Islam is the solution for humanity:
The Islam that the beloved Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (peace be upon him) was sent with contains solutions to all religious, worldly, economic, social, political, and communal issues of humanity. This is why Allah, the Almighty, has commanded humanity to fully enter into it:
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ادْخُلُوا فِي السِّلْمِ كَافَّةً وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُوَاتِ الشَّيْطَانِ ۚ إِنَّهُ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِينٌ﴾
“O you who have believed, enter into Islam completely and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.”
In this noble verse, Allah, the Almighty, has commanded the people of Islam to accept Islam with all its details and particulars, and not to be like those who became slaves to their desires, taking what suited their wishes and leaving what did not.
No person can truly follow complete Islam unless he makes opposing Satan the mission of his life. This is why Allah, the Almighty, forbade following Satan and warned that he is your clear enemy. You also know that this rejected and cursed one showed open enmity to your father Adam and caused him to be expelled from Paradise.
Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said that in this noble verse, “O you who have believed” refers to some of the People of the Book who had accepted Islam but still clung to some of the laws and ordinances of the Torah. This verse was revealed regarding them, commanding them to accept the entire religion of Mustafa (peace be upon him) and not to leave any part of it, and that merely believing in the Torah would no longer suffice.
﴿وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ﴾
“And whoever desires other than Islam as religion – never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.”
Because the Book and Sunnah contain solutions to all the problems of humanity. Allah Almighty has said:
﴿وَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ تِبْيَانًا لِّكُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ﴾
“And We have sent down to you the Book as clarification for all things and as guidance and mercy and good tidings for the Muslims.”
Some Jews said to Sayyiduna Salman al-Farsi (may Allah be pleased with him):
لقد علمكم نبيكم صلى الله عليه وسلم كل شى حتى الخراءة فقال: أجل نهانا أن نستقبل القبلة بغائط أو بول أو نستنجي باليمين وأن نستنجي بأقل من ثلاثة أحجار أو نستنجي برجيع أو عظم
“Has your Prophet (peace be upon him) taught you everything, even how to relieve yourself?” Sayyiduna Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: Yes! He forbade us from facing the Qiblah while urinating or defecating, and from cleaning ourselves with the right hand, from cleaning with fewer than three stones, and from cleaning with a bone splinter.
Make every decision according to the religion of Islam:
The religion of Islam requires that every decision be made according to the religion of Islam. Allah Almighty says:
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ ۖ فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا﴾
“O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result.”
Mujahid and other scholars of the Salaf have said that “refer it to Allah and the Messenger” means the Quran and Sunnah. In this part of the verse, Muslims are commanded that if there is any dispute among them, its decision should be according to the Quran and Sunnah. This is the requirement of faith in Allah and the Last Day. It is clear that whoever does not accept the ruling of the Quran and Sunnah in any disputed matter will not be considered as one who believes in Allah and the Last Day. After that, Allah said that in referring to the Quran and Sunnah is everything, and in terms of outcome, this action is also better.
At another place, it is stated:
﴿وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْرًا أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ ۗ وَمَن يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا مُّبِينًا﴾
“And when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, there is no further choice for the believer, man or woman, in that matter. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error.”
Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) writes that the ruling mentioned in this verse includes all matters, meaning that when Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) issue a ruling in any matter, it is not permissible for anyone to oppose it, nor does anyone’s opinion or statement hold any weight, as Allah Almighty said in Surah An-Nisa, verse (65): ﴿فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّىٰ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا﴾ “By your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you, [O Muhammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in [full, willing] submission.” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir under the verse)
Our master Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said at the time of the departure of the army of Usama (may Allah be pleased with him):
لو خطفتني الكلاب والزنا لا نفذته كما أمر به رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وقد أراد قضا به رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ولو لم يبق فى القرى غيري لا نفذته
“Even if there is no one in the entire town except me, and I fear being torn apart by dogs and wolves, still I will not stop enforcing the decision implemented by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).”
And the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
وما لم تحكم آتمتهم بكتاب الله ويتخيروا مما أنزل الله إلا جعل الله بأسهم بينهم
“And until their leaders judge by the Book of Allah, Allah will cause discord among them.”
The solution to all contentious issues lies in Islam:
Disagreement is a natural human trait, but such disagreements should be resolved in the light of Islam. If ijtihad (independent reasoning) is correct, the mujtahid (one who performs ijtihad) will receive two rewards; if the mujtahid errs, he will still receive one reward for his effort. The Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) also had disagreements among themselves, but at the time of disagreement, they would adopt the opinion closest to the Book and Sunnah, and this was the practice of the Tabi‘in, Tabi‘ al-Tabi‘in, and the Imams of guidance (may Allah have mercy on them).
