Quran Verses about Unity of the community
Allah commands the believers to hold fast to the rope of Allah and not be divided, remembering His favour in uniting their hearts after enmity so that they became brothers. The verses say that the religion of the prophets is one religion, forbid being like those who split their religion into sects each delighting in what it has, and command making peace between two groups of believers in conflict. Disputing is said to make one fainthearted and take away strength, and Allah loves those who fight in His way in ranks like a solid structure.
Holding fast to the rope of Allah and not being divided
وَٱعۡتَصِمُواْ بِحَبۡلِ ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعٗا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُواْۚ وَٱذۡكُرُواْ نِعۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ إِذۡ كُنتُمۡ أَعۡدَآءٗ فَأَلَّفَ بَيۡنَ قُلُوبِكُمۡ فَأَصۡبَحۡتُم بِنِعۡمَتِهِۦٓ إِخۡوَٰنٗا وَكُنتُمۡ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفۡرَةٖ مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنۡهَاۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَهۡتَدُونَ ١٠٣
Waʿtaṣimū biḥablillāhi jamīʿaw wa lā tafarraqū, wadhkurū niʿmatallāhi ʿalaykum idh kuntum aʿdāʾan fa allafa bayna qulūbikum fa aṣbaḥtum biniʿmatihī ikhwānaw wa kuntum ʿalā shafā ḥufratim minan-nāri fa anqadhakum minhā, kadhālika yubayyinullāhu lakum āyātihī laʿallakum tahtadūn.
And hold firmly to the rope1 of Allāh all together and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allāh upon you - when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favor, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allāh make clear to you His verses that you may be guided.
Footnotes (1)
- Referring either to His covenant or the Qur’ān.
وَلۡتَكُن مِّنكُمۡ أُمَّةٞ يَدۡعُونَ إِلَى ٱلۡخَيۡرِ وَيَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَيَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِۚ وَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ ١٠٤
Waltakum minkum ummatuy yadʿūna ilal-khayri wa yaʾmurūna bil-maʿrūfi wa yanhawna ʿanil-munkar, wa ulāʾika humul-mufliḥūn.
And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong,1 and those will be the successful.
Footnotes (1)
- According to the laws of Allāh.
وَلَا تَكُونُواْ كَٱلَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُواْ وَٱخۡتَلَفُواْ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتُۚ وَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٞ ١٠٥
Wa lā takūnū kal-ladhīna tafarraqū wakhtalafū mim baʿdi mā jāʾahumul-bayyināt, wa ulāʾika lahum ʿadhābun ʿaẓīm.
And do not be like the ones who became divided and differed after the clear proofs had come to them. And those will have a great punishment
۞ شَرَعَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلدِّينِ مَا وَصَّىٰ بِهِۦ نُوحٗا وَٱلَّذِيٓ أَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ وَمَا وَصَّيۡنَا بِهِۦٓ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰٓۖ أَنۡ أَقِيمُواْ ٱلدِّينَ وَلَا تَتَفَرَّقُواْ فِيهِۚ كَبُرَ عَلَى ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ مَا تَدۡعُوهُمۡ إِلَيۡهِۚ ٱللَّهُ يَجۡتَبِيٓ إِلَيۡهِ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهۡدِيٓ إِلَيۡهِ مَن يُنِيبُ ١٣
Sharaʿa lakum minad-dīni mā waṣṣā bihī nūḥaw wal-ladhī awḥaynā ilayka wa mā waṣṣaynā bihī ibrāhīma wa mūsā wa ʿīsā, an aqīmud-dīna wa lā tatafarraqū fīh, kabura ʿalal-mushrikīna mā tadʿūhum ilayh, allāhu yajtabī ilayhi may yashāʾu wa yahdī ilayhi may yunīb.
He has ordained for you of religion what He enjoined upon Noah and that which We have revealed to you, [O Muḥammad], and what We enjoined upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus - to establish the religion and not be divided therein. Difficult for those who associate others with Allāh is that to which you invite them. Allāh chooses for Himself whom He wills and guides to Himself whoever turns back [to Him].
One religion, and not splitting into sects
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ فَرَّقُواْ دِينَهُمۡ وَكَانُواْ شِيَعٗا لَّسۡتَ مِنۡهُمۡ فِي شَيۡءٍۚ إِنَّمَآ أَمۡرُهُمۡ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُواْ يَفۡعَلُونَ ١٥٩
Innal-ladhīna farraqū dīnahum wa kānū shiyaʿal lasta minhum fī shayʾ, innamā amruhum ilallāhi thumma yunabbiʾuhum bimā kānū yafʿalūn.
Indeed, those who have divided their religion and become sects - you, [O Muḥammad], are not [associated] with them in anything. Their affair is only [left] to Allāh; then He will inform them about what they used to do.
إِنَّ هَٰذِهِۦٓ أُمَّتُكُمۡ أُمَّةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ وَأَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمۡ فَٱعۡبُدُونِ ٩٢
Inna hādhihī ummatukum ummataw wāḥidataw wa ana rabbukum faʿbudūn.
Indeed this, your religion, is one religion,1 and I am your Lord, so worship Me.
Footnotes (1)
- i.e., a collective way of life or course of conduct followed by a community.
وَتَقَطَّعُوٓاْ أَمۡرَهُم بَيۡنَهُمۡۖ كُلٌّ إِلَيۡنَا رَٰجِعُونَ ٩٣
Wa taqaṭṭaʿū amrahum baynahum, kullun ilaynā rājiʿūn.
And [yet] they divided their affair [i.e., that of their religion] among themselves,1 [but] all to Us will return.
