Explaining that part of thanking Allah for the blessing of guidance to the straight path and the correct methodology is that Muslims should avoid and reconcile differences.

The Shaykh : I say: It is obligatory that we thank our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) for guiding us to this path which has no second, and part of thanking Him (Mighty and Majestic) is that we stay away from the disagreement that divides the ranks and scatters the gathering; for we all know that disagreement in religion is not among the habits of the Muslims, nor among their methodology, nor among their way, but rather it is the affair of the disbelievers who associate partners with Allah, as our Lord (Blessed and Exalted is He) said in His noble Book: , . The unfortunate reality, which is deeply regrettable, is that this verse applies, or at least nearly applies, to many of the Muslims today, who differ with one another in the most extreme way, such that they have divided into many schools and numerous parties, so the saying of our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) has become true of them: . It is necessary that we stay away from disagreement among ourselves, lest we fall into this division which is not of the nature of the Muslims, but rather is of the disposition of the disbelievers who associate partners with Allah. I say this while knowing that disagreement is something from which there is no escape; that disagreement is something from which there is no escape; for Allah (Mighty and Majestic) created people differing in their understanding, in their comprehension, in their capacity to understand the texts of the Book and the Sunnah, so it is inevitable that some disagreement will occur among the individuals of the same direction and the straight path. For example, we have the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), who were in agreement in their beliefs and in the majority of their jurisprudential issues, but on the other hand, they differed in some of the secondary issues. However, this disagreement did not lead them to divide into parties and into scattered schools. It is this scattering that leads the scattered ones to become hostile to one another and for some to engage in jihad against the others, which diverts them from all facing together as one row to fight the enemies of Allah, namely the disbelievers, those who associate partners with Allah, and those who have apostatized from the religion. The Companions of the Messenger (may Allah’s prayer and peace be upon him) used to differ in some issues, but that did not lead them to hatred or to turning away from one another, which the Messenger (may Allah’s prayer and peace be upon him) forbade in the authentic hadiths: . Thus were the Companions of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him); therefore, it is necessary that we make part of the path we walk what can be expressed as: that we be tolerant of one another when we differ in the understanding of a text from the Book of Allah or from the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). It is necessary that we excuse one another in that, because it is impossible, and this idea must be established in the belief of every one of us; for reform does not stand on ignoring reality and ignoring the facts. We must know that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), who are the best of the generations as he (peace be upon him) said in the authentic hadith: , so the Companions of the Messenger (may Allah’s prayer and peace be upon him), who are the best of people after the messengers and the noble prophets, could not help but differ in some issues. You are aware of many of these issues, and it is sufficient for you what many people today are afflicted with, such as what is said to invalidate the ablution, or to invalidate the prayer, or whether touching a woman invalidates the ablution or not, whether the exit of blood invalidates the ablution or not, and the like. Did their affair reach the point where one of them would refrain from praying behind his Muslim brother because he differs with him in opinion?

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Yes?

The questioner : There is only a quarter of an hour left until the adhan!

The Shaykh : Did you not hear?
The student : The adhan for prayer will be called in approximately a quarter of an hour.

The Shaykh : The adhan?
The student: Yes.

The Shaykh : Do you mean you will pray? Here or in the mosque?