No person can be considered a Muslim until he accepts Islam as the final authority in all his contentious matters and practically demonstrates faith in this acceptance. Allah Almighty says:
﴿فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّىٰ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا﴾
“So by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you, [O Muhammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in [full, willing] submission.”
The Approach of the Imams of Guidance During Times of Disagreement:
The noble Imams, may Allah have mercy on them, used to prefer the opinion and ijtihad closest to the Book and Sunnah during times of disagreement. Abdullah bin Mubarak, may Allah have mercy on him, says that I heard Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him, say that when a hadith from the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is found, it is accepted wholeheartedly; if there are sayings of the Companions, then among their various sayings, we choose one; if sayings of the Tabi‘in appear, then we also perform ijtihad like them.
Ishaq bin Isa, may Allah have mercy on him, narrates that Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Whenever someone comes to debate, will we abandon the religion revealed to Muhammad, peace be upon him, through our master Jibril, peace be upon him?
Imam Shafi‘i, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “We have found the method of the Imams to be that when they wanted to say something, they would ask people about the knowledge of the Book and Sunnah. If they found any report contrary to their own opinion on an issue, they would accept the report from the Book and Sunnah. Due to their piety, they would turn to the Book and Sunnah and would not reject it. If we do not find the research of the Imams, then due to the high status and rank of the Companions, we will take their sayings. After them, following the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, is better than following the people.”
Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, used to adopt that which was closer to the Book and Sunnah among the differing issues of the Companions, but he would not go beyond the sayings of the Companions. If the preference of any opinion was not apparent to him, he would suffice with mentioning all the opinions without choosing one.
Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked: If a person in a town is asked about an issue on which people differ, what should he do? He replied: Give a fatwa in accordance with the Book and Sunnah and do not give a fatwa that is not in accordance with the Book and Sunnah.
The Conduct of the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) During Disputes:
Allah Almighty addressed all of humanity and commanded that if there is any disagreement between them in matters of religion or worldly affairs, they should resolve their issues through the Book and Sunnah.
He said:
﴿وَمَا اخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِيهِ مِن شَيْءٍ فَحُكْمُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ﴾
“And whatever you differ about, its judgment is to be referred to Allah.”
The author of Mahasin at-Tanzeel states: The verse indicates that the true religion is only Islam, and the religion and beliefs of the polytheists of Mecca and other polytheists are merely the pagan customs of their ancestors and following their own desires. Although this Surah is Makki, this verse implies that in matters where there is disagreement, the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) will be the deciding factor.” End!
Thus, whenever the companions of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) had any difference in belief or practice, they immediately sought the judgment of Allah and His Messenger, because Allah Almighty commanded all Muslims to do so.
After the death of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the first disagreement among the companions was regarding the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Commander of the Faithful, Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), swore that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had not died.
It is recorded in Sahih Bukhari that Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that when Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came out, he saw Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) addressing the people. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Umar, sit down, but he did not sit. Everyone turned to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and left Umar. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) addressed the people:
أما بعد ! من كان منكم يعبد محمدا فإن محمدا قد مات، ومن كان منكم يعبد الله فإن الله حق لا يموت
“Whoever worshipped Muhammad (peace be upon him), then know that Muhammad (peace be upon him) has died, and whoever worshipped Allah, then indeed Allah is Ever-Living and does not die.”
Allah, Glorified and Exalted, says:
﴿وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ ۚ أَفَإِن مَّاتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انقَلَبْتُمْ عَلَىٰ أَعْقَابِكُمْ ۚ وَمَن يَنقَلِبْ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ فَلَن يَضُرَّ اللَّهَ شَيْئًا ۗ وَسَيَجْزِي اللَّهُ الشَّاكِرِينَ﴾
“Muhammad is no more than a messenger; messengers before him have passed away. If he dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels? And whoever turns back on his heels will never harm Allah at all; but Allah will reward the grateful.”
He recited this noble verse. Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) said: By Allah! It seemed as if the people were unaware of the revelation of this verse.
When Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) recited this verse, people began to repeat it. Saeed bin Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him) said that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
والله! ما هو إلا أن سمعت أبا بكر تلاها فعقرت حتى ما تقلني رجلاي وحتى أهويت إلى الأرض حين سمعته تلاها: أن النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم قد مات
“By Allah! When Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) recited this verse, I became so overwhelmed that I could not stand on my feet and fell to the ground. After hearing this verse, I too became certain that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had passed away.”
After this, the second disagreement was about the appointment of the Caliph after the Prophet (peace be upon him). But this was also resolved by the Sunnah of the Messenger الأئمة من قريش “i.e., the Caliph is from among the Quraysh.”
