Adapted from Sheikh Amin Abu Anas:
In this article, we will continue our discussion on the eti-quette of disagreement, and the essentiality of accepting the truth from whomever is right.
Let's take an example: A man touches a woman with desire, then eats camel meat, then gets up to pray, and says, “I follow Ahmad and Abu Hanifa: Touching a woman doesn’t break the wudu, and I follow Al-Shafi’ in that eating camel meat doesn’t break the wudu either.”
We tell this man: your salat is invalid.
There is a narration that says, “Avoid the mistakes of the scholars.” Just like fanaticism for a madhhab or a scholar is undesired, so is fanaticism against a madhhab or scholar. We see some youth nowadays insult the scholars of the ummah out of ignorance and conceit, even with good intentions. Af-ter listening to a lecture, reading a book, or visiting an Inter-net site, these people think they have landed on the moon.
The ummah had reached a state in the past, during which a Hanafi person could not marry a Shafi’e and vice versa. Each madhhab had its own salat in Al-Haram in the kabah. This is the state of disagreement and disunity we had reached, but, Alhamdulillah, we are in a much better state now.
The scholars have differed, but they agreed: “Some of the companions, their descendents, and people after that used to recite bismillah in salat; others didn’t. Some used to say it loudly, others used to say it silently. Some used to make Dua’ Al-Qunut in Al-Fajr, and others didn’t. Some used to make wudu because of a nose bleed, vomiting, or copping, and others didn’t. Some believed that touching a woman breaks the wudu, and others didn’t. Some used to make wudu
after eating camel meat, and others didn’t. Some consider wiping on top of the socks as perfectly valid for salat. Others don’t.
All of these differences have never prevented any of them from praying behind the others, just like Abu Hanifa, his companions, and Al-Shafi’ used to pray behind the Imams of Al-Madina, who were Maliki or something else. Al-Imam Ahmad believed in making wudu because of nose bleeds and hajamt. He was asked: ‘What if the Imam has bled and hasn’t made wudu, do we still pray behind him?” So he answered: “How can I not pray behind Imam Malik?”
Look at this fiqh, wisdom, and good manners.
Al-Shafi’ prayed Al-Fajr in the city of Abu Hanifa’s grave, and he didn’t make the Al-Fajr Al-Qunoot, although
it is a confirmed sunnah in his beliefs. When he was asked about this, he replied: “How can I disagree with him when I’m so close to him?”
If we were to do the same thing, we would consider this to be a shortcoming on our part, and betrayal of the madhhab.
Al-Imam Al-Shafi’ has said: “I used to turn the pages softly, so as not to disturb Imam Malik.”
Where are we from in trusting and loving one another, and showing these fine qualities of etiquette amongst us?
Al-Imam Yusuf Al-Sadafi said: “I haven’t seen any one wiser than Al Shafi’. We discussed an issue one day, and then we parted. When we met again, he took my hand and said: ‘o Abu Musa, shouldn’t we still be brothers, even if we differ on an issue?’”
Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said: “Not a single night has gone by in 30 years, without me making dua’ and istighfar for Al-Shafi’.”
Al-Imam Al-Shafi’ said: “I haven’t left behind in Baghdad anyone who is more knowledgeable or pious than Ahmad.”
The majority of Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud’s knowledge comes from ‘Umar, but they have differed on 100 issues or so. But listen to what Ibn Mas’ud said about ‘Umar: “He was a for-tress for Islam, into which people entered and didn’t leave. When ‘Umar was hit, the fortress was broken”
Don’t be afraid of criticism; it helps you correct your path, lights up your life, and helps you know yourself. Don’t be fooled and don’t be conceited, and welcome any criticism.There are many reasons for the varying opinions of scholars, including, difference in the importance of the source aha-dith, difference in understanding some words of the Qur’an, difference in language and grammar, certain evidence hasn’t reached them, terms which can have two or more meanings,and so on.All these differences are in secondary issues of Shari’ah, and not in the basics, as in other religions.
Anas RA has said: “We, the companions of the prophet, used to travel. Among us were those who were fasting, and those who were not; and those who were praying Qasr and those who were complet-ing their salat; those who fasted didn’t criticize those who didn’t, and vice versa; those who prayed Qasr didn’t criticize those who didn’t, and vice versa.”
So, how does our ‘ilm compare to theirs?
