The Status of the ‘Ulema and the Adaab of Ikhtilaaf

And Disputation

Jumu’ah Wa’dh Delivered at Al Madinah Masjid Atlanta GA.

Ustadh Muhammad Sa’id Hunafa Qadiri

Part of a collection of talks inspired by the discourses of His Eminence Al Imam

Shaykh Sayyid Mubarik ‘Ali Jilani Hashmi Hafidhahullah

Jaami’a Muhammadiyya
115 Madinah Rd,
Madinah Village
Commerce, GA 30530 USA

Copyleft; reprint with permission without altering content.

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Al Hamdulillah Rabbil ‘Aameen wa Salaatu wa salaamu ‘alaa Sayyidil Mursaleen
Sayyidinaa wa Mawlaana Muhammad wa ‘Alaa Aalihi wa Sahbihi ajma’een.

Wa ba’d,

Qaal Allahu ta ‘ala fi Kalaamihil Qadeem ba’da,

A’uthu Billahi min as Shaytanir Rajim. Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim

‫ﻴﻚ َﻭ َﻣﺎ‬َ َ‫ﻧﺰ َﻝ ﺇِﻟ‬ُ َ ُ‫ﻮﻥ ﻓِﻲ ْﺍﻟ ِﻌ ْﻠ ِﻢ ِﻣ ْﻨﻬُ ْﻢ َﻭ ْﺍﻟ ُﻤ ْﺆ ِﻣﻨ‬
َ ُ‫ﻮﻥ ﻳ ُْﺆ ِﻣﻨ‬ َ ‫ﱠﺍﺳ ُﺨ‬ِ ‫ﻟﱠـ ِﻜ ِﻦ ﺍﻟﺮ‬
ِ ‫ﻮﻥ ﺑِ َﻤﺎ ﺃ‬
ّ
ِ‫ﻭَﺍﻟْﻤُﺆْﻣِﻨُﻮﻥَ ﺑِﺎہﻠﻟ‬ َ‫ﻼﺓَ ﻭَﺍﻟْﻤُﺆْﺗُ ﻮﻥَ ﺍﻟﺰﱠﻛَ ﺎﺓ‬ َ ‫ﻧﺰِﻝَ ﻣِﻦ ﻗَﺒْﻠِﻚَ ﻭَﺍﻟْﻤُﻘِ ﻴﻤِﻴﻦَ ﺍﻟﺼﱠ‬
‫ﻚ َﺳﻨُ ْﺆﺗِﻴ ِﻬ ْﻢ ﺃَﺟْ ﺮًﺍ َﻋ ِﻈﻴ ًﻤﺎ‬ َ ِ‫ﺍﻵﺧ ِﺮ ﺃُ ْﻭﻟَـﺌ‬
ِ ‫َﻭ ْﺍﻟﻴَ ْﻮ ِﻡ‬
(4:162)

َ‫ﻮﺍ ﺃَ ْﻫ َﻞ ﺍﻟ ﱢﺬ ْﻛ ِﺮ ﺇِﻥ ُﻛﻨﺘُ ْﻢ ﻻ‬

ْ ُ‫ﻮﺣﻲ ﺇِﻟَ ْﻴ ِﻬ ْﻢ ﻓَﺎﺳْﺄَﻟ‬ َ ِ‫َﻭ َﻣﺎ ﺃَﺭْ َﺳ ْﻠﻨَﺎ ِﻣﻦ ﻗَ ْﺒﻠ‬
ِ ‫ﻚ ﺇِﻻﱠ ِﺭ َﺟﺎﻻً ﻧﱡ‬
َ ‫ﺗَ ْﻌﻠَ ُﻤ‬
‫ﻮﻥ‬
(16:43)

