Non-denominational Muslim
Non-denominational Muslims (
While the majority of the population in the
Sectarian controversies have a long and complex history in Islam and they have been exploited and amplified by rulers for political ends. However, the notion of Muslim unity has remained an important ideal and in modern times intellectuals have spoken against sectarian divisions. Surveys have reported that large proportions of Muslims in some parts of the world self-identify as "just Muslim" or "Muslim only", although there is little published analysis available regarding the motivations underlying this response.[8][9][10][11][12][13][14]
Etymology
Non-sectarian Muslims
Muslims who do not adhere to a sect are also known as non-sectarian Muslims.[15]
Non-madhhabi
The description non-madhhabi may be used for example in relation to Islamic studies at educational institutions that are not limited in scope to one particular madhhab or school of jurisprudence.[16] For non-denominational Muslims, Pew uses the description of "choose not to affiliate"[17] while Russian officials use the term "Unaffiliated Muslims" for those who do not belong to any branch or denomination.[18] Unlike Sunnis, Shias, and Ibadis, non-denominational Muslims are not affiliated with any school of thought (madhhab).[19][20][21]
Ghayr Muqallid
The term ghair-muqallid, i.e., "non-blind-follower", can be used to describe the adherents of movements such as
History of sectarianism
After the death of the Islamic prophet
One assumption is that Sunnis represent Islam as it existed before the divisions, and should be considered as normative, or the standard.[28] This perception is partly due to the reliance on highly ideological sources that have been accepted as reliable historical works, and also because the vast majority of the population is Sunni.[28] Both Sunnism and Shi'ism are the end products of several centuries of competition between ideologies.[28] Both sects used each other to further cement their own identities and divisions.[29]
During the Umayyad period, many non-Arab converts (
In the
Development and thought
Non-denominational Muslims defend their stance by pointing to the
The seventh Abbasid caliph al-Ma'mun (r. 813–833) was known for his attempts to end sectarian rivalry in Islam and to impose upon his subjects a rationalist Muslim creed.[36]
Talking about sectarianism, Persian Muslim poet Hafiz (d. 1389-1390) said, "Forgive the war of the 72 sects; since they did not see the truth they have struck out on the road to fancy". Hafiz regarded sectarian quarrels as afsana (a tale) that preoccupies those who fail to understand the diversity of faith.[37] The poems of Hafiz were known for their non-sectarian tone, and were even quoted by Debendranath Tagore.[38]
The third
Condemning the historically prevailing trend of blindly imitating religious leaders, the
Believing in the unification of Muslims in order to go back to the "true Islam", Egyptian scholar Muhammad Abduh (d. 1905) held that the extreme fervour of sects was responsible for the divide of Muslims, and this division, alongside unsubstantiated religious practises and false religious doctrine such as the exaggerations of the Sufi order, was one of the reasons for their decline.[42]
Islam originally brought a radical egalitarianism to a fiercely tribal society, within which a person's status was based on his tribal membership.[43] The Quran set all believing individuals as equals, erasing the importance of tribal status. The primary identity of "Muslims" became simply "Muslim", rather than as a member of a tribe, ethnicity or gender. The Quranic concept of the ummah depends on this unified concept of an Islamic community, and it was appealed to again in the 19th century, as a response to colonialism by European powers.[44] One Muslim scholar leading the emphasis on Muslim unity was Muhammad Iqbal, whose views have been referred to as "ummatic".[45] Iqbal emphatically referred to sectarianism as an "idol" that needed to be "smashed forever".[46] He is quoted as having stated, "I condemn this accursed religious and social sectarianism, there are no Wahhabis, Shias or Sunnis. Fight not for interpretations of the truth when the truth itself is in danger." In his later life, Iqbal began to transcend the narrow domain of nationalist causes and began to speak to the Muslims spread all over the globe, encouraging them to unify as one community.[47]
Iqbal's influence on
Other intellectuals who spoke against sectarianism during this era were Altaf Hussain Hali, who blamed sectarianism for the decline of Muslims, the Aga Khan III, who cited it as a hindrance to progress, and Muhammad Akram Khan, who said sectarianism drained the intellectual capacities of Muslim scholars.[46]
An anti-sectarian culture and anti-sectarian nationalist movements and parties emerged in Syria after 1860, especially around the Arab movement and the Arab government under
Malaysian Muslim scholar Kassim Ahmad argued that some hadith promote ideas that conflict with science and create sectarian issues, stating the hadith are "sectarian, anti-science, anti-reason and anti-women".[52][53]
In 1947, the non-sectarian movement Jama'ah al-Taqrib bayna al-Madhahib al-Islamiyyah was founded in Cairo, Egypt.
