In Qur’an chapter 3 verse 104, Allah said:
“وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ ۚ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ”
In this verse, Allah established the essence of jamaa’ah which He regarded as Ummah. Once two or more people come together to achieve a certain goal, they all belong to an organization. I believe we do not have problem with this anymore.
In this same verse, Allah explained vividly the principles (Islamic) organization must be based on which is calling to the good and forbidden bad in accordance with the shari’ah. That means we will be less concerned about the nomenclature and appellations but the calls and propagation of the Organization. If it is inline with the shari’ah rulings, such organization will be for Islam otherwise they will be regarded as an unserious or deviant one.
Coming to our reality, you see most Islamic organizations(The Salafiyyah factions also regarded as Islamic organization here) with a common disease and that is dogmatism. A situation whereby the members or leaders will be intolerant towards those who hold different opinions from theirs.
Such act is the tendency to lay down principles as undeniably truth, without consideration of evidence or the opinions of others. Perhaps the greater the ignorance, the greater the dogmatism.
Did I hear you say Salafiyyah virus? No! It is not embedded in those who propagate salafiyyah only, rather in actually all tendencies. You will see the Sufis championing dogmatism, so also the acclaimed salafiyyah, as the so called ikhwaanis(Tmc, Mssn and others) are not free from it.
“The jamaa’ah is the truth even if you are alone” said Ibn Mas’ood(radiya Allahu anhu) which is also in conformation with the above quoted verse. Your allegiance to the truth should be given priority before any bylaw. The truth is known before you know its household.
That is why it is said if you are emotionally attached to your organization to the point that truth and justice become secondary considerations, your education is useless. Your exposure is useless. And if you cannot reason beyond petty sentiments, you are a liability to mankind.
What everyone of us should understand is that we only come together to assist one another in righteousness and steadfastness and not to give certificates of jannah or to pass verdict of hell on others. Some organizations will condemn and blackmail you because you do not buy their arguments, theirs is even of same level with the so called salafees that brand Muslims as innovators, indirectly they are affirming you cannot be a righteous person if you are not with them. Some will even look down upon you as if you have been destined for hell – all because you do not share the same view.
Certainly, there is no problem if an organization chose some specific opinions so far it is governed by shari’ah rulings, taking their chosen opinions as the most correct/only truth while others based on same scholarship as wrong is a call to taqleed.
The reason you are being dogmatic maybe ignorance, then seek knowledge to get yourself off the shackle. It maybe due to youthful exuberance, relate with people who have seen in and out of your assumed truth and adopt maturity.
The consequence of this dogmatism is that it breeds bigotry, rigidity and blocks the intellect from seeing far beyond what your Ameer, Ustadh, Sheikh, Imam has fed you with.
The Islam brought by Prophet Muhammad is that of tolerance and appreciation of genuine intellectual diversity.
2nd February, 2020.