Is it condemned and prohibited for Muslims to divide into parties, with each one supporting their own party?
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Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. In our country, sects and parties are multiplying, and each one supports their own party and opposes the rest. Is this part of the religion? What should our position be toward them? And is it permissible for us to sit with them?
Answer:
Yes, this division and disagreement among the Muslims is a matter for which Allah has warned them of a great punishment. The Muslims are but one group and one community, and He said: "Indeed, this community of yours is a single community, and I am your Lord, so worship Me."[Ali 'Imran 3:105]
No, there are no groups or parties. There is one group, the party of Allah, one party upon the truth and guidance. They are brothers who love one another, with no misunderstanding, grudges, or enmity between them. This is not permissible among Muslims. This weakens the community; it weakens the community and occupies some of them with others, and it gives the enemy hope against them.
Allah the Mighty and Majestic does not approve of this from the Muslims. These parties and groups are not approved by Allah from the Muslims. It is obligatory that they be one group and one community with one methodology, cooperating in righteousness and piety. This is the obligation upon the Muslims. They must unite upon the truth. It is not said, "Unite, each upon his own school of jurisprudence." No, unite upon one school of jurisprudence, the school of truth, the methodology of truth, because it is impossible to unite while methodologies and schools of jurisprudence differ. This is impossible. Even if they are demanding now that we gather and excuse one another in what we differ on, and so on, this is false and impossible as well. That we gather while there is disagreement between us, and we resolve the disagreement between us. If you differ over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day.
So those who want the truth submit to this, they consult, and they gather. As for those who want their desires and their private interests, these people do not respond and do not obey.
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. In our country, sects and parties are multiplying, and each one supports their own party and opposes the rest. Is this part of the religion? What should our position be toward them? And is it permissible for us to sit with them?
Answer:
Yes, this division and disagreement among the Muslims is a matter for which Allah has warned them of a great punishment. The Muslims are but one group and one community, and He said: "Indeed, this community of yours is a single community, and I am your Lord, so worship Me."
And do not be like the ones who became divided and differed after the clear proofs had come to them. And those will have a great punishment.
وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُوا وَاخْتَلَفُوا مِن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ وَأُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌNo, there are no groups or parties. There is one group, the party of Allah, one party upon the truth and guidance. They are brothers who love one another, with no misunderstanding, grudges, or enmity between them. This is not permissible among Muslims. This weakens the community; it weakens the community and occupies some of them with others, and it gives the enemy hope against them.
Allah the Mighty and Majestic does not approve of this from the Muslims. These parties and groups are not approved by Allah from the Muslims. It is obligatory that they be one group and one community with one methodology, cooperating in righteousness and piety. This is the obligation upon the Muslims. They must unite upon the truth. It is not said, "Unite, each upon his own school of jurisprudence." No, unite upon one school of jurisprudence, the school of truth, the methodology of truth, because it is impossible to unite while methodologies and schools of jurisprudence differ. This is impossible. Even if they are demanding now that we gather and excuse one another in what we differ on, and so on, this is false and impossible as well. That we gather while there is disagreement between us, and we resolve the disagreement between us. If you differ over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day.
So those who want the truth submit to this, they consult, and they gather. As for those who want their desires and their private interests, these people do not respond and do not obey.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، [2849- 4717] هل التفرق بين المسلمين إلى أحزاب وكل واحد يوالي حزبه مذموم منهي عنه؟ - صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.