Why Are We So Divided?

WHY ARE WE SO DIVIDED?
... Because of Shirk, innovations and leaving the Sunnah
All Praise is for Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) Lord of all the
creation and May His peace and Blessings be upon is last Prophet
Muhammad (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) and upon the Prophet's
(sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) family and upon the companions and on
all those who follow the path of guidance until the last day.
We saw in last weeks issue that without doubt the Muslim Ummah is in
adivided and fragmented state and that this division is prohibited in
Islaam. Rather Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) has enjoined upon us to
hold onto the rope of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala), which we
established is the Qur'aanand the Sunnah as understood by the
Companions. But how didwe reach this state in the first place, what
causes disunity?
Shirk - Associating partners in worship with Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala)
Without doubt one of themajor causes for people splitting up the
religion and leaving holding on to the rope of Allaah (subhaanahu wa
ta'aala) is shirk. This is the grave sin of ascribing partners with
Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) in worship. Today throughout the world
there are numerous examples of shirk amongst the Ummah, such as those
who call upon the dead in the grave. Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala)
says:
"And invoke not besides Allaah anything that will neither profit you
nor hurt you, but if (in case) you did so, you shall certainly be one
of the Dhalimoon (polytheists and wrong-doers)." [Surah Yoonus 10:106]
Verily Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) has created us to worshipHim
alone, as He (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says:
"And I (Allaah) created not the jinn and mankindexcept that they
should worship Me (Alone)." [Surah adh-Dhaariyaat 51:56]
So the one who gives worship to other than Allaah (subhaanahu wa
ta'aala) has he not committed the most severe sin. Allaah (subhaanahu
wa ta'aala) says:
"Verily! Allaah forgives not (the sin of) setting uppartners (in
worship) with Him, but He forgiveswhom He wills sins other than that."
[Surah an-Nisaa 4:116]
It is reported that Ibn Masood (radhi-Allaahu 'anhu) asked the
Prophet(sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam):
"Which is the Greatest sin?" The Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa
sallam) said: "That you set up a rival for Allaah, While He is the one
who created you." [Bukhaaree]
O noble reader it will not be hidden from you that throughout the
world Muslims are stooped in such practices of calling upon the dead
saint in the grave, asking him to remove their difficulty whether it
be Abdul Qaadir al Jeelanee or al Badawee or other peoplewho's graves
have been made places of worship. How can unity be achieved amongst
the Muslims when some Muslims cannot unify their worship for Allaah
(subhaanahu wa ta'aala) alone? O noble reader consider the following,
how many Muslims:
Wear Amulets and charms, despite the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa
sallam) saying:
"Whoever wears an amulet has committed shirk." [Ahmad]
Read astrology in magazines or go to fortune tellers, despite the
Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) saying:
"Whoever goes to a fortune-teller and asks him something and believes
in his words, willhave his prayers rejected for forty days." [Muslim]
So while all these non-Islaamic beliefs and practices are present
amongst the Muslims how can unity take place? Is not our first
obligation to give da'wah to those Muslims who are stooped in
thesepractices? Thereby callingto tawheed as all 124,000Prophets from
Aadam (alayhi-salam) to the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam)
did. They all began their call to the people with Tawheed -
worshipping Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) alone.
Having incorrect beliefs
Another major reason fordisunity is the wide range of beliefs
prevalent amongst the Muslims. Despite us having the same Qur'aan and
the same Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), Muslims still
havedifferent beliefs. Why is this? If we all are referring back to
the Qur'aan and the Sunnah in every matter then whythe differences.
Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says:
"(And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to
Allaah and His Messenger (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), if you
believe in Allaah and in the Last Day. That is better and more
suitable for final determination." [Surah an-Nisaa 4:59]
So verily O noble reader, imagine if every Muslim acted upon this ayah
- would there be any differences then? NO , except maybe in the issues
of fiqh, such as the prayer. But our beliefs and methodology would be
one, so why is this notthe case? It is because many Muslims today do
not refer every issue backto Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) and His
Messenger (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), ratherthey ask their local
Imaam or their parents or refer it back to their madhab.
