The significance of studying sects in Islam

by Hana Arisesa

Islam as a true religion is conveyed by the Prophet Muhammad r in 14 century ago. During his life, forty years has been spent to carry his holy mission to all human being. Started in the Arab peninsula until spread to around the world. He r die after completed his mission, leaving a perfect religion as guide to his follower until the judgment day. Allah U says in Holy Book: Sûrah 5. Al-Mā’idah verse 3:

“… This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islām as your religion. …” (Quran 2:4-5, Al Hilali).

Ibn Kathīr says on that verse:

“… This, indeed, is the biggest favor from Allah to this Ummah, for He has completed their religion for them, and they, thus, do not need any other religion or any other Prophet except Muhammad …” (Tafseer Ibn Kathir).

Unfortunately, there is no after perfection except deteriorate. It is already reported that Umar t cried after this verse revealed and said:

“What made me cry is that our religion is being perfected for us. Now it is perfect, nothing is perfect, but it is bound to deteriorate” (Tafseer Ibn Kathir).

Emerging of the sects in Islamic History

After the era of the Prophet r the mission continued by his companion. The Fourth righteous lead the ummah one after one. During the first two caliph after the Prophet, Islam spread outside the Arabic peninsula. The message of islam reach Syam, Palestine, and Persian. People accepted Islam because of its teachings, leaving the pagan tradition of their ancestor. However, during the last two righteous caliphs, the seeds of perversion are starting to emerge.  This has become clear when the end of the fourth Caliphate, Ali t, the sect Khawārij (dissenters) appeared.  After that period, one by one the deviant groups came and went until they felt their influence until now. The debate about these various schools has been recorded in Islamic history from time to time. Some of the deviant sects include Khawārij, Mu’tazilah, Jahmiah, and Rafidhah. Even though, In the modern era these deviant groups were not formed in an institution, except for the rafidah who formally as foundation in the Iran, the legacy of their thoughts still exists today. Various kinds of deviant thoughts are taking from what has already existed and has been refuted by the previous scholars completely.

After the period of the caliphate, the preventing and guarding the right Islamic belief, is conducted by the pious scholar who has taught Islam as it came and explained various kinds of deviations. They have devoted their effort to explaining the sect's faults either directly, using discussion, or by writing refutation books that until now their works are still relevant for us. Ali t debated the Kħawaarijites on the issues of the promise and threat. Umar ibn Abdul Aziiz, one of the caliphs in Umayyad periode, he refuted the qodariyah sects. He is counted as the fifth righteous Kħaliifah after the first four. The book refutation of the Jahmiyyah (Radd ala Jahmiyyah) has been written against the Jahmiyyah sects by several scholars such as Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal, Ad-Darimi, Ibn Mandah, and Ibn Bathah. Ibn Taimiyyah wrote a book Minhajus Sunnah an Nabawiyyah fi Naqdli Kalam asy Syi'ah wal Qodariyyah – to refute syiah and qadariyyah. There are many more books that discuss thoughts and deviations from deviant sects, both written by scholars or in the form of research academic studies today.

Sects in the academic discourses and its effect on the modern day

The tremendous development in the science and its branch brings various development in many sectors, even to the development of the religious studies, especially about Islam. The development of science and technology originally came from the western civilization, the effect of the renaissance era. As a result of this, it caused first contact with Islamic civilization which at that time was experiencing a decline for various reasons. This occurred in the 16th until 19th century. In that time, appear what then be called orientalism. Orientalism is the view of western to the orient, which usually represent by Islamic civilization using their own view. Orientalism was originally started by Christians who were biased against Islam. Western policies towards the East are based on orientalism. Most studies carried out by orientalists is not based on authentic sources, which leads to contradictions in their conclusions.

