IS22 Research Paper
IS22 Research Paper
IS22 Research Paper
A Research Paper
Presented to
Sir Norhazrin Curo
Department of Diplomacy & International Relations
RC-Al Khwarizmi International College Foundation
Marawi City
In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Course
IS22 Introduction to Shariah
Second Trimester, AY 2020-2021
Presented by
Maglangit, Setty Hakeema A.
August 2021
INTRODUCTION
Differences of Opinion is the underlying cause of the disputes among the Muslim
scholars even during the times of the Shahabah (the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad,
peace be upon him). The Muslim scholars play an important role and have a lot of influence
among the Muslim society, having dedicated to the study of the Qur’an and Hadiths, they are still
subject with the parameters of such differences. On those matters that needs interpretation, the
Islamic tradition has always recognized a scope of difference of opinion. Muslim scholars, To
the lay Muslim, however, being presented with differing opinions on a subject can often be a
source of confusion. Without knowing what composes valid against invalid opinions, they may
unintentionally adopt erroneous ideas that are contrary to the teachings and rulings of Islam.
Diversity of opinion can be a source of confusion as Muslims feel skeptical over which opinion
to follow in their everyday practice of the faith and some incidental matters. Some may even
think the existence of opposing opinions to be a source of religious doubt, thinking why God
Although Muslims believes that there is one divinely revealed Islam and they share
certain beliefs and practices, such as a belief in God, the Quran, Muhammad, and the Five Pillars
of Islam, there are still many Muslim interpretations of Islam. As a world religion, Islam
practices itself in different ways within a vast array of cultural practices. Islam has developed
different sects and divisions like other faiths. There are two major branches of opinion about
political and religious leadership after the death of the Prophet Muhammad or also known as the
two main sects within Islam (pbuh): the Sunni and Shi’a. There are also diverse school of
thought over various issues. One clearest and important example of the diversity of opinion is the
Islamic Law.
People study evidence and then seek to develop an understanding based on the strongest
interpretation of that evidence. The same process takes place when scholars study the Qur’an and
the Sunnah. Just as in any other academic field of study, the main concepts and principles are
well known and are established with certainty, while the precise application of those principles
are often needs to be interpreted. It is a fact that Learning, contemplation, analysis, and research
are acts of worship in Islam and help a person appreciate the finite wisdom and reasoning of
human beings and the infinite perfection of the Divine Omniscient Lord. This research paper
provides an overview of why differences of opinion is the main reason of disputes among the
LITERATURE REVIEW
The essential procedure for following Islam is clear from the very meaning of the word
‘Islam.’Islam is an Arabic word that means “submission”, submitting to the way of God. The
root word of Islam is ‘silm’ which itself means peace, that is why every teaching of Islam is
based on the principles of peace and avoidance. That necessarily entails following the guidance
that God has revealed, It is the religion of the Muslims by following the guidance that God has
revealed, which is found within the two foundational sources of Islamic teachings: the holy book
Qur’an and the practices of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). The Quran states that
Islam is the universal religion and is a mercy to all creatures based on this verse:
“And we sent thee not [O, Muhammad], except as a mercy for all creatures” -(Surah Al-
prohibitions”, it is the way of life that a true Muslim should live on. Being a Muslim a person
must be willful to submit and to obey Allah, and to live a life according to His message. That is
why Muslim scholars are cautious in giving their opinions on specific situations as it may be
followed by the Muslim society. Belief in Allah is the core of the faith of Islam.
The main doctrine of Islam are based on statements revealed on the Qur’an and the
teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. While on those secondary issues and subsidiary matters
that needs interpretations we have the Muslim scholars that can share their understandings and
Muslim Scholars are also known as Ulama. The term Ulama literally means those who
possess knowledge specifically about Islam. God has given us a system of guidance that is meant
to be followed and, in order for one to understand that guidance, one must study it and acquire
of hadith, the words and deeds of the prophet Muhammad. Muslim scholars have made
There are many reasons why Muslim scholars are having disputes. The main underlying
issues are differences of opinions that occur between Muslim scholars from Differences in the
subsidiary issues and secondly in issues of striving to reach the truth. Some of their arguments
arise from the differences of Understanding of the Noble Qurān verses and hadiths. Also their
diversity on interpretations and application of the Islamic Law. It is in human nature that people
will have different insights on similar matters. Differences among humans are natural, as attested
to by the Qur’anic verse: “And from among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the
earth, and the variation in your languages and colors. In this are signs for the worlds.” (al-Rum:
22). Since Islam is a universal faith, it has been subject to diverse interpretations. So it is
inevitable that the Muslim scholars will also differ from others based on their accumulated
teachings and instructions from the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), their level of knowledge, beliefs
and understanding. It is unavoidable that our Ulama/Muslim Scholars will have legitimate
differences of opinion that can be a source if arguments and debates among them. These
variations can lead to confusion among Muslims as to which opinion to follow in practicing of
faith. Especially in this modern times which use of social media is prevalent and the variations of
Differences of opinions existed in the best centuries and between the best of mankind
after the prophets and messengers. During the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), his
companions and the muslims learned the practices and rulings of Islam from him through the
teachings from the Qur’an and the Hadiths. At those times, there were no differences of opinions
among the muslims except those minor issues and subsidiary matters. This differing was in a
matter related to rulings and actions, not in the important fundamentals itself. With the presence
of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) he was able to explain them the right ways and tell them his
It was until the death of the Prophet Muhammad that some shahabah and muslim
scholars began to have variations in interpretations. And with the absence of the Prophet, the
shahabah spread out to various places to inform and teach the people about Islam, there appeared
The Scholars – from the Companions and those who came after them – when they
differed in any matter, then they followed the command of Allaah – the Most High – in His
saying:
“If you differ in anything amongst yourselves then refer it back to Allaah and His
Messenger, if you do truly believe in Allaah and the Last Day. That is better and more
So the scholars would discuss, consult and sincerely advise concerning the issue.
