Allah and His Messenger (sas) have commanded that our love and our hatred, i.e., our social relations and our allegiances and alliances, be governed by and directed by what is pleasing to Allah Most High. Love of another for the sake of Allah is based on their adherence to the program - to the orders and the prohibitions - of Allah Most High. Hatred for the sake of Allah is based on the flouting, disrespect or neglect of that other for the program of Allah Most High. These two are among the criterion by which one can measure the level of their belief (iman). Love and hate for the sake of Allah Most High is one of the keys to success in this life and the pleasure of Allah in the hereafter. Allah said:
{Yaa ayyuhaa alladhina aamanoo ittaqoo Allaha haqqa tuqaatihi wa laa tamootunna illa wa antum muslimoon. Wa i'tasimoo bi habli Allahi jamee'an wa laa tafarraqoo. Wa udhkuroo ni'mata Allahi 'alaikum idh kuntum a'daa'an fa allafa baina quloobikum fa asbahtum bi ni'matihi ikhwaanan. Wa kuntum 'alaa shafaa hufratin min an-naari fa anqadhakum minhaa. Kadhaalika yubayyinu Allahu lakum aayaatihi la'allakum tahtadoon.}
{O you who believe, beware of Allah as is befitting Him and die not except in a state of submission (102) And hold tight to the rope of Allah all of you and do not divide yourselves. And remember the generosity of Allah upon you when you were enemies and He joined between your hearts and so you became - by His grace - brothers. And you were on the brink of a pit of fire and He saved you from it. Thus, Allah explains His signs to you that perhaps you become guided.} Aal 'Imraan: 102-103
The Prophet (sas) said:
"The Book of Allah is the rope of Allah extended from heaven to the earth."
Allah commands us "not to die" except in a state of submission. We have no control over nor knowledge of the time and place of our death. So how can we comply with this order? The only way to comply is to ALWAYS be in a state of submission to Allah Most High, since death can come at any moment.
We must unite, but not just any kind of unity : we must unite by holding fast to the rope of Allah. The rope of Allah is obedience to Allah and His Messenger as embodied in the Qur'an. Allah has extended us a rope all the way to this earth which can save us from His punishment and wrath if we would only hold fast!
The Qur'an (and the Qur'an orders us to include the Sunnah) is the source of our unity. No unity based on other than the Qur'an and the Sunnah is valid and will not bring on Allah's help. To separate ourselves from those who flagrantly go contrary to the Qur'an and the Sunnah is NOT the divisiveness which Allah has forbidden. Rather, it is the hatred for the sake of Allah which He has command us. Other than this, division and difference is bad. Period. The famous hadith "Differences in my Ummah are a mercy." has no authenticity whatsoever and is likely a forgery.
This requires us to know the difference between acceptable differences and unacceptable differences. Acceptable differences are those based on differences in interpretation of original texts - where both interpretations are plausible and have some basis in the language and the evidence - or differences regarding the validity of certaion narrations which in turn affect rulings and conclusions. Muslims are not allowed to divide themselves over such differences. Furthermore, once there is a Khalifah and he adopts one of these plausible views (even if not the strongest in terms of evidence) all Muslims are required to obey him in that and to accept that as the ruling in that issue.
Unacceptable differences are those involving opinions unfounded in the Qur'an, the Sunnah and the practices of the first generations or opinions based on interpretations of texts which are totally non-apparent and have no real basis in the text in question.
For example, those who advocate calling out to other than Allah for one's needs. No matter how much sophistry they throw at us about how while mentioning the dead human they intend and know very well that Allah is the actual doer and the man is just mentioned because of his status before Allah, etc., etc.. They can go on until morning with such nonsense, but the simple fact is that there is NO SINGLE NARRATION of the Prophet (sas) instructing us to do anything like this nor of ANYONE among the Companions or the two generations after them ever engaging in this practice. Do not concern yourself with exactly the line is between "bid'a which is shirk" and "bid'a which is less than shirk" - it is ALL represhensible for the mere fact of it being bid'a. It is fundamentally different from the way of our predecessors and in fact resembles very much the practices of the idol-worshippers of the jahiliya and the Christians. There is NO evidence to support this practice and that is all we need to know. This is an unacceptable difference and cannot be accepted or tolerated.
The Arabs before the Qur'an had only the illusory unity of the tribe and much enmity between the tribes. Allah joined the hearts of all who came to submission to Him. The tribal unity was condemned by Islam in the sahih hadith in which the Prophet (sas) said: "Whoever prides himself in the affiliations of pre-Islam, tell him to bite his fathers private part and do not even speak euphemistically." (Sahih). Islam's condemnation of all forms of national, ethnic, linguistic or racial affiliations and loyalties couldn't be much clearer than that! Allah said:
{Fa maa lakum fiy al-munaafiqoona fi'ataini wa Allahu arkasahumaa bimaa kasaboo. A tureedoona an tahdoo man adhalla Allahu? Wa man yudhlil Allahu fa lan tajida lahu sabeelan. (88) Waddoo lau takfuroona kamaa kafaroo fa takunoona sawaa'an. Fa laa tattakhidhu minhum awliyaa'a hattaa yuhaajiroo fiy sabeeli Allahi. Fa in tawallau fa khudhoohum wa uqtuloohum haithu wajadtumoohum wa laa tattakhidhoo minhum waliyyan wa laa naseeran.}
{What is with you regarding the hypocrites two groups and Allah stunted them (send them backward) for what they had earned. Do you want to guide those whom Allah has sent astray. As for the one whom Allah leads astray, you will find no way for them. (88) They wish that you would commit kufr as they have committed kufr so you would be the same. Do not take any ally among them until they migrate in the path of Allah. If they turn away, seize them and kill them where you find them and do not take from them and friend or helper.} An-Nisaa: 88-89
Mujahid said: "Some people from Makka used to come to the Prophet (sas) and embrace Islam for show but then go back to their people and worship the idols. In this way they wanted to achieve safety from both sides. Allah ordered us to fight them if they refused to reject the idols and make honest peace with the Muslims."
