Author: Mawlānā Irshād al-Ḥaqq Atharī
In his famous work “Kitāb al-Sharīʿah”, Imām Abū Bakr Muḥammad bin al-Ḥusayn bin ʿAbd Allāh al-Ājurī established a dedicated chapter titled:
باب ذكر الكف عما شجر بين أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ورحمة الله علیهم اجمعین
“Chapter: On Refraining from Discussing the Disputes that Occurred Among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and May Allah’s Mercy Be Upon Them All.”
This is chapter no. 725, on page 932 (marked edition). Imām al-Ājurī elaborated on this subject in detail across ten pages, citing numerous proofs for his position. Leaving aside the evidences, we shall suffice here with a summary of his viewpoint:
One who reflects upon what we have written regarding the virtues of the noble Companions and Ahl al-Bayt must love them all sincerely, supplicate for their mercy and forgiveness, and seek closeness to Allah through their love.
He must avoid mentioning or investigating the disputes that occurred among them. We have been commanded to seek forgiveness for them, pray for their mercy, love them, and follow them – as confirmed by the Qur’an, Prophetic Hadith, and the statements of the Imams of the Muslims.
We have no need to discuss the disputes among them. They were blessed with the companionship of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and were honored by kinship with him. Because of this noble companionship, Allah forgave them, as explicitly declared in His Book. Allah guaranteed in His Book that He would not expose any of them to disgrace on the Day of Judgment. Their characteristics were mentioned with praise in the Torah and the Gospel, and Allah described their repentance and expressed His pleasure and approval with them.
If someone says: “I only want to learn about these disputes to understand the conditions they faced,” we respond: You are seeking fitnah (tribulation)! You are pursuing something that brings harm, not benefit. Instead, you should have focused on self-rectification by fulfilling obligations and avoiding prohibitions, especially in this time of widespread innovations. You should be concerned with whether your food, drink, clothing, and wealth are from lawful sources and spent lawfully.
We fear that your probing into these disputes will lead your heart towards bidʿah, and you will become a toy in the hands of Shayṭān. You are commanded to love them, pray for their forgiveness, and follow them. If you instead begin to revile them and harbor hatred, then you are upon a path of falsehood.
Whoever praises some companions and reviles others, targeting them with criticism and insult, is embroiled in fitnah, because it is obligatory upon him to love all the Companions and seek forgiveness for all of them.
[Kitāb al-Sharīʿah, vol. 5, pp. 2385, 2491]
Conclusion by the Author:
There is no need for further commentary on the words of Imām Abū Bakr al-Ājurī. Without a doubt, engaging in debates over the disputes among the Companions leads to the very outcome he warned against – and numerous other scholars of the Ummah have echoed this warning repeatedly.
[Disputes Among the Companions and the Position of the Salaf, pp. 41–42]
Imām Muḥyī al-Dīn Abū Zakariyyā Yaḥyā bin Sharaf al-Nawawī, in his commentary on Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, writes:
"The belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Ḥaqq is to hold good opinion of the Companions, to remain silent regarding their disputes, and to interpret their conflicts positively. All of them were mujtahids and people of understanding. They did not seek sin or mere worldly gains. Rather, every group believed they were upon the truth, and that their opponents were rebellious, thus deserving of being fought until they returned to Allah’s command. Some were correct, others erred – but the one who errs in ijtihād is not sinful."
ʿAlī رضي الله عنه was correct in these battles, and this is the position of Ahl al-Sunnah. These matters were so confusing that a group of Companions remained neutral, uncertain about who was correct. Had they been sure, they would never have refrained from supporting the truth.
[Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, vol. 2, p. 390 | Kitāb al-Fitan, Bāb: When Two Muslims Meet with Their Swords…]
In the beginning of “Kitāb Faḍāʾil al-Ṣaḥābah”, Imām al-Nawawī elaborates on the same position in more detail. A summary is presented below:
The caliphate of ʿAlī رضي الله عنه is unanimously agreed upon. He was the rightful caliph of his time. There was no other legitimate caliph during that period.
Muʿāwiyah رضي الله عنه was among the just, virtuous, and noble Companions. The conflicts between them arose from mutual misunderstanding. Every group believed they were upon truth. Both parties are just, and their participation in battle was based on ijtihād. Nothing from these events negates their justice, for they were all mujtahids.
Just as later jurists differed over issues like qiṣāṣ (retaliation in law), so too did the Companions differ over certain unresolved matters. These disputes caused three distinct groups to form:
① One group believed they were upon truth and that the opposing group were rebels;
② The second group believed the same about themselves;
③ The third group remained neutral due to the complexity of the matter.
Had the neutral group known for certain which side was correct, they would not have refrained from support. All of these individuals are excused, and Ahl al-Ḥaqq are unanimous in affirming their ʿadālah (uprightness), and their ḥadīth and testimony are accepted.
[Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, vol. 2, p. 272 | also: Mishājirāt al-Ṣaḥābah wa Mawqif al-Salaf, pp. 60–61]
❖ Disputes Among the Noble Companions (رضي الله عنهم)
The Position of the Salaf
Statement of Imām Muḥammad bin al-Ḥusayn al-Ājurī (d. 360 AH)
In his famous work “Kitāb al-Sharīʿah”, Imām Abū Bakr Muḥammad bin al-Ḥusayn bin ʿAbd Allāh al-Ājurī established a dedicated chapter titled:
باب ذكر الكف عما شجر بين أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ورحمة الله علیهم اجمعین
“Chapter: On Refraining from Discussing the Disputes that Occurred Among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and May Allah’s Mercy Be Upon Them All.”
This is chapter no. 725, on page 932 (marked edition). Imām al-Ājurī elaborated on this subject in detail across ten pages, citing numerous proofs for his position. Leaving aside the evidences, we shall suffice here with a summary of his viewpoint:
❖ Summary of Imām al-Ājurī’s Position
One who reflects upon what we have written regarding the virtues of the noble Companions and Ahl al-Bayt must love them all sincerely, supplicate for their mercy and forgiveness, and seek closeness to Allah through their love.
He must avoid mentioning or investigating the disputes that occurred among them. We have been commanded to seek forgiveness for them, pray for their mercy, love them, and follow them – as confirmed by the Qur’an, Prophetic Hadith, and the statements of the Imams of the Muslims.
We have no need to discuss the disputes among them. They were blessed with the companionship of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and were honored by kinship with him. Because of this noble companionship, Allah forgave them, as explicitly declared in His Book. Allah guaranteed in His Book that He would not expose any of them to disgrace on the Day of Judgment. Their characteristics were mentioned with praise in the Torah and the Gospel, and Allah described their repentance and expressed His pleasure and approval with them.
If someone says: “I only want to learn about these disputes to understand the conditions they faced,” we respond: You are seeking fitnah (tribulation)! You are pursuing something that brings harm, not benefit. Instead, you should have focused on self-rectification by fulfilling obligations and avoiding prohibitions, especially in this time of widespread innovations. You should be concerned with whether your food, drink, clothing, and wealth are from lawful sources and spent lawfully.
We fear that your probing into these disputes will lead your heart towards bidʿah, and you will become a toy in the hands of Shayṭān. You are commanded to love them, pray for their forgiveness, and follow them. If you instead begin to revile them and harbor hatred, then you are upon a path of falsehood.
Whoever praises some companions and reviles others, targeting them with criticism and insult, is embroiled in fitnah, because it is obligatory upon him to love all the Companions and seek forgiveness for all of them.
[Kitāb al-Sharīʿah, vol. 5, pp. 2385, 2491]Conclusion by the Author:
There is no need for further commentary on the words of Imām Abū Bakr al-Ājurī. Without a doubt, engaging in debates over the disputes among the Companions leads to the very outcome he warned against – and numerous other scholars of the Ummah have echoed this warning repeatedly.
[Disputes Among the Companions and the Position of the Salaf, pp. 41–42]
Statement of Imām al-Nawawī (d. 676 AH)
Imām Muḥyī al-Dīn Abū Zakariyyā Yaḥyā bin Sharaf al-Nawawī, in his commentary on Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, writes:
"The belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Ḥaqq is to hold good opinion of the Companions, to remain silent regarding their disputes, and to interpret their conflicts positively. All of them were mujtahids and people of understanding. They did not seek sin or mere worldly gains. Rather, every group believed they were upon the truth, and that their opponents were rebellious, thus deserving of being fought until they returned to Allah’s command. Some were correct, others erred – but the one who errs in ijtihād is not sinful."
ʿAlī رضي الله عنه was correct in these battles, and this is the position of Ahl al-Sunnah. These matters were so confusing that a group of Companions remained neutral, uncertain about who was correct. Had they been sure, they would never have refrained from supporting the truth.
[Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, vol. 2, p. 390 | Kitāb al-Fitan, Bāb: When Two Muslims Meet with Their Swords…]❖ Summary from Kitāb Faḍāʾil al-Ṣaḥābah by Imām al-Nawawī
In the beginning of “Kitāb Faḍāʾil al-Ṣaḥābah”, Imām al-Nawawī elaborates on the same position in more detail. A summary is presented below:
The caliphate of ʿAlī رضي الله عنه is unanimously agreed upon. He was the rightful caliph of his time. There was no other legitimate caliph during that period.
Muʿāwiyah رضي الله عنه was among the just, virtuous, and noble Companions. The conflicts between them arose from mutual misunderstanding. Every group believed they were upon truth. Both parties are just, and their participation in battle was based on ijtihād. Nothing from these events negates their justice, for they were all mujtahids.
Just as later jurists differed over issues like qiṣāṣ (retaliation in law), so too did the Companions differ over certain unresolved matters. These disputes caused three distinct groups to form:
① One group believed they were upon truth and that the opposing group were rebels;
② The second group believed the same about themselves;
③ The third group remained neutral due to the complexity of the matter.
Had the neutral group known for certain which side was correct, they would not have refrained from support. All of these individuals are excused, and Ahl al-Ḥaqq are unanimous in affirming their ʿadālah (uprightness), and their ḥadīth and testimony are accepted.
[Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, vol. 2, p. 272 | also: Mishājirāt al-Ṣaḥābah wa Mawqif al-Salaf, pp. 60–61]
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