Muslims and Internal religious disputes in Sri Lanka Part 3

(by DR RIFAI)

It is estimated that approximately 1.4 billion Muslims live in the world today and Islam is regarded as the second largest religion. Yet, the International Muslim community is very much polarized and divided into many fragmentations and groups today than ever before. It is estimated out of approximately  1.4 billion Muslims, Shia population constitutes nearly 12-15% of world Muslim population and the rest of Sunni population is divided into many sectarians.

 Today we have different Islamic groups such as Tabligh, MB and JI, HT,  Sufi and Salafi groups and  yet, large majority of Muslim population over 50% of Muslim population identify themselves as Muslims without any affiliation to any groups. Some Sufi groups are divided into different mystical (Sufi Thariqas) such as Qadiriya, Shaziliyah, Alawiyyah, Rifaiyiyah. Laksabandiyah, and so on. These spiritual groups have large followers among world Muslim populations and their percentage may constitute around 15-20% among Sunni Muslim population. Likewise, there are so many denominations among Salafi groups as well.  Like all other groups so called Salafi groups have many subdivisions and groups. Sometime each one contends that other one is on wrong understanding of Islamic teaching.

 This is just an overview of Muslim population today with different religious group affiliation.  It would not be wrong to say that over half Muslim population identity themselves as Muslims without any affiliation to any ideological groups. Historically speaking early Muslims were not identified with some particular ideological groups name and companions, their followers and succeeding generation did not have different ideological names and affiliations form the formative periods of Islam and until pre-modern time.

 Unlike in the past, today, Muslims are identified with these ideological group affiliations and these groups are man-made groups.  All these groups are created by people in response to needs and demands of Muslim community in certain regions of Muslim land in different period in the 19th and 20th centuries. All these ideological groups emerged in some historical and social contexts. Muhammad Ibn A.Wahab initiated his Salafi group in Hejaz in those days in order bring people back to the original message of Islam and protect  Muslims from all kinds of religious innovations and superficial faiths and practices.  In the same way other Islamic ideological groups emerged in response to the challenges of time and age. MB and JI emerged in Islamic world in response to colonial challenges soon after Islamic Caliphate/ Leadership was eliminated from Islamic world.Moreover when Islamic teachings were distorted as complete of way of life these Ideological groups emerged and  redefined the comprehensive meanings and connotations of Islam since pre- modern times.  

The contributions of these ideological groups for Islamic renaissance and awakening are huge and enormous.  No one should have any qualm about that.  No sound person would deny the contributions and roles of these Islamic movements in our modern world and indeed, these Islamic movements have immensely contributed to the progress and developments of Muslim communities across Islamic world and sometime they have done more than what governments in some Muslim countries have done. Many schools, hospitals, institutions and charities are run by some of these Islamic groups in Muslim lands. This fact is universally accepted by Muslims today and yet, it is unfortunate that today we have seen some of these groups are clashing each other in the name of Islam. This internal dispute among Islamic groups is universal today and it is very often said more Muslims are being killed by Muslims than by non-Muslims today.