Know O noble reader thatthe first thing that all the Prophets called
to was the rectification of the beliefs, before calling to the
Islaamic state or to Jihaad, the first thing was purifying the beliefs
of the Muslim. So how can we have unity while there are Muslims who
believe:
That Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) is everywhere, despite Allaah
(subhaanahu wa ta'aala) saying:
"They fear their Lord Who is above them, and they do what they are
commanded." [Surah an-Nahl 16:50]
That the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) was not human and was
made from light,despite Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) saying:
"Say (O Muhammad sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam): 'I am only a human
being like you. It is revealed to me that your Ilaah (God worthy of
being worshipped) is One Ilaah (God)." [Surah Fussilat 41:6]
That the saying of an Imaam should be acted upon over the hadeeth,
despite Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) saying:
"And let those who oppose the Messenger's (Muhammad sal-Allaahu
'alayhe wa sallam) commandment (i.e. his Sunnah) beware, lest some
Fitnah (trials i.e. shirk) should befall them or a painful torment be
inflicted on them." [Surah an-Noor 24:63]
That Imaan does not increase or decrease, despite the Prophet
(sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) saying:
"Imaan has seventy odd or sixty odd branches. The most virtuous of
them is the statement, 'There is none worthy of worship except
Allaah', and the slightest of them is to remove something harmful from
the road. And hayaa is a branch of Imaan." [Bukhaaree and Muslim]
Bid'ah - Innovations in the religion
Another cause for disunity and not holding fast to the rope of Allaah
(subhaanahu wa ta'aala) is the occurrence of innovations in this
Ummah.
Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) has informed us in the Qur'aan that He
has completed this religion of Islaam for us as He (subhaanahu wa
ta'aala) says:
"This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour
upon you, and have chosen for you Islaam as your religion." [Surah
al-Maa'idah, 5:3]
Since the religion is complete how can it be that we need to add
newthings and ways of worship to Islaam? Whatever was not part ofthe
religion at the time of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam)
cannot be accepted as a part of the religion now. The Prophet
(sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) has warned us against adding new
things to thereligion when he (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said:
"Whoever Innovates in this affair of ours that which is not from it
will have it rejected." [Muslim]
The people who propose unity at all costs have a saying that 'An
innovation that unites us is better than a Sunnah which divides'.
SubhanAllaah look at such a statement O noble reader, innovations are
grave and serious and a cause for entering the fire as he (sal-Allaahu
'alayhe wa sallam) said:
"... and every innovation is misguidance and all misguidance is in the
Hellfire." [Reported by an-Nasaa'ee (1/224)]
So if someone said to youlook there is a fire over there, lets all
hold hands and unify and then go in to it, you would think they were
crazy! So how can we come together upon something as dangerous as
innovations, such as the innovations of mystics, who practice all
kinds of weird and innovated invocations, which at times involve
switching off the lights or chanting one of Allaah's name so that
after some time what they are chanting isunrecognizable as a name of
Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala).Or the innovations of those who take
their scholars as 'spiritual leaders' giving their allegiance to them
and 'selling' themselves to these 'scholars' obeying everything they
say. How O noble reader can unity occur amongst all the Muslims as
long as these practices, which have nothing to do with Islaam, keep
occurring?
Blind following and Partisanship
This is one of the most evil of occurrences today and a major cause
for disunity. Muslims are following their madhahab or their scholars
over and above the Sunnah of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa
sallam) despite Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) saying:
"And whosoever opposesthe Messenger (Muhammad sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa
sallam) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, andfollows
other than the believers' way, We shall keep him in the path he has
chosen, and burn himin Hell - what an evil destination!" [Surah
an-Nisaa 4:115]
When you tell Muslims that 'you should do this because it says so in
the Qur'aan and the Sunnah',they reply 'well that's notwhat it says in
my madhab' or 'that's not what my Shaykh says'. SubhanAllaah, O noble
reader why did Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) send us His final
Messenger (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) if it was not to teach us
the religion of Islaam.
Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says:
"But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O
Muhammad sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) judge in all disputes between
them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and
accept (them) with full submission." [Surah an-Nisaa 4:65]
No Muslim will openly sayI am disobeying the Prophet (sal-Allaahu
'alayhe wa sallam), but how many of us ask for the proof on issues of
beliefs and practices and look to see what is the truth.
Another problem is the setting up of groups and parties with members,
then being loyal only to that party, believing in the beliefs and aims
of that party - not questioning it. Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) has
warned against this:
"And be not of Al-Mushrikoon (polytheists). Of those who split their
religion, and became sects, each group rejoicing in that which is with
it." [Surah ar-Room 30:31-32]
Setting up groups is a cause for disunity and spreads hatred amongst
the Muslims so that a Muslim from one group will not give salaam to a
Muslim from another group just because they belong to different
groups. Or a group from one masjid will not like Muslims from another
masjid to come and pray in their mosque. All this stems from
partisanship and it divides the Ummah. Unity will not occur whilst
Muslims are in this state rather unity will occur when an end isput to
partisanship (hizbiyyah) and Muslims love each other because they are
all have the same aims, beliefs and practices.
