My Label is - 'Muslim'

It comes from an ocean of emotions that are swirling within my heart. They are all there sadness, depression, despair, disgust, gloominess... all but nothing positive!

Without an iota of doubt it is enormously precious to be a Muslim, but equally heart-breaking and upsetting when your own people call you by every name, other than that. Virtually, every second person has a new title for me, a new tag for me; for reasons well known to them. They call me almost everything, but never make it to the word which Allaah chose for us.

"…it is He (Allaah) Who has named you Muslims…”

[Al Qur'an 22:78]

What a beautiful name! Muslim! One who submits his will and wishes to that of Allaah! And who chose it for us? Our Creator! Then what is wrong with us that we bargain it for other names? Why, O MUSLIMS? Why?

Obviously, these names are associated with certain (respective) groups/sects/school of thoughts. But, I would like to know which sect/school of thought did the Prophet preached and companions of the Prophet follow? Those companions, to whom Allaah in His Book addressed as:

"You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin good and forbid evil and believe in Allaah."

[Al Qur'an 3:110]

Allaah never addressed Muslims with any of these names, the Prophet (may blessings of Allaah, and peace, be upon him) never taught them, the Sahaba (may Allaah be pleased with them all) never used these names, keep aside using them, they might have never ever heard them! Then how can we use these names for ourselves? Or to be correct, how can we use these names to label others, knowing very well that Allaah commanded us:

"..nor call each other by nicknames.."

[Al Qur’an 49:11]

As for making sects in Islam, it is Haraam!! Stern warnings have been issued against those who make sects both, by Allaah and by His Rasool (may blessings of Allaah, and peace, be upon him). Go through the following (translations of the) verses of the Qur'an:

"Verily, those who divide their religion and break up into sects, you have no concern with them in the least. Their affair is only with Allaah, Who then will tell them what they used to do."

[Al Qur'an 6:159]

"(And remain always) turning in repentance to Him (only), and be afraid and dutiful to Him; and perform the prayers and be not of disbelievers in the Oneness of Allaah. (Nor be) of those who split up their religion, and became sects, each sect rejoicing in that which is with it."

[Al Qur'an 30:31-32]

The Prophet (may blessings of Allaah, and peace, be upon him) too, in many Hadith have forbidden making sects and warned against it.

But the defenders argue in many ways. One such is by quoting the Hadith, where the Prophet (may blessings of Allaah, and peace, be upon him) said,

"My Ummah will be split up into seventy-three sects."

[Sunan Abu Dawood : Hadith 4579]

The arguers argue by saying that the Prophet (may blessings of Allaah, and peace, be upon him) had foretold that there will be sects in this Ummah, and since the Prophet (may blessings of Allaah, and peace, be upon him) foretold it, it has to happen. Well, the point here is simple. RasoolAllaah (may blessings of Allaah, and peace, be upon him) said 'there will be sects', he did not say 'make sects'. He intented to warn against this evil that he knew, (by the Will of Allaah), will happen in this Ummah. But, prejudices die hard. The arguers stand on their stand! Still justifying, that its not a big deal in making sects, since the Prophet (may blessings of Allaah, and peace, be upon him) foretold it. Well then here's my response! Allaah's Messenger (may blessings of Allaah, and peace, be upon him) foretold that people in his Ummah will change the name of Alcohol and consider it as Halaal. I ask these defenders that will they consider Alcohol as legal and consume it, by changing its name? I guess NO. But the Prophet (may blessings of Allaah, and peace, be upon him) foretold it! Since the Prophet (may blessings of Allaah, and peace, be upon him) foretold it you can have it, can't you? Well obviously NOT! Since we all know that alcohol is Haraam in Islam, as Allaah made it clear in the Qur'an, the translation of which is:

"O you who believe! Most certainly intoxicants and gambling and dedication of stones and divination by arrows are Satan's handiwork; abstain from such obominations that you may prosper."

[Al Qur'an 5:90]

In addition are numerous Hadith prohibiting any sort of association with alcohol. The Prophet (may blessings of Allaah, and peace, be upon him) foretold it to warn and inform that though alcohol is prohibited, yet some people will have it. In the same way, the Messenger (may blessings of Allaah, and peace, be upon him) foretold about the Ummah being split into sects to warn that though making sects is Haraam yet people will make sects in this Ummah. He did not encourage making sects.

There are others who put forth a rather obnoxiously vague statement saying that following a particular school of thought/sect, is important to understand Islam properly. Well if that is really so, then I need an answer for a question: How did the Companions (may Allaah be pleased with them all) of the Prophet (may blessings of Allaah, and peace, be upon him) understood and followed Islam?

If Islam is not easy to understand then how did the early Muslims follow it? How did Abu Bakr, Usman, Umer and Ali (may Allaah be pleased with them) follow Islam? So much so that they were even given the good news of Paradise without following any particular school of thought/sect!

Our beloved Prophet (may blessings of Allaah, and peace, be upon him) said:

"Religion is easy, whoever overburdens himself will not be able to carry on with it"

[Sahih Bukhari : Volume 1 : Book 2 : Hadith 38]

It is my humble request O MUSLIMS; please understand the seriousness of the matter. Please, look where are we heading as an Ummah. Stop keeping names. Stop calling names. Stop making sects. Stop splitting Islam. Get united, as Allaah commands us in the Qur'an, translation of which is:

"And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allaah stretches out for you; and be not divided among yourselves."

[Al Qur'an 3:103]

What a beautiful verse! Two very important things stressed upon in this verse. Firstly, Allaah is commanding us to hold on to the rope of Allaah, all together. Which is the rope of Allaah? Al Qur'an! So, first emphasis is to hold on to the Qur'an. And secondly, 'be not divided among yourselves'. Again, telling us not to make sects, not to split up.

So please my dear Muslim brothers and sisters, please think over it. I stop by quoting the translation of a verse of the Qur'an:

"And who is better in speech than the one who calls (people) to Allaah, do deeds of righteousness; AND SAYS, 'I AM A MUSLIM.'"

[Al Qur'an 41:33]