THE DIFFERENCE IN MUSLIM SOCIETY

Immediate after the death of prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.w) Muslims started to group in various sects due to their differences in opinion about some important principles of religion and leadership. 

The first difference in the principles of religion occurred over the issue of Imamate {imamah} or khilafah (caliphate).

Shahristani says, “The most significant difference in Islam is the difference over the Imamate (caliphate) and over none of the other principles of religion was swords unsheathed.”

Nawbakhti also says: The Messenger of Allah (S) passed away ten years after the migration {hijrah} at the age of 63 and with 23 years of apostolic mission… At the time, the ummah of Islam was divided into three groups:
A group was called “Shi‘ah” which was composed of the followers {shi‘ah} of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (‘a) from which all the Shi‘ah subgroups separated.

The second group claiming leadership and rule were the “Ansar” and the third group was inclined toward Abu Bakr ibn Abi Quhafah, saying: “The Holy Prophet (S) did not specify a certain person as the successor, and left the decision for it to the ummah (all Muslims to decide).”

There have been discussions and debates between the Shi‘ah and other Muslims over the issue of Imamate.

Yet, the difference on other principles of the religion emerged during the latter part of the first century and early second century AH.

As Shahristani says: Difference on the principles emerged during the last days of the sahabah such as Ma‘bad Jahanni, Ghilan Damishqi and Yunus Aswari regarding predestination {qadr}, the relationship of good {khayr} and evil {sharr} to predestination.

Wasil ibn ‘Ata’, a student of Hasan al-Basri and ‘Amru ibn ‘Ubayd, had added things to the questions of predestination.

Among the scholastic {kalami} sects during those periods were the Wa‘idiyyah, Khawarij, Murji’ah, and Jabariyyah.

Of course, the scholastic discussion had reached its optimal point when Wasil ibn ‘Ata’ separated from the assembly of Hasan al-Basri and founded the Mu‘tazilah sect.

In this manner, the Mu‘tazilah school, based mainly on rational deductions, was against the Ahl al-Hadith which was called “Hashawiyyah”.

It was so until such time that at the end of the third century AH, Abu’l-Hasan al-Ash‘ari separated from the Mu‘tazilah school and engaged in defending the Ahl al-Hadith school of thought within rational frameworks, and his school became known later as the Ash‘ari school.

After that, the Mu‘tazilah made no progress, and kept on withdrawing in face of the Ahl al-Hadith so much so that now, the official scholastic theology of the Ahl as-Sunnah is the Ash‘ari scholasticism.

The Shi‘ah scholastic theology is the oldest of all Muslim scholastic schools. ‘Imam Ali (‘a), the first infallible Imam acknowledged by the Shi‘ah has discussed the questions on beliefs such as monotheism {tawhid}, predestination and freewill, and Attributes of God, and this kind of discussions has been recorded in Nahj al-Balaghah in the language of the Imam himself.

Few days after the event of Saqifah, they debated with Abu Bakr at the Mosque of the Prophet (S) and cornered him.

After them, a person such as Abu Dharr al-Ghiffari had also not remained silent vis-à-vis the usurpers of the right of the Commander of the Faithful (‘a) to such an extent that ‘Uthman ibn al-‘Affan was finally convinced to banish him to Sham and Rabdhah.

‘Abd Allah ibn al-‘Abbas, the Prophet’s (‘a) cousin, a student of ‘Ali (‘a), mufassir of the Qur’an, scholar, and an outstanding Hashimite statesman, was one of the defenders of the Shi‘ah school and always championing the rightfulness of ‘Ali (‘a) to such an extent that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab found fault with him for always saying, “Our right has been usurped.”

Ibn al-‘Abbas (r.a) became blind in his old age and one day he heard some people uttering abusive language against imam Ally (‘a).
He said to his son ‘Ali: “Hold my hand and take me there.” When he was near them, he said: “Which of you was abusing God?!” They replied, “None.”

He asked, “Which of you was abusing the Prophet?” “None,” they answered.

He asked again, which of you abused amirul muumin Ali ibn Abi Talib? They replied most of us.

He said, I heard the prophet of Allah saying that whoever abuses Ali abused me, and whoever abused me abused Allah. Surely Allah will through him in the Hell fire. So by insulting Imam Ally you have insulted all of them. Shame is on all of you.

Among the companions of the Commander of the Faithful (‘a), prominent figures such as Sa‘sa‘ah ibn Sawhan, Maytham at-Tammar, Kumayl ibn Ziyad, Aweis Qaran, Salim ibn Qays, Harith Hamdani, and Asbagh ibn Nabatah also engaged in defending the right of ‘Ali (‘a), debating with the enemies of the Imam in this regard.
As a result, The Muslims differed with one another in matters of the Law (fiqh), following differing paths and dividing into various sects, such as Ja'fari, Zaydi, Hanafi, Shafi'i, Maliki and Hanbali, each of which has a fiqh of its own. Similarly, from the viewpoint of the doctrine, they divided into various schools, each with its own set of principal doctrines.

But these divisions are not enough to cause unrest and sectarianism among Muslims. Since all of us are under Laa ilaha illah Llah, Muhammad rasulullah, we can corporate in most areas and leave each to believe in what he or she believes in. It is a grave mistake to use these sects for causing hatred and fitna among other sects