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4. IF ALLAH WILLS The disbelievers among the Quraysh tribe told the Prophet s.a.w. as narrated by Ibn ‘Abbās, “If you could widen the valleys of Makkah for us, move away its mountains so that we could cultivate the land, and revive our dead, or cut the land or talk to the dead [then we would believe you].” They also said” “Move our mountain to extend our land, or make Syria closer for us to go for trade, or bring back our ancestors from their graves.” Then Allah revealed to the Prophet the following verse: ِْ َن قُرآنًا سيِّ رت بِِه َِ ال أَو قُطِّعت بِِه ْاْلَرض أَو ُكلِّم بِِه الْموتَى بل لِلَّ ِه ْاْلَمر َج ًيعا ْ َ ُ ْ َّ َولَ ْو أ ْ َ ْ ُ َاْلب ْ َ َْ َ ْ ُ ْ ُْ ِ َّ ِ ِ ِ َس الَّ ِذين آمنُوا أَ ْن لَو ي َشاء اللَّه ََل َدى الن صنَ عُوا َ ُ ُ َ ْ َ ين َك َف ُروا تُصيبُ ُه ْم ِبَا َ َ ِ أَفَلَ ْم يَْيأ َ َّاس ََج ًيعا َوََل يََز ُال الذ َ ِ ِ ِ ِ )13:ف الْ ِم َيع َاد ( الرعد ُ قَا ِر َعةٌ أ َْو ََتُ ُّل قَ ِريبًا م ْن َدا ِره ْم َح ََّّت يَأِِْتَ َو ْع ُد اللَّه إِ َّن اللَّ َه ََل ُُيْل And if there had been a Qur’an with which mountains could be moved (from their places), or the earth could be cloven asunder, or the dead could be made to speak (it would not have been other than this Qur’an). But the decision of all things is certainly with Allah have not then those who believed yet known that had Allah willed, He could have guided all mankind? And disaster will not cease to strike those who disbelieved because of their (evil) deeds or it (i.e. the disaster) settles close to their homes, until the Promise of Allah comes to pass. Certainly, Allah breaks not His Promise. (Q. 13:31) Ibn Kathīr ‘s commentary on this verse is as follows: “Allah says, ‘If there were a Book among the previous Divine Books with which the mountains could be moved from their places, or the earth could be cleaved asunder, or the dead speak in their graves, it would have been this Qur’an and none else.’ Or, this Qur’an is more worthy to cause all this, because of its marvellous eloquence that
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defies the ability of mankind and the jinns, even if all of them gather their forces together to invent something like it or even a Surah like it. Yet, these idolaters disbelieve in the Qur’an and reject it.” As the Qur’an is based on all other Divine Books, each of them could also be called “Qur’an.” Abū Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet s.a.w. said: فَ َكا َن يَ ْقَرأُ الْ ُق ْرآ َن، فَ َكا َن يَأْ ُم ُر بِ َدابَّتِ ِه تُ ْسَر ُج،ُالس ََل ُم الْ ِقَراءَة َّ ت َعلَى َد ُاوَد َعلَْي ِه ْ ُخ ِّف َف ) َوَكا َن ََل يَأْ ُك ُل إََِّل ِم ْن َع َم ِل يَ َديِْه " (رواه أمحد،ُِم ْن قَ ْب ِل أَ ْن تُ ْسَر َج َدابَّتُه
Reciting was made easy for (Prophet) Dā’ūd (David) in that he used to order that his animal be prepared for him to ride and in the meantime he would read the entire Qur’an. He used to eat only from what his hand made. (Reported by Ahmad) “The entire Qur’an” here meant by the Prophet is “al-Zabūr, the Psalms.” Prophet David read the entire Psalms before mounting his animal. The Qur’ān is the most eloquent and most affected to the heart and the mind of people. Allah said, ِ ِّعا ِم ْن َخ ْشيَ ِة اللَّ ِه ً صد َ َلَ ْو أَنْ َزلْنَا َه َذا الْ ُق ْرآ َن َعلَى َجبَ ٍل لََرأَيْتَهُ َخاش ًعا ُمت ِ ض ِربُ َها لِلن )13: َّاس لَ َعلَّ ُه ْم يَتَ َف َّك ُرو َن ( احلشر ُ َك ْاْل َْمث ْ َال ن َ َوتِْل Had We sent down this Qur’an on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and rent asunder by the fear of Allah. Such are the parables which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect. (Q. 59:21) Allah’s response to the request of the Makkan idolaters is that He does not have to answer their requests with those impossible things, in order to make them believe. If Allah wills, He can guide, not only them, but the whole mankind without providing evidence, such as moving the mountains or reviving the dead.