Footnotes (1)
- Becoming sects and denominations.
وَإِنَّ هَٰذِهِۦٓ أُمَّتُكُمۡ أُمَّةٗ وَٰحِدَةٗ وَأَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمۡ فَٱتَّقُونِ ٥٢
Wa inna hādhihī ummatukum ummataw wāḥidataw wa ana rabbukum fattaqūn.
And indeed this, your religion, is one religion,1 and I am your Lord, so fear Me."
Footnotes (1)
- See footnote to 21:92.
فَتَقَطَّعُوٓاْ أَمۡرَهُم بَيۡنَهُمۡ زُبُرٗاۖ كُلُّ حِزۡبِۭ بِمَا لَدَيۡهِمۡ فَرِحُونَ ٥٣
Fataqaṭṭaʿū amrahum baynahum zuburā, kullu ḥizbim bimā ladayhim fariḥūn.
But they [i.e., the people] divided their religion among them into portions [i.e., sects] - each faction, in what it has,1 rejoicing.
Footnotes (1)
- Of beliefs, opinions, customs, etc.
۞ مُنِيبِينَ إِلَيۡهِ وَٱتَّقُوهُ وَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَلَا تَكُونُواْ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ ٣١
Munībīna ilayhi wattaqūhu wa aqīmuṣ-ṣalāta wa lā takūnū minal-mushrikīn.
[Adhere to it], turning in repentance to Him, and fear Him and establish prayer and do not be of those who associate others with Allāh
مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ فَرَّقُواْ دِينَهُمۡ وَكَانُواْ شِيَعٗاۖ كُلُّ حِزۡبِۭ بِمَا لَدَيۡهِمۡ فَرِحُونَ ٣٢
Minal-ladhīna farraqū dīnahum wa kānū shiyaʿā, kullu ḥizbim bimā ladayhim fariḥūn.
[Or] of those who have divided their religion and become sects, every faction rejoicing in what it has.1
Footnotes (1)
- Of beliefs, opinions, customs, etc.
Allah unites hearts, and the believers are brothers
وَأَلَّفَ بَيۡنَ قُلُوبِهِمۡۚ لَوۡ أَنفَقۡتَ مَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِيعٗا مَّآ أَلَّفۡتَ بَيۡنَ قُلُوبِهِمۡ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ أَلَّفَ بَيۡنَهُمۡۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٞ ٦٣
Wa allafa bayna qulūbihim, law anfaqta mā fil-arḍi jamīʿam mā allafta bayna qulūbihim wa lākinnallāha allafa baynahum, innahū ʿazīzun ḥakīm.
And brought together their hearts. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have brought their hearts together; but Allāh brought them together. Indeed, He is Exalted in Might and Wise.
وَإِن طَآئِفَتَانِ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ٱقۡتَتَلُواْ فَأَصۡلِحُواْ بَيۡنَهُمَاۖ فَإِنۢ بَغَتۡ إِحۡدَىٰهُمَا عَلَى ٱلۡأُخۡرَىٰ فَقَٰتِلُواْ ٱلَّتِي تَبۡغِي حَتَّىٰ تَفِيٓءَ إِلَىٰٓ أَمۡرِ ٱللَّهِۚ فَإِن فَآءَتۡ فَأَصۡلِحُواْ بَيۡنَهُمَا بِٱلۡعَدۡلِ وَأَقۡسِطُوٓاْۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُقۡسِطِينَ ٩
Wa in ṭāʾifatāni minal-muʾminīnaqtatalū fa aṣliḥū baynahumā, fa im baghat iḥdāhumā ʿalal-ukhrā faqātilul-latī tabghī ḥattā tafīʾa ilā amrillāh, fa in fāʾat fa aṣliḥū baynahumā bil-ʿadli wa aqsiṭū, innallāha yuḥibbul-muqsiṭīn.
And if two factions among the believers should fight, then make settlement between the two. But if one of them oppresses the other, then fight against the one that oppresses until it returns to the ordinance of Allāh. And if it returns, then make settlement between them in justice and act justly. Indeed, Allāh loves those who act justly.
إِنَّمَا ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ إِخۡوَةٞ فَأَصۡلِحُواْ بَيۡنَ أَخَوَيۡكُمۡۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُرۡحَمُونَ ١٠
Innamal-muʾminūna ikhwatun fa aṣliḥū bayna akhawaykum, wattaqullāha laʿallakum turḥamūn.
The believers are but brothers, so make settlement between your brothers. And fear Allāh that you may receive mercy.
Disputing weakens, and ranks that hold together
وَأَطِيعُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ وَلَا تَنَٰزَعُواْ فَتَفۡشَلُواْ وَتَذۡهَبَ رِيحُكُمۡۖ وَٱصۡبِرُوٓاْۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ ٤٦
Wa aṭīʿullāha wa rasūlahū wa lā tanāzaʿū fatafshalū wa tadhhaba rīḥukum, waṣbirū, innallāha maʿaṣ-ṣābirīn.
And obey Allāh and His Messenger, and do not dispute and [thus] lose courage and [then] your strength would depart; and be patient. Indeed, Allāh is with the patient.
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُقَٰتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِهِۦ صَفّٗا كَأَنَّهُم بُنۡيَٰنٞ مَّرۡصُوصٞ ٤
Innallāha yuḥibbul-ladhīna yuqātilūna fī sabīlihī ṣaffan kaʾannahum bunyānum marṣūṣ.
Indeed, Allāh loves those who fight in His cause in a row as though they are a [single] structure joined firmly.