Farrukh Shaikh, a citizen who lives in Dallas, has said, “This is a warning to all Muslims in this forum that Mike Ghouse’s religion is not Islam; he is Ismaili and a misguided person. If anyone needs more information about his religion, please let me know.”
Really? Aren’t Ismailis Muslims? So are Sunnis, Shi’as, Bohras, Ahmadis, Sufis, the WD Mohammed group, and many others. It is disheartening to see some Muslims diminish the universality of Islam. Islam is as vast as the sky, encompassing all of God’s creation. It is He who placed us in different tribes, communities, races, ethnicities, and nations, and I would even include other religions (49:13). Learning to respect and accept that uniqueness is equivalent to honoring the Creator’s choice. This is the message in the very first verse of the first surah, Al-Fatiha, in the very first verse of the last surah, An-Nas, and throughout the Qur’an, where God addresses mankind.
The great scholar Mohammed Asad highlights this idea in his Tafsir, particularly referencing verse 2:62. He states that anyone who believes in God, acknowledges accountability on the Day of Judgment, and cares for God’s creation is considered a Muslim—a submitter to God’s will. I have cited this in my article, “Who is a Muslim, and what is Islam?”
It is important to recognize that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) introduced a progressive way of life—Islam. He abolished cruel practices such as infanticide, proclaimed for the first time in civilizational history that women could own their own businesses and property, propose marriage, and even initiate divorce. He took the steps to abolish slavery and introduced many other progressive values, changing the culture significantly over the course of 23 years. If it is not common sense, then it is not Islam. This was a monumental change, and we should not forget it. Instead, we should continue to promote and advance this spirit of progressiveness.
I wish Farrukh Shaikh had written to me directly instead of circulating misinformation. He could have simply said, “Mike Ghouse is a Muslim, but I’m unsure which denomination he belongs to since I have not verified it. It appears that he belongs to all groups, including Shia, Sunni, Sufi, Bohra, Ahmadiyya, Ismaili, Alawite, and others.” That would have been fair.
Prophet Muhammad knew only one group of people: Muslims. Terms like Sunni, Shia, Ahmadiyya, Bohra, Sufi, Ismaili, WD Muhammad, Alawite, Deobandi, Barelvi, Ahl-e-Hadith, and Ahl-e-Bait did not exist in his time. Different groups or denominations are natural outcomes of societal development. The Prophet understood human nature and even predicted that the singular faith he taught would eventually divide into many strands. He used the metaphorical number seventy-two to symbolize the infinite number of splits that could occur.
His message, however, was one of coexistence and humility. He taught us to live with our differences, to race in doing good, but to avoid arrogance and self-righteousness, which God dislikes. Even a sinner may be forgiven by God for a simple act of kindness—such as giving water to a thirsty dog—especially when extended to fellow humans. Only God knows the full impact of our actions on His creation. Our responsibility is to strive to be good human beings who care for others and for the environment.
Wouldn’t you feel happy if your guests took meticulous care of your property before leaving? Or if your employees ensured your business was intact and well-maintained? Do you really worry whether that employee is Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, or Sikh as long as they fulfill their responsibility with honesty? Likewise, God does not concern Himself with labels; He appreciates our contributions to preserving His creation and restoring harmony through justice, fairness, and kindness.
My Hindu friends will recognize parallels in their own tradition: Brahma the creator, Vishnu the sustainer, and Shiva the recycler. God in Islam is no different—He sustains, restores, and nurtures His creation. The universal question He asks of us is simple: are you good to your fellow beings and to the environment?
The Qur’an is the word of God, but its meanings have been interpreted differently across times and traditions. No one, not even the greatest Imams, can claim their interpretation as the only one. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) did not appoint anyone as the sole interpreter of the Qur’an; he simply said, “I am leaving this book with you for your understanding, and you cannot go wrong if you follow it.” The Shia tradition views this differently, and we must respect their interpretation.
If God is kind and merciful, and if the Prophet is described as a mercy to humanity, then the teachings we find in the Qur’an are aimed at universal goodness and inclusivity. Islam is too expansive a religion to exclude anyone. Every faith has followed the natural path of divisions. Christianity branched into Catholicism, Protestantism, and hundreds of denominations. Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Sikhism have also splintered into many schools. Islam too began with one vision, one community, but it evolved into many traditions. The Prophet was aware of this inevitability.
As for me, I have chosen to remain denomination-less. If you hear me pray, it will sound like the Sunni tradition only because I was raised in that environment. If I had been born into a Shia or Ahmadi family, I would have prayed in that manner. It doesn’t make one superior or inferior. Each tradition is precious to the believer. As the saying goes, “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder; faith is in the heart of the believer.” The Qur’an itself says: “To you is your faith, and to me is my faith.” (109:6).
I am comfortable with every tradition of Muslim prayer. I have visited mosques of almost all denominations, including the three most revered ones in Mecca, Madinah, and Jerusalem. The next place I intend to visit is Karbala, where Imam Hussain stood for justice at the cost of his entire family. Am I following the inclusive, progressive path of the Prophet? Yes, I am. Then why should I limit myself to a label? I am a Muslim, period. I have no walls between me and another Muslim, and no barriers between me and another human being.
The World Muslim Congress was formed with the express purpose of creating space for every Muslim, and the Center for Pluralism was created for all humanity. Over the years, we have conducted 780 hours of radio talk shows and 40 workshops covering traditions from Atheism to Zoroastrianism, and every faith in between. The purpose was to understand each other and reduce tensions. It took years of effort, but that remains my commitment: to create a world where all humanity can get along by knowing each other.
The role of Muslims is not to divide, but to contribute to the well-being of humanity, to nurture goodwill, and to become conflict mitigators. Our goal is to build a secure world where every human can live in peace and dignity. The World Muslim Congress focuses on Muslims’ civic responsibility, not in dividing them by denomination, but in affirming their common faith in God, the Prophet, and accountability. Whoever calls themselves a Muslim is a Muslim to us. And today, we are blessed to have Christians, Hindus, Jews, Baha’is, Sikhs, and Buddhists among us to share their perspectives.
God loves us all. After all, we are His creation, and because He cares about us, He sends guidance to every community—a messenger, a prophet, an avatar, or a peacemaker—to show them how to live in harmony. The Bhagavad Gita phrases it differently but similarly: every time there is chaos in society, someone will emerge to restore righteousness. The Qur’an also affirms that God sent prophets to every nation. The name doesn’t matter; the message is the same: to preserve harmony, peace, and justice.
Islam has always emphasized serving fellow beings. God assures us—not just Muslims—that if we take care of His creation, He will take care of us. That, to me, is the essence of being a Muslim.
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*Progressive wedding officiant, encourages inter-faith marriage; heads Center for Pluralism, a Washington DC-based non-profit organisation. This is the abridged version of the original blog which appeared in the World Muslim Congress site
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