Differences among the believers and sectarianism.
Someone might point out that there is a variety of interpretations among the believers regarding certain topics found within the Quran. How do the believers account for these differences if they follow the same religion?
First and foremost. The believers are united upon the most important aspects of our faith. We are all convinced of Muhammad’s prophethood and that God revealed to him the Quran to recite to the people. We affirm everything that is in the Quran including the Oneness of God, the reality of the Afterlife, the need to live an ethical life in accordance with God’s commands. All of these things unite us and are a firm rope we hold onto all together.
Regardless of our unity upon these issues I would like to expound upon the nature of our differences and examine the Quran to see what insights we can find in regards to the differences.
There are several key words that I shall be going over they include:
Sharia: ordinance
Fiqh: understanding
Deen: Religion
Tadabur: contemplate
To begin with let's talk about the ‘Sharia’ or ‘ordinance.’ The Sharia should be a familiar word to all. It sometimes conjures the image of a Taliban like polity with all the hallmarks of the media's favorite caricatures of the more deplorable aspects of traditional islamic understanding (fiqh).
The term does have a Quranic origin. God uses the term in several places:
42:13 He has ordained (shara’a) for you from the religion (ad-din) what He enjoined upon Noah and that with We have revealed to you (Muhammad) and what we enjoined upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus to establish the religion (ad-din) and do not be divided therein. It is difficult upon the polytheist (mushrikeen) what you call them to. Allah chooses for Himself who He wills and guides to Himself whoever turns.
Our first verse comes from chapter 42 of the Quran and here ‘sharia’ and ‘Deen’ are connected. In this case the Sharia is to ‘establish the religion (deen) and do not be divided.’ God also parallels polytheism and religious division.
42:21: Or are for them partners (shuraka) who ordain (shara’u) for them from the religion (ad-din) that which has not been permitted by Allah. And if not for a decisive word it would have been judged between them. Indeed for the wrongdoers is a painful punishment.
And just several verses later we find the same three key terms. Sharia is closely connected with the religion and must be permitted by God, not by associates/partners.
3:19. The Deen with God is Islam (Inna Al-deen ai’nda Allahi al-islam). Those to whom the Al kitab (The Book) was given differed (iktilaf) only after knowledge came to them, out of resentment (baghyan) among themselves. Whoever rejects the signs of God—God is quick to take account.
Here we see, quite plainly, that the religion with God is Islam, or submission. This verse is important in our study as it deals with differences in religious groups.
9:122 And it is not for the faithful that they go forth all together. So let a party remain behind from every group to obtain fiqh (understanding) of the religion so that they may warn their people when they return to them so that they may beware.
This verse is in a martial context yet it gives us the vocabulary to approach this topic. That is a group of believers is ordered to stay behind (from fighting) to obtain understanding (fiqh) of the Deen. Fiqh did come to later be translated as ‘jurisprudence’ once the traditional schools’ study of the deen became complex enough to have the hallmarks of a jurisprudential practice.
To carryon, I propose that the vehicle one comes to an understanding of the Deen (religion) is through ‘tadabor’ of the Quran. Tadabor is an Arabic word meaning to ‘get to the root of something.’ I will translate it as ‘contemplate.’ God commands this of us in several places:
4:82 Do they not Tadabor the Quran? Had it been from any other than God, they would have found in it much discrepancy.
23:68. Have they not Tadabor the Word? Or has there come to them what came not to their forefathers of old?
38:29. A blessed kitab (book) that We sent down to you, that they may Tadabor its Verses, and for those with intelligence to take heed.
47:24. Will they not Tadabor the Quran? Or are there locks upon their hearts?
Tadabor, or contemplation, of the Quran can take two different paths. Both are important for the life of the believer and they complement each other. One is analytical Tadabor. This is the study of the Quran, its language, the connection between surahs, the history of the Quran, its relationship to other scriptures. There is another side of Tadabur, I would characterize as emotional or liturgical. It is the reciting of God’s words in an attempt to welcome its message into our hearts. It is this relationship with the Quran that often makes us reflect upon ourselves and our station, correcting our path and encouraging us to repent.
