The Prophet's Prayer From The beginning To The End As Though ...

I say: The best that I have found in answer to this is what Haafiz Ibn Katheer has mentioned in his
Sharh Ikhtisaar 'Uloom al-Hadeeth (p.31), that Imaam Maalik said, "Indeed the people have come
together on, and know of, things which we are not acquainted with." This was part of the excellence
of his wisdom and impartiality, as Ibn Katheer (rahimahullaah) says.
Hence, it is proved that all differing is bad, not a mercy! However, one type of differing is
reprehensible, such as that of staunch followers of the Madhhabs, while another type is not
blameworthy, such as the differing of the Companions and the Imaams who succeeded them - May
Allaah raise us in their company, and give us the capability to tread their path.
Therefore, it is clear that the differing of the Companions was not like that of the muqallideen.
Briefly: the Companions only differed when it was inevitable, but they used to hate disputes, and
would avoid them whenever possible; as for the muqallideen, even though it is possible in a great
many cases to avoid differing, they do not agree nor strive towards unity; in fact, they uphold
differing. Hence there is an enormous gulf between these two types of people in their difference of
opinion.
This was from the point of view of cause.
B) The difference in effect is more obvious.
The Companions (radi Allaahu 'anhum), despite their well- known differing in non-fundamental
issues, were extremely careful to preserve outward unity, staying well-away from anything which
would divide them and split their ranks. For example, there were among them those who approved
of saying the basmalah loudly (in prayer) and those who did not; there were those who held that
raising the hands (in prayer) was recommended and those who did not; there were those who held
that touching a woman nullified ablution, and those who did not; - but despite all that, they would
all pray together behind one imaam, and none of them would disdain from praying behind an
imaam due to difference of opinion.
As for the muqallideen, their differing is totally opposite, for it has caused Muslims to be divided
inthe mightiest pillar of faith after the two testifications of faith: none other than the Salaah (Prayer).
They refuse to pray together behind one imaam, arguing that the imaam's prayer is invalid, or at
least detestable, for someone of a different Madhhab. This we have heard and seen, as others beside
us have seen 12 ; how can it not be, when nowadays some famous books of the Madhhabs rule such
cases of invalidity or detestability. The result of this has been that you find four Mihraabs (alcoves) in
some large congregational mosques, in which four imaams successively lead the Prayer, and you
find people waiting for their imaam while another imaam is already standing in Prayer!!!
In fact, to some muqallideen, the difference between the Madhhabs has reached a worse state than
that, such as a ban in marriage between Hanafees and Shaafi'is; one well known Hanafi scholar, later
nicknamed Mufti ath-Thaqalayn (The Mufti for Humans and Jinn), issued a fatwaa allowing a Hanafi
man to marry a Shaafi'i woman, because "her position is like that of the People of the Book" 13 ! This
implies - and implied meanings are acceptable to them - that the reverse case is not allowed, i.e. a
Hanafi woman marrying a Shaafi'i man, just as a Muslim woman cannot marry a Jew or Christian!!
These two examples, out of many, are enough to illustrate to anyone intelligent the evil effects of the
differing of the later generations and their insistence upon it, unlike the differing of the earlier
generations (the Salaf), which did not have any adverse effect on the Ummah. Because of this, the
latter are exempt from the verses prohibiting division in the Deen, unlike the later generations. May
Allaah guide us all to the Straight Path.
١٤