‫ﺎﺟ ًﺪﺍ َﻭﻗَﺎﺋِ ًﻤﺎ ﻳَﺤْ َﺬ ُﺭ ْﺍﻵ ِﺧ َﺮﺓَ َﻭﻳَﺮْ ﺟُﻮ َﺭﺣْ َﻤﺔَ َﺭﺑﱢ ِﻪ‬ ِ ‫ﺖ ﺁﻧَﺎء ﺍﻟﻠﱠ ْﻴ ِﻞ َﺳ‬ٌ ِ‫ﺃَ ﱠﻣ ْﻦ ﻫُ َﻮ ﻗَﺎﻧ‬
ِ ‫ﻮﻥ ﺇِﻧﱠ َﻤﺎ ﻳَﺘَ َﺬ ﱠﻛ ُﺮ ﺃُ ْﻭﻟُﻮﺍ ْﺍﻷَ ْﻟﺒَﺎ‬
‫ﺏ‬ َ ‫ﻮﻥ َﻭﺍﻟﱠ ِﺬ‬
َ ‫ﻳﻦ َﻻ ﻳَ ْﻌﻠَ ُﻤ‬ َ ‫ﻗُﻞْ ﻫَﻞْ ﻳَ ْﺴﺘَ ِﻮﻱ ﺍﻟﱠ ِﺬ‬
َ ‫ﻳﻦ ﻳَ ْﻌﻠَ ُﻤ‬
(39:9)

ِ ‫ﻳﻦ ﺁ َﻣﻨُﻮﺍ َﻭ َﻋ ِﻤﻠُﻮﺍ ﺍﻟﺼﱠﺎﻟِ َﺤﺎ‬

‫ﺕ َﻭ َﻻ‬ ِ َ‫َﻭ َﻣﺎ ﻳَ ْﺴﺘَ ِﻮﻱ ْﺍﻷَ ْﻋ َﻤﻰ َﻭ ْﺍﻟﺒ‬
َ ‫ﺼﻴ ُﺮ َﻭﺍﻟﱠ ِﺬ‬
َ ‫ﻴﻼ ﱠﻣﺎ ﺗَﺘَ َﺬ ﱠﻛﺮ‬
‫ُﻭﻥ‬ ً ِ‫ْﺍﻟ ُﻤ ِﺴﻲ ُء ﻗَﻠ‬
40:58)

Al Qur’an Karim:

An-Nisaa (The Women)

But those among them who are well-grounded in knowledge, and the believers,
believe in what hath been revealed to thee and what was revealed before thee: And
(especially) those who establish regular prayer and practise regular charity and
believe in Allah and in the Last Day: To them shall We soon give a great reward.

Suratun Nisaa, 4.162 (Women)

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And before you also the messengers We sent were men, to whom We granted
inspiration: Ask Ahl Ad Dhikr (the People of Remembrance), if you do not know.
Suratul Nahl, 16.43 (The Bee)

Is one who worships devoutly during the hours of the night prostrating himself or
standing (in adoration), who takes heed of the Hereafter, and who places his hope in
the Mercy of his Lord - (like one who does not)?

Say: "Are they equal, those who know and those who do not know? It is those who
are given understanding that receive admonition.

Suratul Zumar 39. 9 (The Crowds)

They are not equal, the blind and those who (clearly) see: Nor are (equal) those who
Iman and do righteousness deeds, and those who do evil. Little is it that you
remember (by reflection)!

Suratul Ghaafir 40.58 (The Forgiver)

Hadith Sharif:

Qaala Rasulullahi Sall Allahu ‘alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim

“Al Ulema Warathatul Anbiyaa”

“The Scholars (of Sacred Knowledge) are the heirs of the Prophets”

From Sayyidinaa Abu Dardaa Radhi Allahu ‘anhu:

A man came to Sayyidinaa Abu Dardaa Radhi Allahu anhu while he was in
Damascus. Sayyidinaa Abu Dardaa Radhi Allahu ‘anhu asked him, “What has
brought you here my brother?” He replied, “A hadith which you relate from the
Prophet .” Abu Dardaa Radhi Allahu ‘anhu asked, “have you come for some
worldly needs?” He replied, “No” “Have you come for business?” He replied, “No.”
“You have come only to seek this hadith?” He said, “Yes.” Abu Dardaa Radhi Allahu
‘anhu then said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah say: “Whoever travels a path
seeking sacred knowledge, Allah will place him on a path leading to Jannah. The
Angels lower their wings for the student of Sacred Knowledge, pleased with what he
is doing. The creatures in the heavens and earth seek forgiveness for the student of
Sacred Knowledge, even the fish in the water. The superiority of the religious
scholar over the devout worshipper is like the superiority of the full moon over the
other heavenly bodies. The religious scholars are the heirs of the prophets (Al
‘Ulema Warathatul Anbiyaa). The prophets leave no money as a bequest, rather
they leave knowledge. Whoever seizes it has taken a bountiful share. (Imam
Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Ibn Maajah) (Hanbali, 2001)

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Narrated 'Abdullah:

Allah's Apostle said, "Do not wish to be like anyone, except in two cases:

(1) A man whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it righteously.

