THE QURAN - SUNNI, SHIA & IBADIYAH

 

A few days ago, during a speech addressing regional tensions in the Middle East and the conflict involving Iran, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on Muslims to reject sectarian divisions and unite as one community. His message stressed a simple but powerful point:

“We do not have a religion like Sunnism or Shiism. We have only one religion, and that is Islam.”

He further emphasised that Muslims should not divide themselves by sect or ethnicity. Turks, Arabs, Sunnis, Shias, Kurds and others, he said, should not be treated as separate identities when it comes to faith.

In essence, Erdogan reminded Muslim leaders and audiences of a fundamental principle. There is no Sunnism or Shiism as separate religions. There is only Islam. Muslims should see themselves first and foremost as Muslims, not as members of competing sects.

Many people may not realise that besides the Sunni and Shia traditions, there is also a third historical branch of Islam known as Ibadiyah. Some historians trace its origins to the very early period of Islamic history, emerging from debates that followed the first political conflicts among Muslims. Today, the Ibadi community is found mainly in Oman, where it forms the majority of the population, with smaller communities in parts of North and East Africa.

At the same time, it is important to understand that the Muslim world is far more diverse than these three broad groupings suggest. Within both Sunni and Shia traditions there are numerous schools of thought, theological orientations and spiritual movements. Among Sunnis, for example, there are the well known legal schools such as Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi‘i and Hanbali, alongside movements often described as Salafi or Wahhabi. Within the Shia tradition there are branches such as the Twelvers, Ismailis and Zaidis.

Beyond these distinctions, there are also Sufi traditions that emphasise spirituality and inner purification, and whose followers may come from either Sunni or Shia backgrounds. In recent times there are also Muslims who identify themselves primarily as Qur’an focused or Qur’anist, placing particular emphasis on the Qur’an as the central source of guidance.

All of this reminds us that the Muslim community has historically contained a wide range of interpretations, schools and spiritual paths. Yet despite these differences, we all share the same foundational testimony of faith and belong to the broader community of Islam.

While Erdogan’s rhetoric has appeared periodically in Turkish diplomacy, especially when Ankara positions itself as a bridge across the Muslim world, the message is timely. The Sunni Shia divide has long shaped the politics of the Middle East, often reinforced by rivalries between states such as Saudi Arabia and Iran. Erdogan’s framing seeks to shift the focus back to a more fundamental principle: placing the Ummah first, recognising the shared history of early Islam, and strengthening unity at a time when division only weakens Muslim societies.

Personally, I have always been open to learning from all these different groupings within Islam. I listen, study and reflect, choosing what appears best while using the Qur’an as the primary guide. The Qur’an itself encourages such an approach. In Qur’an 39:18, it praises:

“Those who listen to speech and follow the best of it. Those are the ones Allah has guided, and those are people of understanding.”

The Qur’an is also clear in warning Muslims against sectarian division and repeatedly stresses the brotherhood of believers. Verses such as 3:103, 3:105, 6:159, 49:10 and 42:13 all caution against splitting the religion into competing factions.

Yet like many crucial teachings in the Qur’an, it does not merely issue a pronouncement. It also explains what sectarianism actually looks like.

Two verses capture this clearly.

“Of those who have divided their religion and become sects, every faction rejoicing in what it has.”
Qur’an 30:32

“And indeed this, your religion, is one religion, and I am your Lord, so fear Me. But they divided their affair among themselves into sects, each faction rejoicing in what it has.”
Qur’an 23:52–53

The first verse describes a psychological reality of sectarianism. Each group becomes convinced that its own interpretation is the correct one and celebrates it. The second verse is even stronger. It begins by affirming that the religion is one, and then explains how people later divide it into sects, each believing that it alone is right.

What the Qur’an criticises here is the arrogance of sectarian certainty, the belief that one group has a monopoly over truth and over Allah’s guidance. The Qur’an recognises that differences of opinion will always exist. Human beings think, interpret and disagree. That is part of how we were created. What the Qur’an warns against is allowing those differences to grow into rigid camps that believe only they are right and everyone else is misguided. When sectarian arrogance goes too far, some begin to label all those outside their own school of thought as deviationists, or even worse, declare them unbelievers through the practice known as takfir. History has shown that once communities reach that stage, unity collapses and conflict soon follows.

The Qur’anic method does not merely issue a decree. It also explains what the problem actually looks like and the criteria by which we should understand it. This approach appears repeatedly throughout the Qur’an.

Take for example Qur’an 5:82, which speaks about Christians:

“You will surely find the most intense of the people in animosity toward the believers to be the Jews and those who associate others with Allah; and you will find the nearest of them in affection to the believers those who say, ‘We are Christians.’ That is because among them are priests and monks and because they are not arrogant.”

While the Qur’an notes that Christians were often among the most friendly or compassionate toward Muslims during the time of the Prophet, it does not leave the statement unexplained. The verse immediately gives the reason. It points to character traits rather than identity alone. It highlights humility, spiritual devotion and the absence of arrogance. In other words, the Qur’an is teaching a broader principle. Anyone, not only Christians, who possesses these qualities is more likely to approach others with kindness and goodwill. Yes, Jews included.

Another important example of this Qur’anic approach is the instruction for Muslims to obey and follow the Prophet. Numerous verses stress this, including Qur’an 33:21, 3:31, 4:80, 4:59, and 59:7. Yet the criteria for how to follow him can be seen in Qur’an 7:158 where the Qur’an declares:

“Say, ‘O mankind, indeed I am the Messenger of Allah to you all, [from Him] to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. There is no deity except Him; He gives life and causes death.’ So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, who believes in Allah and His words, and follow him that you may be guided.”

So, the way to follow the Prophet is to believe in Allah and His words, the Qur’an. Elsewhere the Qur’an explains:

“And We have not revealed to you the Book except for you to make clear to them that wherein they have differed and as guidance and mercy for a people who believe.” - Qur’an 16:64

Thus, whether we are Sunni, Shia, Ibadiyah, Salafi, Wahhabi, Sufi, Deobandi, Barelvi, Ismaili, Zaidi, Qur’an focused or belong to any other school or movement within Islam, let us support Erdogan’s call. The Qur’an warns us about becoming groups that rejoice in their own faction while forgetting that the religion is one. Let us remain Muslims first. And, when we differ, we refer back to the Quran.

Peace,
anas