Sectarianism, Consequences, and Call for Reflection
The Muslim Ummah is facing many troubling situations, and there are numerous causes and reasons for this. If one takes a cursory look, it will become evident that one significant aspect of the current state of the Muslim Ummah is division, discord, and unnecessary disagreements. This causes every sound-hearted person’s heartbeat to become irregular, the mind to be troubled, and the eyes to become moist. Because outsiders are not only taking full advantage of this situation but are also rubbing salt into these wounds. The current condition of the Muslims is like a hungry lion confined in a cage, with prey left in front of it. The lion struggles for a while, sometimes to the right, sometimes to the left, and eventually sits down exhausted, gazing longingly at its prey. Exactly the same treatment is happening to the Muslim Ummah, who are thrown into the blind well of intimidation and helplessness. In front of them, insulting caricatures of the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ are presented, or the accursed Rushdie is honored with the title “Sir,” and the poor Muslims, paralyzed spiritually, physically, and mentally, writhe for some time.
Dear Readers!
How long will this continue with us? How long will we remain stuck in the quagmire of discord and division? How long will we keep burning in the furnace of disagreements? How long will we continue to be sacrificed to sectarianism? When will we hear the glad tidings that the Muslim Ummah has united on the platform of unity (Quran and Sunnah)?
Honorable Readers!
Having differences is not a big deal, but when these differences take the form of disputes, become a source of jealousy, hatred, enmity, and corruption, start being directed towards personalities, the center and focus become something other than the Messenger, and when it divides into sects, then it is certainly a matter worthy of reflection!
A Moment for Reflection:
In such a situation, what should our role be? It should be to invite purely to the Quran and Hadith, so that all Muslims become one Ummah, one community. It should be clear that the only means to the straight path and the only way to the unity of the Ummah is the Quran and Hadith. Even here, some jealous hearts, adopting the method of feigned ignorance, raise the slogan that saying only Quran and Hadith denies consensus and Ijtihad, whereas when the proof of consensus and Ijtihad is found in the Quran and Hadith, then believing in the Quran and Hadith automatically means believing in consensus and Ijtihad.
فافهم و تدبر جدا
The Quran, Hadith, and the practice of the pious predecessors also guide towards the same direction that the path of agreement is only one, and that is the Book and Sunnah. Allah Almighty says: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ ۖ فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا ﴿٥٩﴾
“O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result.”
This noble verse is clear evidence that in case of dispute (difference), one should refer only to the Quran and Hadith, and this is the best and proven remedy for the elimination of sectarianism.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“The best speech is the Book of Allah and the best guidance is the Sunnah of Muhammad ﷺ.”
He ﷺ said:
قد تركتكم على البيضاء ليلها كنهارها ، لا يزيغ عنها بعدي إلا هالك
I am leaving you on a shining (Shariah), its night is as bright as its day. After me, whoever turns away from it will be destroyed.
To abandon such a shining Shariah and radiant religion and sit at the doorstep of a non-prophet or cling to the skirts of ordinary personalities is nothing but groping in darkness. The distinguishing feature of our pious predecessors was that in comparison to the Quran and Sunnah, they did not consider the words of anyone else as a proof, let alone worthy of consideration.
Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه said:
ما كنت لأدع سنة النبي الله لقول أحد۔
I cannot abandon the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ based on the statement of any person.
Salim bin Abdullah (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates that a man from the land of Sham asked Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) about Hajj Tamattu. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
It is permissible (halal). The man from Sham said: Your respected father forbade it. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: What do you think, if my father forbade it and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ permitted it, should the command of my father be followed or the command of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? The man said: Rather, the command of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ should be followed. Then Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ has permitted it (i.e., Hajj Tamattu).
One major obstacle in the unity of the Ummah is “Taqlid” (blind imitation), which has torn the Ummah apart and divided it into various groups. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) says:
لا تــقــلــدوا دينكم الرجال … إلخ
Do not imitate people in your religion… etc.
Sayyiduna Muadh bin Jabal (RA) says:
أما العالم فإن اهتدى فلا تقلدوه دينكم
“Even if a scholar is on the right path, do not imitate him in your religion.”
Summary:
The summary of our writing is that the time demands that the Muslim Ummah be united and organized, and this is only possible when we accept only the Quran and Hadith as our guide and follow them. This is the means to end sectarianism. Not only will this bring honor in this world, but we will also be successful in the Hereafter.
ان شاء اللہ