(2) A man whom Allah has given wisdom, (knowledge of the Quran and the
Hadith) and he acts according to it and teaches it to others."
Bukhari Volume 9, Book 89, Number 255:

Narrated Abdullah:

It is a sign of having knowledge that, when you do not know something, you say:
'Allah knows better.

Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Number 347:

Ibn Mubarak said: “The true believer seeks excuses while the
hypocrite seeks the shortcomings.” As it is an obligation on you to restrain
your tongue from making mention of his shortcomings, so it also an
obligation to restrain your heart from ill-thinking, as ill-thinking is the
backbiting of the heart, and that is also prohibited to every Muslim. (Ghazali,
2007)

Categories of Scholars

Ibn Rajab Al Hanbali Rahimuhullah in “Al ‘Ulama Warathatul Anbiyaa” mentions:

“Many of the righteous Salaf (Forbearers) such as Sufyaan ath Thawri Radhi
Allahu ‘anhu and others, categorized scholars into various groups. The best
of these groupings is epitomized by the scholars who know both Allah and
His commandments. By this expression, Sufyan refers to those who combine
inner and outer knowledge. There are the most distinguished scholars. They
are praised by Allah: Indeed, among His servants, it is but the learned who
fear Allah. (Qur’an Kareem 35:28)

He also says: Indeed, those who were given knowledge beforehand, when our
signs are recited to them, they fall down in prostration on their faces, saying,
“Glorified is our Lord, Indeed, the promise of our Lord will be fulfilled.” They
fall down prostrate on their faces, weeping, and it increases them in humility.
(Qur’an Kareem 17:107-109)

Many of the righteous forebearers used to say, “ Religious Knowledge is not

an abundance of memorized texts. Rather, knowledge is humility.” One of
them said, “Fear of Allah is sufficient knowledege, and being decieved
concerning Allah is sufficient ignorance.” (Hanbali, 2001)
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The True Scholars and Love of the Hereafter

Al Imam Shaykh Sayyid Mubaarik Ali Gilani Dammat Barakaatuhum in one of his
discourse mentioned one of the major causes of the downfall of the Ummah. He
mentioned that many of our scholars suffer from the disease he termed “Hubbud
dunya wa karahatul mawt”, love of this worlds life and contempt for death or the life
of the next world. His scholarship is ruined as so are his students. They have
corrupted their Imam and infect others with this same corruption. Al Imam Sheikh
Gilani after seeing to our educational needs, authorised some of us to teach. He
warned us against corrupting this sacred trust of knowledge by seeking positions of
authority or by taking money. His words to us, his advice, his command was, “Do
things Fi Sabilillah (solely for the pleasure of Allahu ta ‘ala) and do not concern
yourself with what others think about you.” Because of this command his students
have refused to take paid positions as Imams of Masaajid.

It was mentioned to Imam Ahmad Radhi Allahu ‘anhu that it was said to ibn
al Mubaarak Radhi Allahu ‘anhu, “How does one know a truthful scholar?” He
said, “He turns away from money and and moves towards the Hereafter.”
Imam Ahmad said, “Yes, such should be his state.” Imam Ahmad used to
rebuke scholars for loving the world and longing for it. You should know that
scholars are ruined. When scholars start aspiring for the world, they cause
the ignorant to think ill of them and cause them to set up ignorant people as
their leaders…. Abu Hazim Radhi Allahu ‘anhu said, “We experienced a brief
time in our era when not a single scholar sought out a ruler. If a man was
learned, he was satisfied with knowledge and needed nothing else. In this
situation, there was benefit for both parties. When the rulers saw that the
scholars covered their faults, sat in their company, and begged for their
posessions, they despised them, stopped taking their advise, and [stopped]
seeing their knowledge. This led to the ruin of both parties.

Hasan [al Basri] Radhi Allahu ‘anhu used to say, “Everything can be defaced,
and the defacement of knowledge is greed.” He also said, “One who increases
in knowledge and simultaneously increases in worldly longing, will only
increase in distancing himself from Allah, and Allah will increase in dislike of
him.” (Hanbali, 2001)

Ikhtilaaf

No doubt there have been differences of opinions among the Scholars of Sacred
Knowledge. The earlier ‘Ulema however did not resort to backbiting, slander,
cursing, tale carrying etc, to make their point. They were willing to concede to a
valid point as were their students and followers.