The Means for Revival
Having looked at the reason why we are so divided, the question now
arises as to what themeans for reviving this Ummah are. Allaah
(subhaanahu wa ta'aala) has given us the means for the revival of this
Ummah, when He (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says:
"Verily! Allaah will not change the condition of a people until they
change what is within themselves." [Surah ar-Ra'd 13:11]
The Prophet (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) also said:
"When you involve yourselves in interest bearing business
transactions, and you hold on to the tails of cows, and you are
pleased with agriculture (i.e. the land) and you abandon making Jihaad
in the Cause of Allaah, Allaah will send humiliation down upon you. He
will not remove itfrom you until you returnback to your Religion."
[Abu Dawood and al-Bayhaqee]
So this humiliation that Muslims are under will not be removed from us
until we return back to the religion of Islaam. So what is the
religion of Islaam if not Tawheed, having the correct Aqeedah,
worshipping Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) correctly? So should we not
start our revival with these issues.
So just as the condition of the Arabs during the Days of Ignorance
(Jaahiliyyah) was not rectified except by the coming of their Prophet
Muhammad (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) with revelation from the
heavens, which aided them in this world and which will save them in
the next, then know O noble reader the foundation that the Islaamic
revival must be built upon in this time, is nothing else but the
return to the Qur'aan andthe Sunnah, as implemented by the noble
companions.
We know from the Book of Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) and the Sunnah
of His Messenger (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) that the way towards
realising this revival is only one way, and it is the way which Allaah
(subhaanahu wa ta'aala) has mentioned inHis (subhaanahu wa ta'aala)
saying:
"And verily, this is My Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not
(other) paths, for they will separate you away from His Path." [Surah
al-An'aam 6:153]
The Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) explained this
to his Companions. Thus, one day he (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam)
drew a straight line for them on the ground and then drew short lines
on the sides of it. Then, while his(sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam)
noble finger moved up and down the straight line, he (sal-Allaahu
'alayhe wa sallam) recited the aforementioned verse. Then he
(sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) pointed to the lines that were drawn
on the sides of the straight line and said:
"This is the Path of Allaah and these are the (other) paths. At the
top of each of these (other) ways, there is a devil calling towards
it." [Authentic hadeeth, graded in Dhilaal-ul-Jannah fee Takhreej-is
Sunnah(16-17)]
Furthermore, Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says:
"And whosoever opposesthe Messenger (Muhammad sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa
sallam) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, andfollows
other than the believers' way, We shall keep him in the path he has
chosen, and burn himin Hell - what an evil destination!" [Surah
an-Nisaa 4:115]
In this ayah there is profound and extensive wisdom, for Allaah
(subhaanahu wa ta'aala),has connected the "the believers' way" to what
the Messenger (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) came with. The Messenger
(sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) has (also) indicated this pointin the
hadeeth about the splitting up of the Ummah into sects. When he
(sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) was asked concerning the saved sect,
he (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) responded: "That which (adheres to
what) I and my companions are upontoday."
What then is the wisdom behind Allaah's mentioning of "the believers'
way" in this ayah? And what is the significance in the Messenger of
Allaah's (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) linking of his companions to
himself in the previous hadeeth?
The answer is: These noble Companions (radhi-Allaahu 'anhum) were the
ones who received the two revelations (i.e. the Qur'aan and Sunnah)
from the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), having
that explained to them by him (sal-Allaahu 'alayhe wa sallam)
directly, without there being any intermediary. They best knew how to
implement the Sunnah, so after knowing this O noble reader can any
Islaamic revival take place when the way of the Companions
(radhi-Allaahu 'anhum) is abandoned and not adhered to, rather No it
can not. For us to revive Islaam and bring unity to the Muslims we
must adopt the way and example of the Noble Companions (radhi-Allaahu
'anhum).
Imaam Maalik (rahima-hullaah) said:
"The latter part of this Ummah will not be rectified except by that
which rectified its formerpart." [ash-Shifaa of Qaadee 'Iyyaadh,
(2/676)]
So it will be clear to the reader that the only way to revive the
Ummah is toreturn every affair of the Muslim back to the Qur'aan and
the Sunnah as understood and implemented by the best generation, the
Companions (radhi-Allaahu 'anhum). To believe as they believed, to
worship as they worshipped, to look like them, to give da'wah in the
way they gave it. Then only will we be united and have a true Islaamic
revival.
So dear noble brothers and sisters your Lord (subhaanahu wa ta'aala) says....
"Has not the time come for the hearts of those who believe to be
affected by Allaah's Reminder (this Qur'aan), and that which has been
revealed of the truth." [Surah al-Hadeed 57:16]