It is the custom of Allah with people that He made them differ in their understanding and intellects
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The second question of Fatwa No. ( 5566 ):
Q2: I took the book [Al-Mughni] by Ibn Qudamah and was astonished by what I saw in it regarding a difference on a matter of no importance. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) warned us to avoid this by saying:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2679Sahih (Darussalam), and it is true that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The difference of my Ummah is a mercy," but it is not the difference that we have seen in our era in the books of jurisprudence. Read page 7 of the book [Al-Mughni] titled: "Mentioning something of his honor." When I read this passage, I feel as if I am reading an Indian myth or the story of Aladdin from the book [One Thousand and One Nights]. This Shaykh did something that the great Companions did not do; he walks on water. If this is from the myths of the ancients, how is it permitted for this book to be distributed under the presidency of the Departments of Scientific Research and Ifta, and Da'wah and Guidance? And a story like this leads a person to shirk (associating partners with Allah). I ask you to delete this passage from this book.
A2: First: What you mentioned in your question regarding the occurrence of disagreement in jurisprudential issues is not strange, for it is the custom of Allah with people that He made them differ in their understanding and intellects, and in their access to the textual evidence and their grasp of the secrets of the universe and the laws that Allah has placed therein. So there is no wonder that they differ in matters of religious and cosmic knowledge, whether by reason or by text. Indeed, that is the requirement of wisdom, and the difference in creation and endowments. It is not for you to criticize that, but what is blameworthy is for a person to speak out of ignorance, or following desire, or in disobedience to the opinion of the one whose school of jurisprudence he follows. As for the one who looks at the cosmic and textual evidences with fairness in his independent legal reasoning, seeking the truth, he is praiseworthy whether he hit the mark or erred.
If he hit the mark, he has two rewards: a reward for his independent legal reasoning and a reward for hitting the truth. And if he erred, he is excused and has one reward for his independent legal reasoning. Second: What you mentioned in your question regarding the karamah (miracle granted to a righteous person) of walking on water is not in [Al-Mughni] nor from the words of Ibn Qudamah , but rather it is from the words of the one who wrote the biography of Ibn Qudamah and made it an introduction to the book to introduce the Shaykh. Then, you did not read the critique of Abu Tahir in his commentary on the story of the karamah to benefit from it. And do not blame the one who published the book. Then, that is not blameworthy and is not among the myths, for something like that occurred for some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), as an honor for them and to manifest their excellence for their uprightness upon His Shari'ah. And success is from Allah. And may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q2: I took the book [Al-Mughni] by Ibn Qudamah and was astonished by what I saw in it regarding a difference on a matter of no importance. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) warned us to avoid this by saying:
The people before you were only destroyed by their excessive questioning
قد هلك من كان قبلكم بكثرة مسائلهمA2: First: What you mentioned in your question regarding the occurrence of disagreement in jurisprudential issues is not strange, for it is the custom of Allah with people that He made them differ in their understanding and intellects, and in their access to the textual evidence and their grasp of the secrets of the universe and the laws that Allah has placed therein. So there is no wonder that they differ in matters of religious and cosmic knowledge, whether by reason or by text. Indeed, that is the requirement of wisdom, and the difference in creation and endowments. It is not for you to criticize that, but what is blameworthy is for a person to speak out of ignorance, or following desire, or in disobedience to the opinion of the one whose school of jurisprudence he follows. As for the one who looks at the cosmic and textual evidences with fairness in his independent legal reasoning, seeking the truth, he is praiseworthy whether he hit the mark or erred.
If he hit the mark, he has two rewards: a reward for his independent legal reasoning and a reward for hitting the truth. And if he erred, he is excused and has one reward for his independent legal reasoning. Second: What you mentioned in your question regarding the karamah (miracle granted to a righteous person) of walking on water is not in [Al-Mughni] nor from the words of Ibn Qudamah , but rather it is from the words of the one who wrote the biography of Ibn Qudamah and made it an introduction to the book to introduce the Shaykh. Then, you did not read the critique of Abu Tahir in his commentary on the story of the karamah to benefit from it. And do not blame the one who published the book. Then, that is not blameworthy and is not among the myths, for something like that occurred for some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), as an honor for them and to manifest their excellence for their uprightness upon His Shari'ah. And success is from Allah. And may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.