A Call To Unity And Rising
To The Challenges
Introduction and Opening Remarks:
All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, seek His help, ask for His forgiveness, believe in Him and rely upon Him. We seek refuge with Allah from the evils of our souls and from the wickedness of our deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can lead astray, and whomsoever He leads astray, none can guide.
I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, without any partner, and I bear witness that our master, our support, our Prophet and our patron, Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and His Messenger. May Allah ﷺ bestow abundant peace and blessings upon him, his family and his Companions. I seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the accursed. In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Allah says in His Glorious Book:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ
O you who have believed, fear Allah and be with the truthful. [9:119]
I believe in Allah. Allah, our Magnificent Lord, has spoken the truth, and His Noble Prophet, the Messenger, has spoken the truth. And we are among those who bear witness to that and are grateful for it. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.
Esteemed scholars and respected attendees:
السَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ
Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.
As announced, the purpose and topic of today’s gathering is to address the challenges faced by Muslims living in Western countries and how to confront them. I was informed that the initial announcement indicated I would deliver this address in English. However, given the presence of many esteemed scholars and individuals who primarily understand Urdu, it was decided that I would present my remarks in Urdu. A summary will be provided in English at the end, for those who are more comfortable with English and not fully conversant in Urdu.
This topic is indeed extensive, and it is impossible to cover all its facets in a short time. Therefore, a question-and-answer session has been arranged for later. In this limited time, I can only present a few fundamental points. If asked, as has been done, about the challenges faced by Muslims residing in Western countries and how they should be confronted, I can succinctly categorise them into three primary challenges. These are the three types of challenges that particularly confront Muslims living in Western nations.
The First Challenge: Individual Self-Reformation
(al-iṣlāḥ adh-dhātī)
The first challenge is one that every Muslim, regardless of their geographical location - be it East or West, South or North - must confront. It is the concern for one’s standing in the afterlife, the life that awaits us after death: ‘What will be my position in the next life?’
Regrettably, when we embark on any reformative work or initiate a program for change, our minds often gravitate towards reforming others, improving others, as if our own affairs are in order and the shortcomings lie solely with others. Consequently, we become preoccupied with rectifying others, forgetting that we ourselves might harbor flaws, defects or deficiencies. The outcome of this oversight is that when an individual, oblivious to their own faults and shortcomings, focuses solely on others, their work lacks blessing (barakah), effectiveness and true benefit.
If I am afflicted with illnesses and, without first addressing my own condition, turn to treat others, how can I cure them when I myself am unwell? This is why, when we study the lives of the noble Companions رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ, we find that each of them was constantly consumed by the thought of their accountability to Allah : ‘What will I answer to Allah?’
Consider the example of Ḥaḍrat Ḥanzalah رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ. He approached the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ and exclaimed, ‘Ḥanzalah has become a hypocrite!’ The Prophet ﷺ asked why. He replied,
"Messenger of Allah, when we sit in your presence, we are reminded of the Fire and Paradise as if we are seeing them with our own eyes. However, when we leave your gathering and go back to our wives, children and business, much of those matters leave our minds."
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ reassured him, explaining that such fluctuations are natural, but the underlying concern was his fear of becoming a hypocrite. This was his personal concern.
Similarly, Ḥaḍrat ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ, known as Ḥaḍrat Fārūq al-Aʿẓam, (The Great Discerner), who had personally heard the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ declare that he had seen ʿUmar’s palace in Paradise, still approached Ḥaḍrat Ḥudhayfah ibn al-Yamān رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ and pleaded, ‘O Ḥudhayfah, for Allah’s sake, tell me if my name is included in the list of hypocrites that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ entrusted to you. Even moments before his martyrdom, when the Companions congratulated him on his achievements, he responded, ‘By Allah, I would be content to stand before Allah with a balance where neither good deeds are rewarded nor sins are punished; just to break even.’ This profound concern for one’s own accountability was ever-present in the hearts of the Companions رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ. The result was that their every word and action was a living embodiment of daʿwah (call to Islam) and propagation.
Therefore, our foremost challenge, no matter where we reside, is for each of us to constantly and at every moment strive to rectify our own flaws, to become a true Muslim and to live genuinely in accordance with the Sunnah (practice and teachings) of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Until this challenge is met, no other endeavor can truly progress. Each of us must continuously self-assess: ‘If there is any flaw in my conduct, how can I rectify it?’
