Surah Al-Muminoon (23) — Ayah 53

(Ayah 53) ➊ { فَتَقَطَّعُوْۤا اَمْرَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ زُبُرًا :} The original religion of all prophets is one, although there may be differences in some temporary rulings. From Adam (peace be upon him) to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the religion of all is Islam, and their followers are all the Muslim Ummah. Its few fundamental principles are: (1) Tawheed, that is, worship is only for Allah, and worship of anyone besides Him is not permissible. (2) The Hereafter, that is, after death, everyone will be presented before Allah and will receive recompense for their deeds. (3) Consuming halal, that is, to eat only what is halal and pure, and to completely avoid the haram. (4) Righteous deeds, that is, to act sincerely for Allah alone, according to the way shown by the Messenger, avoiding ostentation. Every prophet brought these principles of religion, but people differed even in these fundamentals and created hundreds of sects. For example, take the original concept of Tawheed: instead of worshipping only one Allah and seeking help only from Him, some made the prophet their Lord, some made their scholars and monks, some made three lords, some invented the belief of "unity of existence" that the Lord is in everything. Some said, so-and-so is the son of Allah, some said, so-and-so is a separated light from the light of Allah. Some said, Allah descends into saints and elders. Some said, elders progress and become lords. Many beings besides Allah were accepted as all-knowing and all-powerful. Even man, whom Allah created with His own hands, attached his benefit and harm to stones, trees, cattle, jinns, graves, and shrines, and began to bow before them and ask them for needs. Very few remained steadfast on the Tawheed brought by the prophets.

The second fundamental is belief in the Hereafter. Some people denied resurrection altogether, and those who accepted it did not understand its requirements. Some said, since we are the descendants of prophets or Sayyids, how can we be punished? Some invented the belief of compulsory intercession, that if one pledges allegiance to a certain spiritual guide, he will intercede and save us. Some attached this belief to their idols or deities. The Christians invented the doctrine of atonement, that Jesus (peace be upon him) was crucified as an atonement for our sins, so now all the sins of his followers are forgiven. Some priests, even in this world, began to extort money from people and issue them pardons, and some people invented the belief that if one passes under the heavenly gate of a certain grave on the day of the festival, salvation is guaranteed. All such beliefs of easy salvation are baseless and false, and the Qur'an has declared those who hold such beliefs as deniers of the Hereafter, i.e., disbelievers. The third fundamental was to eat halal and pure, but people also went to extremes in this. Monks, yogis, and some Sufis declared halal things haram upon themselves, and others abolished the distinction between halal and haram altogether, and tried to declare halal such haram things as usury and the act of the people of Lot, which have been declared haram in all the Shari'ahs. Many scholars and spiritual leaders, caretakers of idols, graves, and shrines, took the authority of declaring things halal and haram into their own hands. Such people have been mentioned in the Qur'an multiple times. The fourth fundamental is righteous deeds, and probably in this fundamental, there has been even more sectarianism than in shirk. Some fundamental rulings of religion were distorted and innovative beliefs and practices were included, and the real basis of these things was love of status and wealth. Thus, countless political and innovative sects came into existence, and each sect declared the words of its leader as final, just like the words of the prophets.

Thus, by differing from this simple and concise fundamental teaching, people who were in reality one Ummah, kept dividing into hundreds and thousands of sects, and the interesting thing is that each of these sects considers itself to be on the truth and considers other sects as fuel for Hell, whereas this fundamental teaching still exists today, and if any person or sect, rising above prejudice, wants to seek the path of truth, then the path of truth is not something hidden today that cannot be found. (Tayseer al-Qur'an by Kilani, may Allah have mercy on him, with adaptation)

➋ { كُلُّ حِزْبٍۭ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ فَرِحُوْنَ : ’’ فَرِحُوْنَ ‘‘} Very pleased. This division is the inevitable result that when a person insists on maintaining his group at all costs, the passion for seeking the truth also ends in his heart, and every matter of his own group seems correct to him, and he remains happy with it, no matter how wrong it is, and the matter of others, no matter how correct, seems wrong to him. Alas! After the best generations, Muslims too, instead of remaining one group upon the Book and Sunnah, have divided into sects. Some are sects of belief, some of jurisprudence, and some of Sufism, and each is so firmly established on its own group that even if a clear verse of the Qur'an or an authentic hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is presented against its school of thought, it will refuse to accept it by saying, "Did our elders not know about this?" And now the situation has become such that perhaps only Jesus (peace be upon him) will be able to unite this Ummah upon the Book and Sunnah.

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

But they divided their affair among themselves into factions [57], each group rejoicing in what they have.

[57]
The Principles of Religion Are Four, but the Sects Are Hundreds:

That is, only a few fundamental matters were included in the original religion. And every prophet continued to present these same principles of religion. But people, by differing in these very principles, created hundreds of sects. For example, take the first principle, monotheism (Tawheed). Satan invented dozens of new forms of polytheism and led people down that path. Some people declared a person, a prophet, or angels to be the children of Allah. The belief in incarnation and avatar was fabricated, and Allah Ta'ala was said to descend into the bodies of certain people. Some said that a certain personality is a (separated) light from the light of Allah. Many beings, besides Allah, were accepted as Knower of the Unseen and Present and Watching. And above all, the human being, who was created superior and nobler than all creation, attached his benefit and harm to stones, trees, cattle, stars, jinns, ghosts, and shrines. And he began to bow his head in submission before them. He began to ask them for the fulfillment of his needs.

How Sects Are Formed and the Self-Righteousness of Every Sect:

The second principle is faith in the Hereafter. Some people outright denied the Day of Judgment and resurrection. And those who accepted it did not understand its requirements. Some said that since we are the descendants of prophets or Sayyids, how can we be punished? Some people invented the belief in intercession, that if we pledge allegiance to a certain person, he will intercede and save us. Some attached this belief to their deities or idols. The Christians fabricated the doctrine of the atonement of Christ, and some priests, even in this world, began to extort money from people and issue them pardons. And some people invented the belief that if one passes under the heavenly gate of a certain saint on the day of his festival, salvation is guaranteed. All such beliefs in cheap salvation are absurd and false. And the Quran has declared those who hold such beliefs to be deniers of the Hereafter, i.e., disbelievers. The third principle was related to eating lawful and pure things, but even in this, people created paths of excess and negligence. Monks, sheikhs, and some Sufis declared lawful things forbidden upon themselves. And others abolished the distinction between lawful and unlawful altogether and tried to prove as lawful such things as usury, which has been declared unlawful in all the divine laws. Many scholars, sheikhs, caretakers of idols, and custodians of shrines and tombs assumed the authority to declare things lawful and unlawful themselves, and such people have been mentioned in the Quran multiple times. The fourth principle was righteous deeds. Probably in this principle, even more sectarianism occurred than in the matter of polytheism. Some fundamental commands of religion were distorted, and innovative beliefs and practices were included, and the real basis of these things was love of fame and wealth, and countless political and innovative sects came into existence. Among these is the belief in personal imitation (taqleed shakhsi), through which imams were given the status of prophets or even considered above them. Thus, by differing from this simple and concise fundamental teaching, people who were in reality one community, kept dividing into hundreds and thousands of sects. And the interesting thing is that every sect considers itself to be on the truth and regards other sects as fuel for Hell. Whereas this fundamental teaching still exists today, and if any person or sect, rising above prejudice, wishes to seek the path of truth, then the path of truth is not something so hidden even today that it cannot be found.