Uniting as ONE in Islam and no sects

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   As Salamu Alaikum
I'm all for unity too, but don't know what constitues a sect?
Salams

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Alwardah Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 25 March 2005 Location: South Africa Status: Offline Points: 980	Post Options Post Reply Quote Alwardah Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 08 January 2008 at 1:38am
	As Salamu Alaikum I'm all for unity too, but don't know what constitues a sect? Salams
	�Verily your Lord is quick in punishment; yet He is indeed Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful (Surah Al-An�am 6:165) "Indeed, we belong to Allah and to Him is our return" (Surah Baqarah 2: 155)

layalee Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 04 August 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 157	Post Options Post Reply Quote layalee Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 08 January 2008 at 5:43pm
	sect n. A group of people forming a distinct unit within a larger group by virtue of certain refinements or distinctions of belief or practice. As I stated above there are various number of sects in Islam ,the number is much larger then the ones I even provided for examples. A problem that is witness by many of the negative causes of sects are the disagreements that Suni and Shi'tes have had for many years, for example. I don't think the reality of sects existing can be denied, so I was surprised to see why I was asked what constitutes a sect. I could name the similarities and differences between each one, but don't feel that was the point of my posting. My post was done more out of curiosity to see what other posters thought of the idea of Muslims deciding to no longer claim belonging to a sect. When I first converted to Islam, I considered myself a sunni Muslim, but then I realized that the quran simply provides the best guidance on how I can be a rightous Muslim, and in fact it is against the spread of ideas that differ about the correct teachings that the Quran and the Prophet Mohammad (p.b.u.h) provides. Now I just want to consider myself a Muslim. Nothing more, nothing less. I guess if I'm a be thought of as question begging, then yes, I will say that I am. I urge to have understanding. Because if the message that has been presented to Muslims is so clear, then why do we divide ourselves into different sects? Al-Zumar 39:24 'Allah has sent down the best Message in the form of a Book, whose verses are mutually supporting and repeated in diverse forms at which do creep the skins of those who fear their Lord; then their skins and their hearts soften to the remembrance of Allah. Such is the guidance of Allah; He guides therewith whom he pleases. And he whom Allah adjudges astray- he shall have no guide.' Al-Ma'Idah 5:16 'O People of the Book! there has come to you Our messenger who unfolds to you much of what you have kept hidden of the Book and passes over much. There has come to you indeed from Allah a Light and a clear Book.'

rami Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group Male Joined: 01 March 2000 Status: Offline Points: 2549	Post Options Post Reply Quote rami Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 09 January 2008 at 3:48pm
	Bi ismillahi rahmani raheem assala,u alaikum I think you need to put things in perspective, if you go through the long list of sects, 73 by rasul allah's sallah llahu alaihi wa sallam count, look at how big these sects actually are. Shia the largest Muslim sect is no more than 10% [and im being very generous here] of the entire Muslim population world wide. Sunni's comprise 87-93%, so in reality i dont see how the situation is dire as you say it is. Br Andalus is asking who you consider a sect because most people don't actually know, they will assume things like wahhabbi/salafi's being a sect in Islam the same way shia are which is incorrect. the definition of what you consider a sect is very broad and not in conformity with the Islamic understanding. Sunni's are the large group [as your definition states] and everything else is a sect outside the main body of Muslims.
	Rasul Allah (sallah llahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Whoever knows himself, knows his Lord" and whoever knows his Lord has been given His gnosis and nearness.

layalee Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 04 August 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 157	Post Options Post Reply Quote layalee Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 09 January 2008 at 4:36pm
	Thank you for the reply you provided Rami. Your posting have gave me points I should consider. But I can't only help but wonder will we as Muslims begin to feel closer together if we were to drop the titles of groups/sects that we have choosen to follow.

rami Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group Male Joined: 01 March 2000 Status: Offline Points: 2549	Post Options Post Reply Quote rami Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 09 January 2008 at 5:33pm
	Bi ismillahi rahmani raheem When it comes to titles you need to apply understanding otherwise you would simply be alarmist for no reason at all. Allah has more than 99 titles by which he is known, rasul allah from memory has more than 300 which allah has called him by, there is nothing wrong with titles or labels in and of them selfs its what they mean or represent that is an issue. go back in history to a time when there where no groups or titles you had just muslims, the first group to diferentiate themselfs from the muslim Ummah where the shia [literaly partisans] once you have one group splitting up how do the rest of the muslim ummah who havnt sided with anybody know or identify themselfs its by giving themselfs a lable to show they are not with these people causing trouble, at the time the shia had killed the very people they claimed where in the right i.e ahl al bait. So the Muslims decided on a simple name who by its meaning people understood what they where following, SUNNI meaning a Muslim who follows the sunnah. Its not the labels you have to drop but the wrong beliefs and that will never occur [sister] until the time of the Mahdi and Isa [hs] when Allah him self said [as it is stated in a hadith] he will make our hearts united so we are one group.
	Rasul Allah (sallah llahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Whoever knows himself, knows his Lord" and whoever knows his Lord has been given His gnosis and nearness.

layalee Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 04 August 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 157	Post Options Post Reply Quote layalee Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 09 January 2008 at 6:35pm
	Thank you for the wisdom you have provided. Especially infomation on the hadith that provides the promise that Allah(swt) will unite our hearts as one. I need to have more faith that Allah(swt) knows exactly what has to be done and everything takes place for a reason. Salaam

minuteman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 25 March 2007 Status: Offline Points: 1642	Post Options Post Reply Quote minuteman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 09 January 2008 at 9:25pm
	rami has given good info. Sects are meant to be some section of the main body of Muslims, even though it be small in number. Allah had forbidden the Muslims to become divided. He wants us to remain united as One Ummah. In the end Rami has also pointed out a good thing. There is no use changing the name only for unification. To be untied in name will not be useful unless Muslims are united by heart. It is like a disease which is showing its symptoms. If you try to remove only the symptoms of the disease but do not cure the disease, it would be very dangerous. But coming back to Laylee, There is a dire need for unity. The situation cannot be allowed to go on as it is. More in next post, thanks.... (continued)

minuteman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 25 March 2007 Status: Offline Points: 1642	Post Options Post Reply Quote minuteman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 09 January 2008 at 9:45pm
	The people of different sects have different thinking and interpretation of the Quran / Hadith. They do not remain in a peaceful state for long. They, each sect start working for the sect and not for ISLAM. They start fighting and the enemies of the Ummah have good chances of breaking in and doing more damage to the Ummah. Then each sect starts calling the other Kaafir. It is a direct disobedience of Allah to be divided into sects: Please read verse 3:103. It says "Hold fast to the rope (line) of Allah and do not be divided into sects." In another place, it is said about those who had been divided into sects that " Every sect is happy with what they have". (verse 30:32). So it is not a good sign to be divided. It is not will of Allah and by doing so we are misusing the liberty that Allah has provided to us to use our choice. It is a bad use of the choice. So it is a sin. Now, we come back to the original problem: How to go about achieving Unity of thought and deed and name (title)? Can any one suggest some simple answer to that? Some answer which may become an easy base for getting united. Not only we should work for the unity of the Muslim Ummah but also It should be our endeavor to work for the real unity of the Jews and the christians too, within their own faiths. Edited by minuteman