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4. IF ALLAH WILLS The disbelievers among the Quraysh tribe told the Prophet s.a.w.

as narrated by Ibn ‘Abbās, “If you could widen the valleys of Makkah

for us, move away its mountains so that we could cultivate the land,

and revive our dead, or cut the land or talk to the dead [then we would

believe you].” They also said” “Move our mountain to extend our

land, or make Syria closer for us to go for trade, or bring back our

ancestors from their graves.” Then Allah revealed to the Prophet the

following verse: رت به البال أو قطعت به الرض أو كلم به الموتى بل لله ال يعاولو أن ق رآنا سي مر ج

يعا ول ي زال الذين كفروا تصيب هم با صن عواأف لم ي يأس الذين آمنوا أن ل و يشاء الله لدى الناس ج (13الرعد: قارعة أو تل قريبا من دارهم حت يأت وعد الله إن الله ل يلف الميعاد )

And if there had been a Qur’an with which mountains

could be moved (from their places), or the earth could be

cloven asunder, or the dead could be made to speak (it would

not have been other than this Qur’an). But the decision of all

things is certainly with Allah have not then those who believed

yet known that had Allah willed, He could have guided all

mankind? And disaster will not cease to strike those who

disbelieved because of their (evil) deeds or it (i.e. the

disaster) settles close to their homes, until the

Promise of Allah comes to pass. Certainly,

Allah breaks not His Promise.

(Q. 13:31)

Ibn Kathīr ‘s commentary on this verse is as follows:

“Allah says, ‘If there were a Book among the previous Divine

Books with which the mountains could be moved from their places, or

the earth could be cleaved asunder, or the dead speak in their graves,

it would have been this Qur’an and none else.’ Or, this Qur’an is more

worthy to cause all this, because of its marvellous eloquence that

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defies the ability of mankind and the jinns, even if all of them gather

their forces together to invent something like it or even a Surah like it.

Yet, these idolaters disbelieve in the Qur’an and reject it.”

As the Qur’an is based on all other Divine Books, each of them

could also be called “Qur’an.” Abū Hurayrah narrated that the

Prophet s.a.w. said:

لم القراءة، فكان يأمر بدابته تسرج، فكان ي قرأ القرآن فت على داود عليه الس خف من ق بل أن تسرج داب ته، وكان ل يأكل إل من عمل يديه " )رواه أمحد(

Reciting was made easy for (Prophet) Dā’ūd (David)

in that he used to order that his animal be prepared for him

to ride and in the meantime he would read the entire Qur’an.

He used to eat only from what his hand made.

(Reported by Ahmad)

“The entire Qur’an” here meant by the Prophet is “al-Zabūr, the

Psalms.” Prophet David read the entire Psalms before mounting his

animal.

The Qur’ān is the most eloquent and most affected to the heart

and the mind of people. Allah said,

عا من خشية الله لو أن زلنا هذا القرآن على جبل لرأي ته خاشعا متصدرون ) (13احلشر : وتلك المثال نضرب ها للناس لعلهم ي ت فك

Had We sent down this Qur’an on a mountain,

you would surely have seen it humbling itself and rent

asunder by the fear of Allah. Such are the parables

which We put forward to mankind that they

may reflect. (Q. 59:21)

Allah’s response to the request of the Makkan idolaters is that

He does not have to answer their requests with those impossible

things, in order to make them believe. If Allah wills, He can guide,

not only them, but the whole mankind without providing evidence,

such as moving the mountains or reviving the dead.

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This statement of Allah is confirmed in another verse, as

follows:

بيل قصد الله وعلى ها الس (9النخل:) أجعي لداكم شاء ولو جائر ومن

And it is up to Allah to show the right way. But there

are ways that astray. And had He willed, He would

have guided you all. (Q. 1 6:9)

This is a fact we have to accept that we are different from

others, and therefore we should not criticize, blame or humiliate them

for being astray, but rather, show them the right way wisely, and the

outcome is up to Allah.

Allah also said:

يعا كلهم الرض ف من لمن ربك شاء ولو ( 99يونس: ) مؤمني يكونوا حت الناس تكره أفأنت جAnd had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed,

all of them together. So will you (O Muhammad) then compel

mankind, until they become believers. (Q. 10:99)

Diversity among mankind is again mentioned in the following

verse:

ة الناس لعل ربك شاء لو خلقهم ولذلك ربك رحم من إل .متلفي ي زالون ول واحدة أم (339-331يونس: ) أجعي والناس النة من جهنم لملن ربك كلمة وتت

And if your Lord had so willed, He could surely,

have made humanity one Ummah (nation), but they will not

stop disagreeing. Except those for whom your Lord has

granted mercy. And it is for this that He did create them;

and the Word of your Lord had been fulfilled (i.e.,

His saying), “Surely, I shall fill Hell with Jinn

and men all together.” (Q. 11:118-119)

Here it is stated clearly that Allah will not make Faith

universally accepted. People will always differ in religions, creeds,

beliefs, sects and opinion. He says:

