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:

Assalaam-u-Alaikum isnt it makrooh that people call themselves shi`ah, sunni, hanbali, hanafi, soofi, etc. shouldnt they just call themselves muslims, since the messenger of Allah (Salla Allahu `alayhi wa sallam) said tht the jews hav 71 sects, the christians have 72 secta and the muslims will have 73 sects. all of them will go to the hellfire except those who shall follow me and my sahabah. Jazakallah Khairan WAssalaam..

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Answer:

We should 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.

‘Makrooh’ is something that is hateful or abhorred in the sight of Allah. And it is indeed hateful and abhorred in the sight of Allah, that a believer should break away from the Islamic Ummah and claim to belong to a sect!

Allah has honored the believers and the name He has chosen for them is ‘muslims’! The sects and names of Shias, Sunnis, Sufis, Ismailis, Hanafis, Bohras, etc. are nothing but the mere inventions and creations of man. The true believers do not belong to any sect, but are united as brothers in faith in the One Ummah of Islam.

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 the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse 77-78:O you who have believed, do ‘rukooh’ (bow down) and do ‘sajdah’ (prostration), and worship your Lord Allah Alone, and do righteous deeds: it may be that you attain true success! Exert your utmost for the cause of Allah, as one should. He has chosen you for His service, and has not laid on you any hardship in your religion. Therefore, be steadfast in the religion of your father Abraham. Allah had named you ‘muslims’ before this, and has named you (muslims) in this Quran also, so that the Messenger may be a witness in regard to you, and you may be witnesses in regard to the rest of mankind.

Your are absolutely right in your deduction that we should all be muslims. The name that the Prophet of Allah(saws), his noble companions, his noble ‘ahle-bayt’, and all the believers feel honored to be recognized with is ‘muslims’…. Not Sunnis, or Shias, or whatever!

May Allah help and guide the believers to be united as brothers and sisters in faith in the One Ummah of Islam.

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