Why Does the Islamic World Never Agree?

 

Why Does the Islamic World Never Agree?

Symbolic image of divided Muslim city with outsiders observing in the shadows.


This question often crosses my mind: Why is it that Muslims—who claim to be one brotherhood, one Book, one qibla—seem to be the hardest to unite? I write this not to point fingers, but to understand: what really keeps the Islamic world divided? Is it merely differences of opinion, or do history, politics, and our collective psychology play bigger roles?

1. A Crack from the Beginning

If we’re honest, differences in Islam began right after the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) passed away. Anyone who reads history knows about the incident at Saqifah Bani Sa’idah, where the first dispute arose about who should lead the community (Kennedy, The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates, 2004). From there, disagreements grew: Sunni, Shia, Khawarij these didn’t appear out of thin air but from different interpretations and political struggles.

2. Madhhabs: Blessing or Barrier?

Personally, I see the madhhabs as a heritage, not a problem. Imam Shafi’i, Hanafi, Maliki, Hanbali none of them intended to create exclusive camps. But over time, loyalty to madhhab often turned into blind fanaticism. Many cling to “my madhhab is right” when in fact, the great imams themselves encouraged dialogue (Hallaq, The Origins and Evolution of Islamic Law, 2005). This is where difference, which should be a mercy, turned into walls.

3. Dynastic Politics: Divided by the Throne

History shows that power struggles deepened the splits. The Umayyads, Abbasids, Fatimids, then the Ottoman Empire all claimed legitimacy. When the Ottoman Caliphate fell, new nations in the Middle East were born out of the secret Sykes–Picot Agreement that carved the map according to Western interests (Fromkin, A Peace to End All Peace, 1989). To me, we still feel its impact today: artificial borders spark territorial disputes, sectarian conflicts, and narrow nationalisms.

4. Colonialism: A Deep Cut

We must not forget colonialism’s role. When Europe colonized North Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East, they deliberately pitted tribes, ethnicities, and madhhabs against each other to weaken local unity (Said, Orientalism, 1978). When the colonizers left, the seeds of division remained: pro-Western elites, borders that ignored cultural communities, and sectarian sentiments that easily flare up.

5. Modern Nationalism: Fractured Identity

I’m not anti-nationalism. I understand that nationalism once inspired people to resist colonialism. But in many Muslim-majority countries, nationalism has ironically weakened transnational Islamic solidarity. Arabs against Persians, Turks against Arabs, Sunnis against Shias. The pan-Islamism once championed by Jamaluddin Al-Afghani in the 19th century has faded in the era of nation-states (Keddie, An Islamic Response to Imperialism, 1968). In my view, unchecked nationalism blinds Muslims to the real common enemy: global injustice.

6. Role of Ulama: Guardians or Dividers?

I personally believe scholars (ulama) should be guardians of unity. But at the same time, they’re human. Rivalries between schools of thought, contradictory fatwas, and political ties sometimes pull them into conflict. Just look at the heated debates between Wahhabis and Sufis, or the fatwa battles in Egypt, Turkey, even Indonesia. On one hand, these debates keep Islamic thought alive. On the other, they confuse the masses, who become apathetic (Esposito, Islam and Politics, 1998).

7. Economic Rivalries: Competition Among Muslim States

One factor often overlooked is economics. Muslim-majority states often compete for economic dominance: oil, trade routes, regional markets. Gulf states compete with Iran, Turkey aims to lead the Balkans–Caucasus region, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have their own nuclear agendas. To me, as long as we lack a collective economic vision, division will remain fertile ground for outside interests. Look at OPEC: it could be a motor for unity, yet it’s often hamstrung by political conflicts (Dernberger, Energy and Geopolitics in the Middle East, 2015).

8. Education: A Generation Without History

I feel sad when I see how young Muslims today often don’t know their own history. We get stuck debating verses in WhatsApp groups but forget how Baghdad once led science, or how Cordoba embodied tolerance. Without this awareness, people chant slogans of “ummah unity” yet have no idea how to build a shared narrative. Without historical grounding, it’s hard to grow trust across madhhabs, nations, and ethnicities (Nasr, Islam in the Modern World, 2010).

9. Internet: A Double-Edged Sword

The internet could open doors for dialogue. But I also see it widening gaps. Online religious debates are often harsh, filled with insults. Scholars attack each other on social media, followers get swept up in emotion. I personally believe technology is neutral. But if we’re careless, the digital sphere only deepens rifts when ironically, it could be a bridge for collaboration.

(Ramadan, Western Muslims and the Future of Islam, 2004)

10. So, Is Agreement Impossible?

Honestly, total agreement may be unrealistic. But is reaching a minimum consensus impossible? I don’t think so. Muslims can differ in madhhab or politics but still share common goals: resisting oppression, promoting justice, building independent economies. Look at the European Union—Christian nations with bloody histories found a way to sit together. Why can’t the Muslim world? Maybe what’s lacking isn’t the will, but collective awareness and trust among leaders.

11. Conclusion: Unity as a Process

This piece isn’t meant to sound pessimistic. I see it as reflection. The Muslim world’s disunity isn’t because we’re lazy or ignorant but because history, politics, economics, and collective ego keep blocking real dialogue. For me, the task now isn’t to wait for some dream of an overnight Caliphate revival, but to build small compromises: economic cooperation, cross-campus research, scholarly dialogue across madhhabs. Slowly but surely, maybe the seeds of unity will grow again.

Lokasi: GW8C+VF Messengerville, NY, Amerika Serikat

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