There is a saying of the elders:
مَنْ اسْتَوَى يَوْمَاهُ فَهُوَ مَغْبُونٌ
‘Whoever has two days equal is in loss.’
This means if a person is the same today as they were yesterday, without any progress, they are truly in great loss. I believe our first challenge is to continuously evaluate ourselves. We must strive to first rectify the shortcomings in our ʿibādah (acts of worship), akhlāq (morals), muʿāmalāt (dealings) and muʿāsharāt (social interactions) and our overall way of life.
This is a universal challenge for every Muslim, everywhere, but it is particularly acute in countries where Muslims live as a minority within a non-Muslim majority society. In such an environment, safeguarding one’s self and preserving one’s tashakhkhuṣ (religious identity) is a monumental challenge. For this, it is essential that we review our daily lives, identify where flaws are emerging and determine how to eliminate them.
The Second Challenge: Nurturing the Next Generation
(tarbiyah al-jīl al-qādīm)
The second significant challenge, present elsewhere but particularly pronounced in countries where Muslims are a minority, is to prepare our new generation in such a way that they do not become estranged from their dīn (religion) but rather remain connected to it while living in these countries. This matter is as crucial as our own self-reformation: the upbringing and education (tarbiyah wa taʿlīm) of our children, our offspring and our future generations. This is a profound challenge specifically facing Muslims in these nations.
There is no solution to this other than for Muslims to establish their own educational institutions. Within these institutions, Muslim children should acquire all contemporary knowledge while remaining within an Islamic environment. They should become experts in their fields, achieving full mastery, but simultaneously, their upbringing should be in an Islamic atmosphere, enabling them to truly become Muslims.
Al-ḥamd liLlāh, by the grace of Allah ﷺ, such institutions are gradually emerging in your country (the U.K.). Some institutions of very high quality and standard have already been established, and the arrangements for the education and upbringing of children and future generations within them are commendable. However, much more remains to be done in this field, and this movement needs to be advanced further.
Many Western countries lack such provisions. There are numerous Western nations where no Muslim schools exist, no educational institutions where children can receive an integrated education. What often happens is that people try to educate their children through ‘Sunday schools’ where they learn a little on Sundays, or ‘evening schools’ where they receive some education in the evenings. However, it is evident that this is insufficient.
If a child spends six or eight hours daily in a particular environment, then one day a week, or an hour or an hour and a half out of twenty-four, in a different environment, it cannot erase the influence absorbed during those six to eight hours. Moreover, it can psychologically affect the child, who might perceive it as an encroachment in their free time. If the Qārī Ṣāḥib (Qur’an teacher) there is overly strict, it can further foster aversion. Such arrangements cannot have a positive psychological impact on children.
Therefore, Muslims in all these Western countries should establish their own educational institutions. By the grace of Allah, a large number of such institutions have been established here in Britain. This effort needs to be expanded further and extended to other countries. This was the second challenge: the concern for making and keeping our future generations Muslim. May Allah grant us success in this endeavor by His grace.
Otherwise, Allah forbid, if we do not address this today, and this generation goes astray tomorrow, all its sin will fall upon us. Our responsibility is not just for ourselves but also for our children and our future generations. I have personally witnessed situations where this concern was neglected, and the children became completely uncontrollable, even apostatising and embracing disbelief. This is a matter of life and death for us; it is crucial that we arrange for the proper upbringing and education of our future generations.
The Third Challenge: Presenting an Exemplary Model
(taqdīm namūdhaj mithālī)
The third point, which is both very important and, given current circumstances, very difficult, yet as important as it is difficult, and a major challenge to our existence in these countries, is this: we cannot succeed in our objectives within the sphere of our own self-reformation unless we possess the aspiration to present a truly excellent model to the non-Muslim people among whom we live. Our example before the non-Muslim governments and nations under which we reside should be appealing, attractive and capable of drawing others towards Islam.
Regrettably, our current position is such that instead of encouraging others towards Islam, we sometimes become a cause for aversion. Our methods, our morals (akhlāq), our character and our conduct towards others sometimes create situations that, instead of bringing people closer to Islam, push them away.
