“Muslim community will not succeed until they become united”

~ Imam Shehu Umar

In one of the weekly lectures organized by Qafilatul Mahabbah, Zaria Chapter, under the guidance of Sheik Professor Ibrahim Maqari, the Imam of National Mosque Abuja, which took place at Babban Dodo, Zaria City, Sheikh Shehu Umar, the Imam of Alba Bello Juma’a Mosque, re-emphasised the indispensable need for Muslims to recuperate from dismemberment and uphold the principle of unity as the prerequisite ideal for the promotion and sustenance of peace, love and allegiance, as well as attaining to the apotheosis of Islamic legal injunction, solemn rite and respect, leadership and credibility among Muslim Ummah .

Speaking at the Weekly Lecture, Qafilatul Mahabbah, the Imam, asserted that [a Muslim] community is a part of the whole Muslim Ummah, sharing together common spiritual ideals, ritual affection, love and understanding so much that these pale their differences, strengthen their brotherhood and make firm their Imaan by La’ilaha’illallah Muhammadu RasululLah SallalLahu Alaihi Wasallam, which has been the greatest professional faith for all Muslims; a unifying pillar of Muslim community and of course, the most vibrated Word of remembrance (dhikr) in the heart of every responsible Muslim . Adhering to the principle of this greatest testimony, will no doubt redeem the spirit of unity among Muslims against any fragmentation.

Navigating the question of Muslim unity, brotherhood and cooperation among individual Muslims, the Imam Umar cited the Holy Qur’an:
وَلَا تَكُونُوا۟ كَٱلَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُوا۟ وَٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتُ ۚ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌۭ
“And do not be like the ones who became divided and differed after clear proofs had come to them and those will have a great punishment” (Q3:105). The Imam also expatiates the above with another similar verse from the Holy Qur’an:
وَٱعْتَصِمُوا۟ بِحَبْلِ ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًۭا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا۟ ۚ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ
أَعْدَآءًۭ فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِۦٓ إِخْوَٰنًۭا وَكُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفْرَةٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنْهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ
“And hold firmly to the rope of Allah together, and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allah upon you…” (3:103). All these verses, the Imam illustrates, have responded to the question of unity among Muslims.

In addition to the above, Imama Umar also made a laud remark about the importance of Muslim cooperation. He suggests that sense of cooperation among Muslims, concurrence in obligations and co-action in dealing with situations, will contain so many frequently occurring societal, religious and inter-faith conflicts and crises as well as nib in the bud, so many growing demurrals that may engender Muslim peace in the future. While emphasising the need for cooperation among Muslims, the Imam cited the last sermon of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him): “All mankind is from Prophet Adam: an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab. None have superiority over another, except by piety and good actions”.

The Imam went further to illustrate the historical significance of cooperation as a people’s principal ideology of unity and a sentry against hopelessness. As a common ideology of unity, cooperation, the Imam points out, reflects too often in this catchphrase: “There is no community for whoever deviates”. He added that ‘even hyena attacks a goat that separates itself from the others’, implying the importance of cooperation among Muslims.

This wise counsel, Imam Umar advocates, necessitates the need for Da’awa on strengthening Muslim unity and promotion of peace and harmony through cooperation, understanding and mutual respect. Affirming its exigency, the Imam attested to the fact that ‘all religions call for unity’ and that Prophets were reported to have referred to their Ummah in a rather unifying tongue: “O my people!”, disqualifying in this sense, any notion of disunity or fragmentation. Indeed, Allah says: “You are one community”⸺implying a bold impression of everything unity in its entirety.

One significant dimension, indeed the most impressive one of all, has been the Imam’s anticipation of unity from the immerse wide view of Muslims from diverse cultural backgrounds; gathering around for the circumambulation of the Ka’abah and by so doing imbibing the sense of unity, courage, love and affection to one another, indeed, to all and sundry.

At the end of the lecture, Imam Umar lamented on how some of the Muslims claim their faith in Qur’an and Sunnah but they still remain divided. He stated that Islamic religion unites Muslims to have the same feelings, aspirations and common goals for all. Islamic religion teaches Muslims to love each other for the sake of Allah; he or she has an intensive Islamic faith if adheres to the teaching of Islam.

Finally, the Imam alluded that, Muslim conducts towards unity are embedded under the shadow of Islamic scholars and that they should shoulder the task of calling the attention of Muslim community to adhere to the rightful principles. Henceforth justice becomes the essential principle for guiding scholarly interests because every scholar is entitled to his own opinion provided it does not disagree with the provision of the Shari’ah. Opinion should not misguide scholars from standing on their feet as Muslim ambassadors.

S M Zaruuk Naik reported for Qafilatul Mahabbah.