Shia-Sunni: Unity Over Division

Why Fragmented Societies Empower the Corrupt

“Divide and rule” is hardly a modern tactic. The Quran references it as the policy of Firawn (Verse 28:4), and the British Empire deployed it wherever it set foot. Even in Britain itself, class divisions have long been exploited to maintain entrenched power. Those who rule enjoy the wealth and privilege extracted from others, while the lower ranks of society rarely see the benefits of the riches accumulated through imperial conquest. Sectarianism, then, is not simply a religious phenomenon—it is a political and economic one, inseparable from systems of hierarchy and control.

Fragmented societies are fertile ground for the unscrupulous. Division generates fear, insecurity and confusion, allowing opportunists to rise by setting communities against one another. Racism, nationalism and sectarian religion all trade on notions of superiority, but their real purpose is to splinter society into competing groups. Extremism in any form thrives on this fracture. It is therefore incumbent upon those who value humanity to challenge and dismantle these regressive narratives before they corrode our collective well-being.

The Quran states repeatedly that humanity was created as one community, endowed with freedom to choose its path (Verse 2.213). Unity based on shared human values is therefore the original condition. Division, by contrast, is a human choice—and one that inevitably carries consequences.

Religion, Deen and the Misuse of “Branches”

Groups that share a historical origin are often described as “branches” of the same religion. This language is routinely applied to Sunnism and Shiaism, which are treated as two streams of Islam. But this assumption is misleading. Though they emerged from the same shared history, they have since evolved into distinct religions with irreconcilable doctrines, each in conflict not only with the other but also with the foundational values of the Quran.

The root of the confusion lies in treating religion and Deen as interchangeable. They are not. Deen-Islam is objective and outward-looking, concerned with the welfare of all people. Religion, by contrast, is shaped by culture, emotion and inherited prejudice. It is personal, often ritual-centred, and easily moulded into tools of sectarian identity.

A comparison with science is instructive. Astronomy, biology and geology form distinct disciplines, yet none invalidates the other. They cohere within one overarching pursuit of knowledge. Religious sects behave differently. To affirm one is typically to reject the rest. Christianity shows this clearly: Protestant and Catholic doctrines remain at odds. The same pattern is found in Shiaism and Sunnism, and in the many sub-sects that have branched from them. These are not “streams” of a single system but competing religions, each claiming exclusive legitimacy.

Although Sunnis and Shias profess commitment to the Quran, their doctrines and legal codes depend largely on divergent bodies of hadith and sunna compiled long after Muhammad’s life. These underpin separate sharia systems that often contradict one another and, at times, the Quran itself. Their disagreements have multiplied over centuries, producing further sub-sects, each asserting its own authoritative truth.

The human cost is visible. In several regions, militant adherents of these sects attack and kill one another. Yet the Quran states that no believer kills another except by error (Verse 4.92). Such persistent violence exposes the reality: they do not regard one another as believers, and their shared reference to Islam is largely nominal.

These sects arose from political contest, not from the permanent values of Deen. Over time they hardened into distinct religions, using selective tradition to legitimise power. To label them “branches of Islam” is therefore inaccurate; they diverge from the Quranic social order and stand as separate constructs in their own right.

Islam as a Social System

Islam is a Deen: a comprehensive social system with permanent values as guiding principles for all spheres of life—family, governance, justice, economics, conservation, welfare, science and social conduct. It provides a framework for peace and security that transcends culture, geography and ethnicity. Its purpose is the harmonisation of humanity, not its fragmentation.

A Deen can be compared with other social orders—capitalism, socialism, monarchy or democracy—but not with religions. Permanent values do not splinter into sects. They provide a unifying standard against which all actions can be measured. Individuals and societies may drift from these values, but the source—the Quran—remains intact, always available to restore balance.

Islam is not confined to a label. One does not need to call a value “Islamic” for it to be so. Justice is justice, compassion is compassion, and honesty is honesty, irrespective of cultural packaging. The deed outweighs the name. Any society that upholds the Quran’s permanent values contributes to the universal community envisioned in the text.

Conversely, groups that hold conflicting aims and ideologies cannot form a single society, even if they share language, cuisine or geography. Social unity depends on shared values, not shared rituals. When values diverge, communities fracture.

The Quran draws a clear line: those who reject the value-based system of Deen-Islam exclude themselves from its protection (Verse 3.85). Those who splinter into sects are explicitly told they do not belong to this system (Verse 6.159). History illustrates this repeatedly: when communities fracture into rival sects, harmony collapses and conflict follows—as in the case of Thamoud, whose division into feuding factions destroyed their cohesion (Verses 27.45–46).

The Quran points out that sectarianism often arises not from ignorance but from jealousy and rivalry, even after knowledge has been received (Verse 42.14). Humankind, originally one community, fragmented through its own pettiness and desire for dominance (Verse 2.213). This is the tragedy of human history: unity abandoned for the sake of power.

God’s instruction is unequivocal: hold firmly together and do not be divided (Verses 3.103–105). A prosperous community invites to good, promotes justice and resists wrongdoing. Division leads only to decline.

Unity as the Permanent Human Condition

The Quran repeatedly emphasises that humanity is one community under one Sustainer (Verses 21.92–94). Division into sects is a human choice, not a divine mandate. All fractured groups will ultimately face accountability for their role in undermining human unity.

Religions based on subjective experiences are inherently unstable. The story of ‘The Blind Men and the Elephant’ as told by John Godfrey Saxe is an excellent poem that shows that religions based on subjective experiences which, while true in some respects, are not absolutely so. In the tale, a group of blind men (or men in the dark) touch an elephant to learn what it is like. Each one feels a different part, but only one part, such as the side, the leg, or the tail. When they compare their experiences, they learn that they are in complete disagreement. Similarly, religions and religious experiences are based on the susceptibilities of men and cannot be flawless. Over generations these inconsistencies multiply, creating further sects and sub-sects. But Deen-Islam, anchored in permanent values, remains constant. People may stray from it, but the standard itself does not change.

Divisions benefit only the corrupt—those who gain power from exploiting disunity. Permanent values benefit humanity. The Quranic vision is not of competing beliefs but of a single human community bound by justice, compassion and truth. Fragmentation serves tyrants. Unity liberates everyone else.

© 2026 Paigham Mustafa

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paigham Mustafa has been engaged in the study and research of the Quran since 1988 and has contributed to the print media for over 37 years. His first major work, The Quran: God’s Message to Mankind, was published in 2016, followed by The Divine Blueprint in 2022. He is also the author of How To Be Human, published in 2025. His exegesis of the Quran often challenges traditional readings, offering instead a reasoned and objective analysis of the original text. His works provide essential guidance,  helping readers gain a clearer, more informed understanding of Islam. This helps address many of the issues that stem from misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and misconceptions

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