So those people who claim that they are Muslim but then say that Islam is all right and idol worship is all right and Christianity is all right and Buddhism is all right...etc.,etc., - those who refuse to acknowledge the kufr of the kafir are in no way Muslims and we have been ordered to fight them and never to unite with them. We are not allowed to take them as friends nor to seek their aid in war or in any other issue. This Ummah consists of those who worship Allah, accept Muhammad (sas) as messenger and reject ALL taaghoot. These are the ONLY people which we should take as friends and the only people we can take as helpers. Therefore, military alliances (not treaties of peace and non-aggression, which ARE allowed) are clearly not allowed with any of these people, let alone outright non-Muslims. Allah mentions this in the following:
{A fa hukma al-jaahiliyyati yabghoona wa man ahsanu min Allahi hukman li qaumin yooqinoon. (50) Yaa ayyuhaa alladhina aamanoo laa tattakhidhoo al-yahooda wa laa an-nasaara awliyaa'a ba'dhahum awliyaa'u ba'dhin. Wa man yatawallahum minkum fa innahu minhum. Inna Allaha laa yahdiy al-qauma adh-dhaalimeen.}
{Is it the rule of foolishness (pre-Islam) which they desire? And who is better than Allah in ruling to a people who have certainty? (50) O you who believe, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are allies to one another. And whoever allies himself with them among you is in reality one of them. Allah does not guide and oppressing people.} Al-Ma'idah: 50-51
There is no one better than Allah to govern our affairs and no ruling is superior to Allah's ruling in any issue. This is at odds with the people of desires and innovation who cannot accept anything except that which matches their desires and what THEY think, even if it is falsehood.
The believers are/must be the allies to one another. This alliance must be based on the Qur'an and the Sunnah and nothing else - and no one else! Allah said:
{Al-mu'minoon wa al-mu'minaati ba'dhuhum awliyaa'u ba'dhin. Ya'muroona bi al-ma'roofi wa yanhauna 'an al-munkar wa yuqeemoona as-salaata wa yu'toona az-zakaata wa yutee'oona Allaha wa rasoolihi. Ulaa'ika sa yarhamuhum Allahu wa Allahu 'azeezun hakeemun.}
{The believing men and the believing women are allies to one another. They command what is right and forbid what is wrong, they establish the prayer, give the zakat and they obey Allah and His Messenger. These Allah will have mercy on and Allah is Mighty, Wise.} At-Tauba:71
The Prophet (sas) said:
"Thalaathun man kunna feehi wajada bihinna halaawata al-imaani: an yakoona Allahu wa rasooluhu ahabba ilaihi mimmaa siwaahumaa, wa an yuhibbu al-mar'a laa yuhibbuhu illa lillahi, wa an yakraha an ya'ooda fiy al-kufri ba'ada an anqadhahu Allahu minhu kamaa yakrahu an yuqdhafu fiy an-naari."
"There are three things which whoever possesses them wil find by them the sweetness of faith: that Allah and His Messenger are more beloved than all else, to love another whom one does not love except for Allah's sake and to hate to return to disbelief after being saved from it by Allah just as one would hate to be thrown into fire." (Muslim & Bukhari)
The Prophet (sas) described enmity among Muslims based on ethnicity, tribe or nationalism as "kufr". When the Aws and Khasraj nearly came to blows over some petty dispute, he (sas) said: "Will you go return after me to being kuffaar, killing one another?" And, he (sas) said, "Insulting a Muslim is immorality, killing him is kufr." Even ATTEMPTING to kill a Muslim is kufr, as the Prophet (sas) made clear in the hadith about two Muslims who raise their weapons against one another.
And:
"Sab'atun yadhilluhum Allahu fiy dhillihi yauma laa dhilla illaa dhilluhu: imamun 'aadilun, wa shaabun nasha'a fiy 'ibaadati Allahi 'azza wa jalla, wa rajulun qalbuhu mu'allaqun bi al-masaajid, wa rujulaani tahaabbaa fiy Allahi, ijtama'aa 'alaihi wa tafarraqaa 'alaihi, wa rajulun da'athu imra'atun dhaatu husnin wa hamaalin fa qaala: inniy akhaafu Allaha, wa rajulun tasaddaqa bi sadaqatin fa akhfaahaa hattaa laa ta'lamu shimaaluhu maa tunfiqu yameenuhu, wa rajulun dhakara Allaha khaaliyan fa faadhat 'ainaahu."
"Seven will be given shade in Allah's shade and the day when there is no shade but His shade: 1) a just ruler, 2) a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah Mighty and Great, 3) a man whose heart is attached to the mosques, 4) two who loved for the sake of Allah - they came together on that basis and separated on that basis, 5) a man who was called by a beautiful woman but said to her: "I fear Allah.", 6) one who gave a charity and concealed it to the extent that his left hand was unaware of what his right hand was doing, and 7) a man who mentioned Allah when no one was around and his tears flowed." (Muslim & Bukhari)
اللهم إنك أنت الله الواحد الأحد الصمد الذي لم يلد ولم يولد ولم يكن له كفواً أحداً. يا حي يا قيوم، يا ناصر المظلومين، ويا مغيث المستغيثين، اللهم عليك بأهل العلمنة والفساد....
Allah! Grant us the shade of your Throne on the Day there is no shade by Your shade.