personality of the Prophet Muhammad as he said: "My God educated me, so the results of His education are excellent." His personality is perfectly shaped so that not only can Allah's knowledge bestow upon him through the Qur'an revelations, but also his heart is illuminated, and even his complete form is a blessing for all nature.
In the Islam rahmatan lil 'alamin there is a brotherhood that teaches mutually beneficial brotherhood among humans, including the economy. Islam also emphasizes altruism, the attitude of being not selfish to others. In the Qur'ân, altruism is termed i'tsar. Allah says in the Qur'ân surah al-Hashr verse 9: "They love those who emigrated to them and find not any want in their breasts of what they [i.e., the emigrants] were given but give [them] preference over themselves, even though they are in privation." 59 This doctrine implies a sense of brotherhood in economic activity and mutual help and cooperation between people, an egalitarian 58 M. Quraish Shihab Shihab, Tafsir Al-Misbah Jilid 7 (Jakarta: Lentera Hati, 2005) attitude built into economic activity. In the concept of brotherhood, the prioritized attitude is to sacrifice for one another and work together to meet their poor or needy siblings' immediate needs. 60 The Prophet said: "It is not a believer person if he eats well while his neighbor is starving." 61 Brotherhood leads to mutual benefit, resulting in equitable justice, compassion, care, prosperity, and wisdom. In this sense, brotherhood is one aim of shariah. 62 According to Mannan, there is no conflict between individual freedom and social control; even the two are seen as complementary. The relationship between individuals, society, and the state is purposeful and based on goodwill and harmonious cooperation to achieve the goals of the economic system. 63 Based on the Islamic concept, the character building of economic actors is based on the economic form of brotherhood. On a positive note, the payment of zakat has become an essential part of the Islamic faith. The spiritual discipline inculcated from prayer will lose its practical meaning if Muslims do not pay zakat to eradicate economic and social injustice. 64 According to Siddiqi, Islamic economics must fulfill the need to achieve Allah's pleasure and achieve falah in the world and the hereafter. In this sense, morality and spirituality should govern and determine economic activities. 65 Siddiqi believes that brotherhood in the Islamic Economy, when applied, can increase cooperation and sustainable virtues. Therefore, Islam places a strong emphasis on "helping behavior." This principle teaches that a person must, at the same time, strive for himself and care for the welfare of others to increase cooperation, kindness, and virtue. 66 The brotherhood nuance within the framework of an Islamic economic system includes a) relatively limited rights to individuals, communities, and the state; b) a positive and active role of the state; c) implementation of zakat and elimination of usury; and d) guarantees of necessities for all. 67 64 Muhammad Abdul Mannan, Islamic Economics, Theory, and Practice (Delhi: Idârat al-Adabîyah, 1980) The brotherhood has the core of mutualism, fellow human beings, and altruism, which is an attitude of being concerned with others. In the business context, a business actor should not merely pursue short-term profit but long-term oriented benefits for its sustainability and accountability in the hereafter.
The Prophet Muhammad developed the City of Medina through structured and systematic stages, making the city run well and sustainable. The first step was replacing thought patterns and activities based on ethnicity, clan, and descendant to the ashabiah in which religion is the solidarity force in the community. The next stage was ukhuwah Islamiyah, by bringing all circles together in the universal Islamic religion banner. In the final stage, with the guidance and legitimacy of Allah, the Prophet became a Mercy to the universe by implementing the Islam rahmatan lil 'alamin. Rasulullah was the leader of the Muslims in Medina from all ethnicities, clans, tribes, descendants, but for the entire universe. This strategy gave birth to brotherhood, equality, justice, and tolerance and significantly improved the economy, prosperity, wealth, and sustainability in Medina and its surroundings.