Are we choosing our priorities, or are we being misled into old sectarian conflicts? A powerful reflection on the challenges facing the Muslim Ummah and the urgent need to refocus on unity, truth, and the honour of the Prophet’s Companions.
Who Decides Our Priorities?
Have we ever stopped to think why our conversations always revolve around the same centuries-old topics? Events that we never witnessed, were never part of, and for which we’re not responsible at all. Why do we keep talking, debating, accusing, and creating sectarian tensions over things for which we have no real pictures or complete truth? Are these the issues Muslims today should be focused on? Or is someone else, somewhere else, deciding our priorities for us?
We live in a time when great personalities from the early, pure days of Islam, especially the noble Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them), are being openly insulted. Whether on social media, in gatherings, on streets, or online platforms, terrible words are spoken against these loyal supporters of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ—words that shake the heart.
Yet, it’s shocking that there’s no collective voice raised against these insults. There’s no real reaction, and no one is held responsible. Everyone stays silent, as if nothing is happening.
But is this silence truly our own choice? Or have we been deliberately trapped in issues that only exist in the shadows of history?
We are being pushed into a swamp of sectarianism that feels impossible to escape. Day after day, we keep peeking into the dark alleys of history, where we see only blood, conflicts, conspiracies, and divisions, while turning away from the real problems that today are eating away at our faith, beliefs, and unity.
This Ummah, once called “the best of nations,” now seems unable to speak up in defence of its great figures. Isn’t it sad that our enemies keep us distracted from our present by dragging us into the battles of the past? Have we still not realised that the easiest way to divide this Ummah is to make its heroes controversial, cast doubts on its history, and keep it blind to the challenges of today?
It’s time for us to wake up and think about what truly matters.
Should we continue to get stuck in centuries-old, unclear, and often irrelevant events, and let the Ummah become even more divided? Or should we focus on fighting the real problems and fitnahs that are growing right in front of us today?
Should we build unity among ourselves based on the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the lives of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)? Or should we keep creating walls of hatred based on disputed and unreliable pages of history?
At the same time, we must learn to respect the opinions of others and engage with them through reason and dialogue, not violence. Differences of thought can be solved through calm, intelligent discussion. History shows that pens and minds, not guns and threats, bring lasting change. Resorting to violence only deepens the divide and proves the weakness of our arguments.
If we truly care about the Ummah’s unity, we must revive a culture of respectful disagreement and peaceful persuasion.
However, respecting opinions does not mean tolerating public disrespect or emotional harm. Suppose someone holds a personal issue or historical doubt about the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. In that case, they should keep it private and discuss it in respectful, scholarly circles, not in public spaces where it can cause fitnah and hurt the sentiments of millions of believers.
Freedom of thought must walk hand in hand with responsibility and wisdom. It is not freedom to harm—it is wisdom to heal.
The time has come for us to set our priorities and recognise those forces trying to trap us in the past and ruin our future.
We must stand firmly against every voice that attacks the honour of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), and expose every plot that seeks to drag the Ummah back into old conflicts and push it towards destruction.
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Journalist