In his second article, the writer, Shaykh Muhammad `Ali AlSabuny, censured the dissension of Muslims into Salafis, Ash`aris, Sufis, Maturidis, and so on. Well, this dispersion undoubtedly grieves every Muslim, and the Muslims should unite for the cause of truth and help one another in righteousness and piety. However, Allah (Exalted be He) has predestined that for the Ummah due to great wisdom and commendable purposes, for which He (Exalted be He) is to be praised and the details of which are known by none other than Him. Among them is discrimination between His Awliya' (pious people) and His enemies, and between those who earnestly seek the Truth and those who dissent from it and those who turn away from it and follow their own vain desires, etc. This also implies an attestation (by the Almighty) that His Prophet (peace be upon him) is truly the Messenger of Allah, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) informed Muslims of this separation before it took place. Sure enough, it occurred just as he had informed. He (peace be upon him) said:
My people will be split into seventythree sects, all of them will enter Hellfire except one. They asked: Who is that sect, O Allah's Messenger? He replied: That is AlJama`ah (the true followers of the Prophet). In another version, he replied The one that follows what I and my Companions are upon right now.
This obligates Muslims to gather for the cause of truth and refer every disputable matter to Allah and His Messenger. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
(And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allâh and His Messenger (ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ), if you believe in Allâh and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination.
He (Glorified be He) also says:
And in whatsoever you differ, the decision thereof is with Allâh (He is the ruling Judge).
These two noble verses indicate that the Muslims are obliged to refer all disputable matters in creed and other fields to Allah
(Glorified be He) and to His Messenger (peace be upon him). In such a way, the truth will become clear to them, they will be unanimous about it and their line will be united against their enemies. However, if every sect clings to what it assumes of falsehood and refuses to acknowledge the truth adopted by the other sect, then this is the perilous and prohibited stance, and it is the cause for the enemies being given absolute mastery over the Muslims. Hence, the blame will surely be laid on those who persist in falsehood and refuse to yield to the truth. As for those who adhere to and call to the truth and disclose the falsity of its opposite, they are not blameworthy. Rather, they are worthy of thanks and will be rewarded twice; once for their Ijtihad and again for doing the right thing.