In this very country, I was told, for instance, that unemployment allowance is issued. I was formally asked a question in one place: some Muslim brothers, even though they are employed, declare themselves unemployed to receive government benefits. When we present such a character to people, tell me, will it generate attraction towards Islam or aversion? The justification often given is: ‘this is a non-Muslim government, so if we can defraud it or obtain its money by any means, there is no harm in it.’ Allah forbid! This is such a deception of Shayṭān that not only do we commit sins ourselves, but we also alienate people from Islam and cause them to detest it.
We ought to present a conduct that is a source of attraction for people, making them say, ‘Look at the followers of Islam; how exemplary is their conduct! How trustworthy, how honest, how morally upright they are!’ I mentioned earlier that most of us gathered here today are from the Indian subcontinent. When Islam first arrived there, particularly in Malabar (now Kerala), it was not through any jihād or missionary group. Rather, some Companions رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ went there for trade. They presented such an exemplary model in their business dealings that people were drawn to Islam. This is how Islam spread there, alḥamd liLlāh.
To argue: ‘they are non-Muslims, so do whatever you want’ is a profoundly misguided notion. Look at the conduct of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself. In the famous Battle of Khaybar, the Prophet ﷺ confronted the Jews of Khaybar, whose conspiracies constantly harmed Muslims. The Prophet ﷺ besieged the fortresses of Khaybar.
There was an Ethiopian shepherd in Khaybar who grazed goats for a certain Jew. When he saw the people of Khaybar taking up arms and preparing for battle against the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he asked them, ‘What do you intend to do?’ ‘We are going to fight this man who claims to be a prophet,’ they said. The mention of the Prophet ﷺ left an impression on him. So he went out to graze the sheep but was captured by the Muslims. Some variations of this story state that he went out to graze specifically to meet the Prophet ﷺ.
When they brought him to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he ﷺ spoke with him. The shepherd asked, ‘What is your purpose and what do you call to?’ The Prophet ﷺ replied, ‘I call you to Islam; to testify that there is no god but Allah and that I am the Messenger of Allah and that you will not worship anything but Allah.’
The shepherd then asked, ‘And what will I get if I testify to that and believe in Allah?’ The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘If you believe in that, you shall have Paradise.’ So the shepherd embraced Islam and then said, ‘Messenger of Allah, I am dark-skinned, unattractive, a foul odor emanates from me and I have no wealth. If I fight these people until I am slain, will I still enter Paradise?’ The Prophet ﷺ replied, ‘Yes.’
The shepherd then asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, these sheep I have with me are an amānah (trust). What should I do with them?’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was impressed with his enquiry and said, ‘Take them outside the camp and throw stones in their direction; Allah will discharge the trust on your behalf.’ So he did that and the sheep began to charge together, as though they were being driven by someone, until every last one returned to its owner. The Jew, seeing his sheep return to him, realised that his shepherd had embraced Islam.
The shepherd then joined the ranks of the army and fought alongside the Muslims. It was not long, however, before he was struck with a spear and died. He died, having not offered a single prostration in ṣalāh to Allah! The Muslims carried him back to camp, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Take him into the tent.’ They took him to the tent of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ and, once he ﷺ had finished tending to some matter, he entered too. He ﷺ then emerged from the tent and said, ‘Your companion’s Islam was proven to be most excellent. When I entered upon him, I saw him with two wives from the wide-eyed damsels of Paradise.’
Consider this: it was a time of declared war, when the lives and property of enemies are generally considered permissible. Yet, because the shepherd had brought the goats as an amānah, the Prophet ﷺ said that he would not be allowed to join the jihād until he returned them. This was also a time when Muslims were in dire need of food and provisions, with the hadiths recording that the Companions رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ were forced to slaughter and eat donkey meat (which the Prophet ﷺ later forbade), indicating their extreme hunger.
Despite a whole flock of goats being present, the Prophet ﷺ demonstrated through his action that jihād is one thing, and amānah is another: ‘First return this trust, then engage in jihād; not without it.’ If someone had argued, ‘These are disbelievers, so take their property however you wish,’ the Prophet ﷺ, through his actions, showed that the demands of amānah require its return.
