Sectarianism - Which is the correct sect?

Society Religion & Philosophy
1

Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: There will befall my Ummah exactly (all those) evils which befell the people of Isra’il, so much so that if there was one amongst them who openly committed fornication with his mother there will be among my Ummah one who will do that, and if the people of Isra’il were fragmented into seventy-two sects my Ummah will be fragmented into seventy-three sects. All of them will be in Dhalalah except one sect. They (the Companions) said: Allah’s Messenger, which is that? Whereupon he said: It is one to which I and my companions belong.

Transmitted by Tirmidhi.

The word dhalalah means misguidance. In the Qur’an the word dhaleen which means astray comes from this word.

Kafir is someone who rejects Islam after hearing about it.
Faajir is someone who commits sin and is proud of it.
Faasiq is someone with the attitude I know its wrong but what can I do.

All three of these words are related to action but to be misguided is someone who has a problem with his belief and not actions. For example someone believing that there is a prophet after the Prophet(saw). This person has not rejected Islam but is misguided in his belief.

The differences in opinion in Islam do not equal misguidance because of the situation when the sahabas(raa) were told by the Prophet (saw) to hurry to a place and read your Asr prayer when you get there. On the way the time for Asr prayer approached and some of the sahabas prayed on the way and some prayed when they got to that place.

When they came back they wanted to know who was right. The Prophet (saw) could have easily said you are right and you are wrong but the Prophet(saw) told them that the one who is right has two rewards and the one who is wrong has one reward.

What we can learn from this is that the Prophet (saw) didn’t divide them into separate sects or said that one was in dhalalah or even condemn any of them because both of them followed what the Prophet (saw) but it was down to a matter of interpretation.

For anyone to say I follow the Qur’an and Sunnah and your opinion is different to mine therefore I am of the saved sect is arrogance. It’s completely arrogant for someone to consider themselves to have the keys to Jannah and no other Muslim does.

Therefore my dear brothers and sisters we are all part of that saved sect because although we have differences of opinion the differences of opinion are based on evidence and the differences in the opinions are down to the interpretation.

A question arises : what happens in a situation where a husband and wife follow different opinions to each other in a matter of divorce? One may follow the opinion that they are divorced by saying ‘I divorce you’ three times in one sitting the other may follow the opinion that it should be said in three different sittings. This would cause chaos.

Answer: The khaleef resolves the disputes. In this situation it would be obligatory for the khaleef to adopt an opinion for the Ummah so even the mujtahideen would have to follow the opinion of the khaleef. Like what happened at the time of Abu Bakr(ra) he(ra) adopted the opinion that the divorce would be in three sittings but Umar(ra) disagreed with this opinion but since Abu Bakr(ra) was the khaleef, Umar(ra) had to follow Abu Bakr(ra)'s opinion.

Consequently when Umar(ra) became khaleef he(ra) adopted the opinion that divorce is in one sitting and everybody had to follow Umar(ra)'s opinion.

The importance of actions based on evidence cannot be overstressed. One sahabi(ra) went home and found his find commiting adultery. The natural situation for anyone is to pick up something and start hitting them. But the sahabi(ra) didn’t do anything because he didn’t know the hukm for the action so he waited for the fajr prayer to ask the Prophet(saw) who told the sahabi(ra) about Lian.

The vital issue for this blessed Ummah is Uniting under one leader, I would urge you my brothers and sisters to study the method of Hizb ut Tahrir which is based on the Prophet(saw)'s Seerah and not to be pacified with loose remarks like perfecting oneself which is a continuous process and doesn’t stop, or getting an ‘Islamic state of mind’ which doesn’t really mean anything, as a method for reestablishing the khilafah because they are not based on evidence.

Jazakallahu Khair

2

it’s not that easy bro

what about the differences of opinion of the first sect in islam ‘the khawarij’ about whom the prophet(saw) said that they are the dogs of hell fire. they had just a few differences with the companions but they are doomed.

what about when Imaam Ahmed ibn Hanbal rejected the opinion of the khalif that ‘the Qur’an is created and not the speech of Allah’ and amongst the people of knowledge he became known as the Imaam of AhluSunnah wal Jamah.

The Prophet(saw) warned us about the deviated sects and to stay away from them, because he cared for even the future generations of his ummah. Yet today we have people as described in a hadeeth ‘Callers to the gate of Hell, whoever responds to them they will throw him into it’ and they are saying the total opposite.

