Surah Hud (11) — Ayah 118

(Ayah 119,118) ➊ {وَ لَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ اُمَّةً وَّاحِدَةً:} That is, O My Messenger! Your wish is that all people become Muslims, and not a single disbeliever remains (see Shu'ara: 3), and this is not at all difficult for your Lord. When He has made the rest of creation, except jinn and mankind, bound to His obedience, then He could also have made jinn and mankind a single community so that no one could ever disbelieve. He said: «{وَ لَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ لَاٰمَنَ مَنْ فِي الْاَرْضِ كُلُّهُمْ جَمِيْعًا اَفَاَنْتَ تُكْرِهُ النَّاسَ حَتّٰى يَكُوْنُوْا مُؤْمِنِيْنَ}» [ یونس :۹۹ ] But your Lord’s wisdom required something else, so He did not compel anyone to faith. By giving hearing and sight and showing the way, He gave them the choice to choose between truth and falsehood as they wish. Therefore, all these people can never be united upon faith; rather, there will always be differences among them—some are believers, some disbelievers, some obedient, some disobedient. He said: «{وَ لِذٰلِكَ خَلَقَهُمْ}» “And He created them for this (test).” In Ma’idah it is said: «{وَ لٰكِنْ لِّيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِيْ مَاۤ اٰتٰىكُمْ}» [ المائدۃ : ۴۸ ] “But so that He may test you in what He has given you.” And Allah Almighty has already decided that He will fill Hell with those jinn and humans who fail this test, and there is no need to mention that those who succeed in the test will be granted His Paradise.

➋ {وَ لَا يَزَالُوْنَ مُخْتَلِفِيْنَ (118) اِلَّا مَنْ رَّحِمَ رَبُّكَ:} Muawiyah bin Abu Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) stood among us to deliver a sermon and said: [ أَلاَ إِنَّ مَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ افْتَرَقُوْا عَلٰی ثِنْتَيْنِ وَ سَبْعِيْنَ مِلَّةً، وَإِنَّ هٰذِهِ الْمِلَّةَ سَتَفْتَرِقُ عَلٰی ثَلاَثٍ وَ سَبْعِيْنَ، ثِنْتَانِ وَسَبْعُوْنَ فِي النَّارِ وَوَاحِدَةٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَ هِيَ الْجَمَاعَةُ ] [زَادَ ابْنُ يَحْيَی وَعَمْرٌو فِيْ حَدِيْثِهِمَا :] [ وَإِنَّهٗ سَيَخْرُجُ فِيْ أُمَّتِيْ أَقْوَامٌ تَجَارَی بِهِمْ تِلْكَ الْأَهْوَاءُ كَما يَتَجَارَی الْكَلَبُ لِصَاحِبِهِ، وَقَالَ عَمْرٌو: الْكَلَبُ بِصَاحِبِهِ لاَ يَبْقَی مِنْهٗ عِرْقٌ وَلاَ مَفْصِلٌ إِلاَّ دَخَلَهٗ ] [ أبوداوٗد، السنۃ، باب شرح السنۃ : ۴۵۹۷۔ السلسلۃ الصحیحۃ : 404/1، ح ۲۰۴ ] “Be aware! The People of the Book before you split into seventy-two (72) sects, and this Ummah will split into seventy-three (73) sects. Seventy-two (72) will be in the Fire and one in Paradise, and that is ‘al-Jama‘ah.’” Ibn Yahya and Amr added in their narrations: “There will emerge in my Ummah such groups in whom these desires and innovations will run through their veins just as rabies runs through the veins and nerves of the afflicted.” Amr said: “There is no vein or joint left in the body of the one afflicted with rabies in which the effect of this disease does not reach.”

➌ It is clear from this verse that the agreement and unity of any Ummah is a mercy, because Allah Almighty said that people will always differ except those upon whom your Lord has mercy, and it is evident that the Muslim Ummah can only unite upon what has been revealed from Allah, and that is the Book and Sunnah. This is the straight path, and those who follow it are ‘al-Jama‘ah’; all other sects arose later due to deviating from this straight path.

➍ It is also clear from this verse that the commonly known narration among the people {’’ اِخْتَلاَفُ أُمَّتِيْ رَحْمَةٌ ‘‘} meaning “The difference of opinion in my Ummah is a mercy,” is a clear lie upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Hafiz Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) proved it to be fabricated and also wrote an interesting point that if it were considered authentic, then the agreement of the Ummah would be a hardship, because difference is mercy, whereas Allah Almighty has mentioned His mercy upon those who do not differ. Therefore, leaving all sects and holding firmly to the Book and Sunnah alone is the path to salvation.

The exegesis of this verse has been done along with the previous verse.

And if your Lord had willed, He could have made all mankind one community, but they will not cease to differ [131].

[131]
The Real Reason for Disagreement:

Allah Almighty has given man complete freedom to choose between good and evil. If this freedom of choice and will were taken away from man, then disagreement would not be possible, and as long as this freedom exists, people will continue to disagree. Furthermore, if this freedom were taken away from man, the very purpose of his creation would be lost. The paths of good and evil have been made clear to man. Then, for this very purpose, prophets were sent and Allah revealed books. But only a few people made correct use of this freedom of choice and will; most people proved to be wrongdoers who, by choosing the paths of misguidance, made themselves deserving of Hell. This power of will and choice has also been given to the jinn besides humans. Like humans, the majority of jinn have also remained misguided and deserving of Hell.