"What kind of 'Muslim' are you?"

What Allah says in the Holy Qur'an:

Allah says in the Holy Qur'an: "Qul in kuntum tuḥibbūnallāha fa-ittabiʿūnī yuḥbibkumullāhu wa-yaghfir lakum dhunūbakum; wallāhu ghafoorur-raḥeem."

(Surah Aal-e-Imran, 3:31) Translation: "Say (O Prophet), if you truly love Allah, then follow me. Allah will love you and forgive your sins. Indeed, Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Here, Allah points to two key aspects:

• To attain Allah, one must follow the Prophet (PBUH).
• No matter how many sins one commits, if he obeys the Prophet, Allah will forgive him.

Now, someone might ask: "What if I follow some things and ignore others?" Or think that not everything the Prophet said was from Allah. To answer such thoughts, Allah revealed another verse: "Wa maa yantiqu 'anil hawa. In huwa illa wahyun yooha." Translation: "And he does not speak of his own desire. It is nothing but revelation revealed to him." (Surah An-Najm, 53:3–4)

So, it becomes clear: every word of the Prophet is the word of Allah. Obeying it is obligatory (fard); rejecting it is disbelief (kufr).

1. Early Unity in Islam:

During the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the Muslim Ummah was united. There were no divisions. But after his passing, disputes over leadership began — and from this emerged the Sunni–Shia divide.

2. Sunni Muslims (Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah)

Beliefs and Position:

• They believe that the caliphate should have rightly started with Abu Bakr (RA) after the Prophet.
• They honor the first four caliphs (Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali) as "Rightly Guided Caliphs".
• Sunnis follow four main schools of thought (madhabs):

          Hanafi

          Shafi’i

          Maliki

          Hanbali

Subgroups:

• Salafi / Ahl-e-Hadith: Advocate direct adherence to Qur’an and Hadith, often rejecting the need to follow a madhab.
• Sufi Orders (Naqshbandi, Chishti, Qadiri): Seek closeness to Allah through inner purification and spiritual focus.
• Other subgroups in the subcontinent include Deobandi, Barelvi, Tablighi Jamaat, Jamaat-e-Islami, etc.

3. Shia Muslims

Beliefs and Position:

• They believe that Imam Ali (AS) was divinely appointed as the Prophet’s successor.
• Shias believe in Twelve Imams (the Twelver doctrine) who are infallible and divinely guided.
• They give special status to Ahlul Bayt (the Prophet’s family), and critically view the actions of some companions (Sahaba).

Sub-sects:

• Twelvers (Ithna Ashariyah): The largest Shia group, mainly in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, etc.
• Ismailis: Followers of the Aga Khan.
• Zaydis: Found mostly in Yemen, somewhat close to Sunnis.

4. Other Groups or Sects:

• Kharijites: First political dissenters in Islam who opposed Imam Ali (AS).
• Mu'tazilites: Rationalists who emphasized logic and philosophy in theology.
• Ahmadiyya: Founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad; mainstream Muslims do not accept them as Muslims due to theological differences.
• Sufis: A spiritual movement focused on divine love and inner purification. Sufism exists within both Sunni and Shia traditions.

How acceptable is being a "sectarian Muslim" in Islam?

Qur'anic verse: “Indeed, those who divided their religion and became sects – you [O Prophet] have nothing to do with them.” (Surah Al-An’am, 6:159)

Hadith: “My Ummah will divide into 73 sects. Only one will enter Paradise.”  (Tirmidhi Sharif)

Based on this Hadith, every group claims to be that "saved sect" — but in reality, only Allah and His Messenger know the truth.

Who should be considered a "Muslim"?

Core beliefs of Islam: To be considered a Muslim, one must believe in:

• Tawheed (Oneness of Allah)
• Prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH)
• Angels, Divine Books, Day of Judgment
• Five pillars of worship: Shahadah, Salah, Fasting, Hajj, Zakah
• Love of Ahlul Bayt is also essential to true faith.

If one believes in these, then regardless of their sect or madhab, they are a Muslim.

So, what kind of "Muslim" are you?

Many people commonly say: “I don’t care about Shia–Sunni differences, I’m just a pure Muslim.”

To such brothers and sisters, with full respect and peace, we ask: Is just saying “I'm a Muslim” really enough?

Have you ever reflected on the following?

• Those who refused to give pen and ink for the Prophet’s final instructions were Muslims too. So, what kind of Muslim are you?
• Those who didn’t attend the Prophet’s funeral but were busy dividing political power were also Muslims. So, what kind of Muslim are you?
• The leaders at Saqifah of Banu Sa’ida were Muslims. So, what kind of Muslim are you?
• Those who set fire to the house of Lady Fatimah Zahra (sa) and kicked down the burning door, killing her and her unborn child — they were also Muslim Sahaba. So, what kind of Muslim are you?
• Those who unjustly confiscated Fadak, the inherited land of Lady Fatimah (sa), were also Muslims. What kind of Muslim are you?
• In the Battle of Siffin, both sides were Muslims. What kind of Muslim are you?
• In the Battle of Jamal, both sides were Muslims. What kind of Muslim are you?
• In Karbala, both the murderers and the martyrs were Muslims. So, what kind of Muslim are you?
• Scholars who justified the massacre of Karbala with fatwas were also Muslims. So, what kind of Muslim are you?
• Harun al-Rashid and al-Ma’mun were Muslims. What kind of Muslim are you?
• Many court-funded scholars and hadith writers from Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties were Muslims. What kind of Muslim are you?
• Those who showered arrows on the funeral of the Prophet’s grandson Imam Hasan (as) were Muslims. What kind of Muslim are you?
• Abu Sufyan, Mu’awiya, and Yazid were Muslims. What kind of Muslim are you?
• Even the infamous Hind’s illegitimate son Mu’awiya is claimed by some to be a “scribe of revelation.” So, what kind of Muslim are you?
• Nowadays, some Muslims even say "Yazid (RA)". So, what kind of Muslim are you?

All claim to be part of Ummah of Muhammad (PBUH). Even Iblis claims to be a servant of Allah.

Conclusion:

Allah clearly says in the Qur’an (Surah Ash-Shura, 42:23): “Qul laa as’alukum ‘alayhi ajran illal-maw ata fil-qurba” Translation: "Say [O Prophet], I do not ask of you any reward except love for my near relatives (Ahlul Bayt)."

So it is clearly stated that love for the Ahlul Bayt is obligatory. Without love for the Ahlul Bayt, no one can rightfully claim to be a true Muslim.