The Task at Hand

to the best of our ability is a Shariah obligation upon us, and Indian Muslims cannot absolve themselves of this duty until they practically establish such an organization among themselves and fulfill their Islamic responsibilities under its guidance. This organization is one of the unavoidable worldly needs of the believers. As stated in the hadith: Muadh ibn Jabal reported that the Prophet œ, said, “Satan is to man what the wolf is to sheep; he seizes the one that is isolated and away from the flock. So beware of separating into groups and divisions; hold fast to the community, to the masses, and to the mosque.” (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 22028) Collective unity is essential in Islam. However, this command’s purpose is to foster unity among all Muslims. Claiming smaller types of collective unity as its fulfillment actually encourages division within the Ummah. This doesn’t mean that no form of collective organization should be present before true unity is achieved. Clearly, groups will be formed beforehand, but these are not substitutes for the ideal Islamic unity; rather, they are efforts aimed at reaching it—whether through individual or collective endeavors. If there is ambiguity about the nature of this secondary unity, there is a serious risk that these collective efforts may be mistaken for the real Islamic unity, and that