For a clear clarification refer to the website www.salafipublications.com

3

All the Praises are for Allah and Salutation is for the Messenger and his family and all those that follow him doing good works until the Day of Resurrection.

The very first generation of Muslims that lived and established Islãm in their lives with Muhammad , the son of Abdullah, had glory and triumph that no nation that existed before them or any that came after them achieved. This is a reality which no one denies.

Thus we find that every conscious Muslim dreams about this reality and so in his own way tries to work for this glory to return within his life and the life of those around him. However, to dream is one thing and the reality is another. The Muslims although they are now the fastest growing nation, are also the most divided. This division was predicted by the messenger , who said: The Jews were divided into seventy one (71) groups and the Christians were divided into seventy two (72) any my ummah (nation) will divide into seventy three (73), each of which would be in the Fire except one...

Although this prediction is established in the Hadeeth above, yet it is not approved by Islãm. On the contrary, Allah had commanded the Muslims to unite, He said: "Hold fast all together to the rope of Allah and be notdivided.. "[Al Qurãn 3:103]

The division of this ummah started very early after the death of the messenger of Allah . After Islãm became strong and its enemies found that they could not defeat it physically they started to attack it by undermining the faith of the common people and those newly converted to Islãm by introducing new concepts that were alien to the Islãm brought by Muhammad . This wave of attack brought about an almost total standstill to the quest for sound knowledge and facilitated the easy spread of deviant concepts and new innovations in this deen. The vast majority of Muslims are now totally lost and their understanding of Islãm was very much diluted with deviant ideas which allowed anyone who wanted to captialize on the ignorant to do so with ease. People now lost the correct way and so they did not know what method to use to understand this deen. Therefore, instead of referring matters of belief ('Aqeeda) to the Qurãn and the Sunnah they turned to the books of philosophy which, although written by Muslims, were all affected by the Greek, Persian and other prevelant thoughts of that time.

Issues of fiqh on the other hand were completely restricted to the four Imãms. And so as time went by the people became totally fanatical about their Madhab (school of thought). This caused the noble Imãms to be treated by their followers as the prophets ought to be treated (i.e. as if they were protected from errors). Whatever any of them said was taken as totally correct by those who followed them (as if it were revelation). Even if a verse from the Qurãn or an authentic saying of the Messenger was brought as an argument against what the Imãm said, their followers left what Allah or the messenger said and followed their Imãms. This dangerous state of affair led to blind following (Taqleed) of humans at the expense of revelation.

Blind following of other than Allah and His messenger along with widespread ignorance was definately the major sources of all the division that occurred in the Deen. This was now what Islãm became to the people. And this attitude closed the doors of Ijtihad. Proof were no longer looked into to understand anything in the Islãm and the Qurãn and the sunnah of the messenger which must be used for our guidance now became means for the Muslim of acquiring blessings (Barakah).

This further led to the state where anyone could now give Fatawas (Legislative rulings in Islãm) and also say anything he felt like saying about Islãm because there was no threat that anyone would ask for proof from the Qurãn or the Sunnah. On the other hand the people who were listening to him had no basis to determine whether what they are hearing is correct or not because they themselves have lost any attachment to sources of Islãmic law.

This condition of ignorance and blind following was also predicted by the messenger , who said: Verily, Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the people, but (this is done) by causing (the death) of the scholars until none of them is left alive. People would then appoint ignorant leaders for themselves who would be consulted in matters of religion and they would give Fatawas without knowledge, falling into misguidance and misguiding others. [Muslim].

The Solution

The messenger of Allah said: *O mankind, I am leaving two things with you, if you cling to them you will never go astray. The Book of Allah and my way of life. *[Al-Hãkim and Al-Baihaqi]. This hadeeth is laying the bases for the Muslim if he does not want to go astray. It follows, therefore, that if at anytime some one finds himself going astray, then he is not holding on to one or both of these sources. The problem we face, however, is that every Muslim stand by this claim that they are holding on to the Qurãn and the Sunnah So how can anyone determine whose claim is correct?

