Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear friend and fellow muslim i am a follower of Islam and i am proud to be a Muslim and a follower of Dawwodi Bohra sect. I have been a constant observer of all your replies but friend i feel that when we are being cornered around the world as terrorists is it wise to divide our muslim brothers in the name of Shia and Sunnis. Why in this times of trouble we are just feeding venom in each others minds and making enimies out of brothers. why are we not learning from our own turbulent past where cousins fought against cousin. all i need to say is that whichever sect we are following we are muslims first and then Shia and Sunnis. i belive that be it shia or sunni no one is wrong. what is right is the belife that we are Muslims and the follower of the almighty allah though our paths may be different. I may not be a great Scholar of Islam but with my mind wat i can feel and see is that creating Haterade among muslims like u try to do is wrong. I hope you will clarify on this

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Answer:

Spreading hatred and sects Bohra

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah says in Chapter 30 Surah Rum aayat 31-32: This (Islam) is the right and true faith, but most people do not know. (Be steadfast on this) turning wholly and sincerely towards Allah Alone, and fear Him, and establish the Salat, and do not be like the mushriks, who have set up their separate creeds and divided themselves into sects, each sect rejoicing in what it has.

Allah says in Chapter 45 Surah Al-Jathiyah aayat 17: Then they differed amongst themselves after the knowledge (of Islam) had come to them, only because they wanted to wrong one another. Your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning the matters in which they have been differing.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 23 Surah Mu’minoon verse 52-55: And you all belong to one and the same Ummah, and I (Allah) am your Lord; so fear Me Alone! Yet afterwards the people divided themselves into different sects, and each sect rejoicing in what it has. Well,leave them deeply involved in their heedlessness up to an appointed time. What? Do they think that, by continuing to provide them with wealth and children, We are solicitous for their welfare? Nay, they do not understand the reality of the matter!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse 77-78: O you who have believed, do ‘rukooh’ (bow down) and do ‘sajdah’ (prostration), and worship your Lord Allah Alone, and do righteous deeds: it may be that you attain true success! Exert your utmost for the cause of Allah, as one should. He has chosen you for His service, and has not laid on you any hardship in your religion. Therefore, be steadfast in the religion of your father Abraham. Allah had named you ‘muslims’ before this, and has named you (muslims) in this Quran also, so that the Messenger may be a witness in regard to you, and you may be witnesses in regard to the rest of mankind.

My dear and beloved brother in Islam, Allah, our Lord and Creator, has Himself chosen the name ‘muslims’ for the believers; and it does not behove and befit one who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day to call himself or be recognized by any other name!

We absolutely agree with you that just because two people who have professed belief in Allah and His Messenger (saws) fight or hate each other just because they have a difference of opinion; but we go a step further and say that there is absolutely no need for a believer to even fight against a disbeliever only for the fact that he does not believe!

For Allah Subhanah, our Lord and Creator, it is Who has created man, bestowed upon him the intelligence and the power of reasoning, and given him a ‘free will’ to choose the path they wish to follow. If one, of their own free will, chooses to believe and follow the Straight Path of Islam, he be allowed to do so; and if one of his own free will, chooses to follow a path other than Islam, he be allowed to do so.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 10 Surah Yunus verses 40-44: Some of these people will believe in (The Quran), and others will not. Your Lord knows these mischief-makers very well indeed. If these people deny you, say to them: “I am responsible for my deeds and you are for yours. You are not accountable for what I do, nor am I for what you do.” There are many among them who hear what you say, but will you make the deaf to listen to you, even though they be incapable of understanding this? Then there are many others among them who see you. But will you show the way to the blind, even though they be bereft of sight? The fact is that Allah does not in any way wrong the people, but they wronged themselves!

Islam does not say that one who does not believe does not have a right to exist; but what Islam does say and guide and commands the believers is to clearly declare with patience, wisdom and excellent admonition from the guidance and Message they have received, the punishment for those who choose disbelief and disobedience of their Lord!

Allah says in the Holy Quran: Chapter 16, Surah An-Nahl Ayat 125: Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and excellent admonition and argue with people in the best manner. Your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Way and who is Rightly guided.

