Why is the Unity of Islam Overlooked?

Why is the Unity of Islam Overlooked?

Islam, the world's fastest growing religion with a following of over one billion Muslims, is portrayed in today's times as a religion of division coinciding with the divides of the political spectrum. People tend to divide Islam through its two sects, Shia' and Sunni--especially since the war on Iraq--and along cultural or ideological lines, such as Shafi, Hanafi, and Maliki. Little do they realize that Islam, in all its 1400 years of existence, has embedded within itself hundreds of unifying characteristics that are still with us today.

Unlike the texts of many other religions, the Qur'an is untainted and unmoved by the ever-changing times and is still available to all Muslims in its original form and meanings. Yes, the Qur'an has been translated into many other languages, but never has the original text been altered. The Qur'an remains, word for word, exactly the same as when it was revealed fourteen centuries ago. Each and every Muslim is unified by the five pillars, which are, no matter what sect or school of thought one follows, all exactly identical. All Muslims are to say "La Ilaha Illa Allah Muhammad ur-Rasulallah" (There is only one God and Muhammad is his messenger) and pray five times per day (and only in the language of Arabic). All Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan, from dawn until sunset, perform the Hajj pilgrimage, and all are required to pay charity to the poor (zakat). In mosques across the world, one will find Muslims who are rich, poor, Arab, Pakistani, Black, White, and Asian. People of all races and backgrounds pray side by side in one direction, in one language. Nowhere in the world will you find this type of unity. Hajj is the world's largest annual gathering of faith. Nowhere in the world will you see over two million people come together from all parts of the world for a pilgrimage in the desert only for the sake of their religion.

Although Islam is portrayed and thought of by many as a divided religion, we can see that there are so many unifying characteristics within it. Muslims must realize that Islam, in practice, unifies all people to the call of Allah (swt) as He says in the Qur'an, "And hold fast to the rope of Allah all of you together and do not be divided" (3:103).

We must encourage our fellow brothers and sisters to look past the differences and towards our many similarities in order that we abide by the Qur'an and Sunnah. The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said "Difference of opinion in my Community is a mercy for people."

We must not dwell on the differences nor look down at fellow brothers and sisters who are of a different opinion. One of the most eloquent and well-known examples of how the Prophet Muhammad (saw) promoted the understanding of different opinions is when a group of the companions set out on a journey. The Prophet (saw) instructed the travelers (his companions), prior to their departure, to pray Asr (afternoon prayers) when they reached their destination. However, along the way, as Asr time approached, the companions were split on what to do. One group said that the Prophet's (saw) instructions was meant to tell the travelers to hurry in order to reach their destination by Asr and perform salat (prayers) when they arrived, but they should not miss the prayer if the journey takes longer than expected.

The second group took what the Prophet (saw) said literally and felt that they should pray Asr only when they reached their destination, even if the time for the Asr prayer had passed by then. Accordingly, the first group stopped and performed the Asr prayer along the way, while the second group waited and prayed upon their arrival to the destination. When they returned from their journey, the two groups approached the Prophet (saw) and asked him which group was correct.

To their surprise, the Prophet (saw) said both groups were correct, since both groups had based their decision on their sincere understanding of what the Prophet (saw) meant. Thus, so long as we have evidence to support our opinions from the Qur'an and/or Sunnah of the Prophet (saw) without taking them out of context, and are sincere in our intentions, then there can be more than one view on the same subject. However, it must be understood that the views can only be accepted if they are within the guidelines and regulations of Islam. 

We must work to present Islam to the people of this world as a tolerant yet unified religion, establish our deen (way of life) and fulfill the commands of Allah (swt). It is important for each and every Muslim to understand that not only does "La Ilaha Illa Allah Muhammad ur-Rasulallah" create a bond between a human being and Allah, but it also creates a bond between over one billion fellow brothers and sisters in Islam. Hence, we must not allow the unity of Islam to be downplayed nor allow it to be distorted, for Islam still remains as the fastest growing and most unified religion on the face of the planet