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:

Walai kum salam,

I dont exactly know about your affliation to exactly which ethnic group you belongs.  Pls tell me your ethnic and religion affiliation. I am confused between duoband, ehle hadees, and barelwi. Take your time I will wait for your reply.  Thanx and very best regards,

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Answer:

We are all 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.

Beloved brother, rather than differentiate ourselves and break the Ummah of Islam into sects, creeds and affiliations; our duty should always be to unite this broken Ummah and be honored to be recognized by the name that Allah has chosen for the believers: that is, ‘muslims’.

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.

All these names like Shias, Sunnis, Deobands, Ahle-Hadeeths, Barelvis, etc. are the creation and invention of man himself, and have absolutely no authority and basis in Islam. If one truly believes in Allah and the Last Day, he must strive to be a ‘muslim’ as commanded by Allah Subhanah in the Glorious Quran.

Some people, on the advice of their unscrupulous political and religious leaders have broken relations with the believers and formed their own separate sects and creeds on small differences in 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.

All the schools of thought are absolutely unanimous that a true believer is he who invokes and worships Allah Alone and does not associate any partner with Him; and believes, obeys and follows the Last Messenger of Allah, Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah (saws). If the differences of these sects are not in the basic Islamic ‘aqeedah’, then the differences between all these schools of thought are very very small, and if one’s intention is to truly obey and follow the commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), it really does not matter which school of thought he prefers over another.

Our ethnic, religious, and all sorts of any affiliation is Islam, and Islam Alone! We bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah Subhanah Alone; and we bear witness that Mohamed (saws) is His Messenger (saws). We obey and follow Allah and His Messenger (saws), and our every affiliation is with those who do the same!

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