This is in reference to the report by Sahar Khan entitled ‘Rising Sectarianism Haunts Even the Dead’ (Radiance Viewsweekly, 27 January – 2 February). It was indeed painful and heart-rending to learn that the Muslims nowadays have become so narrow-minded that they do not realise that they are fighting none but their brothers. When the Qur’ān was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be to him), there were no sects or differences. However, it is the later generations that developed sects and are now ready to die for such obnoxious things. The Messenger said that the Ummah is like a body such that if one part of the body pains the whole body suffers from sleeplessness. The need of the hour is to affiliate ourselves as Muslims and not as Shia, Sunni, Deobandi, Barelvi, etc. These are the sects which we have created and never existed at the time of the Messenger. We must go back to fix the errors that took place in the past.
Kalam Ahmed
Bangalore