There are countless such examples in the beautiful conduct of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ. Ḥaḍrat Ḥudhayfah ibn al-Yamān رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ and his father, Yamān رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ, lived far from Madinah. They had accepted Islam but had not yet had the opportunity to meet the Prophet ﷺ. They set out for Madīnah at a time when the Battle of Badr was imminent, and Abū Jahl was advancing towards Madīnah with a formidable army to attack the Prophet ﷺ and the Companions. On their way, Ḥaḍrat Ḥudhayfah and his father encountered Abū Jahl’s forces. Abū Jahl captured them and declared, ‘We will not let you go to Madīnah, because we are fighting them, and you will join them and fight us. We will not allow you to increase their manpower.’ They insisted that they were not going to fight but merely to meet the Prophet ﷺ, but Abū Jahl refused. Finally, he said, ‘If you promise and agree that you will not participate in the war if you go there, then we will release you.’ They made this agreement.
They reached the Prophet ﷺ, and the Battle of Badr was at hand. This was the Battle of Badr, in which every participating Companion earned the honor of being a Badrī, whose names are invoked in supplications, and about whom the Prophet ﷺ said that Allah had declared concerning the people of Badr, ‘Whatever they do, I have forgiven them.’ The honor of participating in this battle was immense. Ḥaḍrat Ḥudhayfah رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ submitted, ‘O Messenger of Allah, although we made an agreement, it was made at sword-point, under duress. Grant us the honor of joining the Battle of Badr.’ The Prophet ﷺ replied,
No, this cannot be. You have come after making an agreement. Even though you made it with our enemies, it is an agreement, and it is not permissible for you in Islam to violate it. I cannot give you permission, because if you do this today, people will form the impression that Muslims make agreements and then break them. I do not wish to create such an impression about Islam that would alienate people from it.
For this reason, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prevented Ḥaḍrat Ḥudhayfah and his father ﷺ from participating in Badr.
I interpret this to mean that when Muslims living in Western countries have obtained citizenship or residency, they have made an agreement (ʿahd) with the government. Under this agreement, they are obligated to abide by its legitimate laws. Violating this is not only impermissible and forbidden but also brings disrepute to Islam, tarnishes its image, and goes against the interests of the entire Muslim Ummah (أمّة – global Muslim community) for such an action to be taken.
Consider Ḥaḍrat Khubayb رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ. All scholars here are familiar with his story. Ḥaḍrat Khubayb رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ was treacherously captured by the disbelievers of Makkah. The detailed account is in the books of hadith: he was lured by deception, his companions were ambushed on the way, and finally, the disbelievers said, ‘If you surrender, we guarantee your life and property.’ Ḥaḍrat Khubayb ﷺ surrendered, but they violated their agreement, brought him to Makkah, and imprisoned him. He was confined in a house, informed that his ultimate fate was crucifixion.
While imprisoned, before his crucifixion, he needed to shave his unwanted hair. Someone provided him with a razor. While he held it, a child from the house where he was imprisoned came to him. Ḥaḍrat Khubayb رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ saw the child, and knowing that the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ used to show affection to children, he lovingly took the child onto his lap. The child’s sister, witnessing this, trembled with fear. ‘This is my enemy,’ she thought, ‘he has a razor in his hand, and my child is in his lap. He might kill him.’ Ḥaḍrat Khubayb رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ noticed her distress and said, ‘Do not worry, this is a child; I will not harm him.’
If we consider the situation, Ḥaḍrat Khubayb رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ had been captured by deception and was about to be crucified. He could have taken the child hostage and demanded his release in exchange. Yet, Ḥaḍrat Khubayb رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ did not deem it permissible to abduct or hold that child hostage. Even though it was the child of disbelievers, the child of those who had treacherously captured him, who were thirsty for his blood, and who were about to execute him, Ḥaḍrat Khubayb رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ did not even consider killing the child, let alone using him as a hostage for his own release. Why? Because he knew that if he were to do so, it would tarnish the image of Muslims and Islam, suggesting that Muslims use children for their own ends.
The teachings of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ are that even in a state of war, one cannot kill children, women or worshippers. The biography of the Companions رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ is replete with examples of their excellent conduct towards non-Muslims within permissible limits, which became a means of guidance for thousands, even millions, of people. Today, if we interpret things differently and say that because they are non-Muslims, we can adopt any conduct we wish towards them, this is not only incorrect but also unlawful and utterly contrary to the teachings of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ. Indeed, it is a great stain upon Islam and Muslims.