Training and Manners of the A'immah

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“Like the Companions of the first generation and their immediate successors
- the Taabi`oon - the leading scholars of the second and third centuries had
many differences on issues which required ijtihaad. Since their differences
were not motivated by any form of egoism or desire to create discord, one
can venture to say that they were all on the right path. It is perhaps no
exaggeration to say also that these scholars were singularly dedicated to the
pursuit of truth and to attaining the pleasure of God. They were highly
trained and qualified, and this is why their verdicts were accommodated by
scholars of all ages. It was common practice among them to endorse the
judgments of those who passed sound verdicts irrespective of the schools of
law they belonged to and to ask God's forgiveness for those who seemed to
have erred. They had a high mutual regard for one another.

When faced with a difficult issue, some jurists would consult the literature of
another school without any hesitation or embarrassment, even though they
might not agree on the type of evidence used. They of course felt free to
consult any substantiated text. Having arrived at their verdicts, they would
issue them with such concluding phrases as "this is more cautious," "this is
preferable," "this is how it should be," "I dislike this, or "this does not appeal
to me." They did not feel impeded by any unwarranted restrictions or any
fear of unfounded accusations. They were easy-going and open-minded, and
their concern was to facilitate matters for people.

Among the Companions of the Prophet, their Successors, and the leading
scholars after them, there were several differences relating, for example, to
the preparation for and the performance of salaah. Some recited the
Basmalah at the beginning of Soorat al Faatihah and others did not. Some
uttered it aloud and others did not. Some recited the Qunoot supplication as
part of the Salaat al Fajr (Dawn Prayer) while others did not. Some renewed
their wudoo' (ablution) after nose-bleeding, vomiting, and cupping while
others did not. Some considered that any physical contact with women
nullified wudoo' while others did not. Some renewed their wudoo' after
eating camel meat or food cooked on a direct fire while others saw no need
for that.

These differences never prevented them from performing salaah behind each
other. Abu Haneefah and his followers, as well as al Shaafi`ee and other
leading scholars, performed salaah behind the a'immah of Madinah from the
Maalikee school and others as well, although these a'immah did not recite the
Basmalah, whether silently or audibly. It was reported that Abu Yusuf, a
leading scholar of the Hanafee School, performed salaah behind al Rasheed.
Abu Yusuf found later that al Rasheed had been cupped. He did not repeat the
salaah, although he was of the opinion that cupping nullifies ablution. Ahmad
ibn Hanbal believed that nose-bleeding and cupping nullified ablution. He
was asked if people could perform salaah behind an imam who did not renew

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 his ablution after bleeding. He replied: "How could I not pray behind Maalik
and Sa`eed ibn al Musayyib?"

According to al Shaafi`ee, the qunoot supplication is a firm practice of the

Prophet. Yet he is reported to have performed Salaat al Fajr near the grave of
Abu Haneefah but did not make the qunoot supplication. When asked about
this, al Shaafi`ee replied: "How can I deviate from him while I am in his
presence?" He is also reported to have said: "Perhaps, we have inclined to the
school of thought (madhhab) of the people of Iraq." [Hujjat Allaah al
Baalighah, 335.]”

The Ethics of Disagreement in Islam: (Awani, 2007) 1

Evils of Debates

َ َ‫ﺎﺯ ُﻋﻮﺍ ﻓَﺘَ ْﻔ َﺸﻠُﻮﺍ َﻭﺗَ ْﺬﻫ‬

‫ﺐ ِﺭﻳ ُﺤ ُﻜ ْﻢ‬ ‫َﻭﺃَ ِﻁﻴﻌُﻮﺍ ﱠ‬
َ َ‫ﷲَ َﻭ َﺭﺳُﻮﻟَﻪُ َﻭﻻ ﺗَﻨ‬
‫ﻳﻦ‬ ‫َﻭﺍﺻْ ﺒِﺮُﻭﺍ ﺇِ ﱠﻥ ﱠ‬
َ ‫ﷲَ َﻣ َﻊ ﺍﻟﺼﱠﺎﺑِ ِﺮ‬
And obey Allah and His Messenger; and fall into no disputes, lest ye lose heart and
your power depart; and be patient: For indeed Allah is with the Sabireen).