During his reign,
During his reign,
According to Thomas West and Sonia Alianak, Jordan and Morocco withstood the tidal wave of revolutions during the Arab Spring of 2011 because King Abdullah II of Jordan and King Muhammad VI of Morocco, both descendants of Prophet Muhammad and non-sectarian, resorted to reform instead of being toppled by making use of their religious credentials and pedigrees.[63]
In Pakistan, sectarianism is cited as a hindrance to the unification of Islamic Law: "Codification of the Islamic Laws related to family and property on the basis of the concept of Talfiq[64] should also be considered. This will require strong public opinion in favour of this unification of the Islamic Law on a non-sectarian basis, as no change can be considered permanent unless it has full support of the public."[65]
In Lithuania, non-denominational Muslims fall into the category of "non-traditional religious communities", and are formally separated by law from Sunnis.[66]
Academia
There are faith schools and graduation programs with curriculums that have been described as being oriented towards non-denominational Islam.
Dispersions
Western-born Muslims are more likely to be non-affiliated than immigrant Muslims,
Although some non-denominational Muslims came to their position influenced by their parents, others have come to this position irrespective and in spite of their parents.[3] Some laymen non-denominational Muslims exhibit hostility towards the notion that Islam is divided into the binary subdivisions of Sunnism and Shiaism, thereby erasing space for the unaffiliated non-denominational Muslims.[14]
Non-denominational Islam has been described as a generic or a broad run-of-the-mill approach to the faith.
Setting
In 2017, there were 144 non-denominational prayer rooms and other places of worship in the
Polls
According to a 2012
Commentary
It has been described as a phenomenon that gained momentum in the 20th century which can overlap with orthodox Sunni tenets despite adherents not adhering to any specific
The people who began to trade on the names of the prophets cut off that unity and made sects; and each sect rejoices in its own narrow doctrine, instead of taking the universal teaching of unity from Allah. But this sectarian confusion is of man's making. It will last for a time, but the rays of truth and unity will finally dissipate it. Worldly wealth, power and influence may be but trials. Let not their possessors think that they are in themselves things that will necessarily bring them happiness.[89]
Organizations
- Jama'ah al-Taqrib bayna al-Madhahib al-Islamiyyah, a non-sectarian movement founded in Cairo, Egypt in 1947.[90] At the end of the 1950s, the movement reached a wider public, as the Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser discovered the usefulness of pan-Islamism for his foreign policy.[91]
- Tolu-e-Islam; inspired by the principles of Ghulam Ahmed Pervez, Tolu-e-Islam is an organization based in Pakistan. It does not affiliate with any political party or religious sect.[92]
- The People's Mosque; an online nondenominational Muslim movement that seeks to distinguish itself by contrasting its own principles with ultra-conservative political Muslims.[2][93]
- Cambridge Central Mosque is a non-denominational place of worship.[94]
- Ansar-ud-Din college, a college in Ogun state, Nigeria.[83]
Notable individuals
Notable Muslim figures who have espoused an anti-sectarian stance include:
- Al-Ma'mun[95]
- Hafiz[96][97]
- Akbar[98]
- Altaf Hussain Hali[46]
- Jamal al-Din al-Afghani[40][99]
- Kassim Ahmad[100][53]
- Muhammad Abduh[101]
- Muhammad Akram Khan[46]
- Muhammad Ali Jinnah[102]
- Muhammad Iqbal[103][46][104]
- Aga Khan III[46]
- Faisal I of Iraq[105][106][107]
- Ghulam Ahmed Pervez[108]
- Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan[109]
- Abdullah of Saudi Arabia[110]
- Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan[111][112]
- Abdullah II of Jordan[113]
- Muhammad VI of Morocco[114]
See also
Other religions:
- Non-denominational Judaism
- Non-denominational Christianity
- Ecumenism
- Unitarian Universalism
References
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- ^ a b c Longton, Gary Gurr (2014). "Isis Jihadist group made me wonder about non-denominational Muslims". The Sentinel. Archived from the original on 26 March 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
THE appalling and catastrophic pictures of the so-called new extremist Isis Jihadist group made me think about someone who can say I am a Muslim of a non-denominational standpoint, and to my surprise/ignorance, such people exist. Online, I found something called the people's mosque, which makes itself clear that it's 100 per cent non-denominational and most importantly, 100 per cent non-judgmental.