The analytical Tadabor in conjunction with an individuals emotional tadabor starts to create a certain understanding within the individual that is unique to them. They then through consultation (shura) with other believers, or a group of believers, will come to an understanding or fiqh. Through this process individuals will align with some more than others… this starts to create camps or parties of fiqh. We see this in the form of traditional schools of thought: maliki, hanafi, jafari, ect…
Much of people's fiqh is not based on a personal tadabor with God’s verses but is based on a vicarious relationship with the scholars or researchers of their school. They are content to follow the opinions of those they deem authoritative in the study of the religion. This is often passed on from parent to child and sometimes becomes the identity of entire regions. These schools of fiqh can often be host to a wide diversity of opinions.
The unity of believers
Here are several verses which are proof that God wants the believers to be united with one another. This is clearly a social and political union, if we understand ‘political’ to be the management of affairs between people. I don’t believe these verses need to be expounded upon here.
3:103: And hold fast to the rope of God, altogether, and do not become divided. And remember God’s blessings upon you; how you were enemies, and He reconciled your hearts, and by His grace you became brethren. And you were on the brink of a pit of fire, and He saved you from it. God thus clarifies His revelations for you, so that you may be guided.
3:104: And let there be among you a community calling to virtue, and advocating righteousness, and deterring from evil. These are the successful.
64:4 Indeed, Allah loves those who fight in His cause in a row as though they are a [single] structure joined firmly.
3:28. Believers are not to take disbelievers for allies instead of believers. Whoever does that has nothing to do with God, unless it is to protect your own selves against them. God warns you to beware of Him. To God is destiny.
4:144. O you who believe! Do not befriend disbelievers rather than believers. Do you want to give God a clear case against you?
5:51. O you who believe! Do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies; some of them are allies of one another. Whoever of you allies himself with them is one of them. God does not guide the wrongdoing people.
5: 55. Your allies are God, and His Messenger, and those who believe—those who pray regularly, and give charity, while bowing down. 56. Whoever allies himself with God, and His Messenger, and those who believe—surely the Party of God is the victorious.
8:73 And those who disbelieved are allies of one another. If you do not do so, there will be fitnah on earth and great corruption.
Dispute between believers
49:9. If two groups (Taifatan) of believers fight each other, reconcile between them. But if one group aggresses against the other, fight the aggressing group until it complies with God’s command. Once it has complied, reconcile between them with justice, and be equitable. God loves the equitable. 49:10. The believers are brothers, so reconcile between your brothers, and remain conscious of God, so that you may receive mercy.
This verse is important and really at the crux of what I’m attempting to convey. Here God openly acknowledges different groups of believers. He instructs us what to do during conflicts between believers.
Individual believers come to different conclusions of the religion, or differ in interpreting the correct course of action in the face of God’s instructions, and this leads to different schools of understanding. These differences should not be the source of oppression amongst us. The believers are one community and we should seek to reconcile with each other, despite our differences. If we do not become united, as God says: there will be great corruption in the earth.
Now what is the source of sectarianism that God warns us of in the Quran?
3:105: And do not be like those who separated (tafaraqq) and disputed (akhtalaf)after the clear proofs came to them; for them is a great punishment.
42:13. He prescribed for you the same religion He enjoined upon Noah, and what We inspired to you, and what We enjoined upon Abraham, and Moses, and Jesus: “You shall uphold the religion, and be not divided therein.” As for the idolaters, what you call them to is outrageous to them. God chooses to Himself whom He wills, and He guides to Himself whoever repents.
42:14. They became divided only after knowledge came to them, out of resentment among themselves. Were it not for a predetermined decision from your Lord, judgment would have been pronounced between them. Indeed, those who were made to inherit the Book after them are in grave doubt about it.
30:32. Of those who divided their religion, and became sects; each faction pleased with what they have.
God warns us of people of the past who divided their religion. They received knowledge and then became resentful with each other, rejoicing in their own conclusions. Some of these divisions can lead to aggression. If we want to avoid sectarianism we have to remove the resentment in our hearts towards our fellow believers… Even so, we may find others directing their resentment towards us. What do we do in this situation? We can only continue to seek reconciliation and let them carry their deeds while we carry ours.
6:159 Indeed, those who have divided their religion and become sects - you are not with them in anything. Their affair is only with Allah ; then He will inform them about what they used to do.