Al-Qur'an, 8.46 (Al-Anfal, Spoils of War)

Abu Hurairah narrated that the messenger of Allah said:

"Let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day either speak good or keep silent,
and let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day be generous to his neighbor, and
let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day be generous to his guest." related by
Bukhari and Muslim

On the Evils of Debate and the Character Destroying Influences Resulting There from.

Hujjatul Islam Al Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad Al Ghazzali Radhi Allahu ‘anhu in his
“Ihya al Ulum Ud Din” mentions:

“We shall now allude to the major evils, which are enkindled by
debate. Of these we may enumerate the following.

Envy/Hasad

1
The Ethics of Disagreement in Islam: Dr Tahir Jabar Al Awani, The International Institute of Islamic Thought
Herndon, Virginia USA

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 One is envy. The Prophet said: “As fire consumes wood so does envy
consume good deeds.” The debater persists in envy because at times he
overcomes his adversary and at other times he himself is overcome; at times
his words are praised and at other times those of his opponent are
applauded; and as long as there remains in all the world one known among
men for his versatile knowledge and regarded by them more learned than
the debater and endowed with keener insight, the debater will inevitably
envy him and wish that the favors and admiration, which that man enjoys
might accrue to him instead.

Envy is a consuming fire; its victim is subject to torment in this world

while in the world to come his tortures will be more intense and painful. For
this reason Ibn Abbas said: “Take knowledge wherever you may find it, but
accept not the opinion of one jurist concerning another because they are as
jealous of one another as the bulls in the cattle-yard.” 2

Pride/Takkabir

Another is pride and haughtiness. The Prophet said: “He who exalts
himself is humbled by Allah.”

The debater persists in exalting himself above his equals and peers
and in claiming for himself a station higher than his worth to the extent that
he and his colleagues fight over their seats in assembly halls and boast about
the degree of their elevation or lowliness as well as their proximity to, or
remoteness from the central seats.

Resentment

Another is resentment from, which a debater is hardly ever free. The

Prophet said: “The believer is free from resentment.” Several more traditions
have been related in condemnation of resentment and they are well known.
Yet we do not know of a debater who is capable of entertaining no
resentment against anyone who would nod his head in approval of the words
of his adversary, or who, when the latter pauses in the midst of a sentence,
would politely wait for him. On the contrary he would, whenever he is
confronted with such a situation, entertain and foster resentment in his
heart. He may attempt to restrain himself hoping thereby to disguise his
feelings; but in most cases he fails as his feelings invariably reveal
themselves. How can he refrain from resentment when it is inconceivable
2
In Al Risaalatul Qushayriyya, Imam Qushayriyy mentions, “One of the Sufiyaa stated, “The
envier (hasad) is an unbeliever/denier because he is not content with the Divine Decreed (Qadar)
of Allah.” It is said, “The envier never prevails.” And further Imam Qushayriyy says, “ Sayyidinaa
‘Umar ibn Abdul Aziz Radhi Allahu ‘anhu asserted, “The envier resembles more the oppressed
than any oppressor I have ever seen, [for he is all] constant sorrow and heavy breathing.

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 that all the audience should unite in favoring his argument and approve all
his conclusions and deductions? Furthermore, should his opponent show the
least sign of inconsideration about what he is saying, he would entertain for
him in his heart a hatred that would last throughout his life.

Backbiting/Ghiba

Another is backbiting, which was likened by Allah to the eating of

carrion. “Neither spy nor backbite one another, would any of you like to eat
the flesh of his dead brother?” (Al Qur’an Kareem 49 verse 12). The debater
persists in “eating carrion” and is continually referring to the words of his
opponent and traducing him. Because he endeavors to be right in what he
says about his opponent, he inevitably cites only what shows the weaknesses
of his opponent’s argument and the flaws in his excellence. Of such is
disparaging and backbiting, while lying is sheer slander or defamation.

The debater, moreover, cannot keep his tongue from attacking the
honor of anyone who turns away from him and listens to his opponent. He
would even ascribe to him ignorance, foolishness, lack of understanding and
stupidity. 3

Self-justification

Another is self-justification. Allah said: “Do not praise yourself. Allah knows
the cautious.” Al Qur’an Kareem 53 verse 32

A certain wise man once was asked: “What truth is reprehensible?”

