The Etiquette of Disagreeing

 

The Etiquette
of Disagreeing

Taken from the booklet "Bayân wa
tawdîh hawl ba'd mâ yajrî fî sâhat al-da'wah
fî al-Kuwait"

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Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah bestow His mercy
on him, says: 

"The correct position is what the leading
scholars of the 'ummah  adopt, namely, that ijtihad regarding matters
about which there is no evidence requiring action in a certain and clear
manner, such as an authentic hadîth which is not contradicted by
a similarly authentic hadîth, is permissible, because of the absence
of any evidence on the points at issue or because of the contradictory
or obscure nature of the evidences regarding them. And the saying of the
scholar that this issue is absolute or certain  and that no ijtihâd
is permissible about it is not an invective against anyone who opposes
it, nor an imputation to him of having intentionally adopted a view contrary
to the correct one." ('A'lâm al-Muwqqa'în, vol. 3, p. 360)

Those who differ in their views about such
matters are to discuss these in the spirit of consultation and advice without
attacking the dissident, and it is not permissible to be fanatic and to
incite hatred and division on account of these differences.

This is in addition to the fact that a
mujtahid committing error in intellectual issues according to the rules
governing that, is excusable, inshâ'Allah, as in matters of practising.
The religion of Islam consists of knowledge ('ilm) and deed ('amal); and
deed is the purpose and objective of knowledge. Allah, Subhânahu
wa Ta'âlâ, says:

"Indeed there do dread Allah those of His
servants that have knowledge." (Sûrat Fâtir, 28).

Knowledge is the basis and foundation of
deed. And perhaps at times the one who errs in deed ('amal) is worse in
sin that the one who errs in knowledge. And perhaps at times the mujtahid
who errs in some intellectual matters does have to his credit good deeds
of the types of worship, jihâd and dissemination of knowledge by
which he surpasses the one who does not commit an error like that of his
but does not have to his credit the like of the former's deed and 
jihâd. And on this consideration scholars praise Imâm al-Nawawî,
Ibn Daqîq al-'Îd, Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalânî and others
like them. Rather the scholars love them and forbid attacking them. May
Allah bestow His mercy on them.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah
bestow His mercy on him, says:

"Whoever among the Muslims is a mujtahid
in seeking the truth and then makes a mistake, Allah Subhânahu wa
Ta'âlâ will forgive his mistake, whether it be in theoretical
or practical matters. This was the position taken by the Companions of
the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be on him."

(Al-Masâ'il al-Mâradîniyyah,
p. 66)

If any dissension or disagreement occurs
among Muslims wherein the parties follow their self-interests, each party
supporting its leaders, maligning the others, injuring the others' characters,
looking down upon them, lying in wait for their mistakes to take revenge
and preying on their slips for slandering, it is a bounden duty to effect
a reconciliation between them, and if not feasible, to refrain from participating
in those disputes and to hold one's tongue from them, to keep oneself above
attendance at those circles or listening to what they are involved in of
distress and, instead, to turn to learning the Qur'ân and reciting
it, repeating the prayers and invocations traditionally handed down, and
making us of the time in worshipping, seeking knowledge of the Qur'ân
and sunnah and understanding of the dîn, calling people to it and
asking Allah's forgiveness and cure from the trial and dissension.

'Allâma Sa'dî, may Allah bestow
His mercy on him, says:

"Striving and inviting to unify the Muslims
and to effect reconciliation between them is the best of all deeds. It
is better than occupying time in fasting and  prayers; and it is the
greatest and the most glorious of jihâd in the way of Allah. It is
in cumbent upon the Muslims not to allow the differences between them in
their views and systems of government and politics to be a bar to their
religious brotherhood and their bond of faith. Rather all the differences
and petty objectives should be subordinated to this great principle." (Al-Siyâsah
al-Shar'iyyah, p. 13)