The Response to Those Who Say: The Division of the Muslims Is an Inevitable Matter
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Some people say: The division of the Muslims is an inevitable matter,They argue with the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Hud:118-119] that the lam is for causation, that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, created them in this state, is this correct?
This is a great error. The original state for the Muslims is unity and not division,As Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Shura:13] And He, the Exalted, said: [Al-Imran:105] And He, the Exalted, said: [Al-An'am:159] This is the original state. As for his argument using the verse,Then Allah, the Exalted, says: [Hud:118] refers to people in general. If Allah had willed, He would have gathered them upon guidance and they would have been one nation. [Hud:118-119] then they would not differ. Are the Muslims among those whom Allah has shown mercy to?Answer: Yes.
So there will be no difference between them,And as for His saying: [Hud:119] so it is a causation for people in general,Meaning: And for the sake of this difference He created them. Were it not for this difference, the Fire would not find anyone, and the creation of the Fire would have been of no benefit,And Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said: [Al-Taghabun:2] .
This statement is wrong. But there is no doubt that people differ in knowledge, they differ in understanding, and they differ in piety. If they differ in these matters, their opinions must differ.But is a difference of opinion, where this man says: Wudu from camel meat is obligatory,And this one says: It is not obligatory. Does this lead to a difference in hearts? It should not lead to a difference in hearts. But our problem now is that many people, if you differ with them in such matters, they differ with you in their hearts. Even in matters less than that, you find that—for example—he hates you if you place your knees before your hands in prostration, because he thinks you should place your hands first, even though the stronger opinion is to place the knees first. Likewise, he hates you if you place your hands on your chest while standing after bowing, because he thinks they should not be placed there, even though the correct view is that they are placed there. Even though the entire issue is a matter of ijtihad and there is room for ijtihad in it. The obligatory thing is that if a person differs with you based on the evidence he has, the obligatory thing is that you should increase your love for him.Meaning: The fact that he differs with you while knowing that you dislike him differing with you, for the sake of the evidence he has, indicates his adherence to what he sees as evidence. And this is something that necessitates increasing love for this man. This is the truth. As for taking such a difference as enmity and hatred, there is no doubt that this is prohibited.
but they will not cease to differ. (119) Except whom your Lord has given mercy, and for that He created them.
وَلا يَزَالُونَ مُخْتَلِفِينَ * إِلَّا مَنْ رَحِمَ رَبُّكَ وَلِذَلِكَ خَلَقَهُمْThis is a great error. The original state for the Muslims is unity and not division,As Allah the Exalted said:
He has ordained for you of religion what He enjoined upon Noah and that which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what We enjoined upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus - to establish the religion and not be divided therein
شَرَعَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الدِّينِ مَا وَصَّى بِهِ نُوحاً وَالَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ وَمَا وَصَّيْنَا بِهِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَى وَعِيسَى أَنْ أَقِيمُوا الدِّينَ وَلا تَتَفَرَّقُوا فِيهِAnd do not be like the ones who became divided and differed after the clear proofs had come to them
وَلا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُوا وَاخْتَلَفُوا مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُIndeed, those who have divided their religion and become sects - you, [O Muhammad], are not [associated] with them in anything
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعاً لَسْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِي شَيْءٍAnd if your Lord had willed, He could have made mankind one community
وَلَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّكَ لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةًbut they will not cease to differ. (119) Except whom your Lord has given mercy
وَلا يَزَالُونَ مُخْتَلِفِينَ * إِلَّا مَنْ رَحِمَ رَبُّكَSo there will be no difference between them,And as for His saying:
And for that He created them.
وَلِذَلِكَ خَلَقَهُمْIt is He who created you, and among you is the disbeliever, and among you is the believer
هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ فَمِنْكُمْ كَافِرٌ وَمِنْكُمْ مُؤْمِنٌThis statement is wrong. But there is no doubt that people differ in knowledge, they differ in understanding, and they differ in piety. If they differ in these matters, their opinions must differ.But is a difference of opinion, where this man says: Wudu from camel meat is obligatory,And this one says: It is not obligatory. Does this lead to a difference in hearts? It should not lead to a difference in hearts. But our problem now is that many people, if you differ with them in such matters, they differ with you in their hearts. Even in matters less than that, you find that—for example—he hates you if you place your knees before your hands in prostration, because he thinks you should place your hands first, even though the stronger opinion is to place the knees first. Likewise, he hates you if you place your hands on your chest while standing after bowing, because he thinks they should not be placed there, even though the correct view is that they are placed there. Even though the entire issue is a matter of ijtihad and there is room for ijtihad in it. The obligatory thing is that if a person differs with you based on the evidence he has, the obligatory thing is that you should increase your love for him.Meaning: The fact that he differs with you while knowing that you dislike him differing with you, for the sake of the evidence he has, indicates his adherence to what he sees as evidence. And this is something that necessitates increasing love for this man. This is the truth. As for taking such a difference as enmity and hatred, there is no doubt that this is prohibited.