Monday, June 2, 2025
Modern Approach to Sectarianism and the Muslims
By S. Arshad, New Age Islam
2 June 2025
Sectarianism has assumed disastrous proportions in the Muslim societies of the modern world. It is said that there are 72 sects among Muslims and each sect believes in the takfiri ideology, considering only itself as the right sect and all the others false and on the wrong path. The followers of some sects even declare other sects heretic and worthy to be killed.
There are two major sects among the Muslims: Sunni and Shia. There are serious ideological and historical differences between the Sunnis and Shias and these differences sometimes result in violence and bloodshed. Sunni and Shia sects later divided into dozens of sub-sects and developed their own beliefs and practices.
However, the Quran which is the fundamental source of Islamic law does not approve of sects. In fact, the Quran severely criticises those who create sects and divisions among the Muslims. It says to the Prophet pbuh:
"Surely, you have nothing to do with those who have made divisions in their religion and become factions. Their matter is with Allah and He wil indeed tell them what they have been doing."(Al Anam:159)
The Quran considers sectarianism a source of disunity and disintegration in a community and society. The followers of each sect does not only alienate themselves but also hate others. Hatred and disunity leads to weakness and ruin of a community. The Quran narrates the stories of previous communities who perished because of sectarianism.
However, the bane of sectarianism has not harmed only the Muslim society. but also other major religious communities previously. They also suffered from this ideological malady. There are dozens of sects among the Christians, Jews, Hindus and Buddhists. Let's take the example of the Christians first. In the beginning, Christianity did not have sects as they believed in one God. But in the 4th century, the doctrine of Trinity was propounded by some Christian scholars and the doctrine became so.popular that it became a dominant doctrine among the Christians. However, a section of Christians still stuck to the original belief in one God.This divided the Christian community in two major sects. Later, the Christians were divided into more sects and sub-sects on geographical and cultural identities. Some of them are:
Catholicism, Protestantism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, Eastern Church, Non-Trinitarians.
In addition, there are dozens of other sects and sub-sects based on different ideologies and beliefs. During the earlier period, the Christians indulged in sectarian violence as the Muslims do presently and killed each other in the name of purifying and purging the religion. But as scientific temperament developed in Christians, they shunned sectarian differences and restricted the sectarian differences to mere ideological discussions. This led to unity among them.
Judaism faced the same problem. With time, many sects emerged in the Jewish community. They were conservative, reformist and ultraconservative. There was a section among the Jews that had extremist views about religion and ordained Jews to be killed for sins or wrongdoings as is the practice in some sects among the Muslims today. On the other hand, a sect of the Jews had reformist approach and advocated for moderation according to the demands of the modern age. Some Jews belong to the ultra-orthodox sect and they live in alienation. The Jews too killed each other on sectarian lines and sectarian violence had become a way of life for them. The Quran has references to the sects among the Jews and their ruin due to the sectarianism as a source of learning for the Muslims.
But the Jews too reformed themselves and reshaped their thinking and religious attitude in the light of modern social and political milieu. Though still have sects and ideological differences, they do not kill each other or propagate extremist ideology or views even though some of the sects do not adhere to original religious teachings or practices. They only believe in cultural or ethical values of the modern secular society. One sect, the Sadducee though believes in the Torah, it does not believe in the Hereafter which is a fundamental belief in all Abrahamic religions. Still, there is no violence or hostility against this sect.
Another religion which also is marked by sectarianism in Buddhism. Gautam Budha founded Buddhism in the 5th century B.C. It eradicated casteism and racial discrimination that plagued the Hindu society and propounded the doctrine of unity and equality. Buddhism did not recognise or approve social hierarchy of the Hindu society and treated all the communities as equal. The doctrine of equality attained immense popularity in India and the rest of the world and Buddhism spread rapidly in the world. Many kings and princes accepted Buddhism and Buddhist empires and kingdoms were established in many countries. Thus, Buddhism became a major religion in the world.
However, as the times passed, many sects and sub-sects emerged also in Buddhist society. In fact, within hundred years of the death of Gautam Buddha, 18 sects had come into existence and the number increased in later centuries. Minor differences in religious matters gave birth to sects or sub-sects. Even differences in the way of preparing and wearing a robe became the reason of the birth of a new sect. This disunity resulted in the downfall of the Buddhism.
Currently, the Muslims are going through the same phase of severe sectarian differences and sectarian violence through which the Christians and the Jews have passed. Sectarianism has gripped the Muslim community like a fatal disease. Like the Christians, Jews and Buddhists, the Muslims have also been divided in sects. They are divided even on the basis of outer appearance and cultural and linguistic identity. Differences of opinion on non-fundamental issues lead to violence and bloodshed. They have declared the Muslims of other sects heretic and worthy to be killed as once the Jews did.They even attack the places of worship of Muslims and kill the innocent devotees during prayers. The ideology of takfir has given birth to extremist and militant organisations that carry out suicide bombings on schools, hospitals, mosques, temples and churches though the Quran strongly prohibits killing innocent people on religious or sectarian differences.
The Muslims need to do introspection and shun the sectarian ideology as the Christians and the Jews did if they want to progress and come out of this mire of backwardness and disgrace. The Christians and Jews have once again become a dominant force in the world because they shunned the sectarian ideology and sectarian violence while the Muslims have still stuck to the condemned ideology of sectarianism. Muslim linguistic and ethnic communities are persecuted in the Muslim societies for demanding their democratic rights. In many Islamic countries, ethnic Muslim communities are victimised and persecuted in the name of pan-Islamism and the ideology and practices of the dominant sect is imposed on them despite the fact that the Quran recognises cultural and linguistic identity and rights of different Islamic communities. The Quran says:
"O humanity! Indeed We created you from a male and a female and made you into peoples and tribes so that you get to know one another. Surely, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you. Allah is truly all knowing All Aware."(Al Hujurat :13)
Therefore, the Quran envisages a society where difference of opinion is respected and tolerated. God says that He will judge between men on who was right and who was wrong. And killing and causing violence on difference of opinion is not approved by the Quran.The developed societies and religious communities have adopted this modern aproach to religion and are living in peace and advancing in the path of material and spiritual progress. By adopting this democratic approach to religion and sectarianism only, the Muslim community can also reclaim its lost glory and respect in the modern world.
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S. Arshad is a columnist with NewAgeIslam.com.
URl: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-sectarianism/modern-approach-sectarianism-muslims/d/135743
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