DIFFERENT SECTS IN RELIGION  

Generally Muslims follow a school of law or are members of a particular sect. They either participate actively through personal choice or are born into the particular branch of the faith. Sadly, most people follow in blind faith and are totally unaware the number of sects or the beliefs expounded by their leaders. But even more tragically, they are unaware of the Quranic teachings regarding this important subject.

The actual number of sects can never be calculated but the well known ones are:
Sunni (Hanfi, Hanbali, Malaiki, Shafi and extinct schools such as Zahiris etc...),
Wahhabis (Muwahhidun), Ahl alHadith, Ahl alSunnah, Ahmadiyyah, Qadians, Lahoris, Kharijites, Kaysaniyyah, Mukhtariyaah, Shi'ite (Partisans), Zaydis (fivers), Seveners, Twelvers, Ghulat, Fatimid Ismailis, AliIlahis, Old Shaykhis, New Shaykhis, Babis, Baha'is, Nizari Ismailis, Sulaymanis, Qarmatians, Nusayris, and hundreds of other splinter groups of people who follow particular local saints and 'holy' men.

The people who belong to any of the sects all claim to be Muslims and indeed if they follow the Quran the are, but first we have to know what the Quran says.

The reasons why we were all made different is explained: `O people' we created all of you from the same male and female (Adam and Eve), and We made you into nations and tribes in order to recognise each other' (AI-Hujuraat 49.13).

In the same verse the Quran maintains that although we are all different the fact remains that `the best among you is the most righteous.' This in essence means that although we are different and whatever we may think of ourselves, only the people who follow God's law are the righteous.

To become righteous what do we need to do?
The prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was one of the best examples of a Muslim, he was commanded to `... follow the religion of Abraham, the sane in faith, he was never an idol worshiper.' (Ali-Imran 3.95)

Here Muhammad is instructed to follow the religion (Arabic: Deen -the way of life) of Abraham, but what religion was Abraham? Abraham was certainly not a Jew or a Christian:

`O people of the scripture, why do you dispute about Abraham, when the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed until after him? Do you not understand?
(Ali-Imran 3.60)

Looking at verse 22.78 we know that God named those who submitted to Him as `Muslims'. Muslim is of course the Arabic word for submitter.

Abraham and Muhammad both submitted to God and were therefore both Muslims and excellent examples for everyone. Although their missions were many years apart the message which they brought was the same. They did not make Islam into new or different sect or religion and we do not name their teachings as `Abrahamism or Mohammedanism'.

Today, we do not have Muhammad with us, but we do have the Quran which the criteria for judging between right and wrong.

After the death of the prophet Muhammad and since then, different factions have mushroomed, all claiming to be Islamic and many named after their founders.

Can they all be Islamic or are they deviations of Islamic teachings?

`The religion you preach is one religion and I am your Lord, so observe Me.'
(AI-Mu'minoon 23.52)
If the religion which Muhammad preached was one religion then even today there should only be the same one religion but as the Quran says:
`The people divided themselves into sects; each happy with what they have.'
(AI-Muminoon 23.53)

What does God say about the dividers?
`Those who divide their religion into sects do not belong with you (O Muhammad). Their judgement rests with God. He will inform them of everything they did.'

The reason for the spread of sects must be that people have abandoned the Quran in favour of the opinions of their leaders they idolise. The Quran has been neglected and this will be verified by the prophet Muhammad, who on the day of Resurrection will say:

`My Lord, my people have deserted this Quran.' (AI-Furqan 25.30)

According to the Quran there are only three categories which people fall into:

The Righteous, the Disbeliever’s, and the Hypocrites. (AI-Baqarah 2-10)

The righteous are those who believe and implement the teaching of the Quran, yet even those who believe in God can go astray.

`If you ask them `Who created the heavens and the earth and subdued the sun and the moon' they will answer `God'. How come then they deviate?" (An-Ankaboot  29.61)