The messenger of Allah left this way very clear for us as he said: *I am leaving you on a clear way, its night is like its day and none turns away from it except that he would be destroyed. *

He told us that the way he left is very clear and then in the following Ah-Hadeeth he explained for us what it is. He said: *The Jews were divided into seventy one groups and the Christians were divided into seventy-two and my ummah will be divided into seventy three and each of them will be in the fire except one. The companions asked: "Who are they, O messenger of Allah?" He said: They are those who are on the like of what I and my companions are on. And in another Hadeeth, he said: The best people is my generation then those that follow them, then those who follow them. *

In the above hadeeth the prophet is telling us the way to understand the Qurãn and the Sunnah is the way the sahabas understood and practised it.
If the understanding of the Qurãn and the sunnah of any group coincides with the understanding of the Companions in all issues, then that group would be the one that is on the truth.
It must also be very clear that only one group of all the groups that are existing is on the correct way as is explained in the hadeeth.
One way

The saying of Allah further emphasises that there is only one way. He said: "Whoever opposes the messenger after the guidance has been clearly shown to him, and follows other than the way of the believers, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in hell, and what an evildestination."[Al-Qurãn 4:115]

Who were the believers during the time the Qurãn was being revealed? Were they not only the messenger and the first generation of believers? So Allah is also making it very clear that there is only one way i.e. the way of the messenger and his companions. My brothers and sisters, life is short so we must make sure that before we die we serure the key that will take us to Al-Jannah(Heaven). Let us not follow Allah's religion based on customs and based on our desires but let us keep an open mind and beg Allah to guide us to the Truth that was left very clear for us by Him and His messenger . May Allah guide us all to the straight way of Islãm. Ameen!

4

Salafi - by default

http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/smile.gif

5

scarface–your definition of fasiq and fajir are not correct.
A fasiq is a Muslim someone who does not carry out some acts of shar’iat which are necessary even though he believes he should [e.g. out of laziness].

A fajir is a Muslim someone who commits haraam acts but believes them to be haraam [e.g. he is overpowered by his nafs.]

A kafir is someone who rejects Islam or a person who says they are Muslim but rejects any of the Daruriyat e Deen.

So a person who denies the finality of Sayyidina Muhammad sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam’s Prophethood or someone who even believes that it is possible for there to be another Nabi is a kafir by consensus as s/he
is denying an explicit nass [verse of Qur’an with clear meaning].

The hadith about there being 73 sects in those who call themselves Muslims is correctly quoted by one of the ppl on this forum and the answer by Sayyidina Rasool Allah alayhisalatosalaam is clear: those on the same AQEEDAH as that of Huzoor Paak and his Sahaba.

And those on the same aqeedah are the Ahle Sunnat w’al Jama’at; NOT those who call themselves “Salafis”. Because they are a sect which only started in 18th century arabia by a shaytaan called ibn abd al wahaab an najdi.
The first three generations of Muslims after Huzoor Paak are called collectively “As-Salaf as-Saliheen”. And those who are on their way in this time are the followers of the Ash’ari/Maturidi aqeedah and those who follow the 4 madhhabs by IJMA.

http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/smile.gif

6

Mr warrior..read your quotation again,...
"what about when Imaam Ahmed ibn Hanbal rejected the opinion of the khalif that 'the Qur'an is created and not the speech of Allah' and amongst the people of knowledge he became known as the Imaam of AhluSunnah wal Jamah"
you have turned the meaning other way round..while everybody knows who was right
Imam Hanbal or the king

7

Assalam Alaikum

warrior2,

Ali(ra) called the khawarij his brothers. Even so only a minority were kafir.

The question is were they kafir because of their actions or their belief?

Same as the mutazila Were they kafir because of their actions or their belief?

Pakistani Guy,

The messenger of Allah (saw) said: O mankind, I am leaving two things with you, if you cling to them you will never go astray. The Book of Allah and my way of life. [Al-Hãkim and Al-Baihaqi].

Clearly this hadith shows that if your opinions are based on Qur'an and Sunnah you will never go astray.

Naturally differences of opinion will arise but as long as they are based on evidence you will not go astray.

The four Imams based their opinions on evidence but clearly they have differences of opinion but they are all correct. Only Allah(swt) knows which opinion on which issue is correct.

The sahabas on the journey that I mentioned didn't say to each other I followed what the Prophet(saw) said and therefore I am guided and you are misguided. Even the Prophet(saw) didn't condemn any one of them because they did what the Prophet (saw) said. It was down to a matter of interpretation.

Asif,

The importance of this post was to stress that as long as our opinions were based on evidence we are part of that one sect which is saved.

It is the belief that makes someone misguided not our actions.

Like ahmadis, agha khanis, nation of islam BELIEVE in the Prophethood of their leaders and that makes them misguided and one of the 72.