WHY ARE MUSLIMS DIVIDED

Question:

When all the Muslim follow one and the same Qur’an then why are there so many sects and different schools of thoughts among Muslims?

Answer:

1. Muslims Should be United

It is a fact that Muslims today, are divided amongst themselves. The tragedy is that such divisions are not endorsed by Islam at all. Islam believes in fostering unity amongst its followers.

The Glorious Qur’an says:

"And hold fast,
All together, by the rope
Which Allah (stretches out for you),
and be not divided among yourselves;"
[Al-Qur’an 3:103]

Which is the rope of Allah that is being referred to in this verse? It is the Glorious Qur’an. The Glorious Qur’an is the rope of Allah which all Muslims should hold fast together. There is double emphasis in this verse. Besides saying ‘hold fast all together’ it also says, ‘be not divided’.

Qur’an further says,

"Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger"
[Al-Qur’an 4:59]

All the Muslim should follow the Qur’an and authentic Ahadith and be not divided among themselves.


2. It is Prohibited to make sects and divisions in Islam

The Glorious Qur’an says:

"As for those who divide
Their religion and break up
Into sects, thou hast
No part in them in the least:
Their affair is with Allah:
He will in the end
Tell them the truth
Of all that they did."
[Al-Qur’an 6:159]

In this verse Allah (swt) says that one should disassociate oneself from those who divide their religion and break it up into sects.

But when one asks a Muslim, "who are you?", the common answer is either ‘I am a Sunni, or ‘I am a Shia’. Some call themselves Hanafi, or Shafi or Maliki or Humbali. Some say ‘I am a Deobandi’, while some others say ‘I am a Barelvi’.


3. Our Prophet was a Muslim

One may ask such Muslims, "Who was our beloved prophet (pbuh)? Was he a Hanafi or a Shafi, or a Humbali or a Maliki?" No! He was a Muslim, like all the other prophets and messengers of Allah before him.

It is mentioned in chapter 3 verse 52 of Al-Qur’an that Jesus (pbuh) was a Muslim.

Further, in chapter 3 verse 67, Al-Qur’an says that Ibrahim (pbuh) was not a Jew or a Christian but was a Muslim.


4. Qur’an says call yourselves Muslim

a. If anyone poses a Muslim the question who are you, he should say "I am a MUSLIM, not a Hanafi or a Shafi". Surah Fussilat chapter 41 verse 33 says
"Who is better in speech
Than one who calls (men)
To Allah, works righteousness,
And says, ‘I am of those
Who bow in Islam (Muslim)?’ "
[Al-Qur’an 41:33]

The Qur’an says "Say I am of those who bow in Islam". In other words, say, "I am a Muslim".

b. The Prophet (pbuh) dictated letters to non-Muslim kings and rulers inviting them to accept Islam. In these letters he mentioned the verse of the Qur’an from Surah Ali Imran chapter 3 verse 64:
Say ye: "Bear witness
That we (at least)
Are Muslims (bowing
To Allah’s Will)."
[Al-Qur’an 3:64]


5. Respect all the Great Scholars of Islam

We must respect all the great scholars of Islam, including the four Imaams, Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Shafi, Imam Humbal and Imam Malik (may Allah be pleased with them all). They were great scholars and may Allah reward them for their research and hardwork. One can have no objection if someone agrees with the views and research of Imam Abu Hanifa or Imam Shafi, etc. But when posed a question, ‘who are you?’, the reply should only be ‘I am a Muslim’.

Some may argue by quoting the hadith of our beloved Prophet from Sunan Abu Dawood Hadith No. 4579. In this hadith the prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said, "My community will be split up into seventy-three sects."

This hadith reports that the prophet predicted the emergence of seventy-three sects. He did not say that Muslims should be active in dividing themselves into sects. The Glorious Qur’an commands us not to create sects. Those who follow the teachings of the Qur’an and Sahih Hadith, and do not create sects are the people who are on the true path.

According to Tirmidhi Hadith No. 171, the prophet (pbuh) is reported to have said, "My Ummah will be fragmented into seventy-three sects, and all of them will be in Hell fire except one sect." The companions asked Allah’s messenger which group that would be. Where upon he replied, "It is the one to which I and my companions belong."

The Glorious Qur’an mentions in several verses, "Obey Allah and obey His Messenger". A true Muslim should only follow the Glorious Qur’an and the Sahih Hadith. He can agree with the views of any scholar as long as they conform to the teachings of the Qur’an and Sahih Hadith. If such views go against the Word of Allah, or the Sunnah of His Prophet, then they carry no weight, regardless of how learned the scholar might be.

If only all Muslims read the Qur’an with understanding and adhere to Sahih Hadith, Inshallah most of these differences would be solved and we could be one united Muslim Ummah

Physics in The Qur'an

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

ATOMS CAN BE DIVIDED :

In ancient times a well-known theory by the name
of ‘Theory of Atomism’ was widely accepted. This
theory was originally proposed by the Greeks, in
particular by a scholar called Democritus, who lived
about 23 centuries ago. Democritus and the people
that came after him, assumed that the smallest unit
of matter was the atom. The ancient Arabs used to
believe the same. The Arabic word zarrah most
commonly meant an atom. In recent times modern
science has discovered that it is possible to split
even an atom. That the atom can be split further is
a development of the 20th century. Fourteen
centuries ago this concept would have appeared
unusual even to an Arab. For him the zarrah was
the limit beyond which one could not go. The
following Qur’anic verse however, refuses to
acknowledge this limit:
“The Unbelievers say,
‘Never to us will come
The Hour’:
say, ‘Nay! but most surely,
by my Lord,
it will come upon you –
by Him Who knows the unseen –
from Whom is not hidden
the least little atom
in the Heavens or on earth:
nor is there anything less
than that, or greater, but
is in the Record Perspicuous.’”
[Al-Qur’an 34:3]
This verse also refers to the Omniscience of God,
His knowledge of all things, hidden or apparent. It
then goes further and says that God is aware of
everything, including what is smaller or bigger than
the atom. Thus the verse clearly shows that it is
possible for something smaller than the atom to
exist, a fact discovered only recently by modern
science.

Conclusion:
The scientific evidences of the Qur’an clearly prove
its Divine origin. No human could have produced a
book, fourteen hundred years ago, that would
contain such profound scientific facts.
The Qur’an, however, is not a book of Science but a
book of ‘Signs’. These signs invite Man to realize the
purpose of his existence on earth, and to live in
harmony with Nature.