Ibn al-Arabi (may Allah have mercy on him) says: The Ansar gathered at Saqifah Bani Sa’idah and were consulting among themselves, unable to decide what to do. When the Muhajirun heard about it, they said among themselves: Let the Ansar be called here. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: No, we will go to them ourselves. Among the Muhajirun, Abu Bakr, Umar, and Abu Ubaidah (may Allah be pleased with them) went. Discussions took place. Some of the Ansar said that one leader should be from the Muhajirun and one leader from the Ansar. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said many beneficial things and further said: ولكنا الأمرا وأنتم الوزراء
“We will be the leaders and you will be the ministers.”
Because the Prophetic command is that the leaders should be from Quraysh. I urge good treatment of the Ansar, accept their righteous ones, and forgive anyone among them who commits a wrong.
Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said that Allah has given us the title of “Siddiqeen” (the truthful) and has given you the title of “Mufliheen” (the successful), and you are commanded to remain with us in every condition:
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ﴾
“O you who believe! Fear Allah and be with those who are true.”
Besides this, he mentioned many correct points and strong arguments. The Ansar expressed their consent and pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) as Caliph.
Then among the companions, there was disagreement about where to bury the Prophet (peace be upon him). This disagreement was also resolved by the Hadith of the Messenger (peace be upon him).
Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) says that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) passed away, there was disagreement among the people about where to bury him. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say, and he had not forgotten it. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
ما قبض الله نبيا إلا فى الموضع الذى يحب أذيدفن فيه
“Allah causes no Prophet to die except in the place where he wishes to be buried.”
Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
أدفنوہ فى موضع فراشه
“Then bury him in the place of his bed,” and thus the disagreement ended.
Then the disagreement that occurred after Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) became Caliph was between Sayyiduna Ali, Abbas, and Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with them) and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him).
Umm al-Mu’minin Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) says that Fatimah bint Rasulullah (peace be upon him) requested inheritance from Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet’s estate after his death. Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال لا نورث ما تركنا فهو صدقة
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “We do not leave any inheritance; whatever we leave is charity.”
It should be noted that this ruling of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was accepted by Sayyiduna Ali al-Murtaza (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyida Fatimah az-Zahra (may Allah be pleased with her).
There are many such incidents where whenever the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) had any disagreement regarding an event, they sought evidence from the Quran and Sunnah, and when they found proof, the disagreement was resolved. This was the practical interpretation of this verse:
﴿فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ﴾
“When you differ in any matter, refer it to the Book and Sunnah.”
Allama Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned the stance of the Khair al-Qurun (the best of generations), summarized as: The companions took the religion from the Prophet (peace be upon him) and told the Tabi‘in that this is the will of the Prophet (peace be upon him) which we are conveying to you.
The great Tabi‘in also lived by this method. Then the followers of the Tabi‘in also followed this straight path. Similarly, the Imams of the Mutabi‘in (followers) remained on this methodology.
These Imams turned to Qiyas (analogy) and Ijtihad (independent reasoning) only when they could not find evidence from the Book and Sunnah. Because Allah’s religion was held in the highest esteem in their hearts, it was a great matter for them that no opinion, analogy, or reasoning should be advanced against the ways of the companions and Tabi‘in or that any imitation should be preferred.
For this reason, they were praised throughout the world, and Allah gave them a great status among later generations. Likewise, their followers also followed their methods without any prejudice. They proceeded only with proof and evidence, and wherever the truth was, they remained in that caravan.
The purpose of this presentation is that in the Prophetic era, the era of the companions, and those who followed their guidance and adherence, no one was biased towards any statement, no matter how exalted it was. Rather, when they found someone’s statement contrary to evidence, they refuted it with respect and wisdom. Even when they found the sayings and actions of some rulers and governors contrary to the Sunnah, they did not hesitate to refute them, nor did fear of blame remain in their hearts, because the greatness of religion in their hearts was greater than the greatness of anyone else.
Al-Jannabi says: Sayyiduna Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) used to touch all four corners of the Ka‘bah during Tawaf. Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) rebuked him and said that only two corners (Hajr al-Aswad and Rukn al-Yamani) should be touched. Sayyiduna Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The House of Allah cannot be left with any part untouched.
Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Zubair (may Allah be pleased with them) also touched all the corners. It is also recorded in Musnad Ahmad and Sunan at-Tirmidhi that Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) finally said to Sayyiduna Muawiyah:
﴿لَّقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ﴾
“That is, in the person of the beloved Messenger (peace be upon him), you have your following and adherence.”
Sayyiduna Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: You have spoken correctly.
The fatwas of the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were based on the evidence of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace be upon him). They had no affiliation with any school of jurisprudence nor any sectarian differences that caused friendship or enmity. This was the case throughout the Khair al-Qurun.
