The differing that has occurred between the people of Sunnah will disappear by the implementing following affairs:
- Judging by the Qurʾān and Sunnah. Allah ﷻ said,
۞ فَإِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآَخِرِ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا
“O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination.” (Q 4:59)
And His ﷻ statement;
۞ وَمَا اخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِيهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَحُكْمُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ
“And in whatsoever you differ, the decision thereof is with Allah (He is the ruling Judge).” (Q 42:10)
And His ﷻ statement;
وَإِذَا جَاءَهُمْ أَمْرٌ مِنَ الْأَمْنِ أَوِ الْخَوْفِ أَذَاعُوا بِهِ وَلَوْ رَدُّوهُ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ وَإِلَى أُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْهُم لَعَلِمَهُ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَنْبِطُونَهُ مِنْهُمْ
۞ وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ لَاتَّبَعْتُمُ الشَّيْطَانَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
“When there comes to them some matter touching (public) safety or fear, they make it known (among the people), if only they had referred it to the Messenger or to those charged with authority among them, the proper investigators would have understood it from them (directly). Had it not been for the Grace and Mercy of Allah upon you, you would have followed Shayṭān (Satan), save a few of you.” (Q 4:83)
- Likewise, that you ask the people of knowledge from the people of Sunnah. Allah ﷻ said,
۞ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
“So ask of those who know the Scripture if you know not.” (Q 16:43)
However there are some students of knowledge who are pleased with the knowledge that they possess and use it to argue with every person who opposes him, and this is a reason for splitting and differing. It has been reported by al-Tirmidhī in his al-Jāmī by way of Abī ʿUmāmah who said that the Prophet ﷺ said “No people went astray after being upon guidance except they engage in arguments thereafter.” Then he recited,
۞ مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلَّا جَدَلًا بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ
“They did not present the comparison except for [mere] argument. But, [in fact], they are a people prone to dispute.” (Q 43:58)
- Likewise from among the cures for differing is knowledge.
If you examine your own shortcomings and understood that you are nothing in comparison to the early scholars such as al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Kathīr and those who came before him from the eminent ḥufāẓ in various subjects, if you were to look at those ḥufāẓ, this would have occupied you from criticizing others.
- Looking at the differing that occurred between the companions and those who came after them from the eminent scholars.
If you looked into their differences you would perceive the one who opposes you to be upon soundness and you would not request him to submit to your opinion and you would have understood that by you asking him to submit to your view, you are calling him to completely disregard his understanding and intellect, and in reality you are calling him to blind-follow you and blind-following is prohibited in Islam.
Allah ﷻ stated;
۞ وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ
“And follow not that of which you have no knowledge.” (Q 17:36)
And other than that from the extensive evidences stated by al-Shawkānī in his book “Beneficial Speech in Evidences of Ijtihād and Taqlīd”
- Likewise to consider the state of the Islamic community and what has engulfed it from dangers,
And also the fact that many of its people are ignorant of this. For if you were to look at the Islamic Community, it would occupy you from busying yourself with your brother whom you differ with in understanding, and you would give precedence to that which is more important. Since when the Prophet ﷺ sent Muʿādh to Yemen he said to him, “Make the testimony that there is none who has the right to be worshipped in truth except Allah ﷻ and that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah the first thing you call them to” this ḥadīth is agreed upon from the narration of Ibn ʿAbbās.”