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This statement of Allah is confirmed in another verse, as follows: ِ ْ السبِ ِيل وِمْن ها جائِر ولَو َشاء ََل َدا ُكم أ ِ )9:ي (النخل َ ََجَع ْ ََو َعلَى اللَّه ق ْ َ َ ْ َ ٌ َ َ َ َّ ص ُد And it is up to Allah to show the right way. But there are ways that astray. And had He willed, He would have guided you all. (Q. 1 6:9) This is a fact we have to accept that we are different from others, and therefore we should not criticize, blame or humiliate them for being astray, but rather, show them the right way wisely, and the outcome is up to Allah. Allah also said: ِِ َِ ض ُكلُّهم ِ َ َْج ًيعا أَفَأَن )99:ي ( يونس َ َُّولَ ْو َشاءَ َرب َ َّاس َح ََّّت يَ ُكونُوا ُم ْؤمن ْ ُ ِ ك ََل َم َن َم ْن ِف ْاْل َْر َ ت تُ ْكرهُ الن And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed, all of them together. So will you (O Muhammad) then compel mankind, until they become believers. (Q. 10:99) Diversity among mankind is again mentioned in the following verse: ِ ِ ُّ إََِّل من رِحم رب.احد ًة وََل ي زالُو َن ُمُْتلِ ِفي ِ ك َخلَ َق ُه ْم َ ك َول َذل َ َ َ َ َْ َ ُّلَ ْو َشاءَ َرب َ َ ََ َ َ َّاس أ َُّمةً َو َ ك َْلَ َع َل الن ِ َّوََت ِ ْ َّاس أ ِ اْلِن َِّة َوالن َّ ك َْل َْم ََل )339-331 :ي ( يونس ْ َّم ِم َن َ ِّت َكل َمةُ َرب ْ َ َ ََجَع َ َن َج َهن And if your Lord had so willed, He could surely, have made humanity one Ummah (nation), but they will not stop disagreeing. Except those for whom your Lord has granted mercy. And it is for this that He did create them; and the Word of your Lord had been fulfilled (i.e., His saying), “Surely, I shall fill Hell with Jinn and men all together.” (Q. 11:118-119) Here it is stated clearly that Allah will not make Faith universally accepted. People will always differ in religions, creeds, beliefs, sects and opinion. He says:
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ِ س هداها و ِ َّ لك ْن َح َّق الْ َق ْو ُل ِم ِّّن َْل َْم ََل َن َ ُ ٍ َولَ ْو شْئنا ََلتَْينا ُك َّل نَ ْف ِ ْ َّاس أ ِ اْلِن َِّة َوالن (31 :ي ( السجده ْ َّم ِم َن َ ََجَع َ َج َهن And if We had willed, surely We would have given every person his guidance, but the Word from Me took effect (about evil-doers), that I will fill Hell with jinn and mankind together. (Q. 32:13) Narrated by Abū Hurayrah that the Prophet s.a.w. said: ِ ِي وسبع ِ ِ ِ َّص َارى ُ افْ تَ َرقَت الْيَ ُه َ ْ َ َ ِ ْ َود َعلَى إِ ْح َدى أ َْو ثْنت َ ي ف ْرقَةً َوتَ َفَّرقَت الن ِ ِي وسبع ٍ ِ ِ ًي فِْرقَة َ ي ف ْرقَةً َوتَ ْف ََِت ُق أ َُّم ِِت َعلَى ثََلَث َو َسْبع َ ْ َ َ ِ ْ ََعلَى إِ ْح َدى أ َْو ثْنت ) حسن صحيح: اْللباين:(رواه أبو داؤد
The Jews were split up into seventy-one or seventy-two firqahs (divisions, groups, or sects); and the Christians were split up into seventy one or seventy-two sects; and my community will be split up into seventy-three sects. (Reported by Abū Dā’ūd; al-Albānī: Ḥasan Ṣaḥīḥ) In another ḥadīth, the Prophet s.a.w. said: ِ ِ َاب افْ تَ رقُوا علَى ثِْنت ِ ِ َي ِملَّ ًة َوإِ َّن َه ِذهِ الْ ِملَّة ْ َ َ ِ َأََلَ إِ َّن َم ْن قَ ْب لَ ُك ْم م ْن أ َْه ِل الْكت َ ي َو َسْبع ٍ ِ ان وسب عو َن ِف النَّا ِر وو ِ ِ ِث وسبع ْ اْلَن َِّة َوِه َي ْ اح َدةٌ ِف ُاعة َ اْلَ َم َ ْ َ َ ََستَ ْف ََِت ُق َعلَى ثََل ُ ْ َ َ َي ثْنت ََ )حسن: )رواه أبو داؤد;اْللباين
Beware! The people of the Book before were split up into seventy-two divisions, (groups, or sects), and this community will be split into seventy three: seventy-two of them will go to Hell and one of them will go to Paradise, and it is the majority group. (Reported by Abū Dā’ūd; al-Albānī: Ḥasan) In another ḥadīth, the Prophet s.a.w. said: “And verily the Bani Israel (Children of Israel)