- ^ a b Kirkham, Bri (2015). "Indiana Blood Center cancels 'Muslims for Life' blood drive". Archived from the original on 25 November 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
Ball State Student Sadie Sial identifies as a non-denominational Muslim, and her parents belong to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. She has participated in multiple blood drives through the Indiana Blood Center.
- ^ ISBN 9781476733920.
Although many Iranian hardliners are Shi'a chauvinists, Khomeini's ideology saw the revolution as pan-Islamist, and therefore embracing Sunni, Shi'a, Sufi, and other, more nondenominational Muslims
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- ^ a b c d e f g h "Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation". The World’s Muslims: Unity and Diversity. Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. August 9, 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
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40 per cent called themselves "just a Muslim" according to the Council of American-Islamic relations
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of Muslims identified themselves as Sunni, 12 per cent as Shi'a, 3 per cent as Ahmadiyya but 44 per cent as 'just Muslim' (Pew Forum, 2010)
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A January 2004 survey by the Iraq Centre for Research and Strategic Studies, for instance, asked people which description suited them best Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim or just Muslim'.
- ^ Boulting, Ned. On the Road Bike: The Search For a Nation's Cycling Soul. p. 155.
What is your religion, asked a UN official. Muslim. Are you Shi'a or Sunni. Just Muslim
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Nineteen said that they are Sunni Muslims, six said they are just Muslim without specifying a sect, two said they are Ahmadi and two said their families are Alevi
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Many Iraqis take offense at reporters' efforts to identify them as Sunni or Shiite. A 2004 Iraq Centre for Research and Strategic Studies poll found the largest category of Iraqis classified themselves as "just Muslim."
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This is due to the historical, sociological, cultural, rational and non-denominational (non-madhhabi) approaches to Islam employed at IAINs, STAINs, and UINs, as opposed to the theological, normative and denominational approaches that were common in Islamic educational institutions in the past
- ^ Rane, Halim, Jacqui Ewart, and John Martinkus. "Islam and the Muslim World." Media Framing of the Muslim World. Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2014. 15-28
- ^ Obydenkova, Anastassia V. "Religious pluralism in Russia." Politics of religion and nationalism: Federalism, consociationalism and secession, Routledge (2014): 36-49
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This is due to the historical, sociological, cultural, rational and non-denominational (non-madhhabi) approaches to Islam employed at IAINs, STAINs, and UINs, as opposed to the theological, normative and denominational approaches that were common in Islamic educational institutions in the past
- ^ Rane, Halim, Jacqui Ewart, and John Martinkus. "Islam and the Muslim World." Media Framing of the Muslim World. Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2014. 15-28
- ^ Obydenkova, Anastassia V. "Religious pluralism in Russia." Politics of religion and nationalism: Federalism, consociationalism and secession, Routledge (2014): 36-49
- ^ Qasmi, Ali Usman. "Islamic Universalism: The ‘Amritsarī’Version of Ahl al-Qurʾān." Journal of Islamic Studies 20.2 (2009): 159-187.
