We can bury our differences: Ramadan day fourteen

One of the many benefits derived from fasting is its dominion over broken ties.

Hostilities have become the order of the day among the Muslim Ummah (Community). And it's funny if you're told what led to some of these surging hot pursuits. In some places, it's because mosque A is full of certain sects whereas the other mosque

Read full articleisn’t. So for that particular group of people, they consider themselves better than those of mosque B. Yet, they are all Muslims. What an irony! Among colleagues, it could be that one brother is prepared to listen to a particular Imam, whereas his friend isn’t ready to do so because he considers that Imam of another mosque or sect.

This is how far enmity amongst ourselves as Muslims over the many things which bind us together has reached. We do hold unto grudges for so many years, and we don’t talk to each. When a Muslim sees his friend's son or daughter amiss of Allah's rules, he would keep quiet and rather expose his pitfalls without correcting him. Nonchalantly, we are quiet because neither we nor our children are those wronged.

In this fasting season, our eminent Imams and Sheikhs should come together and table some of these issues which have crept into our peaceful coexistence. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said that “He is not a Muslim who stays away from not talking to his brother for more than three days.” That said, don’t we stay without talking to each other for more than the said days? In some instances, friends could even stay like one whole year without talking to each other just because of some trivial sectorial differences. We’ve been coached well by the fasting. In Quran 3:103, Allah mentioned, “And hold fast, all of you together, to the rope of Allah, and do not separate.” So, begrudging each other should be a thing of the past.

We should endeavor and use this fasting season to test the waters. Who knows, maybe we can have a resolution this time. Finally, Allah settled the score: "The believers are but brethren, therefore make peace between your brethren and be careful of (your duty to) Allah that mercy may be had on you". (Qur’an 49:10).

Let us not forget that when we cross the river with the crowd, the crocodile won’t eat us.