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Islam and Unity
By Professor Maqsood Jafri
Unity
is strength. When the sand grains unite they become a vast desert.
When the sea drops unite they become a boundless ocean. The
conglomeration of stars in the firmament of sky soothes our eyes.
The seven colors emerge in the shape of a bewitching rainbow. The
unity of people makes an invincible strong nation. This is the
reason Islam lays great stress on the importance of unity. The
Islamic concept of Tawheed is the other name of the unity of
humankind. The corner stone in Islam is the unity of God. Allah’s
unity teaches us the message that we should not divide humans into
sections and sects. Almighty Allah in the Quran says that the
division of people in the races and clans is only for their
introduction. The best one out of them is the man of piety.
Dr.
Mohammad Ali Al-khuli is his book titled “The Light of Islam”
writes. “Islam is the greatest unifying force in the world. It is a
religion to all humans regardless of color, race and language. It
is a religion that tolerates other religions and orders its
followers to respect and protect all humans.” According to a Hadith
of the Holy Prophet all persons belong to Adam and Adam was from
soil. The racial discrimination has been strictly prohibited in
Islam. In the last sermon from the Mount of Arafat the Holy Prophet
had clearly announced that no Arab has any superiority over a
non-Arab; or the white over the black. This is the reason that in
Muslim countries we do not find racial discriminations. Islam gives
clear injunctions for the respect, safety, security and prosperity
of the non-Muslims as well.
Unity
teaches peace, equality and paternity. The absence of unity brings
and breeds disruption, devastation and disputes. Islam ordains
protection of non-Muslims simply to show the respect for the Canons
of divinity and humanity. God is not only of the Muslims. God is
the God of all human beings. The unity of all humans is the
ultimate aim of the teachings of Islam. The doctrinal and
ideological differences should not lead to war or bloodshed. Man is
a thinking creature. Aristotle, the Greek philosopher introduced
Rationalism in Philosophy. The Quran time and again asserts on the
need of cogitation. “Ijtihad” is an analogical and analytical
approach towards the matters of jurisprudence. Ashab-e-Suffa were
the people of wisdom.
They
gave more time to cogitate on social and academic matters along with
their saintly and spiritual practices. They were praised by the
Holy Prophet for their involvement in intellectual pursuit. Once
the Holy Prophet said: “The juristic scholar who receives two
rewards for every correct decision and even one for every incorrect
one, for he is endeavoring with all his effort to reach the correct
decision.” The difference of opinion must be positive. It should
not lead to prides and prejudices of priests. It should be decent
difference on the bases of logic like the differences of
Philosophers. Aristotle was the pupil of Plato. He differed from
his teacher on many points but he never issued the edict of his
assassination. Hegel and Bergson differed.
Immanuel Kant differed with Nietzsche. None cursed or condemned the
other. These differences were on principles; not personal. But
unfortunately the so called scholars and clerics of different
religions brought immense misery to mankind in the name of
religion. The Jews, the Christians, the Muslims, the Hindus, the
Buddhists and others had mercilessly shed the blood of each other in
the name or religion. Each of these sects then killed the followers
of their own religions on minor interpretative issues. Even to date
the bloodshed in the name of faith is rampant. This is the greatest
error and must be rectified. The Quran discusses the concept of
unity on three levels. Foremost is the unity of humanity.
The
Quran in Sura Al-Hujurat (The Inner Apartments) says: “O, Mankind!
We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into
nations and tribes that you may know one another. Verily, the most
honorable of you with Allah is the one who has piety.” (49:13). The
Quran no where addresses the Muslims. Either it addresses the
believers (momineen) or the people (Annas). The Quran on second
level refers to the unity of the people of the Books: the Jews, the
Christians and the Muslims- In Sura Al-e-Imran the Quran says:” O,
people of the Book! Come to a word that is just between us and you,
that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partners
with him, and that none of us will take others as lords besides
Allah. Then if they turn away, say; Bear witness that we are
Muslims” (3:64).
The
fifth verse of the Sura The Clear Evidence and the forty eighth
verse of Sura The Table Spread also shed light on the unity of the
people of the Book. Then on third level the Quran asserts on the
unity of the Muslims. In Sura Al-e-Imran the Quran says; “And hold
fast, all of you together to the rope of Allah, and be not divided
among yourselves.” (3:103). Then Quran condemns sectarianism and
regards it shirk (polytheism). The Quran again in Sura Al-e-Imran
says: “O ye who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared and die
not except in a state of Islam.” This verse clearly ordains that
instead of adhering to Sunnism, Shiasim or Wahabism we should
strongly adhere to Islam. In Mishqat Sharife there is a tradition of
the Holy Prophet which says; “The Muslims are like a body; if one
limb aches, the whole body aches.”
Then
the Messenger of Allah says; “whoever does not care about the
affairs of the Muslims is not one of them.” From the above Quranic
facts we deduce the result that Islam believes in the unity of all
humans and preaches peace, justice and equality. Religion is to
serve humankind. Religion has come to reform and unite humans, not
to divide them. We must condemn extremism and terrorism in the name
of religion and unite humankind if we believe in the unity of God.
(The
writer is an eminent speaker and scholar on Islam. He can be
reached at maqsoodjafri@aol.com)
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