- ^ Maghen, Ze'ev. "See No Evil: Morality and Methodology in Ibn Al-qattān al-Fāsī's Ahkām al-nazar bi-Hāssat al-Basar." Islamic Law and Society 14.3 (2007): 342-390.
- ^ Abou Zahab, Mariam. "Salafism in Pakistan." Global Salafism: Islam’s New Religious Movement, Roel Meijer (ed.)(New York: Columbia University Press, 2009) (2011): 126-142.
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It is a mistake to assume as is commonly done that Sunni Islam arose as normative from the chaotic period following Muhammad's death... This mistake is based in... the taking of later and often highly ideological sources as accurate historical portrayals - and in part on the fact that the overwhelming majority of Muslims throughout the world follows now what emerged as Sunni Islam...
- ISBN 9780231531924.
Each of these sectarian movements... used the other to define itself more clearly and in the process to articulate its doctrinal contents and rituals.
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- ^ a b Bartold, Vasily (1936). Mussulman Culture. University of Calcutta. pp. 143–144.
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- ^ a b c Cughtai, Muhammad Ikram (2005). Jamāl Al-Dīn Al-Afghāni: An Apostle of Islamic Resurgence. p. 454.
Condemning the historically prevailing trend of blindly imitating religious leaders, al-Afghani refused to identity himself with a specific sect or imam by insisting that he was just a Muslim and a scholar with his own interpretation of Islam.
- ^ Hosen, Nadirsyah; Salem, Ahmed Ali; Rashid, Samory; Reda, Nevin. "American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 21:2".
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- ^ Junid, Sanusi (2002). "Iqbal and Muslim Unity". Intellectual Discourse. 10 (2, 115–124). International Islamic University Malaysia: 116.
Iqbal's vision was Ummatic and hence he should be referred to as "the poet philosopher of Muslim unity."
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- ^ Junid, Sanusi (2002). "Iqbal and Muslim Unity". Intellectual Discourse. 10 (2, 115–124). International Islamic University Malaysia: 120.
Iqbal was no longer writing for Indian Muslims alone but for his coreligionists scattered all over the world. He had switched from Urdu to Persian to make his message available to the largest number of the adherents of Islam.
- ^ Ahmed, Khaled. "Was Jinnah a Shia or a Sunni?". The Friday Times. Archived from the original on 17 November 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
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- ^ The Oxford Dictionary of Islam defines Talfiq as "Legal term describing the derivation of rules from material of various schools of Islamic law." "Talfiq". Oxford Islamic Studies Online. 2008-05-06. Archived from the original on February 9, 2017. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
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- ^ GSRC (2015). "Degree overview: Theology and religion". Retrieved 19 October 2015.
Most theology schools are based in a religious tradition—a specific sect or denomination of a major religion (i.e., a branch of Rabbinical Judaism, a Catholic order, or a school of Buddhism); a general foundation in a major religion (i.e., nondenominational Islam or Christianity)
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... the Ahmadiyya (3%), the 'something else' (2%), the 'Just a Muslim' (42%), and the 'Don't Know' (4%) (Pew 2010, 21). Most of the 'Just a Muslim' are also likely to be Sunni-inclined
- ^ Torfs, Rik (2012). Islam, Europe and Emerging Legal Issues. p. 29.
The Turkish government maintained that religious instruction was mandatory because it was objective, pluralist and neutral, that is nondenominational ... The perception of the applicants was totally different ... they argued that the teaching was done from the perspective of Sunni Islam
- ^ Section 2: Religious Beliefs and Practices, Pew Research Center
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If people ask me "What are you, Sufi, Shiite or Sunni?" I say No, I'm just a Muslim. I follow the Quran as much as I can, and if I have questions I go to scholars, but I don't get myself involved in any divisions.
- ^ Roelle, Patrick (2006). Islam's Mandate- a Tribute to Jihad: The Mosque at Ground Zero. p. 374.
In a 2006 survey of 1,000 Muslim registered voters, about 12% identified themselves as Shi'a, 36% said they were Sunni, and 40% called themselves "just a Muslim", according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
- ^ Aamir, Omer; professor Fatima Mustafa (2013). Federalism and Pakistan.
