Our elusive search for Unity

The elusive search for Muslim Unity

(* Khutbah delivered by Arshad Gamiet at Royal Holloway University of London on 4 Dec 1998)

A-úthu billáhi minash shaytánir rajeem. Bismilláhir rahmánir raheem.

Al hamdu lillahi rabbil ‘alameen. Was salaatu was salaamu ‘alaa ashrafil mursaleen. Sayidinaa wa nabi’na wamoulanaa Muhammadin wa’ala aalihee wa sahbihee wasallim.

My Dear Brothers and Sisters

Our Khutbah today is about the search for Unity amongst Muslims.

The Muslim world is going through a period of upheaval. Wherever Muslims gather, in majority countries and in minority communities, we all keep asking: Why can’t we Muslims be united? Why is there so much disunity, so much hostility between some groups towards others?

The Ummah today numbers about 1.6 billion followers. Islam is considered to be the world’s fastest growing religion. Muslims are the majority in a swathe of countries from Morocco to Indonesia, and from Turkey to Sudan. Our Muslim lands cover a strategic area of the world’s oil and mineral resources, as well as its major trade routes. There are significant Muslim minorities in most countries, and there is hardly a place on this planet where Islam does not have a presence. We have no shortage of numbers. But for a variety of reasons we appear to be fragmented and disconnected from each other. The Holy Quran urges Muslims to be open-hearted and to respect minor differences of opinion. It also warns us of the grave dangers of disunity, and mutual hatred.

In Sura Al-Maida. [03:] verse 103 we read:

“And hold fast all together by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you) and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah’s favour on you; for you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love so that by His grace you became brethren; and you were on the brink of the pit of fire and He saved you from it. This is how Allah makes his signs clear to you: that you may be guided.”

We Muslims are reasonably well aware of our history. But how much have we learnt from it? This sura reminds us how our beloved Prophet Muhammad [sws] united the tribes of Arabia, whom the Romans and Persians considered so wild, warlike and backward, that they were unworthy of conquest. He moulded them into a nation of supermen. When we Muslims served Alláh, when we tamed our egos and subdued our vanity, we became masters of the world. We swept over North Africa, across Spain and southern France, and eastwards to China. Then we became greedy and selfish. We began to love our wealth and power. When we forgot Allah, Allah abandoned us and we lost our power and authority. This happened over many centuries. Although our numbers increased, our influence on world affairs declined.

Today we are divided into dozens into nation-states, and within those divisions, we have further divisions of mutually hostile and exclusive groups. There are Sufis and Salafis, Deobandis and Barelwis, Sunni and Shia. We have a rather fragmented and disunited Ummah, an Ummah that often seems to be at odds with itself. How can we start to put things right?

In Sura Al-Hujurat, verse 13, Alláh reminds us:

“O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)”

This verse doesn’t say, O Muslims! It doesn’t say, O you who believe! It says, O Mankind! This verse addresses every human being. This verse emphasises the essential unity of the human species. Islam is inclusive, not exclusive. Every human soul is has Allah’s sacred light within it. When we show respect to others, we also show courtesy to Allah, swt.

The principle of Tauheed, Islam’s essential doctrine of Unity, underpins the great diversity of all created things. Within every species, there is tremendous variety. In nature, differences are a not a sign of weakness, but a celebration of Allah’s creativity. This is something for us to admire and enjoy, with a sense of wonder and excitement. The variety and diversity we find in the ocean, on land and in the air, are also apparent in our human behaviour. We must not see our human differences as a curse. Rather, it is a blessing. Each and every one of us, has gathered a wealth of experience from different geographical, social and cultural influences. When we all share our experience freely, there is a collective enrichment for everyone.

We must therefore not be impatient with one another. We often hear the complaint that Muslims are not united. But what do we mean by unity? Do we mean that there should be no differences of opinion? Of course not.

Unity does not mean uniformity. We do not have to look the same, speak the same, dress the same, and share each and every opinion unanimously. This is not only unnatural, it’s humanly impossible. Can you imagine it? Life would be so boring!

There are two kinds of unity, which we must try to understand and distinguish clearly:

There is a unity of purpose, and unity of opinion. As Muslims we should always be united in our purpose. That means, seeking to please Alláh, and serving the advancement of Islam. But we must not be distressed by minor differences of opinion. It is humanly impossible to always have unity of opinion. As long as we keep our purpose clearly in view, there can be many opinions as to the best ways of achieving our goal.

By mutual consultation, sharing our knowledge and experience, we can move forward. If we must disagree on some matter, let us remember the right way to disagree. In a debate, a Muslim’s attitude should always be like this: “I think I’m right, but I might be wrong; and I think you’re wrong but you may be right!”