Therefore, as I am emphasising, the third challenge is to make our conduct such that our religion, our faith, our society and our community emerge as a shining example, rather than presenting examples that generate aversion in people’s hearts.
It is important to remember that hatred should be directed towards kufr (disbelief), not towards the kāfir (disbeliever). Hatred is for the sin, not for the sinner. The duty of a Muslim is to show compassion to every human being, even if they are disbelievers. Part of this compassion is to strive to prevent them from going astray and to guide them to the right path with love, affection, kindness and empathy. We should demonstrate every kind of compassion towards them. Allah has commanded us this; it is not that we should hate them personally simply because they are non-Muslims.
We do not hate anyone personally. Our message is a message of love, compassion and connection. However, we certainly hate actions of disbelief or actions of immorality and transgression. A Muslim’s heart should harbor the desire that these people somehow emerge from their misguidance.
When the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ was offered the opportunity to destroy the people who had persecuted him and rejected his message, the angel appointed over the mountains was sent, offering to crush them between two mountains. But the Prophet ﷺ said, ‘No, I do not wish for them to be destroyed. Perhaps from them or their descendants, people of guidance will emerge.’ The Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ said,
The parable of myself and the people is like a man who kindles a fire. When it illuminates the surroundings, moths and these insects that are attracted to the fire jump into it. The man tries to drive them away from it, but they overpower him and rush into it. Similarly, I am grasping your belts, trying to keep you from falling into the Fire while you are rushing into it.
This is the compassion we must demonstrate.
The way to do this is to make our conduct with our neighbors, friends and colleagues an example of honesty, trustworthiness, good manners, love and compassion. Then, if Allah wills, He will dispel any negative impressions. Sometimes, certain incidents occur that lead to misunderstandings about the entire society or the entire Ummah. We must avoid such incidents as much as possible.
The Fundamental Condition: Unity
(al-waḥdah)
However, these two challenges – self-reformation, and presenting a good example to non-Muslims – along with the challenge of reforming our children, all have a fundamental prerequisite or condition without which our efforts cannot be fully effective. That condition is unity among Muslims. There must be a spirit among Muslims to set aside minor differences for the sake of greater objectives.
For instance, if we are striving in all these areas, but we are embroiled in internal conflicts and disputes, forming separate groups over trivial matters, or establishing our own ‘mosques of one-and-a-half bricks,’ then our efforts as an Ummah or a community cannot be truly effective. Therefore, all Muslims should at least agree on the fundamental points of paramount importance. Their mutual secondary differences should not become an impediment. There should be no distinctions like: ‘this person is Deobandi, that person is Barelvi, this person is Ahl-e-Ḥadīth,’ or ‘this person is Pakistani, that person is Indian, this person is Gujarati, that person is so-and-so.’ Such distinctions should not stand in the way. Rather, for the fundamental objectives, everyone should be united. For achieving fundamental goals and for the well-being and success of the Ummah, everyone should be of one mind.
If there are differences, they should remain within their proper bounds. It is impossible for all human beings to have the same opinion; this can never happen. Differences of opinion are a natural human requirement, and such differences could not be eliminated in the past, nor can they be in the future; they will remain. But where differences cannot be eliminated, there should at least be an agreement that: ‘we have a difference of opinion,’ and this disagreement should be acknowledged.
Here, regrettably, since we are sitting together, I feel no hesitation in speaking frankly: we quarrel over issues like the sighting of the moon and the timings of prayers. Because of this, our paths diverge; we are unwilling to sit together or listen to each other. If someone says something contrary to what we have decided in our minds or the method we have adopted, we are unwilling to listen. This has resulted in factionalism, the formation of different groups, and the division of the Ummah into many parts.
My brothers! Firstly, most of these issues are matters of scholarly discretion (ijtihādī), and in such matters, no single side is reprehensible (munkar). My late father used to say a very important thing, worth remembering: ‘In matters of scholarly discretion, no side is reprehensible, and to condemn something that is not reprehensible is itself reprehensible.’ He would repeat this phrase often. Yet, these issues lead to factionalism and division within the Ummah.
