Factions in Islam

Ildiko Polgar

I am a novice in Islam, embracing the Holy Qur'an for its pure and uncomplicated simplicity. Thus, I continue to be amazed when I hear Islam repeatedly twisted and diverted away from what I believe God intended for us. Why is it that people work so hard to make something so simple so complicated?

  ط°ظژٰظ„ظگظƒظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ظƒظگطھظژط§ط¨ظڈ ظ„ظژط§ ط±ظژظٹظ’ط¨ظژ ظپظگظٹظ‡ظگ ظ‡ظڈط¯ظ‹ظ‰ ظ„ظگظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈطھظ‘ظژظ‚ظگظٹظ†ظژ(2: 02)

(2: 02)This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear Allah.

It is not a far reach to recognize distortions in Islam according to Sunni and Shi’ite ideology. One only has to embrace what God tells us in the Holy Qur'an to hear Islam according to Allah’s words.  For me, Allah’s command cannot be clearer. Given this clarity, I do not understand why others need to flip the meaning of the Qur'an and transform it to something unrecognizable. With a “new and improved” Qur'an interpretation, they divide themselves into different groups under the guise of Islam, and continue to call themselves Muslim.    

  .. ظˆظژظ„ظژط§ طھظژط´ظ’طھظژط±ظڈظˆط§ ط¨ظگط¢ظٹظژط§طھظگظٹ ط«ظژظ…ظژظ†ظ‹ط§ ظ‚ظژظ„ظگظٹظ„ظ‹ط§ ظˆظژط¥ظگظٹظ‘ظژط§ظٹظژ ظپظژط§طھظ‘ظژظ‚ظڈظˆظ†ظگ(2: 41)

(2: 41)Believe in what I have sent down, confirming what is with you. Do not be the first to reject it and do not sell my signs for a paltry price. Have fear of me alone.

Today I heard about a splinter group of Shi’ite Islam: Isma‘ilism.  A Christian friend of ours was telling us how his daughter was marrying an Ismaili Muslim, and according to him, a “more westernized faction.” My thoughts ran in so many directions:

 (1) What does an Ismaili Muslim translate to?

 (2) How do western values get filtered into Allah’s words?

 (3) Why is just being Muslim not enough?

  ظˆظژط§ط¹ظ’طھظژطµظگظ…ظڈظˆط§ ط¨ظگط­ظژط¨ظ’ظ„ظگ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ط¬ظژظ…ظگظٹط¹ظ‹ط§ ظˆظژظ„ظژط§ طھظژظپظژط±ظ‘ظژظ‚ظڈظˆط§ .. (3: 103)

(3: 103) Hold fast to God’s rope altogether; do not split into factions. . .  

While I did some basic research, I won’t spend time deciphering the specifics of Isma’ilism. More importantly, I will focus on what I humbly view as the key question – Why do Muslims work so hard to form faction groups, and then develop a group doctrine based on misrepresenting and invalidating Allah’s words? 

  ط´ظژط±ظژط¹ظژ ظ„ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظ…ظگظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ط¯ظ‘ظگظٹظ†ظگ ظ…ظژط§ ظˆظژطµظ‘ظژظ‰ٰ ط¨ظگظ‡ظگ ظ†ظڈظˆط­ظ‹ط§ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹ ط£ظژظˆظ’ط­ظژظٹظ’ظ†ظژط§ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظٹظ’ظƒظژ ظˆظژظ…ظژط§ ظˆظژطµظ‘ظژظٹظ’ظ†ظژط§ ط¨ظگظ‡ظگ ط¥ظگط¨ظ’ط±ظژط§ظ‡ظگظٹظ…ظژ ظˆظژظ…ظڈظˆط³ظژظ‰ٰ ظˆظژط¹ظگظٹط³ظژظ‰ٰ ط£ظژظ†ظ’ ط£ظژظ‚ظگظٹظ…ظڈظˆط§ ط§ظ„ط¯ظ‘ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظˆظژظ„ظژط§ طھظژطھظژظپظژط±ظ‘ظژظ‚ظڈظˆط§ ظپظگظٹظ‡ظگ .. (42: 13)

The same religion has He established for you as that which He enjoined on Noah - the which We have sent by inspiration to thee - and that which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: Namely, that ye should remain steadfast in religion, and make no divisions therein ..

  ظ…ظڈظ†ظگظٹط¨ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگ ظˆظژط§طھظ‘ظژظ‚ظڈظˆظ‡ظڈ ظˆظژط£ظژظ‚ظگظٹظ…ظڈظˆط§ ط§ظ„طµظ‘ظژظ„ظژط§ط©ظژ ظˆظژظ„ظژط§ طھظژظƒظڈظˆظ†ظڈظˆط§ ظ…ظگظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈط´ظ’ط±ظگظƒظگظٹظ†ظژ * ظ…ظگظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظپظژط±ظ‘ظژظ‚ظڈظˆط§ ط¯ظگظٹظ†ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظˆظژظƒظژط§ظ†ظڈظˆط§ ط´ظگظٹظژط¹ظ‹ط§ ظƒظڈظ„ظ‘ظڈ ط­ظگط²ظ’ط¨ظچ ط¨ظگظ…ظژط§ ظ„ظژط¯ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ظپظژط±ظگط­ظڈظˆظ†ظژ(30: 31-32)

(30: 31-32)Turn ye back in repentance to Him, and fear Him: establish regular prayers, and be not ye among those who join gods with Allah,- * Those who split up their Religion, and become Sects, - each party rejoicing in that which is with itself!

I am only a novice in Islam, but my simple understanding of Allah’s message is clear: 

  ظˆظژظ„ظژط§ طھظژظƒظڈظˆظ†ظڈظˆط§ ظƒظژط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ طھظژظپظژط±ظ‘ظژظ‚ظڈظˆط§ ظˆظژط§ط®ظ’طھظژظ„ظژظپظڈظˆط§ ظ…ظگظ†ظ’ ط¨ظژط¹ظ’ط¯ظگ ظ…ظژط§ ط¬ظژط§ط،ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¨ظژظٹظ‘ظگظ†ظژط§طھظڈ ظˆظژط£ظڈظˆظ„ظژٰط¦ظگظƒظژ ظ„ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¹ظژط°ظژط§ط¨ظŒ ط¹ظژط¸ظگظٹظ…ظŒ(3: 105)

(3: 105) Be not like those who are divided amongst themselves and fall into disputations after receiving Clear Signs: For them is a dreadful penalty

ظˆ ..ط§ظ„ظ’ط­ظژظ…ظ’ط¯ظڈ ظ„ظگظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹ ظ‡ظژط¯ظژط§ظ†ظژط§ ظ„ظگظ‡ظژٰط°ظژط§ ظˆظژظ…ظژط§ ظƒظڈظ†ظ‘ظژط§ ظ„ظگظ†ظژظ‡ظ’طھظژط¯ظگظٹظژ ظ„ظژظˆظ’ظ„ظژط§ ط£ظژظ†ظ’ ظ‡ظژط¯ظژط§ظ†ظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ

And .. Praise be to Allah, who hath guided us to this felicity: never could we have found guidance, had it not been for the guidance of Allah