If we kept this attitude of humility in all our dealings with one another, no one risks humiliation or hurt feelings in any disagreement. We can debate and disagree in a most agreeable manner, where we always maintain mutual respect and dignity. These are the building blocks of real, lasting Unity.

“Innalláha wa malaaikata yusallúna alan nabi. Yá ay yuhal latheena ámanu sallú alayhi wasalli mú tas leema. Allahumma salli alá Muhammad, wa ala áli Muhammad, kama salayta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali Ibrahim. Allahumma barik ala Muhammad, kama barakta ala Ibrahim, wa ala ali ibrahim. Fil ála meen, innaka hameedun majeed.”

SECOND KHUTBAH

Soob’ hanallahi wal hamdu lillah, wala hawla wala quwwata illah billah yu althi yual theem

Dear Brothers and Sisters

There is a saying that “The longest journey is from the head to the heart.”

We know, of course that physically, only a few inches separate the head from the heart, but emotionally and psychologically, it could be many miles, or measured in time, trying to connect head and heart could take months, years, or even forever.

The journey from the head to the heart, is a long and difficult journey. It’s a journey from what we think and say, to what we really believe and do; from the world of thought and speech, to the world of action and commitment. We must shorten that journey, if we want to develop the healthy, well-rounded personality of the ideal Muslim. There is a clear and unmistakable link between our inner world and the world outside. Look at any family or community, and you can read the contents of the head, heart and soul of its members.

Muslim Unity is not some miracle that, one-day will suddenly fall from the sky. Muslim Unity, the unity of the whole Ummah, will be the reward for much effort, and the culmination of a long process that begins with individual Muslims, and I mean you, and me. We must start that process. We must seek to unite our own mind, body and spirit. We must not say one thing, and do the opposite. Our goal must be, a Unity of thought and feeling, word and action, inwardly and outwardly. In short, we must cultivate integrity of character.

Alláh most Gracious reminds us in Sura Ar-Ra’d [013]: verse 11:

“Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change what is within themselves.”

In other words, what is within their hearts and souls. Our illustrious Prophet Muhammad [sws] was the most perfect of examples. Even his enemies acknowledged that he was always honest, truthful and sincere. There was no contradiction between his head and his heart. His thoughts, feelings, words and actions were of the same substance. There was never even the slightest trace of arrogance, hypocrisy, vanity or conceit in his personality. This was the role model of personal character, on which the Unity of the first Muslim Ummah was based. We need it today as well.

Sura Al-Anbiyyaah [21]:verse 92, and Sura al Mu’minoon, [23]:verse 52, say:

“In na haathihi um matukum um mataw waahidataw wa ana rab bukum fa’budoon”

Verily this Brotherhood of yours is a single Brotherhood and I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore serve Me (and no other).

This brotherhood of Muslims will only be as strong as we individual Muslims are strong. We are taught that the best Jihad…is the Jihad against one’s ego, Jihad al Nafs. We need to tame this beast within our breast, our pride. We must learn to submit our will, our ego, our vanity, to the will of our creator, just like Nabi Muhammad [sws] taught us. When, and only when, we have made a start on this greatest of journeys, will we earn the pleasure of Alláh. And when we earn Alláh’s pleasure, we find that we can easily tolerate differences of opinion without getting angry or abusive.

We will then, begin to see the the unity of purpose that underpins the wide diversity of Alláh’s creation. We will see the good things that bind us together, without being distracted by the petty things that divide us. By keeping our ego under control, by cleansing our hearts of all vanity and false pride, we actually make room for Alláh’s divine wisdom, which must follow if we are sincere in our quest for knowledge and understanding.

In Hadith Qudsi, Alláh tells us directly:

“I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly even better than that. And if he takes one step towards me, I take ten steps towards him. And if he comes walking to Me , I go running towards him.”

What a beautiful and graphic description of Alláh’s love and affection towards us! And all He wants, is for us to take that crucial first step! I’m sure that each and every one of us here, would like to be amongst those, towards whom Alláh comes running at speed!

My dear brothers and sisters, Let us pray to Allah, subhanallahu ta’ala, to help us foster Muslim Unity and brotherhood.

O Alláh, help us to acknowledge our own shortcomings with honesty and humility, isha-Alláh, O Alláh, please help us to improve ourselves our behaviour. Help us to increase love and respect for one another. O Allah, help us to see our differences as a blessing from You, not as a reason for mutual hatred. O Alláh, please strengthen our resolve, our Imán, give us courage and patience to endure the hardship that Muslims face these days. . O Alláh, help us to become exemplary Muslims. Let us become an inspiration to other people, just as Your last Prophet Muhammad and is noble Companions are an inspiration for us today.

Ameen. Aqeemus Salaah!

* Khutbah delivered at Royal Holloway University of London on 4 Dec 1998