مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا۟ دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا۟ شِيَعًا ۖ كُلُّ حِزْبٍۭ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ فَرِحُونَ 32
Translations
[Or] of those who have divided their religion and become sects, every faction rejoicing in what it has.
Transliteration
Mina alladhina farraqoo deenahum wa kanoo shiya'an, kullu hizbin bima ladayhim farihoon
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah refers to those who have fragmented and divided their religion into sects and groups, with each faction being pleased and satisfied only with what they possess of knowledge or practice, refusing to accept the complete message. Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari interpret this as a warning against sectarianism and the division of the Ummah, emphasizing that true religion is one unified message from Allah, not multiple contradictory paths. The ayah serves as a divine censure of those who prioritize their sectarian loyalties over the unity and completeness of Din (religion).
Revelation Context
This ayah appears in the Meccan surah Ar-Rum, which discusses the final hour, signs of Allah's power, and the state of human religious divisions. The broader context addresses religious fragmentation among previous nations (Christians and Zoroastrians) and warns the early Muslim community against following their pattern of sectarian division, establishing the importance of religious unity from the earliest period of Islam.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'This Ummah will split into seventy-three sects, all of them will be in the Fire except one.' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2641). Additionally, the hadith about following the Sunnah and avoiding innovations relates to this theme of maintaining religious unity.
Themes
Key Lesson
Muslims are cautioned against allowing sectarian differences to fragment the core message of Islam and must recognize that true religion is one unified path from Allah, not multiple contradictory interpretations. This ayah calls believers to transcend tribal, cultural, or ideological divisions and return to the authentic, complete understanding of Islam.