Sects in Islam: A Divided House and a Forgotten Truth
“Are you Sunni or Shia?”
It’s a question that’s often asked without much thought, yet it carries centuries of bloodshed, rivalry, and division. Some ask it out of curiosity, while others use it to determine which "side" you belong to. But let’s pause and think for a moment:
What if, instead of answering in the way people expect, we responded with:
“I am neither. I am simply a Muslim, a submitter to God, as Allah commanded.”
This response, though deeply rooted in the teachings of the Quran, is often met with confusion, skepticism, or even hostility. And that reaction should make us ask:
How did we get to this point? How did we reach a place where simply calling ourselves “Muslim” isn’t enough?
What does it actually mean to be a Muslim?
The word "Muslim" comes from the Arabic root word “Islam,” which means “submission” or “surrender.” A Muslim, therefore, is someone who has willingly submitted to God and follows His will. Being a Muslim is not about identifying with a particular sect or group—it’s about living according to the principles set forth in the Quran.
When we call ourselves Muslims, we are embracing a faith that transcends labels, divisions, and sects. The essence of being a Muslim is unity in submission to the one true God, not in dividing ourselves into different factions.
1. The Quran's verdict: no room for sects
The Quran is unyielding when it comes to division among believers. It does not ask us to be Sunni, Shia, Hanafi, Salafi, or any other label—it simply commands unity.
📖 Surah Aal-e-Imran 3:103
"Hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not be divided."
📖 Surah Aal-e-Imran 3:19
Religion with God is Submission [Islam]. Those who were given the Scripture differed only after knowledge came to them, due to injustice/rebellion/envy [ بغيا] among them. Whoever rejects the Revelations of God—God is swift in reckoning.
📖 Surah Al-An’am 6:159
"Indeed, those who divided their religion and became sects—you have nothing to do with them. Their matter rests with Allah, and He will inform them about what they used to do."
📖 Surah Ar-Rum 30:31-32
"Do not be of those who associate others with Allah—those who divide their faith and become sects, each rejoicing in what they have."
The Quran does not just discourage sectarianism—it condemns it outright. Those who split into factions don't have Allah’s approval.
And yet, the Muslim world today is defined by these very divisions. If we take the Quran as our ultimate guide, then we must ask: Are we truly following Islam, or are we following inherited divisions?
2. Why do sects exist?
The common excuse for sectarianism is "differences in interpretation." But is that the real reason?
The Quran exposes the uncomfortable truth:
📖 Surah Ash-Shura 42:14
"And they did not cause divisions except after the knowledge had come to them, because of injustice/rebellion/envy [ بغيا] among themselves; and were it not for a Word that had already gone forth from your Lord, the judgement would have been passed upon them long ago; and indeed those who inherited the Book after them are in an intriguing doubt regarding it.
Sectarianism was not born out of ignorance—it was born out of ego, power struggles, and envy.
📖 Surah Al-Baqarah 2:213
"Humanity used to be one community; then God sent the prophets, bringing good news and giving warnings. And He sent down with them the Scripture, with the truth, to judge between people regarding their differences. But none differed over it except those who were given it—after the proofs had come to them—out of injustice/rebellion/envy [بغيا] between them. Then God guided those who believed to the truth they had disputed, in accordance with His will. God guides whom He wills to a straight path.
Even when clear guidance is given, human nature tends to complicate things. Instead of accepting unity, we manufacture disputes, draw battle lines, and create divisions where none existed.
Today, the vast majority of Muslims inherit their sect without question, assuming they are on the "right path" simply because it was passed down to them.
3. The majority is misguided
Many believe that since sects are the norm, they must be right. After all, how could the majority be wrong?
But the Quran warns against blindly following the masses:
📖 Surah Al-An’am 6:116
"If you follow the majority of people on the earth, they will lead you astray from the path of God, for they follow only conjecture and surmise.
📖 Surah Yusuf 12:106
"And most of them do not believe in God unless they associate others.
📖 Surah Al-Baqarah 2:170
"And when it is said to them, ‘Follow what Allah has revealed,’ they say, ‘No! We follow what we found our fathers practicing.’ Even though their fathers understood nothing and were not guided?"
Majority belief does not equal truth. History has proven this time and again. If most people follow sectarian divisions, that does not make it right—it simply means that most people are uncritically following inherited traditions.
And the Quran repeatedly calls us to think for ourselves.
4. The danger of blindly following scholars
A common response to rejecting sectarianism is: “But my scholar says…”
But the Quran warns against blindly following religious leaders:
📖 Surah At-Tawbah 9:31
"They have taken their scholars and their priests as lords instead of God,
📖 Surah Al-Ahzab 33:67
"And they will say: our Lord! verily we obeyed our chiefs and our great ones, and they led us astray from the way.
📖 Surah Aal-e-Imran 3:78
"And among them are those who twist the Scripture with their tongues, that you may think it from the Scripture, when it is not from the Scripture. And they say, “It is from God,” when it is not from God. They tell lies and attribute them to God, knowingly.
No scholar—no matter how learned—has the authority to override Allah’s commands.
Truth does not belong to a sect, a madhab, or a scholar. Truth belongs to Allah alone.
5. The only true identity
So if the Quran forbids sectarianism, then what should we call ourselves?
📖 Surah Al-Hajj 22:78
"And strive for God with the striving due Him. He has chosen you, and has not placed upon you in the Way/Religion any distress — the creed of your father Abraham. He named you those submitting/muslims before, and in this, that the Messenger might be a witness to you, and that you might be witnesses to men.So uphold the salat and render the zakat and hold fast to God; He is your protector. Then excellent is the Protector! And excellent is the Helper!
Allah Himself gave us our name: Muslims/submitters. Not Sunni. Not Shia. Not Salafi.
Yet today, introducing oneself as "just Muslim" often invites interrogation. "But what kind of Muslim?" people ask. "What school of thought?"
As if Allah’s definition is not enough.
What does that say about how far we have strayed?
A final thought: What will you choose?
The next time someone asks, “Are you Sunni or Shia?” What will you say?
Will you continue to follow a man-made identity, or will you boldly stand by the identity Allah Himself gave you?