He replied: “A man’s praising himself (even though it is justified).” A debater
is never free from praising himself (and boasting) of his power, triumph, and
excellence over his peers. In the course of a debate he would repeatedly say:
“I am fully aware of all such things,” and “I am versatile in sciences, of
independent judgment in questions of law, and well versed in the knowledge
of tradition,” and many other assertions besides with, which he would sing
his own praise, sometimes out of sheer arrogance and at other times out of
need to render his words convincing. It is well known that arrogance and self
pride are by law and reason condemned.

Spying

Another is spying and prying into a person’s private affairs. Allah said:
“Neither spy…” Al Qur’an Kareem 49 verse 12.

3
“It was told to Imam Hasan Al Basri Radhi Allahu ‘anhu, “So and so has slandered you. He sent a tray of
Halwa (sweets) to the man, noting, “I hear that you have bestowed upon me your good deeds. I would like
to repay you.” (Risaalatul Qushayriyya pg. 107)

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 The debater always seeks to uncover the errors of his peers and
continually pries into the private affairs of his opponents. He would, when
informed of the arrival in town of another debater, seek someone who could
reveal the inside story of the man and would by means of a questionnaire
attempt to bare his vices in order to expose and disgrace him whenever the
need should arise. He even would inquire about the affairs of his early life
and the blemishes of his body in the hope of discovering some defect or
disfigurement such as scalp pustule and the like. Should he fear defeat at the
hands of his opponent, he would, in the course of the debate, allude to these
blemishes, especially if his opponent should remain firm and stand his
ground, and would not refrain from being outspoken if he were given to
insolence and scorn.

Rejoicing at the misfortunes of others

Another is to rejoice at the injury of others and feel depressed when

they are glad. Anyone who does not desire for his brother Muslim what he
desires for himself is far removed from the way of the believers. Thus he who
prides himself by parading his excellence is inevitably pleased at the injury of
his peers and equals who compete with him for glory. The hatred, which
exists between them, is like that, which exists between fellow wives. Just as
the one wife would tremble and turn pale at the sight of her fellow wife so
would a debater at the sight of another; his color would change and his mind
become perplexed as though he had seen a mighty devil or a hungry lion.

Deception

Another is deception, the evidence of whose blameworthiness (is well

known) and need not be enumerated. Debaters are compelled to deception
because when they meet their opponents, friends, or followers, they find it
necessary to endear themselves to them by saying nice things, which they do
not mean, by feigning to have been anxious to meet them, and by pretending
to be impressed by their station and position, while everyone present as well
as the speakers and those to whom they have spoken know that the whole
thing is untrue, false, fraudulent, and wicked. They profess their love with
their tongues while their hearts seethe with hate. From it all we seek refuge
in Allah.

The Prophet also said: “When people take to knowledge and ignore
works, when they profess love to one another with their tongue and nurse
hatred in their hearts, and when they sever the ties of relationship, which
bind them, Allah will visit His wrath upon them and curse them, He will
render their tongues mute and their eyes blind.” The truth of this tradition,
which was related by Al Hasan, has been verified as these conditions, which it
predicts have been witnessed and seen.

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 Resisting the Truth

Another is to resist truth and detest it and to persist in disputing it so

much so that the most hateful thing to a debater is to see the truth revealed
by his opponent; no matter what it may be, he would do his best to refute and
deny it and would exert his utmost in deception, trickery and fraud in order
to disprove his adversary until contention becomes in him a second nature.
He is unable to hear anything without immediately expressing his objection
to it. This habit of his would even drive him to dispute the truths of the Al
Qur’an Kareem and the words of tradition and would cause him to cite the
one in contradiction of the other.

Nifaq/Hypocrisy

Another is hypocrisy and flattering people in an effort to win their

favor and mislead. Hypocrisy is that virulent disease, which leads to the
gravest of the major sins. The debater wants nothing but to put himself
forward before people, and to gain their approval and praise.

