When Muslims Work Together 1 Introduction What Motivates Us

Ustadh Nouman Ali Khan provides an in-depth discussion of the importance of the need for Muslims to stand on a  united front and confront the inner struggles n the quest for the progression of Islam.

From an Islamic point of view, there are numerous struggles at the level of the individual such as to fight his nafs, to fight shaytan, to fight his laziness and anger, to become better in his  Ibadah. We need to understand that any of these efforts that we make for others are at the end of the day more than anyone else is benefiting first and foremost ourselves. They benefit us. They don’t necessarily benefit anyone else because we are not capable of that. The Prophet ﷺ benefited humanity more than any other human being but Allah commanded him to say, ‘La amliku ahadun naafun wala darrun,’ ‘I don’t possess the power to benefit you nor the power to harm you.’ 

The challenges we are facing as individuals and as an ummah are unique and particular to the times we are living in. It can even be said that as Ummah we have never in our history faced the type of challenges we are facing in the current epoch.

We need to understand is that the first generation of Muslims and a majority of the scholars throughout Islamic history never went around claiming to be the only ones with the whole truth and condemning everyone else to hell. They were too humble to make such claims. Even the companions had differences of opinion amongst themselves. But they loved and respected each other. 

But today the situation is drastically different where one is always trying to outdo the other thereby, tarnishing the spirit of Islam. What have been the results of difference of opinions? It results in further divisions and in-fighting. They usually end up splitting into sub-sects themselves, leading to further divisions of an already divided entity. We have to instill respect for each other keeping our difference of opinion aside.