The Criterion for Acceptable and Rejected Disagreement Among Students of Knowledge

Question:
May Allah bless you. This questioner, Abu Ibrahīm from al-Kharj, says: Sometimes disagreement occurs among students of knowledge on certain issues, whether due to partisanship for an opinion, a difference in opinion, or bias toward another opinion. This disagreement and conflict among them develops into some personal problems between them. What is your guidance on this?

Answer:
My brother, disagreement in issues of Islamic jurisprudence is a reality, yes. People do not agree on one opinion because understandings differ, and disagreement occurs in issues of independent legal reasoning. The view of the scholars regarding these issues is that it is a disagreement of independent legal reasoning. However, the scholar, or the one who knows the evidence, takes from the different opinions what is supported by evidence and leaves what has no evidence.
As for the layperson, he asks the scholars of knowledge and does not take an opinion whose correctness he does not know or whose evidence he does not know. This is dangerous, because now there are people who call out and say, “There is disagreement on the issue,” “There is disagreement on hijab,” “There is disagreement on free mixing of men and women,” and the like. This is not permissible. It confuses people and makes it easy for them to engage in matters that are contrary to the law. We worship by the Book and the Sunnah, and we do not worship by the opinions of people. Not every disagreement that comes is considered, except a disagreement that has a share of consideration. Yes.