His words:

“And those who believed afterwards, emigrated, and strove alongside you—they are of you.”

And He Most High says:

“If two groups of believers fight one another,”

up to His words, Most High:

“Then reconcile them with justice and act equitably. Indeed, Allah loves those who act equitably.”

“The believers are but brothers, so reconcile your brothers and fear Allah, that you may receive mercy.”

In the collections of authentic hadith, it is reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“The believers, in their mutual love, mercy, and compassion, are like a single body: when one limb suffers, the rest of the body responds with fever and sleeplessness.”

These collections also report that he said:

“One believer is to another like a building whose parts strengthen one another.” He then interlaced his fingers.

They also report that he said:

“By Him in whose hand is my soul, none of you believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”

And he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim: he neither abandons him nor wrongs him.”

There are many similar texts in the Quran and Sunnah. In them, Allah has made His believing servants allies of one another and brothers, supporting one another and showing one another mercy and compassion. He, glorified be He, has commanded them to unite and forbidden them to divide and disagree. He says:

“And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together, and do not become divided.”

And He says:

“Indeed, those who divided their religion and became sects—you have nothing to do with them. Their affair rests only with Allah,”

and the remainder of the verse.

How, then, in light of this, can it be permissible for the community of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to become divided and fall into disagreement