Shaykh Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān حفظه الله said:
And we say to them: Muslims can’t be united except upon a correct creed (‘Aqeedah), the ‘Aqeedah that united the Sahaabah while they were once divided, like Allah the Most-High said:
وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَآءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ
“And remember Allah’s Favour on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together.”¹
What united the Sahaabah from division and fighting if not this ‘Aqeedah which is the meaning of “Lā ilāha illa Allah, Muḥammadu rasūlullah” ?!
People won’t be united except with correct ‘aqeedah. But as for being different in their ‘aqeedah, they will never be united.
As for the difference in the discretionary issues of Fiqh, that proofs point to different possibilities, this does not affect, and it won’t cause division or enmity, because this is an allowed discretion. But a difference in Aqeedah is not allowed, and those who differed (in aqeedah) can never be united. Those who differed in aqeedah can’t be united, no matter what anyone does. Because he wants to unite two opposite sides and it is not possible to unite two opposite and contradictory sides.
If they wish for the unity of the Muslims, they should rectify the ‘Aqeedah first; the ‘Aqeedah that all the messengers – from the first of them till the last of them – were concerned about and started (their Da’wah) with it. They have to unite that first, if they unite the ‘aqeedah, the ummah will be united. This is if they are serious and truthful with their claims. But they mock the one who talks about ‘Aqeedah and calls people to correct ‘aqeedah and they would say: This individual is making takfeer of people (declaring them to be disbelievers), he wants to divide the Muslims, he wants such and such and so on from the things they say.
We say to them: you can’t unite the Muslims upon what is other than the correct Aqeedah, if the Aqeedah is united, they would unite with ease.
هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَيَّدَكَ بِنَصْرِهِۦ وَبِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ [] وَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِهِمْ ۚ لَوْ أَنفَقْتَ مَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا مَّآ أَلَّفْتَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ أَلَّفَ بَيْنَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
He is Who has supported you with His Help and with the believers. [] And He has united their (i.e. believers’) hearts. If you had spent all that is on the earth, you could not have united their hearts, but Allah has united them. Certainly, He is All-Mighty, All-Wise.²
وَٱعْتَصِمُوا۟ بِحَبْلِ ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا۟ ۚ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَآءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِۦٓ إِخْوَٰنًا وَكُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنْهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ
And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah (i.e. this Quran), and be not divided among yourselves, and remember Allah’s Favour on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His Grace, you became brethren (in Islamic Faith), and you were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus Allah makes His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.,) clear to you, that you may be guided.³
وَإِنَّ هَـٰذِهِۦٓ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَٰحِدَةً وَأَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمْ فَٱتَّقُونِ
And verily! This your religion (of Islamic Monotheism) is one religion, and I am your Lord, so keep your duty to Me.⁴
And in another verse,
إِنَّ هَـٰذِهِۦٓ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَٰحِدَةً وَأَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمْ فَٱعْبُدُونِ
Truly! This, your Ummah [Sharia or religion (Islamic Monotheism)] is one religion, and I am your Lord, therefore worship Me (Alone).⁵
They won’t be united except upon the worship of one Lord, and He is Allāh, because He is the true Lord, and other than Him is falsehood.
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَأَنَّ مَا يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ هُوَ ٱلْبَـٰطِلُ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْكَبِيرُ
That is because Allah He is the Truth (the only True God of all that exists, Who has no partners or rivals with Him), and what they (the polytheists) invoke besides Him, it is Batil (falsehood) And verily, Allah He is the Most High, the Most Great.⁶
This is the place of the Muslims’ Tawheed if they are truthful, they should rectify the ‘Aqeedah and they should away deviation and innovations from it, so it can be like Muḥammad ﷺ brought it, for the Muslims to be united upon it.⁷
- Aali-‘Imrān 103
- Anfāl:62,63
- Aali-‘Imrān:103
- Al-Furqān: 52
- Al-Anbiyā: 92
- Hajj:62
- Source: Ittihāf al-Qārī Page 7-8
