THE REALITY OF UNITY By Mufti Afzul Hoosen Allias of I.R.O(Part 1)

All praise is due to Allah, abundant durood upon Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and Blessings on the Sahabah (Radhiyallahu Anhum). Allah says: "Oh you who believe, enter into Islaam whole-heartedly (completely) and follow NOT the footsteps of Satan, for he is to you an open (avowed) enemy". [2-208] The Deen of Islaam places great emphasis on both BELIEF (Imaan) and GOOD DEEDS (Ammal-e-Salehaat). This is clearly expounded at various places in the Qur'aan:- 1. "Proclaim good tidings to those who have faith and do good works". [2-25]. 2. "But those that have faith and do good works are the people of Jannat: Forever they shall abide in it". [2-82]. 3. "As for those that have faith and do good works, they shall be given their reward in full". [3-57]. 4. "As for those who have faith and do good works, we shall admit them to gardens watered by running streams". [4-57; 4-122]. 5. "Allah will reward those that have faith and do good works. He will enrich them from His own abundance". [4-173]. 6. "Allah has promised those that have faith and do good works forgiveness and rich reward". [5-9]. 7. "As for those that have faith and do good works. We never charge a soul with more than it can bear: They are the people of Jannat". [7-42]. 8. "....so that He may justly reward those who have believed and done good works". [10-4]. 9. "As for those that believe and do good works, Allah will guide them through their faith. Rivers will run beneath them in the Gardens of Delight". [10-9]. 10. "Blessed are those who have faith and do good works; blissful their end". [13-29]. The `good works' referred to in the above extract encompass Ibaadaat like Salaat, Haj, Saum, Zikaat, etc. as well as traits of character and personality. Thus we can say that Islaam has 3 vital organs that are most important and essential: 1. Imaam (belief) 2. Ibaadaat 3. Personality and Character traits. What is UNITY? To understand Unity, one has to recognise the very opposite which is DISUNITY! Whilst Unity stands our like a PRIME NUMBER which has no factors or divisions, DISUNITY is but a fragmentary collection of disagreements thriving in a cloud of distress and conflict. Disunity appears in different forms which can be termed as MAJOR, MODERATE or MINOR. Whilst MAJOR disunity arises out of differences in IMAAN (Belief), the MODERATE disunity results from differences relating to IBAADAAT and the MINOR disunity comes out of disagreements in matters pertaining to PERSONALITY and CHARACTER traits. Moderate or Minor disunity could become a MAJOR one if the dispute has some wrong belief attached to it. For example: TAWAAF which is an Ibaadaat permissible exclusively around the Kaaba, can result into a MAJOR disunity if it is done around any other object besides the Kaaba. Similarly sajda to anything else besides Allah, sacrifice for anything besides Allah or Nazr and Niyaaaz for anyone else besides Allah, etc. would all contribute towards MAJOR disunity. The circle and sphere of influence and effects of the different types of disunity vary generally. Whilst a minor disunity might only affect one's household family members, kith and kin and the immediate circle of friends and foes, moderate disunity would extend even to the Masjid, and a MAJOR disunity could involve not only the local society but also the world at large. In our age orators are making dramatic, bombastic speeches - filled with emotion - urging the Muslim populace: "Muslims Unite! because Allah is One, the Rasul is One, the Qur'aan is One, the Kaaba is One, Arafaat is One, Mecca is One, Medina is One..." A whole host of other 'ones' are listed in this manner but concealing the fact that all the beliefs are NOT one! Such speeches can be good only if the views of the speaker and the listeners are exactly the same regarding each aspect of unity and oneness listed, but alas, if such had been the case then these futile speeches would not have become necessary, Nowadays (Allah protect us) misguided people are carelessly degrading the imitable Quality of Allah by granting divinity to His Rasul and the saints, and by creating other places for TAWAAF (graves) and by exaggerating or over-emphasising the importance of places like Ajmet, Qom, Qarbala, Lahore, Rabwe, Qadian, etc. instead of Mecca and Medina. To such people unity means sharing in their erroneous beliefs and joining in all their evil practices which are baseless. In spite of their psychological tactics used to arouse the emotions and sentiments of the listeners in order to snare the unwary amongst them, the apparent unity that they claim is but temporary and feeble. Unity based on correct beliefs, Ibaadah, morality etc., will be perfect and permanent whilst that which is conceived out of falsehood will be temporary breeding only confusion, disunity, and all forms of evil. Unity based solely on action will also be temporary. e.g. in schools where the students are of mixed class and of different religions perform as a single united group: sitting, standing, and obeying all orders. Yet when the school session is over, the original distinctions of creed and religion prevail. This is so because UNITY lies internally within the heart which is the storehouse for Belief. External actions without belief are mere shadows which disappear as soon as the light is extinguished. It is sad to note that some brothers in these times consider it a spirit of diplomacy when they advise Muslims to compromise and unite on external issues which are wrong, evil and innovated actions some of which are connected to foul and baseless beliefs. Verily, Muslims are instructed to believe, act and behave in OPPOSITION to the Satan, the Jews, the Christians and other Kaafirs. In fact our belief and modes of conduct are pure, clean, unique and in many aspects even opposite to the ahle-Kufr. Thus we read in the Qur'aan: 1. "Believers do not say (to our Nabi, Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) `Raaina' but say `Undhura', take heed the disbelievers shall be sternly punished". [2:104]. These words mean `Listen to us' and `look upon us' but in HEBREW the sound of the first conveys the sense, `our evil one'. Jews use the expression as a derisive pun. 2. "O Believers, if you yield to some of those who were given the Book they will turn you back from belief to unbelief". [3:300]. 