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لملن من القول حق ولكن هداها ن فس كل لت ينا شئنا ولو )31 :السجده ) أجعي والناس النة من جهنم

And if We had willed, surely We would have given

every person his guidance, but the Word from Me took

effect (about evil-doers), that I will fill Hell with

jinn and mankind together. (Q. 32:13)

Narrated by Abū Hurayrah that the Prophet s.a.w. said:

اف ت رقت الي هود على إحدى أو ثنت ي وسبعي فرقة وت فرقت النصارى ت على ثلث وسبعي فرقة على إحدى أو ثنت ي وسبعي فرقة وت فتق أم

حسن صحيح (:اللباين )رواه أبو داؤد:The Jews were split up into seventy-one or

seventy-two firqahs (divisions, groups, or sects);

and the Christians were split up into seventy one or

seventy-two sects; and my community will be

split up into seventy-three sects.

(Reported by Abū Dā’ūd; al-Albānī: Ḥasan Ṣaḥīḥ)

In another ḥadīth, the Prophet s.a.w. said:

لكم من إن أل الملة هذه وإن ملة وسبعي ثنت ي على اف ت رقوا الكتاب أهل من ق ب عون ثنتان وسبعي ثلث على ست فتق الماعة وهي النة ف وواحدة النار ف وسب

اللباين :حسن(;رواه أبو داؤد(

Beware! The people of the Book before were split up into

seventy-two divisions, (groups, or sects), and this community

will be split into seventy three: seventy-two of them will go

to Hell and one of them will go to Paradise, and

it is the majority group.

(Reported by Abū Dā’ūd; al-Albānī: Ḥasan)

In another ḥadīth, the Prophet s.a.w. said:

“And verily the Bani Israel (Children of Israel)

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were divided into seventy two sects and my

nation would divide into seventy three sects,

all are to hell except one” on that the Companions

of the Prophet asked : “Who is that one,

O Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet replied:

“Al-Jama'ah (the majority group)”

In another version the Prophet replied

ما أنا عليه و أصحاب It is what I am and my companions are holding

In the time of the Prophet the Christians were divided into 72

sects. But more sects appeared after the death of the Prophet. Scholars

who limit the number into 72 sects say that these new sects are

subdivisions of one or more of the 72 sects. Scholars, who do not

limit the number to 72 sects, but to indicate its great number, will not

have any problem with the emergence of new sects. The Christian

will be divided into more division than that of the Jews, and the

Muslims will be divided into more division than that of the Christians.

The number indicates the greatness in number, and not the limit of it.

History shows us that the Rāfiḍah (Rafidites, deserters, those

who reject legitimate Islamic authority and leadership, especially of

Abū Bakr and ‘Umar as caliphs) were divided into more than seventy

sub-divisions, the Khawārij (Kharijites, lit. “those who went out” the

dissident who were initially supporting the authority of Ali ibn Abi

Talib, then later rejected his leadership) into more than forty-five sub-

divisions, then the Sufi orders with various sub-divisions, and many

other sects or division that will appear later, their number will be

more than 72. So, this number is not the limit, but to indicate its

greatness in number. According to Muslim scholars, such as Imam

Abdullah ibn al-Mubārak, those 72 Muslim groups or sects will not be

doomed to Hellfire permanently, for they are still Muslims. For

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example, ‘Ali himself said about the Khawārij that “they are our

brothers who have abandoned us.” Groups or sects which are

excluded from Muslim ummah will also be excluded from this 72

sects.

Muslim scholars who stick literally to the number say that the

number 72 is the basic or main division, so that the Rāfiḍah is

considered one division or sect, the Khawārij is also considered one

division or sect, and so on. Al-Shahrastānī mentions those groups or

sects by names, so that there will be no room for new sects that appear

later. Therefore, as Ibn Taymiyyah put it, we cannot specify which

groups belong to the 73 groups without any proof. We can only say

that the group that will be safe is the one who follows the way of Ahl

al-Sunnah wa ‘l-jamā‘ah. This division, as al-Shāṭibī put it, occurred

in the very basic or principles of religion, not in branches or sub-

divisions of the religion, such as schools of law: Ḥanafī, Mālikī,

Shāfi‘ī, Ḥanbalī, Wahhābī, etc. All of them belong to one group, the

Sunni, also called, Ahl al-Sunnah wa ‘l-jamā‘ah (lit. “Adherents to

the Sunnah and the community.” It is not meant the name of a new

Islamic organization founded in London in 2005. (CIVIC, 20.09.13)

Bibliography:

Al-Maktabah al-Shāmilah

Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr

fatwa.islamweb.net/fatwa/printfatwa.php?Id=210628&lang=

islamqa.info/ar/129109

www.alifta.net/Fatawa/FatawaChapters.aspx?View=Page&PageID=3

08&PageNo=1&BookID=5

sunnah.com/abudawud/42

http://www.allaahuakbar.net/article_read.asp?id=465