Muslims and Internal religious disputes in Sri Lanka part 4

(by Dr RIFAI)

 Religious disputes are universal phenomena and it is not confined to Islam alone, all world religions have had their internal disputes. For instance, Christianity is divided into many denominations and it has had a long history of religious wars   between two denominations of Christianity. Same could be applied to other religions as well. Yet, internal religious disputes in Islam have gained new dimensions today. Look at Muslims all over the world. How many groups we do we have among Muslims and it is not mere religious disagreement in the matters of jurisprudence rather it is direct killing and murders in the name of Islam and these disputes spread hatred and anger among Muslims like a unknown virus is spreading among Muslim communities. 

 All these internal religious disputes and fighting among Muslims in each and every Muslim countries give bad impression about Islam and Muslims all over the world. It  may  hinder from reaching out with the Islamic message to millions of non-Muslims around the world. Most of Non-Muslims look at the conditions of Muslims before they touch the Quran and prophetic traditions. some of these  Islamic groups are doing more harm to Islam and Muslims by their internal disputes and quelling among themselves.  What is the international perception of Islam and Muslims today? Of course media has exaggerated Islamic issues in some cases and yet, legacies of some radical Muslim youths today do not represent true meaning of Islam at all, Islam is perceived today as a religion of violence, terrorism, intolerance, oppression, and barbarism. The term Islam and Muslims give negative connotations in the minds of Non-Muslims.   Although media has inflated this issue it is true Muslims too have contributed to these pathetic conditions by their radical legacies and actions today.

 Yet, for millions of true Muslims Islam is religion of peace and tranquillity and more than one billion Muslims all over the world find in Islam their spiritual sustenance and fulfilment and for all these billions of Muslims Islam is the real source of peace, serenity and they enhance their spirituality in practising Islam daily in life and yet how do these radicals in the name of Islam engage in acts of violence and hatred among people (even among Muslims).

There is no doubt there has been a division between Islamic groups since the formative period of Islam. There has been some sort of schism between religious zealous and moderate Muslims since the time of companions. Even some companions in front to their prophet wanted to follow Islam extremely more than what prophet wanted for them.  Religious extremism is not a new phenomenon in Islam. 

Today we notice this schism between moderate and radical Muslim has widened greatly among Muslim communities today. Both moderate Muslims and radical Muslims claim that they are following true Islam and both parties claim that they follow true and authentic Islam and blame other group as polluting the true meaning of Islam:  for instance, Salafi groups claim that all other groups do not fellow true Islam and argue that other groups are polluting true meaning of Islam, while other moderate groups claim that Salafi or radical groups do not truly understand Islam comprehensively and limiting the meaning of Islam in some dogmas and rituals. They argue radical groups/Salafi groups do not see Islam as a complete way of life rather Islam is confined to some dogmas and ritual. 

The religious disputes between moderate and puritan groups have been clearly illustrated with a profound description by Prof Abu El-Fadl in his book the Great theft: wresting Islam from the extremists:  (Abu Fadl. P5, now innocent Muslims all over the world are confused to know which version of Islam is true. Is it Islam of moderate groups who see Islam as complete way of life or Islam of puritanism and radicalism?  They are confused to know who is right and who is wrong? This is a universal issue in International Muslim communities today?  Muslims are divided in each and every Muslims country between these two camps. One religious group are modern groups and other groups are radical groups in understanding Islam and its application as well.  

These radical groups are in face to face confrontation almost in all Muslim countries. The irony is that some puritans are happy to oust other groups from the fold of Islam as if the keys of Hell and Heaven are in their hands. This is the dangerous situation that  Muslim communities are going through today. Some of them try to monopolise the truth in their camp and try to claim that truth is a property of their own camp and falsehood lies with others. They are not ready to say that we believe that we are right and yet, we may be wrong and others may be right. They do not are not broad minded to accommodate diversities of opinions in Islam rather they are stubborn whatever they say is always right and others are always wrong.  Unfortunately Islamic world is divided into water-tight compartments in this way in religious disputes. 

This trend is universal trend and it is not limited to Arab world rather this polarisation is widely noticed in each and every Muslim community today. Some calls this as a crisis of Muslim minds in modern time and some others calls this as mere ignorance among Muslims. One academic rightly notes that the Quran and Sunnah are primary sources of Islam and nothing wrong in them and yet, wrongness lies in human minds that approach these primary sources of Islam and understand and interpret them according to their levels of intellect and knowledge.  It is true fact that  each groups and each individuals have got their own approach to Islamic teaching and that is why we see diversities in the perception of Islam today and this diversities should be celebrated .as dynamism in Islamic thought and yet we are fighting because of this diversities and differences in understanding. 

     This universal manifestation of internal religious dispute is really reflected in Sri Lanka too. Although we live in a non- Muslim country and our duties and responsibilities greatly differ from that of our brothers in Muslim countries we are creating divisions and disputes among us in the name of Islam and this is indeed a great harm we are doing for Islam and Muslims in Sri Lanka. All Muslims in Sri Lanka should work towards some greater missions than fighting each other in the name of Islam. Our internal disputes have done more harm and damage for the good name of Islam and Muslims and we should be weary of this in our approach to Islamic missions in countries like Sri Lanka