UNITY CONCEIVED THROUGH EMOTIONS AND SENTIMENTS LIVE ONLY AS LONG AS THE TEARS TAKE TO EVAPORATE!
THE REALITY OF UNITY – Mufti Afzul Hoosen Elias رحمة الله عليه
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.
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.
- 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!
- 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].
UNITY WITH IMPURITY IS A DANGER
TO PURITY ITSELF!
- Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “Verily, Allah refuses to accept
the Practice of a person of Bid’ah until he relinquishes his bid’ah”. [Ibn
Majah].
UNITY WITH ERROR ADDS DARKNESS UPON DARKNESS!
- Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “Allah does not accept the
Fasting, the Salaat, the Sadaqah, the Hajj, the Umrah, the Jihaad, the Fardh
or the Nafil Ibadaat of the one who practices Bid’ah”. [Ibn Majah].
UNITY UPON BASELESS FOUNDATIONS IS DETRIMENTAL TO THE
WHOLE SUPER STRUCTURE OF ISLAAM
- Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “Whoever respects a person of
Bid’ah has aided in the destruction of Islaam”. [Mishkaat].
A COMPROMISE WITH SOME INNOVATION IN DEEN
IS AN INNOVATION ON ITS OWN
- Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “Allah has closed the door of
taubah upon every Bid’atee”. [Tibraani].
HE WHO IS SO CONFIDENT ABOUT THE LEGALITY
OF HIS MISDEED THAT HE EXPECTS A REWARD FOR
IT WILL NOT REPENT
- Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “He who innovates, misleading
people into practices which displease Allah and His Messenger is equal in
sin to all those who commit that misleading practice”. [The Bid’atee
Dalaalah].
UNITY UPON FALSEHOOD WILL PRODUCE A
CHAIN REACTION LINKING AND LEADING
FROM ONE LIE TO ANOTHER!
- Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “He who calls to Dalaal (error
manifests which misleads others) will be equal in sin to all those who follow
him (in this act of Dalaal)”. [Sunnan Daarimi].
UNITING WITH BAATIL IS ITSELF AN ACT OF BAATIL AND
FOLLOWING BAATIL IS ALSO BAATIL!
- Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “The people of Bid’ah are the
dogs of the Fire”. [Kashful Ghummah].
LET THOSE WHO UNITE WITH THE WRONGDOERS
BE MINDFUL OF THE FATE OF THOSE WHOM THEY
SYMPATHISE AND COMPROMISE WITH.
It is also noteworthy that:
- UNITY CONCEIVED THROUGH EMOTIONS AND SENTIMENTS LIVE
ONLY AS LONG AS THE TEARS TAKE TO EVAPORATE!
- UNITY BUILT UPON FOOD LASTS TILL THE COMPLETION OF THE
DIGESTION (OR INDIGESTION) OF SAME OR TILL THE LINGERING
OF ITS TASTE!
- THE LENGTH OF UNITY BUILT UPON SOME ACTION IS
DETERMINED BY THE DURATION OF THAT PARTICULAR ACTION.
In the words of Hadhrat Moulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Rahmatullah Alayh): Uniting
on an issue of uncertainty is inevitable short-lived, lasting only till the disclosure of
the FACTS of the uncertainty. Once the truth is revealed the temporary unity
vanishes and is replaced by flashes of disunity everywhere.
To achieve a complete and lasting unity is imperative of Muslims to remove all
causes of major moderate and minor forms of disunity springing from beliefs,
ibaadah, muaamalat and traits of personal character. The only way to do this is
to discipline our lives to strictly adhere to the Deen of Allah and the Shariah of
Islaam. The Rope of Allah is the only perfect solution which will certainly bring
about flawless unity for the pleasure of Allah.
The solution for any sort of difference can easily be found if we apply the following
directive of the Qur’aan:
“O believers! Obey Allah, the Rasul and those in charge; If you
dispute in anything, refer it to Allah and the Rasul (i,e, the Sharieh),
if indeed you believe in Allah and the Last Day”. [Surah NISAA,
Aayat 59].
One who tries to please the people in an attempt to bring about unity which is not
based on Islaamic Shariah will earn the displeasure of Allah and be finally humiliated
and degraded by the very people whom he tried to please in the first place. Allah is
All Powerful!
CONCLUSION
It should be borne in mind that only that unity which is beneficial to Islaam is
desirable whilst any disunity which is harmful to Deen is detestable. Similarly if some
for of unity is harmful to Deen and the disunity beneficial then this disunity will be
desirable.
Unfortunately, in the matters of Deen this important Rule and Principle of allowing
Justice to replace Injustice is conveniently overlooked and the different groups are
asked and expected to compromise by shedding even the justifiable disunity in the
“Cause of UNITY”. No attempt is made to investigate and rationalise the dispute to
determine which side is standing on the Truth and which side is glorifying falsehood.
Now when both Parties are ordered to reach an agreement then such a unity logically,
will create any of three possibilities viz.:
- The Party upholding Truth detaches itself from the correct Path and consents
to falsehood i.e. the Pious connive with the sinners in their sinning and
wrong-doings.
- The wrong-doers give up their evil practices and become righteous.
- Both sides agree to compromise by leaving off only part of their differences and achieve a form of disunited UNITY.
Every sane and thinking person will realise that only the second possibility (mentioned above) is correct and means that the true
followers of Deen have the right to be disunited with the wrong-doers and those who do not follow the Deen, whilst they (the
wrong-doers) cannot claim any such right because it is their duty to unify with the righteous and the followers of Deen.
Exerpts taken from Mufti Afzul Hoosen Elias رحمة الله عليه