Their dream of turning the conflict into an Arab against the Shiite's is turning into a reality. A dark twisted reality for the liberal non denominational Muslims
- ^ Kennedy, Lisa (2015). "Film review: "Timbuktu" depicts the beautiful and the brutal". The Denver Post. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
In town, the jihadists have begun imposing Shariah laws on the locals. Many of the citizens are already devout, if non-denominational Muslims, but this pushes them.
- ^ "Do Not Mistake a Pious Muslim for a Terrorist". March 21, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Contemporary Islam, Non-Denominational: NDM". www.muslimcouncilofamerica.org. Archived from the original on 2021-01-25. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
- ^ "Preface". Pew Research Center. August 9, 2012.
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- ^ Nielsen, Jorgen S (2018). Exploring the Multitude of Muslims in Europe. Brill Publishers. pp. 111–114.
In fact, as a large number of Lithuanian converts to Islam, who are both rank and file of "Education and Heritage", are of non-denominational and / or revivalist leanings, with some of them identifying with Salafi creed, it is best to be described as a denominationally nondescript organisation.
- ^ University of California. Federal supplement. [First Series.] (Volume 212 ed.). p. 868.
A non-denominational Muslim. I am not registered with any particular sect". He was an active member of the Muslim Brotherhood; was acquainted with its constitution and took the oath described therein
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- ^ a b Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (1958). Conference Proceedings (Volume 6 ed.). The Institute.
In the library of the Ansar-ud-Din training college at Otta, a non-denominational Muslim institution, all the books in the Islamic section are by Ahmadis, with the exception of two by Western Orientalists
- ^ Burhani, An (2014). Hating the Ahmadiyya: the place of "heretics" in contemporary Indonesian Muslim society. pp. 133–152.
or heresy by various Muslim institutions in both India and Pakistan, the region of its origin, as well as other Muslim countries, including Indonesia
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- ^ The Meaning of the Holy Quran, New Edition with Revised Translation and Commentary, Published by Amana Corporation, page 853
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- ^ Hunter, Faruq. "The mosque of the real imam yahya davis".
We are Muslims! 100% non-denominational, 100% non-judgmental, 100% dedicated to helping the people
- ^ Brackley, Paul (2019-12-05). "In-depth: Guests at opening of Cambridge Central Mosque admire stunning architecture and eco-friendly design". Cambridge Independent. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
- ^ "Al-Maʾmūn | ʿAbbāsid Caliph & Scholar of Islamic Law | Britannica".
- ^ "The mystery of 73 sects". 9 August 2013.
- ISBN 978-81-208-0528-6.
- ISBN 978-90-04-31571-6.
- ^ Hosen, Nadirsyah; Salem, Ahmed Ali; Rashid, Samory; Reda, Nevin. "American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 21:2".
- ISBN 978-1-134-94895-6.
- ISBN 978-0-8014-6489-8.
- ^ Ahmed, Khaled. "Was Jinnah a Shia or a Sunni?". The Friday Times. Archived from the original on 17 November 2011. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
- ^ Junid, Sanusi (2002). "Iqbal and Muslim Unity". Intellectual Discourse. 10 (2, 115–124). International Islamic University Malaysia: 116.
Iqbal's vision was Ummatic and hence he should be referred to as "the poet philosopher of Muslim unity."
- ^ Junid, Sanusi (2002). "Iqbal and Muslim Unity". Intellectual Discourse. 10 (2, 115–124). International Islamic University Malaysia: 120.
Iqbal was no longer writing for Indian Muslims alone but for his coreligionists scattered all over the world. He had switched from Urdu to Persian to make his message available to the largest number of the adherents of Islam.
- ISBN 978-0-19-765032-5.
- ^ "Man of the moment". The Economist.
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- ^ "The aim and objective of the Tolu-e-Islam". Tolu-e-Islam. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
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- ISBN 978-9948-13-601-9.
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- ISBN 978-1-5275-8155-5.