The creator of the universe has made the world and its content diverse in nature, such that He created us into categories of physical, habitual and intellectual differences.
We have the black or white race, of which within the two races, we can find the tall, medium and short figures who have developed different moral habits that seem best to them. Homosexuality, smoking of various substances, alcoholism, bi sexual marriages, abstinence from smoking and alcohol consumption are some of this diverse habits.
There is also diversity of faith, some believe there is no God, (atheist) some believe there is God but no religion is of God, some believe there is God in everything (Hinduism), we have Buddhism, Jewish faith, Christianity, and Islam (The only religion that totally believe in the oneness of GOD).
Within the Jewish faith, we have the Zionist and Non-Zionist adherence. The Christian faith also comes with wide variety, majorly Protestants and the Catholics. In Hinduism some worship cow, some elephants and some believe in some eight handed goddess.
However, this diversity does not exclude the Islamic faith, where we have Liberal adherents and those classified as extremist. Those who believe in the Qur’an alone and those who believe in the combination of the Qur’an, Hadith and seerah of the prophet of Islam, Muhammad (PBUH). On a broader classification, we have the Shiite; who believe the prophet should be Ali (R.A) instead of Muhammad (pbuh). The Sufis; who solely believe in soul purification and connection with the Creator. (There are other subgroups too). The Ahmadi; who believe there is another prophet after Muhammad (PBUH). And finally the Sunni Muslims; who believe in strict adherence to the teachings of Muhammad (PBUH).
In entirety, we have individuals who do not joke with five daily solah, and those who take it with levity hands. Those who adhere to other etiquettes and teachings of Islam aside the five pillars, such as keeping beards, raising the garments for males and lowering it for females, eating with right hand, saying various adhkar before engaging in various activities and those who see them as unnecessary.
Widely, majority of Muslims are Sunni,(those who believe in the trio of Qur’an, Hadith and seerah). They observe solah diligently, adhere to the teachings of Rasul lu Lahi (PBUH), and do not carry out acts of worship (ibaadah), except it is in accordance with the quranic and sunnatic teachings.
Sadly, among the Sunni, there are divisions invariably created by myopic adherents base on differences of opinion on trivial issues such as ‘eating with a spoon’ ‘structure of houses’ e.t.c which has made people who fall within this circle (Sunni) to despite themselves, argue like enemies and even rain insults on each other.
Finally, if people of this last category has come this far in beating the differences from moral habits to religious practices, and still harbour so much resentment against each other just because of some irrelevant dispositions, Then how are they going to ever cope with the people whose similarities has stopped at the level of race and size?
Muslims at Large should learn to tolerate each other, and embrace whatever differences with understanding and love, knowing fully well that everybody cannot always agree with an opinion (especially when there are more than one) and no one is an Island of knowledge or perfect, as we always ask Allah to guide us to the straight paths in all our prayers.
This tolerance is however not of compromise, but of respect and taking into cognizance that if Allah had willed, He could have made us one nation.
May Allah increase the brotherly and sisterly love within the Ummah, and accept our little effort on this path of Felicity. Aamin
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