I say, with Allah’s help:
Firstly, the general principle that is mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah is that the Ummah should be one group. Allah says: “Verily, this Ummah of yours is one Ummah, and I am your Lord, therefore worship Me” [Al-Muʼminūn: 52]. And He says: “And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah, and be not divided among yourselves” [Aāli ʽImrān: 103]. He also says: “And be not like those who became divided and disagreed after clear signs had come to them” [Aāli ʽImrān: 105]. In the Sunnah, there are narrations that indicate that Allah loves the group, which is the group of Islam and the Muslims. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Allah’s hand supports the group” [At-Tirmidhiy]. He also said, “You must adhere to the group, for the wolf only eats the stray sheep” [Al-Ḥākim in Al-Mustadrak].
In the Ḥadīth of the trials that will occur at the end of life, Ḥudhayfath said: “The people used to ask Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) about good, but I used to ask him about evil for fear that it might overtake me. Once I said, “O Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him)! We were in ignorance and in evil and Allah has bestowed upon us the present good; will there be any evil after this good?” He said, “Yes.” I asked, “Will there be good after that evil?” He said, “Yes, but it would be mixed with Dakhan (i.e. Little evil).” I asked, “What will its Dakhan be?” He said, “There will be some people who will lead (people) according to principles other than my tradition. You will see their actions and disapprove of them.” I said, “Will there be any evil after that good?” He said, “Yes, there will be some people who will invite others to the doors of Hell, and whoever accepts their invitation to it will be thrown in it (by them).” I said, “O Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him)! Describe those people to us.” He said, “They will belong to us and speak our language” I asked, “What do you order me to do if such a thing should take place in my life?” He said, “Adhere to the group of Muslims and their Chief.” I asked, “If there is neither a group (of Muslims) nor a chief (what shall I do)?” He said, “Keep away from all those different sects, even if you had to bite (i.e., eat) the root of a tree, till you meet Allah while you are still in that state.”” [Agreed upon]. This Ḥadīth refers to sticking to the group of Muslims which is an undebatable principle.
Secondly, Islam did not overlook the diversity of people in their culture, understanding, language, and direction. Thus, it is tolerant for people to gather on one of the aforementioned things (in the question), but it has set conditions for it, which we will discuss. We have found that the Muhājirūn (emigrants) were distinguished by this name, and the ʼAnṣār (helpers) were distinguished by this name, and Ahl al-Ṣuffah (the elite people) were distinguished from others by this name, and Ahl al-Quran as well. It is narrated that the Muslims were defeated in an hour of fighting with the supporters of Musaylimah, and when Khālid ibn al-Walīd saw what was happening to his people and how his army was mixed up, he wanted to distinguish them to instill in them the spirit of valor, so he said: “O people, distinguish yourselves so that we may know the fate of each individual, and from where we will be attacked.” The people of the desert were kept away from the Muhājirūn and the ʼAnṣār, and the Muhājirūn and the ʼAnṣār were kept away from them, so when they distinguished themselves, some of them said to each other: “Today, fleeing is shameful.” It was the greatest day of humiliation. Thus, Khālid divided the people into tribes and regions for the purpose of motivation, not division, and based on this understanding, the practice continued, and people expanded in applying it, distinguishing themselves from each other due to their region, sect, or behavior.
Thirdly, if this is the reality, then Islam has set conditions for it, including:
1. Not being biased towards one group over another.
2. Not opposing someone simply because they differ from you.
3. That differences should be from the perspective of diversity, not opposition.
4. That the goal of every group should be to support Islam, and the way should be the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his legacy.
5. That every group should abide by Allah’s saying: “And cooperate in righteousness and piety” [Al-Māʼidah: 2].
6. That no group should think that they are the only ones who will be saved, to the exclusion of others.
7. That we should not judge others as deviators or innovators nor accuse them of misguidance without evidence that is as clear as the clarity of sun in the middle of the day.
8. That each of us should accept the interpretations of one another if they are acceptable.
If these conditions are met, then there is no harm in identifying yourself as a Muhājir or ʼAnṣāriy or anything else.
Fourthly, someone might ask: if Islam includes us all, then why do we need these groups?
I would say that the group, sect, or way, with the aforementioned conditions, is just a means by which sources of goodness vary. For example, let us take the group of Tablīgh (preaching), which is a group that is not preoccupied with politics, nor does it care about differences of opinion in jurisprudence or theology. Its concern is to call people in a simplified manner to general obligations. Thus, it is acceptable with this intention if it adheres to the aforementioned conditions.
While we find that another group, such as the CARE organization, is concerned with the rights of Muslims and their political and social future, as well as other rights, it is acceptable if it adheres to the aforementioned conditions. Thus, we judge institutions, groups, and organizations in this way. It is not forbidden for the Imams, for example, to have an organization that is concerned with their rights and develops their abilities, and only the Imams can be members of it. The same goes for the Qur’an reciters, and so on.
Fifthly, what we have said about the conditions applies to another related issue, which is the issue of belonging to a certain school of law/thought. You makes no difference whether you are Ḥanafiy, Mālikiy, or any other school, as long as you are either knowledgeable about what you say and can defend your school with evidence, or you follow your scholar, teacher, or the school of your people without criticizing the schools of others. There is also another aspect of diversity that appears, for example, in Sufism. Sufism is not a school of thought, and it has no role in directing evidence or deriving rulings as is the case with the schools of thought. Rather, it is, in its pure form, a way of tasting and applying (the teachings of Islam). There is no difference between the Sufi who raises his hands once in prayer following the Ḥanafiy school of thought and its followers, and the Sufi who raises his hands four times following the Ḥanbaliy school of thought and its followers. What brings them together is their taste for the truth of prayer and its method of performance. This type of diversity is desirable.
Sixthly, we come to the essence of the question, which is the fatwa (religious ruling) regarding groups, by applying the aforementioned conditions to the reality of the situation. I would say that anyone who investigates the reality of the groups and what they have come to in terms of conflict, animosity, factionalism, fighting, insults, disputes, and accusations of misguidance and deviation, except for a few whom Allāh guides, must refrain from belonging to these existing groups, and only belong to the mass of the Ummah (Muslim community) and its spirit, and join the ranks of all Muslims, and not give allegiance or commitment except for actions, without regard to words or individuals. Whoever does good, we are with them, whoever they may be.
Let me confirm the point of referring to actions. Any matter is based on its actions. When we look at the movements of the Brotherhood, Salafist, and jihadist groups, based on their actions rather than their words or slogans, we find that they are far from applying the conditions we have mentioned, and we find that they cause more division than unity, albeit to varying degrees depending on the group’s methodology. In my opinion, the most dangerous are the groups that claim knowledge, monopolize wisdom, and claim to be the remnants of the Salaf (early scholars), and the saved sect mentioned in the Ḥadīth of sects -which is not free from controversy-.
I would also say: this dangerous group is behind every calamity, and exclusionary Takfiri ideas have branched out and grown from it, since it despises the general body of Muslims. Also, among the most dangerous of these groups are those that have an outward appearance for people, but an inner reality reserved for their members and followers. They treat people fairly as long as they adhere to them, but if they deviate from them, they are cut off. My call for all Muslims is to join the Ummah, not a sect, and they can participate in what people distinguish themselves with, such as institutions and organizations, but under the aforementioned conditions.
After all, Allah knows best.
Fatwa by Dr. Khāid Naṣr