Asalamualaikum Warahmatullahi
As a Muslim it can be quite complicated in our times, maybe more so than it was before. There are a lot of different ideas floating around and a lot of people claiming they are “the ones” on the straight path. You have terms such as sufi, salafi, wahabbi, tablighi, deobandi, “hizbi’s”, hanafi’s, maliki’s, ashari, athari, maturidi etc. So what are all these terms or labels and what does it all mean?
There came a time when I began to venture through the gatherings of different people who hold some sort of label among the “Sunni Muslims”, whether it be Sufi’s, Salafi’s, Tablighi’s, “Young Muslims” and various “Islamic societies” etc. After seeing many of them and noting the good they were doing, although not agreeing with everything, I saw that many of these Muslims were restricting themselves, so I wanted to know why they were limiting themselves to particular mosques or study circles or even scholars.
1) Isn’t Islam, just Islam? We have one Qur’an and one Sunnah, then why are there these people out there with all these different opinions about how to live Islam?
2) Not only that, but why do they call to “their” way as being superior and better than all others?
Well, its only natural that over 1400 years differences will have developed. As long as they’re permissible in Islam and they aren’t major in terms of core beliefs then it’s not that big of a problem. The concept of ikhtilaf (difference of opinion) is something which is accepted by all Muslims and is established firmly from the time of Prophet(SAW). Along with this, the situation that the Muslims are in, as a nation, is unique in history, therefore it’s only natural that people will have different ideas about how to rejuvenate and revive this sleeping nation.
That answers one part. But, the differences still exist and so the big question remains, which opinion or methodology does one adhere to and is one superior over another? During my little travels which started with going to different masjids, dawah stalls, study circles etc, I noticed everybody seemed to group together, which is somewhat expected as generally people are more likely to associate with those with similar ideas. However often it goes beyond this, infact people will try to discourage you from attending other circles. From here theres two options that I have seen most people go for. I’ll explain them in terms of someone who attends a “salafi masjid”, where the jummuah khutbah is about bid’a and sufi practices that they consider bid’a, along with why we shouldn’t visit the “sufi masjid”. [Terms used e.g. "Sufi masjid" are for the ease of understanding, im not saying one is good or bad]
1) The person will accept what is being said based on seeing maybe a few of these things with his own eyes and thinking, “yes, they do practice these things and he’s given evidence, this masjids excellent, everything makes so much sense and it MUST be right because they have given hadiths and Qur’an”. He’ll continue to attend the khutbahs and maybe start attending extra study circles there. And before he/she knows it they’re a “salafi”.
2) The person will hear the khutbah and think “wow, people of bid’a will not be privileged with the Prophet(SAW)’s intercession, thats scary, I need to find out more about bid’a, lets see what other people have to say about this. Maybe the masjid they just warned me about, lets see what they have to say”. And so they will go and speak, learn and try to understand the differences and possibly come to some sort of a conclusion, or they may continue to research.
3) Oh and of course theres also the one that will hear it and say “Bid’a? Sufi’s? Huh?! Why do I care. This imam has gone way over his time limit, i’m going to be late for work!”
Note: Lit Def. Salafi: The first three generations of Muslims, the companions, tabi’een and tabi tabi’een.
The term salafi cited in the example was in reference to the salafi movement, respectively, commonly known as “wahabi’s” by some.
As for me, after taking the second approach I asked questions and came across more and more groups of Muslims, some who varied a lot and some who didn’t. After meeting them and spending time with them, I discovered theres different groups within these groups, and among them there are also groups established for specific purposes. When I visited the different groups, I found that I was benefiting from them in different ways and some not at all. I found there was good to take from almost everybody and everybody is playing some sort of role which is somewhat necessary in the revival of Islam.
One group of people alone can never achieve everything that the Muslims should collectively be doing. There are for example some working on arranging classes that teach fiqh, there are some discussing current affairs and the need for a state based on Islam, there are those who are working with the youth, there are those urging others to focus on the heart and character, and along with these there are many others.
It’s clear there are many people who are contributing to the spread of Islam and the revival, and these people are from all types of groups, like the ones mentioned earlier. They do not come from any one part of the world, nor do they agree on all aspects, but thats not always necessary, providing the fundamentals are there and the final objective is the same. And Believing its bid’a(innovation in religion) to use rosemary beads for dhikr and another believing its not, is not a significant difference. The Fundamentals are believing in what are commonly known as the six articles of faith, mentioned in the Hadith of Jibreel(AS):
…Then, he asked, “Tell me about belief (iman).”
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, “It is to believe in Allah; His Angels; His Books; His Messengers; the Last Day; and in destiny—its good and bad.”
[Muslim]
I understand it can get complicated when we bring in certain groups that go against the sunnah of the Prophet(SAW) in a major way, however the majority of the time, this isn’t the case and so it isn’t necessary or wise to make a mountain out of a molehill, as most people do, creating friction and contempt between those who are supposed to be brethren in religion. This is one of the biggest challenges we face as a Muslim community spread worldwide, tolerance among ourselves and also the rest of the world.
On many occasions arguments spark from a difference of opinion which should be tolerated, especially in the current climate and obstacles that we face today. So if it isn’t a case of Kufr and Islam, the true basics, then much of the time: If you don’t support it or agree with it, in many cases it’s better to remain silent, as opposed to rushing to the differences you have and creating division among our already divided communities.
To conclude; this push to be the saved group or rightly guided, which has caused people to bad mouth the efforts of others, is a detriment to Islam most of the time and is hindering the progress that the Muslims are in dire need of. We must “think”, thinking is the key. People will do what they will, if you don’t agree with it, don’t go around spreading an atmosphere of hatred and division, instead use wisdom and go speak to the person directly in private if you feel strongly about the issue, after that it is upon them to accept or reject. Our intention should be to help them or allow them to help us, as it’s possible that we could be wrong, if that is the intention and it is for the love of Allah, then hatred and bad adab(manners) should not come into it. You have done your job and that is all that is required of you.
As soon as we create that atmosphere of division we must remember we are building obstacles with our own hands. So as for this blog, I dedicate it to openly exploring the many differences out there and documenting my thoughts, to find the truth. As well as other things.
May Allah(swt) guide me and all the children of Adam(AS). Ameen.