If, for the sake of uniting the Ummah, we were to favour a less preferred, but still valid, opinion (marjūḥ) over a preponderant opinion (rājiḥ) in our view, there would be no harm in it for the sake of the Ummah’s unity.
Consider Ḥaḍrat ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ. Who could be a greater jurist than him, the most learned among the Companions? He himself believed that when a person is a traveler, shortening the prayer is obligatory, not just permissible. He believed that praying two units instead of four was obligatory. Yet, on one occasion, he prayed four units (i.e. the full ṣalāh) behind Ḥaḍrat ʿUthmān رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ. Someone asked him, ‘Your opinion was that praying four units is not permissible, but two is necessary. Why did you pray four?’ Ḥaḍrat ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ replied, ‘I prayed four because to differ is a very bad thing.’ Ḥaḍrat ʿUthmān رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ was present, and expressing disagreement in his presence would not have been good practice. Such a great jurist abandoned his own opinion and acted upon a less favourable opinion, according to him, for the sake of the Ummah’s unity.
So, if we believe our opinion is preponderant and another’s is not preferred, yet adopting the other opinion resolves a disagreement, there is not only no harm in it, but if Allah wills, it will be a source of reward, because the matter is one of scholarly discretion. If someone violates a conclusive matter concerning truth and falsehood, meaning there is an explicit text from the Qur’an or Sunnah regarding it, then there is no compromise in such cases.
However, when a specific matter is based on independent reasoning (ijtihād) and deduction (istinbāṭ), opinions can differ, and they have differed; some jurists arrived at one conclusion, while others arrived at another. In fact, I would say that adopting an opinion other than the preponderant view to eliminate disagreement within the Ummah is in fact necessary. I consider this necessary.
But if, by chance, this is not possible, and one person adheres to their opinion while another adheres to theirs, then we should at least understand that they are entitled to their opinion and we are entitled to ours. Let him act on his opinion, and we will act on ours, but we will not quarrel over it. We will not issue statements against each other, nor engage in public campaigns, nor establish fronts against each other.
Look at the great Imams: Imām Abū Ḥanīfah, Imām Shāfiʿī, Imām Mālik, Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal ﷺ. Their followers have differences: some raise their hands in prayer, while others do not; some say āmīn aloud, while others say it silently. But there is no fighting over such matters. They consider their method better, so they do it that way, while we consider our method better, so we do it this way. But there is no fighting.
There is a famous anecdote from India during British rule: once, a dispute arose among Muslims over saying āmīn aloud (āmīn bi’l-jahr) or āmīn quietly (āmīn bi’s-sirr). In a Ḥanafī mosque, where people said āmīn silently, a person (perhaps an Ahl-e-Ḥadīth or Shāfiʿī) started saying āmīn aloud, which others did not appreciate. A debate ensued, then an argument and finally a quarrel that reached the court.
The judge, who was British, asked what the problem was and why they were fighting. They explained it was over saying āmīn aloud or silently. The judge said, ‘I will study the matter and then give my verdict.’ The poor judge knew nothing about the issue of āmīn, so he studied and researched the matter. When it was time to give his verdict, he said,
I have studied the matter and found that there are arguments for both āmīn bi’l-jahr and āmīn bi’s-sirr; some prefer the former while others prefer the latter. However, I found no trace of āmīn with evil intent (āmīn bi’sh-sharr). So, say āmīn bi’l-jahr or āmīn bi’s-sirr, but for God’s sake, do not do āmīn bi’sh-sharr!
Meaning, do not let it cause discord among the Ummah.
So, firstly, if the Ummah can agree even on an opinion other than the preponderant view, it should be considered a blessing. However, if differences still remain, they should be kept within their bounds; do not let them become a source of fighting, quarreling, slander, suspicion or foul language against each other. For the higher objectives of the Ummah – that we must live in these countries and present a better example of Islam and demonstrate through our conduct what Muslims are like – for this purpose, let everyone be united. Then, Allah willing, these objectives will be achieved with ease.
As I mentioned, there are many aspects to this issue, but I have presented the fundamental points as I understand them. My brother asked for a half-hour talk, but it extended to three-quarters of an hour, so please forgive me, but these are essential points. May Allah , by His grace, grant us all the ability to act upon them.
وَآخِرُ دَعْوَانَا أَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
‘And the conclusion of our supplication is: All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.’