The greatest of the secret sins

These ten traits are among the greatest secret sins. Others who lack
restraint, may engage in controversies leading to the exchange of blows,
kicking, boxing, tearing garments, plucking beards, cursing parents,
denouncing teachers, and outright slander. Such people, however, are not
considered respectable human beings. The prominent and sober among them
do not go beyond the preceding ten traits. One may be free of this or that trait
with regard to his inferiors or superiors whatever the case may be, or with
regard to people outside his community or his sphere of work. Yet in his
attitude towards his peers, who are equal to him in position, the debater is
guilty of all these traits. Each of these ten traits may give rise to ten other
vices, which we shall neither discuss nor explain at the present time. They
include snobbishness, anger, hatred, greed, the desire to seek money and
power in order to attain triumph, boasting, gaiety, arrogance, exalting the
wealthy and those in authority as well as frequenting their places and
partaking of their unlawful riches, parading with horses, state coaches, and
outlawed garments, showing contempt to people by being vain and
ostentatious, meddling in the affairs of others, talkativeness, the
disappearance of awe, fear and mercy from the heart, absentmindedness to
an extent that the worshiper would no longer be aware of what he prayed, or
read, or who had communed with him during the prayer.” (Ghazali, 2007)

The way forward

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Imam Malik bin Anas Radhi Allahu ‘anhu the leader of the ‘Ulema of Madinatul
Munawwarah, the Great Imam, was the most knowledgeable of the Ulema of hadith
transmitted by the people of Madinah. He was well acquainted with the practices of
the People of Madinah, known as the A’mal of Madinah. He was well acquainted with
the practices and decisions of Sayyidinaa Umar ibn al Khattab, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar,
Sayyida Umm ul Mu’mineen, Aaisha Siddiqah and several prominent Fuqaha from
amongst the Sahabah’s Ridhwaan Allahu ta ‘ala ajma’een.

Imam Malik’s Radhi Allahu ‘anhu, collection of Hadith “The Muwatta” the fruit of
forty years of scholarly effort was one of the first books on Islamic Jurisprudence.
When asked by the Khalifah Mansur for permission to have copies made and
distributed to the new Muslim regions with the intent of getting people to follow it
alone, Imam Malik outright rejected such a notion. He is reported that he said to al
Mansur;

“Don't do this. People [in various parts of the Muslim lands] already possess a
body of knowledge based on reports they have received and sayings of the
Prophet they have heard prior to this. Each group of people acts according to
what came to it first, and so there are variations in people's practices. Leave the
people of each region to follow what they themselves choose."

The khaleefah acquiesced in Maalik's wish and prayed that God should grant him
success. [Hujjat Allaah al Baalighah, 307; al Fikr al Saamee, 1/336.]

Maalik's advice to the khaleefah and his refusal to have al Muwattaa' - a book he
had worked on so scrupulously and for so long - officially prescribed as the
standard text of hadeeth and jurisprudence leave us in no doubt about his breadth
of understanding and open-mindedness as well as his complete lack of egoism. He
was able to see the limits and dangers of authoritarian rule.” (Awani, 2007)

Al Layth's Letter to Maalik

Perhaps one of the best practical examples of the ethics and norms of
disagreement was the letter sent to Maalik by al Layth ibn Sa`d, the leading
scholar and jurist in Egypt at the time. The letter, in which al Layth gave his
views on the various issues on which he differed with Maalik, was a hallmark
of knowledge and gracefulness. The letter is too long to quote in full, but here
are a few excerpts to illustrate its content and tone:

From your letter which I have received, I am pleased to know that you are in
good health. May God make your health last and enable you to show
gratitude to Him. May He shower more of His abundant goodness on you . . .

You have been informed that I make juristic rulings for people which are at
variance with the practice of the people of Madinah. You pointed out that I
should fear for my own soul about the verdicts I make for the people here
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and also that they should follow the practice of the people of Madinah, to
which the Prophet migrated and in which the Qur'an was revealed. What you
have written in this respect, God willing, is right and I trust that my response
to your comments will please you.

Among those who are blessed with knowledge, there is no one who dislikes
odd or contrary verdicts more than I, or who has a greater preference for the
past scholars of Madinah, or who adopts more readily the verdicts on which
they are unanimous. Praise and gratitude are due to God, the Lord and
Sustainer of the worlds. No associate has He.

Al Layth ibn Sa`d goes on to state the differences of opinion between him and
Maalik over the authority of the practice of the people of Madinah. He points
out that many of the early Companions of the Prophet who were brought up
under his guidance and instruction had disseminated the teachings of the
Qur'an and the Sunnah through various lands as far as they could. He also
pointed out that the followers of the second generation had their differences
of opinion about many issues. By way of example, he mentions Rabee`ah ibn
Abee `Abd al Rahmaan, but states his disagreement with him on certain
matters. Then he says:

In spite of this, praise be to God, Rabee`ah was a person who possessed

abundant goodness. He had an original mind and an eloquent tongue. He was
a man of obvious grace and good manners, and had a genuine love for his
fellow Muslims in general and for us in particular. May God grant him His
mercy and forgiveness and the best recompense for his deeds.

