Sects And Differences Are Evidence For the Truthfulness Of Islam!!

Sects And Differences Are Evidence For the Truthfulness Of Islam!!

Allah (SWT) sent the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to guide humanity. He delivered the divine guidance in its pure and pristine form with no addition or deletion of any kind. He handed over the trust of Allah to the sahaba and departed from this world. The guidance he left will remain intact until the Day of Judgment, as Allah (SWT) has taken the responsibility of protecting it. When Islam spread to all corners of the globe, different races and nations embraced it; though their languages, regions, cultures, lifestyles, customs, characters and ethics were diverse. These people sometimes adopted Islam completely and sometimes partially. Some changed themselves while some changed Islam itself. Some adopted Islam in belief and creed (aqaaid), but did not change their worship and rituals, but rather incorporated their old customs and practices into Islam.

No other religion, ideology or philosophy encompasses areas and people as vast and diverse, as the religion of Islam.

The distinguishing feature of Islam is that it never changes, but invites people to change. Islam is preserved in its original form and will continue to remain preserved. Whenever and wherever there occurred any change in people's beliefs, worships or morals, it was immediately compared with the real Islam, and subsequently right and wrong were made completely clear. Thus every shortcoming and excess was accounted for and will continue to be done so; due to which differences are bound to arise.

"All praises are due to Allah, Who creates in every age such people of knowledge, who guide the misguided and ignorant through the Book and the Sunnah, and block the path of those who distort and alter."

- Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal (may Allah's mercy be upon him)

All the past religions got altered because whenever the elders, scholars and kings adopted a position, it became widely accepted.

If everyone starts changing, by changing the religion itself, and accept the change, then what is the need for disagreement? This is how their original religion gradually disappeared, which the Qur'an described it as "Woe to those who write the Book with their own hands and then say: 'This is from Allah.", "they distort words from their (proper) usages ", " They take their rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah".

When the opinions of their scholars and saints were given precedence over the divinely revealed texts, the original religion of Jesus and Moses (peace be upon them) got lost. Such is not the case with the Muslim Ummah; it could not be done and will not be done, despite enormous efforts taken in this regard; no matter how bad the situation is, no matter what the trials and tribulations are, no matter what fatwa the greatest scholars give, and no matter what stance the greatest kings take. There will always be people in the Ummah who will call towards the Word of Allah and His messenger, and will never cease to explain the truth to the Ummah.

In the Islamic history, we come across numerous instances of attempts to suppress or erase the truth, but we cannot find a single incident where the truth itself disappeared. This religion will remain intact till the Day of Resurrection. Many a time a single person gave the message to the whole world, even at the cost of attaining martyrdom, as to what is the Prophet's Sunnah. From Abu Bakr As Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) to the present age, in every age and century, there have been many brave men whom the tyrants tortured and punished, but they could not silence them.

Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, stood alone firmly for the sake of establishing the Sunnah, saying, "Will the religion decrease or change while I am alive?" There are hundreds of incidents where, whenever there was a slightest attack on the Prophet's Sunnah, scholars came forward and sacrificed their lives. Tens and hundreds of people were put to death during the ordeal of "Khalq-e-Qur'an". Saeed bin Musayb, Imam Malik, Imam Abu Hanifa were all flogged.

The Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt, which was actually a Shia government, put hundreds of scholars to death. Abu Bakr an-Nablisi, may Allah have mercy on him, instead of being killed for speaking the truth, was put to death in a horrific manner by peeling off his skin like a goat! Be it Shaykh ul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah or Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab, they had to spend years in prisons. During the time of Mustafa Kamal Atatürk, tens of scholars were martyred. This process did not stop, nor is it ever going to stop.

All these hardships were endured only to avoid any decrease or change in any part of the religion of Islam, so that it remains completely protected. There were discussions about additions and deletions and sometimes slogans were raised for change on the pretext of wisdom and expediency, and many even accepted it and called for change, but the true sincere Scholars exerted untiring efforts, so that no change should occur in any part of the religion, and hence differences in the ummah became inevitable.

Any political, social, economic or religious matter; or any act, opinion, or fatwa that was not in line with the teachings of Islam, a group of people would always rise up against it in order to avoid any harm to the real Islam. Thus, Islam has been in its original and pure form and will remain as is. People will accept and reject Islam as per their thoughts, interests, circumstances and needs. Some of its teachings will be followed and some will not be followed.

Based on this reality, many groups and movements will keep coming and going; differences will keep appearing and disappearing. New ideas will occur and vanish, which are known as differences and sects in Islamic terminology. Formation of sects and differences are proven by both logic and Shariah. Logically speaking, there are various nations and tribes who do not know Islam in its entirety; and even if they do know, they do not believe, and even if they do believe, they do not act upon it; and from the Shariah aspect, the Prophet (SAW) prayed to Allah to save the Ummah from divisions, but this prayer was not accepted!

Many authentic ahadith prophesied the differences and divisions in the Ummah, and very clearly stated that there will be factions in the Ummah. At the same time, the solution was also given, explaining that the true Islam (the Qur'an and the Sunnah, and it's correct understanding) would always remain safe and that we were to cling on to it with all our might. And an assurance was given that such a group would always remain on the truth until the Day of Resurrection.

In the light of the above description, it is easy to understand which group that is. It is the one to which the companions belonged, and those who sincerely and faithfully follow in their footsteps with ensure the continuity of this group. All other groups will emerge after them. Sometimes they will disappear and sometimes they will continue, and if they continue, they will have a distinct name, a distinct identity and a distinct agenda.

On the contrary, the one which has been continuing since the time of the sahabah will be considered as an extension of them; no separate identity or sign; neither a separate slogan nor a separate party. Thus, the differences and divisions in the Ummah are the proof that the truth exists, and this existence of the truth is the miracle of Islam and also the evidence of the truthfulness of Islam. The differences are irreconcilable. We need not worry about it. But what we need to be concerned about is that the truth should not miss us, nor should we miss the truth.

Unity of the Ummah is a dream, and dreams are not reality. But dreams are sweet, so the people who show the dreams are hailed. While the reality is bitter, so those who show the reality are abhorred!!

Sheikh Abdus Salam Omari Madani

Founder,

Aspire College of Excellence for Islamic Studies (Chennai & Bengaluru)