The invitation and declaration of Allah’s Message to mankind cannot and should not be taken as sowing ‘hatred’ amongst people! The only duty of the believers is to deliver the Message from the Quran and the Sunnah to all those who are willing to listen to good caution in the absolute best manner, and leave each individual to choose for himself whether he wishes to follow it or deny it.

Every individual has a right to declare and make known to those willing to listen to him what he believes is right and what he believes is wrong; and it is upto the one being invited to either accept it or reject it. Enmity, hatred, and fights happen because one strives with his might and means to forcefully stop someone utilizing his God-given right to declare what he believes to be right and wrong.

My dear and beloved brother, not only will there remain difference of opinion amongst the believers and the disbelievers until the end of time, but difference of opinion even between those who profess belief will remain; for it is the very nature of the test that Allah Subhanah has involved mankind in to see who amongst them sincerely submits to Him and who amongst them does not.

Allah Subhanah has given each individual the liberty and right for the short period of one transitory life to believe, follow and declare what he believes to be right; and it is only when this God-given right to follow and declare what one believes in is usurped by force, when hatred and enmity entails between mankind.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 45 Surah Al-Jathiyah aayat 17: Then they differed amongst themselves after the knowledge (of Islam) had come to them, only because they wanted to wrong one another. Your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning the matters in which they have been differing.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 113: The Jews say: "The Christians have naught (to stand) upon"; and the Christians say: "The Jews have naught (to stand) upon." Yet they (profess to) study the (same) Book. Like unto their word is what those say who know not, but Allah will judge between them in their quarrel on the Day of Judgment.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse 17: Those who believe (in the Qur'an) those who follow the Jewish (scriptures) and the Sabians Christians Magians and Polytheists Allah will Judge between them on the Day of Judgment: for Allah is witness of all things.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chatper 39 Zumar verse 46: Say: "O Allah! Creator of the heavens and the earth! Knower of all that is hidden and open! It is Thou that wilt Judge between Thy servants in those matters about which they have differed."

Allah Subhanah has Commanded and guided His believing slaves to declare His Message to mankind, and leave them to make their own choice; for Allah, the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth Alone will Judge with Justice between His slaves on the Day of Judgment.

My dear and beloved brother, Allah is our witness, our only intention is to fulfill the duty our Lord has laid upon us to the best of our ability: and that is to declare the Message of our Lord to all those who are willing to listen to good caution in the best possible manner. If after hearing the Message, one wishes of one’s own free will to submit to the Guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah, it is well; and if one wishes to deny the Guidance and continue his worship and invocation of the idols, and graves, and humans, etc. it is well, for it is a choice the individual has made of his own free will.

Islam does not believe that the propagation of the Truth from Allah is akin to sowing hatred between people, otherwise the Lord Most Gracious would never have sent his Noble Prophets and Revealed His Books for the guidance of mankind! It is those individuals who opposed the Truth sent by their Lord, and used their might and their means to stop the Noble Prophets of Allah from declaring and inviting mankind to the Truth from their Lord who are the unjust transgressors in the Sight of the Lord.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 157-158: Now that a Clear Proof, a Guidance and Blessing (The Al-Quran), has come to you from your Lord, who can be more unjust than the one who treats Our Revelations as false and turns away from them? We will inflict the severest torment on those who turn away from Our Revelations because of their aversion. Do the people now await that the Angels should come down before them? Or that your Lord may Himself come down? Or that the manifest Signs of your Lord should appear?

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 18 Surah Kahf verses 57: Who can be more unjust than the person before whom his Lord’s Revelations are recited to admonish him, and he turns away from them and forgets the evil end to which he has paved the way with his own hands? (As regards those who have adopted such an attitude), We have put coverings over their hearts which do not let them understand the Quran; and We have produced heaviness in their ears. While in this state they will never be guided aright, however much you may try to invite them to the Guidance.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 34 Surah Saba verse 5: Those who strive against Our Aayats (Revelations, Signs, etc.) to frustrate them, for such will be a Penalty! A Punishment Most Humiliating!

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan