What is the validity of the statement, "The people of the Sunnah differ but do not split; if they split, they are no longer of the people of the Sunnah"?

Question:
May Allah reward you and magnify your reward and recompense. Honorable Shaykh, the questioner says: I testify to Allah that I love you in Him. What is the validity of this phrase: "The people of the Sunnah differ but do not split; if they split, they are no longer of the people of the Sunnah"? And may Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
Yes, the statement is correct. The people of the Sunnah differ in opinion and independent legal reasoning (ijtihad). But they do not split in their hearts with hatred and animosity. Rather, they are brothers, even if they differ on some issues and points of ijtihad. This does not obligate them to hate one another, to cut ties, or to look down on one another, as is the case with the ignorant, who, when they differ on an issue, become enemies, cut ties, look down on one another, and insult one another. For example, if they differ...
...on the issue of the hands in prayer. Some hold that they are placed on the chest, and some hold that they are placed below the navel. Some hold that they are let down and not placed on the chest. These are jurisprudential opinions of the scholars. So they do not become enemies on account of that.
They do not become enemies on account of that, even if some hold that their view is more correct or more in line with the evidence. But he does not become an enemy to his brother as long as the disagreement is in jurisprudential issues, issues of ijtihad. The disagreement is not in creed; the creed is one, and the difference is jurisprudential. This does not obligate enmity and resentment among the brothers.
This only happens with the ignorant. As for the scholars, they are brothers, even if they differ on some issues. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to differ on some jurisprudential issues, and there was no enmity among them. Yes.