3. "Believers, do you make friends with any man other than your own people. They will spare no pains to corrupt you. They desire nothing but your ruin. Their hatred is clear from what they say, but more violent is the hatred which their breasts conceal". [3:118]. 4. "Believers, if you yield to the infidels will drag you back to unbelief and you will return headlong to perdition..." [3:149]. 5. "O Believers, do not follow the example of the infidels". [3:156]. 6. "O Believers, do not choose the infidels rather than the faithful for your friends. Would you give Allah a clear proof against yourselves?" [4:144]. 7. "Believers, take neither Jews or Christians for your friends and protectors. They are friends and protectors of one another. Whoever of you seeks their friendship and supports them shall become one of their number. Allah does not guide the wrongdoers". [5:51]. 8. "Believers, take as supporters, NEITHER those who were given the Book before you, who have made your religion a jest and a pastime, NOR the infidels..." [5:57]. 9. "Believers, do not befriend your father or your brother if they choose unbelief in preference to faith. Wrongdoers are those who befriend them". [9:23]. 10. "O Believers, know that the idoltors are unclean". [9:28]. 11. "You that are true Believers, do not walk in the footsteps of Satan". [24:21]. Thus we can easily deduce that our WAY is not like the way of the Kuffaar and mushrikeen. This can also be substantiated by Ahaadith which confirm the above. 1. "Do not utter such exaggerated words of praise for me as the Christians do for the Prophet Jesus, the Son of Mary. I am nothing more than a servant of Allah and His apostle. So call me only that". [Bukhari & Muslim]. 2. "Some communities before you had converted the graves of their Prophets into objects of worship. You must NOT do so. Beware, I have warned you" [Muslim]. 3. Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "Ya Allah! do not let my grave be made into an idol for which worship may be offered". [Malik]. 4. Hadhrat Abu Umamma (Radhiallahu-anhu) says that people stood up to receive Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam), Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) forbade them to do so saying: "It is not the manner of the Muslims but that of the Ajamies". [Ibn Maja]. (Ajam means `non-Muslim' i.e. the non-Arabs of those days who had not embraced Islaam). 5. Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "There is none AMONG US who beats faces and tears up shirts and cries aloud like the crying days of Ignorance". [Bukhari & Muslim]. 6. Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "This religion will not cease to prevail so long as the people hasten to break fast, because the Jews and Christians make delay in breaking fast". [Abu Daud, Ibn Maja]. 7. Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "The Difference between our fasting and the fasting of people of the Book is SEHRI `pre-dawn tiffen)". [Muslim]. 8. Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "Pray Fajr Salaat then abstain from the prayer when the sun rises till it rises, because it rises when it rises between the two horns of the devil, and the infidels prostrate for it at that time. Then abstain from the prayer till the sun set in, because it set in between the two horns of the devil, and the infidel prostrate for it at that time". [Muslim]. 9. Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "One should not eat meat by cutting it with a knife as this is the custom of non-Muslims; on the contrary they should take it with the hands and teeth. This is good manners and also helps digestion". [ Abu Daud]. 10. Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "Act contrary to the polytheists - keep beards and clip the moustache". [Bukhari & Muslim]. 11. Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "The Jews and the Christians do not dye. So act contrary to them". [Bukhari & Muslim]. 12. "Change the grey heirs and don't imitate the Jews". [Turmizi & Nasai]. 13. "The distinction between us and the polytheists is turban over caps". [Turmizi]. 14. "Whoever imitates a people, he belongs to them". [Abu Daud]. 15. "He is not of us who imitates other than us. Don't imitate the Jews and Christians, because the salutation of the Jews is to make hint with fingers and the salutation of the Christians is to make hint with palms". [Tirmizi]. IT IS FOOLISH, ABSURD AND A SHEER LACK OF TRUE KNOWLEDGE TO CALL FOR UNITY UPON WRONG. ERRONEOUS BELIEFS AND UNISLAMIC SHIRKI ACTIONS AND PRACTICES WHICH ARE NOT PROVEN FROM THE QUR'AAN AND AHAADITH. Purity and impurity can never compromise; just as darkness and light, or halaal and haraam, jaa-iz and na-jaaiz, day and night, sunnat and bid'at, tauheed and shirkm Islaamic and un-Islaamic, ignorance and knowledge, etc. can never be combined or united! Moreover, unity is never compatible with BID'AT (innovation in the Deen of Islaam); moreso if the Bid'at results from some un-Islaamic belief or custom. There is severe warning in the Ahaadith and this itself obviates the possibility of any unity with Bid'at. 1. Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "Whoever introduces a new thing in this affair (religion) of ours, which is not of it, is cursed". [Bukhari; Miskhaat vol 1 pg 27]. UNITY WITH BAATIL IS FRUITLESS! 2. Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "When my people start doing a new thing in Deen (religion) that is Bid'at (innovation), then a Sunnah in proportion to it is lifted from that community. Hence, it is better to act upon a small sunnah than to practice a big innovation". [Ahmed; Miskhaat vol 1 pg 31]. U

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