I think in the present world anyone who tells you that I belong to a certain sect of Muslims, you need to be careful of the person. There are so many sects, such as wahabi ( I don’t know if there are people who claim to be wahabis; it may be very well a sect and brand declared by others, like Muslim extremists, or moderate Taliban), barelwi, tablighi-jamaat, deobandi, salafi, ahl-e-hadith, and so on. Unfortunately, most of these are from Indian subcontinent. Being associated with a sect is different than being associated with an organization, who works for daawa or other charity works, because an organization focuses on its works, while a sect focuses on its ideology. The sects are very much like nations, where one hates another because of their ideology, and do not care for the common grounds among their people, be it the same language, colour, race, culture etc.
Sometimes followers of these sects are also very eager to declare followers of other sects as kaafir, which is a very strong allegation. Not only this, I heard a strong statement attributed to a so-called scholar that if a Muslim doubts such and such sects being kaafirs, that Muslim is a kaafir too. By the way, those sects alleged by the so-called scholar have the reputation of being one of the most purists, and they are apparently free from shirk and biddah.
As far as my limited knowledge is concerned, belief is based on six aspects, which are oneness of Allah, His messengers, His books, His angels, The day of Judgement and Allah’s Qadr. If anyone disbelieves in any of the six, than you can call it kufr. Besides, there is a hadith that if one prays five times a day we should not comment on his belief and leave his affair between him and Allah. In another hadith, prayers are the line between disbelief and belief. And, it is not praying which makes a person kafir, but rejecting it as a form of worship.
I would be fine if a group of scholars agree that certain sect or person has disbelieved for so and so reason. In that case, the opinion will be based on consensus of a group of scholars and it will be based on a specific case after a debate on the cause. But, it is a pity when an individual can give such fatwa for a group and his followers will accept it too.
Allah tells us to find common grounds between Muslims and people of the Book (Jews and Christians) and encourages us to invite them to Islamic monotheism on these grounds, such as Oneness of Allah, the message of Ibraheem and Musa, and so on. How can we Muslims, or followers of one sect among Muslims, invite others to truth when they nurture so much hate in their hearts. We have to open up our hearts before we expect others to listen.
I am copying some verses from Surah Aal-Imran in this regard:
[003:064] Say (O Muhammad [sal-Allâhu 'alayhi wa sallam]): "O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allâh (Alone), and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allâh." Then, if they turn away, say: "Bear witness that we are Muslims."
[003:065] O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Why do you dispute about Ibrâhîm (Abraham), while the Taurât (Torah) and the Injîl (Gospel) were not revealed till after him? Have you then no sense?
[003:066] Verily, you are those who have disputed about that of which you have knowledge. Why do you then dispute concerning that of which you have no knowledge? It is Allâh Who knows, and you know not.
[003:067] Ibrâhîm (Abraham) was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim Hanîfa (Islâmic Monotheism – to worship none but Allâh Alone) and he was not of Al-Mushrikûn (See V.2:105).
The madness is to the extent that followers of some of these sects do not offer prayers behind the imams of Makkah and Madina when they visit the holy cities, and make their own congregational prayers within these holy mosques. Even in such holy places, where fighting is prohibited, their hearts are not free from hatred.
How strange it is that we cannot find common grounds among Muslims and talk about the differences and go on declaring one another kaafirs! Allah tells us that Ibraheem was not a Jew or a Christian but on True religion of monotheism. The same way our Prophet (peace be upon him) did not belong to any sect, not even Shia or Sunni, was on true Islamic monotheism.
Whenever anybody has to resort to a long argument to make a point, the argument is often distrustful. Because truth is simple, as Allah says in Quran 2:256 ‘Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path.’ If someone has an objection to the belief of any of the imams in the two holy mosques, they should bring up it in a clear and concise argument. But, if they say we have a book of so many pages, which will prove this, it is best to stay away from such books.
Among several things which I commend of Saudi administration is that they have prevented the religion from corruption of such ideologies, by disallowing such literature and practice of Islam in public. The benefits of such censorship are far more than the limits of the same.
I am content by saying that I do not belong to any sect, but the one that believes in Quran and Sunnah, and we do not give it any name because the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) called themselves with any such name. They only called themselves Muslims.
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