Due to the urge need of the western to the Islamic society, they study all their aspect such as language, economic, politic, philosophy, and so on. Their scholar visited to the muslim countries especially in the north Africa, Middle east, south Asia, and South-east Asia to get benefit to their carrier. Their study full of biases against the true muslim. They took what they want and left if against them. However, this cause effect of the development in the Islamic studies itself who bring benefits to the Ummah. Fortunately, Islam as the only true religion is a perfect in all aspect, however the follower is not. Sometimes, they made deviation into the Islamic believe which contradiction with the true Islamic teaching, whatever due to their ignorance, blindness, or other factors. This is what the western scholar can be used to attack the Islam.

During the era of early 20th century, the massive Islamic studies conducted by western scholar, especially from United States scholars. They build many institutions, scholarship, and policies even produce huge electronics, articles, journal to studies Islamic for their interest. They develop new theories, offer new methodology to assure their way is the best method to be applied. They change the method from their precedentor who blatantly attack the Islam and its society. They use softer way but poisonous. One of the topics which need to be considered is their effort to study the various defiant sects in the Islamic history.

(Lewis, 1967) describe the Ismā'ili sect known as the Assassin in his book “The Assassins: A Radical Sect in Islam”. He tried to develop the theories about the ethics minority fighting against the dominant Arab. (Kroef, 1961) focus his study on the various sect in biggest population country, Indonesia. Pluralism in Islam has been major study by Grunebaum (Grunebaum, 1962) in 1962. The defend to the existence of the deviant sect has be discussed in some reports. Various deviants’ sect, cult, or other term has support to be exist by  (Sedgwick, 2000)  that say:

“We have also seen how, despite the provisions of the Sharia relating to kufr, sects in the Islamic world stand a good chance of survival, whether they are really Islamic or merely adopting Islamic garb”

The compilation of the various Islamic sect has been published in the book of the title “Handbook of Islamic Sects and Movements”. There has been studied many Islamic sects such us Tablīghī Jamāʿat, The Muslim Brotherhood, Imāmiyya Shīʿa (The Twelvers), Zaydism, The Ismāʿīlīs and Their Traditions, The Cultural Genetics of the Aḥmadiyya Muslim Jamāʿat, and so on.

The studies of the sect in the body of islam has two different side, positively of negatively. In one side, the we acknowledge that the research about sects is one topic in the discipline of the Islamic studies, but in the other side the study can be used to propaganda againt the Islam itseft.  We might be aware on the report of the sect’s study especially which conducted by western scholar, however if the sect’s study is doing properly by the scholar who what to make good reason, we need to thank to these efforts. The study is based on the sincere efforts to correct the false teaching, to give explanation the true faith, and to defend against the enemy of Islam.

Benefits of the study of the sect

In this section, I want to conclude briefly the benefits of studying sects especially on the contemporary era as follows:

1.     Understanding the various new sect and their branch who do not emerge in th previous study.

2.     Raise awareness of the dangers of enemies of Islam who use this path to destroy Islamic teachings.

3.     Defending the true Islamic belief againt the wrong ideas and perception of the deviance sects.

4.     Strengthening unity among Muslims based on correct principles

Conclusion

The study of sects in Islam especially in the contemporary time has two different side. Although, the discussion of the deviant sects in Islamic body has been starting since long time ago, however the new sects still popping up in today's modern era. We need aware about the sect’s study conducted by the western scholar due their biased agenda. Nevertheless, muslim scholar need to understand about the various sect in the Islam to encounter and correct the negatif thought.

Bibliography

Quran. Trans: Muhammad Taqi Ad-din Al Hilali, Muhammad Muhsin Khan.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir Online. http://www.quran4u.com/Tafsir%20Ibn%20Kathir/Index.htm

Lewis, B (1967). The Assassins: A Radical Sect in Islam. The Middle east Journal. 1969.

Grunebaum, G. E. (1962). Pluralism in The Islamic World. Islamic Studies, 37-59.

Kroef, J. M. (1961). New Religious Sects in Java. Far Eastern Survey, 18-25.

Sedgwick, M. (2000). Sects in the Islamic World. Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions, 195-240.