Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Are we justified in calling ourselves Muslims IF we say we are Sunnis, Shias, Bohras, Aga Khanis etc. As far as my meagre knowledge is concerned, I believe Allah's message is for Muslims and not for a particular sect and Allah and Prophet Muhammad (SAW) never wanted us to be divided?

As Iqbal had put it in his poetry:

Aik Hoan MUSLIM Haram ki pasbani kay liay Nile kay sahil say lay kar tab khak-e-kashghar

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Call ourselves Muslims

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

What you have said is indeed the Truth! We, as believers, must always be proud to be recognized by the name that our Merciful Lord and Creator has chosen for us, and He has named the believers as ‘muslims’. He has commanded us to be united in the Ummah of Islam, and not to divide ourselves into sects and sub-sects like the ignorant people of the past! The sects of Sunnis, and Shias, and Ismaelis, and Bohras, etc. were all created by man, and have absolutely no basis in Islam. Those who have invented their own sects and divided themselves from among the Muslim Ummah have clearly disobeyed the clear command of Allah Subhanah from the Holy Quran.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 23 Surah Mu’minoon verse 52-54:And you all belong to one and the same ummah, and I (Allah) am your Lord; so fear Me Alone! Yet afterwards the people divided themselves into different sects, and each sect rejoicing in what it has. Well, leave them deeply involved in their heedlessness up to an appointed time.

Allah says in Chapter 30 Surah Rum aayat 31-32:"This (Islam) is the right and true faith, but most people do not know. (Be steadfast on this) turning wholly and sincerely towards Allah Alone, and fear Him, and establish the Salat, and do not be like the mushriks, who have set up their separate creeds and divided themselves into sects, each sect rejoicing in what it has."

Your Statement: As far as my meagre knowledge is concerned, I believe Allah's message is for Muslims and not for a particular sect.

Allah’s Message is not only for the muslims, but rather for all of mankind as stated by Allah Subhanah several times in the Holy Quran. This is a universal message which invites all mankind to believe and worship the One Lord, Who is the Sole Creator of the heavens and the earth and everything that exits in between.

Allah says in Chapter 2, Surah Baqarah aayat 185:"Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was sent down: this Book is a perfect guidance for mankind and consists of CLEAR teachings which show the right way and are a Criterion of the Truth and falsehood."

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan