Allah has cautioned believers against internal fighting and divisions which can weaken a body of believers as mentioned in the 46th verse of Sürah 8. Al-Anfāl of Al-Qurʾān, appended herein under:, The War Booty
The Verse
وَاَطِيۡعُوا اللّٰهَ وَرَسُوۡلَهٗ وَلَا تَنَازَعُوۡا فَتَفۡشَلُوۡا وَتَذۡهَبَ رِيۡحُكُمۡ وَاصۡبِرُوۡا ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ مَعَ الصّٰبِرِيۡنَ
“And obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not dispute with one another lest you lose courage and your strength depart; and be patient. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.”
Let us unpack this verse and understand its context and its applicability to the Muslims as of today.
Context of the Verse
This verse was revealed in Surah Al-Anfāl, which largely discusses the events surrounding the Battle of Badr, the very first encounter between the Muslims and the might of polytheists of Makkah. The early Muslim community was small and facing powerful enemies, so unity and discipline were essential for survival. Therefore, Allah warned the believers that internal disputes weaken a community more than external enemies.
Key Ideas in the Verse
- Obedience to Divine Guidance The verse begins with a command to obey Allah and His Messenger, establishing that unity must be built on shared moral and spiritual guidance.
- Avoid Internal Disputes
- The phrase “do not dispute with one another” refers to destructive quarrels and factionalism, not healthy discussion or consultation.
- The Qur’an warns that constant conflict leads to: (1) Mistrust, (2) fragmentation, and (3) loss of collective purpose
- Loss of Strength
- The verse says: “your strength will depart” - The Arabic word “rīḥukum” (ريحكم) literally means “your wind” or “your power/momentum.”
- Scholars explain that it refers to the loss of morale, loss of unity, loss of influence and victory
- Patience as the Solution The verse ends with a reminder that patience (ṣabr) is essential for maintaining unity and overcoming disagreements.
Relevance Today
This verse remains deeply relevant for Muslim societies and communities today. While the Muslims at the time of Battle of Badr were poor, ill equipped and still in the formatting years of their new found faith and obviously no match to the well equipped army of the wealthy polytheist clans of Makkah, the condition of Muslims of today, though far better inn terms of wealth and resources, is not much different.
The Qur’an repeatedly warns Muslims that division, factionalism, and internal conflict weaken the community. Along with Qur'an 8:46, there are several other important verses that form a complete Qur’anic philosophy of unity. Below are three of the most important ones.
- Hold Firmly to the Rope of Allah
- One of the most famous verses about unity is Qur'an 3:103. “And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allah upon you when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became brothers by His grace.”
- Here, the “rope of Allah” is interpreted by scholars as (1) The Qur’an, (2) The religion of Islam, and (3) The covenant with Allah
- The verse teaches that unity must be based on shared faith and principles, not just political alliances.
- Do Not Become Like Those Who Divided Their Religion
- Another warning appears in Qur'an 3:105. “And do not be like those who became divided and differed after clear proofs had come to them.”
- This verse reminds Muslims that previous religious communities split into factions despite receiving clear guidance.
- The Qur’an warns believers not to repeat that pattern.
- We should learn a lesson that Knowledge alone is not enough—arrogance, pride, and sectarian loyalty can still lead to division.
- Those Who Divide Their Religion into Sects
- A very strong warning appears in Qur'an 6:159. “Indeed, those who divide their religion and become sects—you have nothing to do with them. Their affair is only with Allah.”
- This verse criticizes people who break the unity of religion into rival factions driven by group identity rather than truth.
- It stresses that religion should unite believers, not become a cause of rivalry.
- Al Qur’anic Principle of Unity If we combine these verses—3:103, 3:105, 6:159, and 8:46—a clear philosophy emerges: (1) Unity is a divine blessing that must be protected. (2) Faith and guidance are the foundation of unity. (3) Internal disputes weaken communities. (4) Sectarian divisions corrupt religion, and (5) Patience and humility preserve unity.
Though the verses quoted above teach that Division weakens communities and stresses the need of Unity with patience and humility, it seems no lesson have been learnt to challenges of present times. Muslims, the second largest body of religion, are scattered in small but largely wealthy communities and nations are in no position to face external challenges since internal conflict dominate their politics. Today, if we look around, we find wealthy Muslim nations with well equipped armies and resources far better than the what Muslims had at the Battle of Badr, do not have strength to face external aggression and machinations, for their desires have taken over their will to ensure unity within. For this very reason, there is no coherence within Muslim countries, each having its own priorities than to unite with other Muslim nations to gear up to face many external challenges being faced today.
Many scholars say that this verse is a timeless principle of social stability: communities collapse not only because of enemies, but because internal conflict erodes their strength.
In essence, Al Qur’an teaches that unity, patience, and obedience to moral guidance are the foundations of communal strength, while constant disputes lead to weakness and division.
A powerful reflection
The Qur’an suggests that communities rarely collapse because of external enemies alone. More often, they weaken when internal disputes destroy their cohesion and shared purpose. The Prophet ﷺ warned that division would eventually appear among Muslims, but he also gave guidance on how believers should deal with it.
“Indeed, those before you from the People of the Book split into seventy-two sects, and this community will split into seventy-three sects. All of them will be in error except one.” The companions asked: “Which one is that, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied: “That which I and my companions are upon today.”
This narration is recorded in collections such as Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Sunan Abu Dawud, and others (with some variations).
The Prophet ﷺ was not encouraging division; rather, he was predicting a reality of human societies: people often disagree, interpret differently, and form groups. But he clarified that the path of safety is to remain faithful to: (1) The Qur’an, (2) The authentic Sunnah, (3) The understanding of the early companions, such as Abu Bakr, Umar ibn al-Khattab, Uthman ibn Affan, and Ali ibn Abi Talib.
When we combine this hadith with Qur’anic teachings like Qur'an 3:103 and Qur'an 8:46, a clear message appears: (1) Unity is a divine command, (2) Division weakens the community, (3) Guidance lies in the Qur’an and Sunnah and that (4) Differences should be handled with patience and humility.
The Prophet ﷺ foresaw that disagreements would arise, but he taught that the way to remain on the right path is to stay connected to the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the spirit of unity among believers.
The State of Muslims in the present times
It is very disturbing to note that no worthwhile unity exits among Muslims today. We have a Arab world and a Non Arab world. We have Sunni and Shia divide and within many sub divisions. This is because we have put our desires and personal / political interests in the forefront and have kept the unity, aas commanded by Allah, somewhere under lock and key. This disunity is being exploited by external powers and most of us have pawns rather than respectable Muslim states. How would we be able to stand on our own and relieve external pressures is a far cry - not seen in a foreseeable future.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Disclaimer: This post is purely an academic quest into the sphere of Muslim unity and disunity. It is based on the general perception as it prevails both within and without the Muslim world. It is by no mean to finger point on specific sects and factions or countries. It is to put across a personal viewpoint on our state of affairs, leaving much to ponder for our readers.
You may refer to more Selected Verses from Surah 8. Al-Anfāl - سورة ٱلْأَنْفَال (The Spoils of War) already published. You may also refer to our exclusive reference page: Selected verses from selected Surahs of Al-Qurʾān for compiled verses from other surahs.
For verses on Selected Subjects, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from Al Qur'an about a Specific Subject (Reference Page) to know more about what Qur'an says about specific subjects and our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an.
An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs and selected verses of Al-Qurʾān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.
In addition, other sources which have been explored and views of other scholars have been incorporated while explaining meaning of a verse. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. For expansion of meaning and themes / contextual background help from ChatGPT is also taken.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.
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