sisters) will come later. They will believe in
me without seeing me.’
15
In the above
hadith
, when the Prophet
Muhammad, may peace be upon him, spoke
of his
ikhwan,
or brothers (and sisters), he
meant those believers who would emerge in
times to come to spread the message of God
to mankind and who would believe in the
Prophet without seeing him.
The word
ikhwan ar-rasul
has been
considered mysterious for more than a
thousand years. It was not clear as to who
these people would be and what role they
were to play in the future. But now, for the
first time in Islamic history, this word can
be applied to a specific group, as it has
become clear what role this group will play.
38