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were divided into seventy two sects and my nation would divide into seventy three sects, all are to hell except one” on that the Companions of the Prophet asked : “Who is that one, O Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet replied: “Al-Jama'ah (the majority group)” In another version the Prophet replied ِ َص َح ِاب ْ َما أَنَا َعلَْيه َو أ It is what I am and my companions are holding In the time of the Prophet the Christians were divided into 72 sects. But more sects appeared after the death of the Prophet. Scholars who limit the number into 72 sects say that these new sects are subdivisions of one or more of the 72 sects. Scholars, who do not limit the number to 72 sects, but to indicate its great number, will not have any problem with the emergence of new sects. The Christian will be divided into more division than that of the Jews, and the Muslims will be divided into more division than that of the Christians. The number indicates the greatness in number, and not the limit of it. History shows us that the Rāfiḍah (Rafidites, deserters, those who reject legitimate Islamic authority and leadership, especially of Abū Bakr and ‘Umar as caliphs) were divided into more than seventy sub-divisions, the Khawārij (Kharijites, lit. “those who went out” the dissident who were initially supporting the authority of Ali ibn Abi Talib, then later rejected his leadership) into more than forty-five subdivisions, then the Sufi orders with various sub-divisions, and many other sects or division that will appear later, their number will be more than 72. So, this number is not the limit, but to indicate its greatness in number. According to Muslim scholars, such as Imam Abdullah ibn al-Mubārak, those 72 Muslim groups or sects will not be doomed to Hellfire permanently, for they are still Muslims. For
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example, ‘Ali himself said about the Khawārij that “they are our brothers who have abandoned us.” Groups or sects which are excluded from Muslim ummah will also be excluded from this 72 sects. Muslim scholars who stick literally to the number say that the number 72 is the basic or main division, so that the Rāfiḍah is considered one division or sect, the Khawārij is also considered one division or sect, and so on. Al-Shahrastānī mentions those groups or sects by names, so that there will be no room for new sects that appear later. Therefore, as Ibn Taymiyyah put it, we cannot specify which groups belong to the 73 groups without any proof. We can only say that the group that will be safe is the one who follows the way of Ahl al-Sunnah wa ‘l-jamā‘ah. This division, as al-Shāṭibī put it, occurred in the very basic or principles of religion, not in branches or subdivisions of the religion, such as schools of law: Ḥanafī, Mālikī, Shāfi‘ī, Ḥanbalī, Wahhābī, etc. All of them belong to one group, the Sunni, also called, Ahl al-Sunnah wa ‘l-jamā‘ah (lit. “Adherents to the Sunnah and the community.” It is not meant the name of a new Islamic organization founded in London in 2005. (CIVIC, 20.09.13) Bibliography: Al-Maktabah al-Shāmilah Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr fatwa.islamweb.net/fatwa/printfatwa.php?Id=210628&lang= islamqa.info/ar/129109 www.alifta.net/Fatawa/FatawaChapters.aspx?View=Page&PageID=3 08&PageNo=1&BookID=5 sunnah.com/abudawud/42 http://www.allaahuakbar.net/article_read.asp?id=465