Next, Ibn Sa`d mentions some of the issues over which he and Maalik were at
variance, for example: combining Salaat al Maghrib and al `Ishaa' on a rainy
night; passing judgment on the evidence of a single witness; paying the
delayed portion of a dowry only in the event of a divorce; performing the
Prayer for Rain (Salaat al Istisqaa') before delivering the khutbah (sermon).

Ibn Sa`d concludes his letter by saying:

I have omitted many issues apart from these. I pray that God grants you
success and long life because of what I hope people will benefit thereby and
because of what I fear they will lose with the passing away of one such as
you. Let me assure you of my feeling of nearness to you in spite of the
distance that separates us. This is the position of esteem in which I hold you.
Do not stop writing to me with news of yourself, your children and family, or
if there is anything you want me to do for you personally or for anyone for
whom you have a special concern. I would be most pleased to do any service
in this regard. At the time of writing this letter, we are in good health, praise
be to God. We ask God to enable us to thank Him for what He has favored us
with and to continue to bestow His favors on us. May the peace and mercy of
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 God be on you. [The full text of al Layth's letter is given in I`laam al
Muwaqqi`een, 3/83-88; and in al Fikr al Saamee, 1/370-6.] (Awani, 2007)

We pray that Allahu ta ‘ala allow us to be sincere lovers and supporters of the
truthful Ulema. We ask that Allahu ta ‘ala remove hatred for the scholars and the
Muslims from our hearts. We ask that Allahu ta ‘ala forgive us for the disparaging
remarks we may have made against the scholars and protect us for doing so in the
future. We ask Allahu ta ‘ala to allow us to return to the way of the true scholars
from among the Salaf as Salihon, the noble Companions, their students and their
students. Ameen

Wa Sall Allahu ‘alaa Sayyidinaa wa Mawlaana Muhammadin wa ‘alaa Aalihi wa

Ashaabihi wa Ahli Baytihi wa Azwaajihi wa Dhurriyaatihi wa Awliyaaihi wa
Mashaaikhunaa, wa sallimu tasliman kathiran kathira, Ya Khayran Naasireen, Wal
hamdulillahi Rabbil ‘ aalameen.

Works Cited
Awani, S. T. (2007, August 03). The Ethics of Disagreement in Islam. Retrieved
August 03, 2007, from Young Muslims Canada:
http://www.youngmuslims.ca/online_library/books/ethics_of_disagreement_in_isla
m/index.htm
Ghazali, A. H. (2007, August 03). Al Ghazalli Ihya Entirety. Retrieved August 03,
2007 , from www.Allah.com: http://www.allah.com/cgi-
bin/mt.cgi?lang=en&cfile=AlGhazalisIhya-Entirety
Hanbali, I. R. (2001). The Heirs of the Prophets: Introduction and Translation by
Zaid Shakir. Chicago: StarLatch Press.
Qushayri, A. K. (1990). Risalatul Qushayriyyah: the Principlesof Sufism Translated
by B.R. Von Schlegell. Berkeley, California: Mizan Press.

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 Index
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar ............................... 14
Aaisha Siddiqah ....................................... 14
'Abdullah ................................................ 6, 14
Abu Dawud ................................................... 6
Abu Haneefah .............................................. 9
Abu Hazim..................................................... 7
Abu Yusuf ...................................................... 9
Ahmad ibn Hanbal ..................................... 9
Al Imam Shaykh Sayyid Mubaarik Ali
Gilani .......................................................... 7
Al Layth ibn Sa`d...................................... 15
Ghazali ............................................. 6, 14, 16
Ghazzali ....................................................... 10
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Hasan [al Basri]........................................... 7
Ibn Maajah .................................................... 6
Ibn Rajab Al Hanbali ................................. 6
Ibn Sa`d ................................................ 15, 16
Imam Ahmad........................................... 6, 7
Imam Malik ................................................ 14
Maalik by al Layth ibn Sa`d.................. 15
Muwatta ...................................................... 14
Sa`eed ibn al Musayyib............................. 9
Sayyidinaa Abu Dardaa ............................ 5
Sayyidinaa Umar ibn al Khattab ........ 14
Sufyaan ath Thawri ................................... 6
Tirmidhi ......................................................... 6
15