The
      perseverance of Islam despite splits and divisions
Question

                Unity and Diversity in Islam.
      Islam has suffered splits and divisions to the faith, could you explain
      what these have been and why they have emerged. How is it that despite the
      differences in Islam, it has been possible for Muslims of different
      persuasions to feel a sense of unity?
Praise be to Allah.Know, may Allaah guide us and you to the truth and
      enable us to follow it, that the Prophet 
 (peace and blessings of
      Allaah be upon him) did not die before he had shown the way clearly to his
      ummah [nation]. There was no
      major or minor matter but he gave us knowledge about it from Allaah. At
      the end of the last Hajj [pilgrimage] performed by the Prophet 
 (peace
      and blessings of Allaah be upon him) there was revealed the aayah
      [verse] (interpretation of the meaning):
      
      
 “This
      day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you,
      and have chosen for you Islâm as your religion” [al-Maa’idah 5:3]
      
      
 The
      Sahaabah [Companions of the Prophet 
 (peace and blessings of Allaah be
      upon him] (may Allaah be pleased with them) adhered very closely to this
      path, and thus Allaah protected the followers of Islam from splitting in
      this blameworthy manner.
      
      
 They were
      followed in that by the Taabi’een [the generation that followed the
      generation of the Sahaabah] (may Allaah have mercy on them), but some
      internal and external factors led to the emergence of some reprehensible
      divisions following the three best generations. Among the external causes
      of that were:
      
      
Mixing with
      other, non-Muslim nations, such as the Persians, Romans, Indians and
      Greeks, and contact with other religious groups such as Jews, Christians,
      Sabians, Magians, Indian religions and others.
      
      
Among the
      internal causes were:
      
      
Following whims
      and desires, giving room to doubts, turning away from learning the
      religion and sharee’ah of Allaah, ignorance, extremism, and imitation of
      non-Muslims… etc.
      
      
 All of
      these reasons, and others, led to some small groups splitting from the
      right path which the majority of the Muslims followed, so there emerged
      some groups, innovations and opinions that differed from the path of the
      Prophet 
 (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his
      Companions, and the Taabi’een and those who followed their path.
      
      
 But we
      may note that these groups and factions were in fact a discordant note
      that differed from the majority of Muslims, and their followers were
      shunned and opposed by the scholars, khulafaa’ [khaleefahs or Muslim
      rulers] and majority of Muslims, which meant that they were contained and
      their influence was prevented from becoming widespread during most periods
      of Islamic history.
 The
      majority of Muslims remained on the Sunni path – in general – and when
      forms of bid’ah emerged among them, the scholars of truth have always
      hastened to oppose them and point out their falsehood. Our Prophet
      Muhammad 
 (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that
      these divisions would emerge; he warned us about them and commanded us to
      adhere to the jamaa’ah
      [main body] of the Muslims. He said: “The Jews and the Christians split
      into seventy-two sects, all of which are in Hell; this ummah [nation] will split into seventy-three sects, all of
      which will be in Hell apart from one.” They asked, “Which one is that,
      O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “Those who follow the path which I
      and my Companions are on today.”He
      said,“A group of my ummah will remain following the truth and will prevail, and
      those who oppose them will not harm them, until the Day of Judgement
      begins.” 
      
      
 There are
      many reasons why the Muslims have always felt a sense of unity, some of
      which we have mentioned above. But the most obvious reason is that this
      religion comes from Allaah and it is protected by Allaah. If any other
      religion had been exposed to the wars, conspiracies and plots that Islam
      has been exposed to, it would have vanished a long time ago (as we see in
      the case of other religions). Every rational person will see that a belief
      which for more than 1400 years has stayed exactly the same as it was at
      the time of the Prophet 
 (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),
      and is still renewing itself in the hearts of its followers (in love and
      adherence) like the renweing of a flower in spring – this is the
      strongest evidence that the religion of Allaah is the true religion. And
      Allaah is the Guide to the Straight Path.