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UNITY CONCEIVED THROUGH EMOTIONS AND SENTIMENTS LIVE ONLY AS LONG AS THE TEARS TAKE TO EVAPORATE!
THE REALITY OF UNITY – Mufti Afzel 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 shirk,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); more so 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 newthing in this affair (religion) of ours, which is not of it, is cursed”. [Bukhari; Miskhaat vol 1 pg 27].
2. 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 pg31].
3. 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].
4.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].
5. 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].
6. 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].
7. 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].
8. 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].
9. 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.
Excerpts taken from Mufti Afzul Hoosen Elias رحمة الله عليه
