The Qurʾānic Case Against Sectarianism

By Naseer Ahmed, New Age Islam 2 September 2025 Introduction Islam was revealed as a universal way of life — pure, unified, and free of factionalism. The Qurʾān repeatedly warns against dividing the religion and instructs the believers to hold fast to the rope of Allah as one community. Yet, throughout history, Muslims have split into competing sects, each claiming exclusive ownership of the truth. This essay demonstrates, through direct Qurʾānic evidence, that sectarianism is prohibited, that the Prophet ﷺ was commanded to disassociate himself from sectarians, and that no sect has the right to claim the title of “Sunni”. It also exposes the hypocrisy and corruption that sustained sectarian divisions, and shows that sectarian labelling is the same error committed by the followers of earlier prophets. 1. The Only True Identity of Believers Allah Himself has assigned the identity of the Muslim community: “He has chosen you, and has not placed upon you in the religion any hardship — the way of your father Abraham. He named you Muslims before, and in this [Qurʾān], so that the Messenger may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over mankind.” (22:78) The believers are to be known by one divinely ordained name: Muslim. To take on any other description — Sunni, Shia, Hanafi, or otherwise — is to abandon the very identity Allah conferred upon the Ummah. 2. The Command to Remain United Unity is not optional; it is a divine command: • “Hold fast to the rope of Allah all together, and do not be divided.” (3:103) • “He has ordained for you the religion which He enjoined upon Noah, and that which We have revealed to you, and what We enjoined upon Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: to establish the religion and not be divided therein.” (42:13) Division among believers is a violation of Allah’s direct command. The Qurʾān emphasises that the essence of Islam is submission to Allah, not allegiance to factions. 3. Condemnation of Sectarianism The Qurʾān unequivocally condemns those who fracture the religion: • “As for those who divide their religion and break up into sects, you have no part with them at all. Their affair is with Allah, and in the end, He will inform them of what they used to do.” (6:159) • “Do not be of those who split up their religion and became sects, each party rejoicing in what it has.” (30:32) Two facts emerge here: 1. Sectarians will be judged directly by Allah. 2. The Prophet ﷺ has no part with them. This makes it impossible for any sect to claim they represent the Sunnah, since the Sunnah is inseparable from the Prophet, and the Prophet is divinely commanded to disassociate from sectarians. 4. The Hypocrisy of Muʿāwiyah’s Followers History bears witness that the followers of Muʿāwiyah tolerated and even normalised the pagan practice of cursing ʿAlī ibn AbīṬālib — the Prophet’s cousin, son-in-law, and one of the earliest Muslims — from the pulpits of Friday Khutbahs for sixty years. • This alone should have been enough for the people to desert Muʿāwiyah, but they did not. • Their leaders were bribed with pensions and positions, and those who objected were executed. • The masses followed their corrupt leaders instead of following Allah. Thus, the so-called “Party of Muʿāwiyah,” from which the “Sunni” identity later developed, was rooted in hypocrisy, greed, and political corruption. Their leaders were worshippers of gold and power, not servants of Allah. 5. The Prophet’s Disassociation Allah’s instruction in 6:159 is decisive: the Prophet ﷺ is cut off from those who divide into sects. This has profound implications: • Sectarians cannot claim to be “Ahl al-Sunnah” (People of the Sunnah), because the Sunnah cannot exist apart from the Prophetﷺ. • The very act of sectarian labelling is proof of deviation. To call oneself by any name other than Muslim is to stand outside the Prophet’s company. Thus, by Qurʾānic measure, no sect has the right to call itself Sunni. 6. False Justifications for Division In later centuries, sectarians sought to justify further divisions into Madhāhib (schools of jurisprudence) and Maslaks (religious orientations) by claiming that such diversity was a “mercy.” In reality, this was an excuse for bending the clear meaning of the Qurʾān to suit personal preferences and political agendas. The Qurʾān, however, describes itself as: • “A clear Book” (5:15) • “Easy to understand, without crookedness” (39:28) • “A Book without contradiction” (4:82) If the Qurʾān is indeed clear, easy, and without contradiction, then sincere Muslims should be able to resolve their differences upon it. Yet sects thrive because each is content with its own contradictions. The divisions will only collapse when Muslims resolve to read the Qurʾān with a commitment to zero contradictions. Until then, each group will continue to distort the Qurʾān to defend its inherited identity. 7. Lessons from Earlier Communities The Qurʾān reminds us that Allah’s religion has always been Islam, and all prophets and their true followers were Muslims: • “Indeed, the religion with Allah is Islam.” (3:19) • “And who is better in religion than one who submits himself to Allah, while being a doer of good, and follows the way of Abraham, inclining toward truth? And Allah took Abraham as a close friend.” (4:125) Moses, Jesus, and all prophets called their people to Islam. Their true followers were Muslims. But later generations abandoned this identity and invented new names: Jews, Christians, and others. These are not the names given by Moses or Jesus, nor the names of their religion in their scriptures. Likewise, today, Muslims have abandoned the Prophet’s Sunnah by calling themselves Sunni, Shia, or by other labels. In reality, they are following the path of the Jews and Christians — substituting Allah’s name for human-invented sectarian names. 8. Intercession and Sectarianism The Prophet ﷺ will intercede on the Day of Judgment — but not for those whom Allah has ordered him to disassociate from. • Allah says clearly: “You have no part with them at all.” (6:159) • Therefore, sectarians who cling to their factional labels cannot presume to benefit from the Prophet’s intercession. Intercession will be reserved for sincere Muslims who lived as servants of Allah without sectarian pride — even if they were born into a sect by circumstance. What matters is not the label imposed by society, but the purity of their submission to Allah. Conclusion The Qurʾān presents a decisive stance: • Allah has named the believers Muslims (22:78). • Division is forbidden (3:103, 42:13). • Sectarians are condemned (6:159, 30:32). • The Prophet ﷺ has no part with them (6:159). • Earlier communities fell into the same error, abandoning the name “Muslim” for invented labels like Jew or Christian (3:19). Muslims today are repeating their mistake. Thus, sectarian labels — Sunni, Shia, or otherwise — are invalid. No sect can claim the Prophet’s Sunnah, for the Prophet is commanded to separate himself from them. On the Day of Judgment, sectarian names will be worthless. Intercession will not be for sectarians, but for those who lived and died simply as Muslims — holding fast to the rope of Allah without division and without contradiction. The Qurʾān’s verdict is absolute: the only legitimate identity of a believer is Muslim. ------ A frequent contributor to NewAgeIslam.com, Naseer Ahmed is an independent researcher and Quran-centric thinker whose work bridges faith, reason, and contemporary knowledge systems. Through a method rooted in intra-Quranic analysis and scientific coherence, the author has offered ground-breaking interpretations that challenge traditional dogma while staying firmly within the Quran’s framework. His work represents a bold, reasoned, and deeply reverent attempt to revive the Quran’s message in a language the modern world can test and trust. 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