Quran Universe
6:159

إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ فَرَّقُواْ دِينَهُمۡ وَكَانُواْ شِيَعٗا لَّسۡتَ مِنۡهُمۡ فِي شَيۡءٍۚ إِنَّمَآ أَمۡرُهُمۡ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُواْ يَفۡعَلُونَ

Inna allatheena farraqoo deenahum wakanoo shiyaAAan lasta minhum fee shayin innama amruhum ila Allahi thumma yunabbiohum bima kanoo yafAAaloona

Indeed, those who have divided their religion and become sects - you, [O Muhammad], are not [associated] with them in anything. Their affair is only [left] to Allah; then He will inform them about what they used to do.

Word by word
  1. إِنَّIndeed
  2. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  3. فَرَّقُواْdivide
  4. دِينَهُمۡtheir religion
  5. وَكَانُواْand become
  6. شِيَعٗاsects
  7. لَّسۡتَyou are not
  8. مِنۡهُمۡwith them
  9. فِيin
  10. شَيۡءٍۚanything
  11. إِنَّمَآOnly
  12. أَمۡرُهُمۡtheir affair
  13. إِلَى(is) with
  14. ٱللَّهِAllah
  15. ثُمَّthen
  16. يُنَبِّئُهُمHe will inform them
  17. بِمَاof what
  18. كَانُواْthey used to
  19. يَفۡعَلُونَdo
Al-An'am · 6:159Makkah

Those who split their religion into camps: you are not of them.

The Prophet ﷺ kept clear of division

What happens
one religionof all the prophets
split into
sects, campsopinion and desire
and
you are not of themtheir matter is Allah's
Where loyalty goes
my group firstus against them
the one path firstAllah judges the rest

Several early scholars said this was about earlier communities who split into sects. Ibn Kathir says it applies to all who divide the religion into camps of opinion and desire, since the law Allah sent is one. He cites the hadith: we prophets are brothers, and our religion is one. Their matter is left to Allah.

Two mosques in the same town that do not greet each other. A group chat that turns every topic into a fight between labels. You start loving your camp more than your Lord. Hold the path, and leave the scoring of others to Allah.

Defending my group against other Muslims is defending the religion.

Splitting the religion into camps is something the Prophet ﷺ stood apart from.

Try this

Greet or thank someone this week from a Muslim group you usually avoid.

Related42:1322:17
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Verily, those who divide their religion and break up into sects, you have no concern with them in the least. Their affair is only with Allah, Who then will tell them what they used to do (159)

Criticizing Division in the Religion

Mujahid, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak and As-Suddi said that this Ayah was revealed about the Jews and Christians. Al-'Awfi said that Ibn 'Abbas commented,

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعًا

(Verily, those who divide their religion and break up into sects...)

"Before Muhammad ﷺ was sent, the Jews and Christians disputed and divided into sects. When Muhammad ﷺ was sent, Allah revealed to him,

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعًا لَّسْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ

(Verily, those who divide their religion and break up into sects, you have no concern with them in the least.) It is apparent that this Ayah refers to all those who defy the religion of Allah, or revert from it. Allah sent His Messenger ﷺ with guidance and the religion of truth so that He makes it victorious and dominant above all religions. His Law is one and does not contain any contradiction or incongruity. Therefore, those who dispute in the religion,

وَكَانُوا شِيَعًا

(...and break up into sects,) religious sects, just like those who follow the various sects, desires and misguidance - then Allah has purified His Messenger ﷺ from their ways. In a similar Ayah, Allah said,

شَرَعَ لَكُم مِّنَ الدِّينِ مَا وَصَّىٰ بِهِ نُوحًا وَالَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ

(He (Allah) has ordained for you the same religion which He ordained for Nuh, and that which We have revealed to you.)[42:13] A Hadith reads,

نَحْنُ مَعَاشِرُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ أَوْلَادُ عَلَّاتٍ دِينُنَا وَاحِدٌ

(We, the Prophets, are half brothers but have one religion.) This, indeed, is the straight path which the Messengers have brought and which commands worshipping Allah alone without partners and adhering to the Law of the last Messenger ﷺ whom Allah sent. All other paths are types of misguidance, ignorance, sheer opinion and desires; and as such, the Messengers are free from them. Allah said here,

لَّسْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ

(You have no concern with them in the least...)[6:159]. Allah's statement,

إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ

(Their affair is only with Allah, Who then will tell them what they used to do.) is similar to His statement,

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَالَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالصَّابِئِينَ وَالنَّصَارَىٰ وَالْمَجُوسَ وَالَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

(Verily, those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Sabians, and the Christians, and the Majus, and those who worship others besides Allah; truly, Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection.)[22:17]

Allah then mentioned His kindness in His decisions and His justice on the Day of Resurrection, when He said,