Sometimes they would differ in matters linked to the ‘aqeedah ( It is a branch of Islamic
studies describing the beliefs of Islam), as well as issues linked to actions, yet along with such
my Ummah are blessing". When difference of opinion happens in events that needs to be
interpreted, and is based on sincerity in finding the truth and correct knowledge, it is a mercy
from God and an opportunity to worship Him by using the minds He has gifted us with. The
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) believes that the disagreements will unite Muslims in discussing,
reasoning together, giving their thoughts and interpretations on matters, and if they disagree on
something it is for the purpose of obtaining correct knowledge. These differences must not lead
to taking sides or create distance between people, and their main goal should be for the
obedience to Allah. But on the event that if anyone uses disagreements of opinion just to
compete, then it is wrong as it signifies for a selfish ulterior motive. Allah does not encourage
divisions as He said, "And be not like those who split up their way of life and become mere
Disagreement between the Muslim scholars occurs because some matters are open to
interpretation and are not definitive. Just as same as experts in any academic field, they agree on
the fundamentals but disagree on particular details. People study evidence and then seek to
develop an understanding based on the strongest interpretation of that evidence. In Islam the
same process takes place when scholars study the Qur’an and the Sunnah. There are many
reasons which contribute to why there exist differences of opinion among the Muslim Scholars.
1. A hadith was not known to the scholar when he made his judgment that cause a
This instance is possible since it also happened among the shahabah (companions
of the Prophet Muhammad). There were some shahabah that did not know a certain
hadith. During the time of Umar (r.a) there was a plague broke out at Ash-Shams. Umar
asked the shahabah on what they thought should be done on circumstances like this. The
shahabah have opinions and insights differing from each other. Then Abdurrahman bin
Aud (r.a) came and said that he heard the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; and if the plague breaks out in a
place while you are in it, do not leave that place.” (Sahih al-Bukhari).
This shows that prior to the statement of Abdurrahman bin Aud (r.a), the shahabah
did not know about the hadith. Sometimes a judgment was made even by a companion
2. Some Muslim Scholars know a hadith but uncertain about the authenticity of it,
These scholars who have doubt rely on their personal reasoning. They put it on the
side and initially study the hadith further, investigate it and conduct research about a
certain hadith until they are wholly sure and convinced that this hadith is authentic.
An event occurred during the time of Shahabah with the case of Fatimah Bint Qais
(r.a), a companion of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) from Quraish. She was famous for
hadith that give rise to disputations. According to the hadith, she says that a divorced woman
has no right for accommodation and living expenses from her husband during iddah (the period a
woman must observe after the death of her husband or after a divorce, during which she may not
marry another man). The companions and scholars did not know what to do in regards to the
Iddah and the proper provisions. It was not clear because it seems like that was the first triple
Fatimah Bint Qais (r.a) says that when her husband divorced her in the period of
the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam), her husband sent his agent with some barley to
provide for her expenditure which did not please her and went to Prophet Muhammad
Rasulullah ﷺand told him about her situation complained against her husband.
Rasulullah ﷺ replied, “Your expenses are not an obligation on him.” This means
that when a divorce occured thrice, the husband is not obliged to let the woman stay in his
There are Companions and scholars who haven’t accepted this hadith, even though it was
technically correct. Many scholars believe this hadith goes against the Quran.The verse in the
“Oh Rasulullah! When you [men] divorce women, divorce them for their iddah, and
count their iddah [accurately] and be wary of Allah SWT, your Lord. Do not force them from
their homes, nor should they leave [of their own accord], except in the case of blatant indecency
(fahishah). And those are the bounds of God; you [the one divorcing his wife] do not know-it
may be that God will later bring about some new affair [i.e. some reconciliation or eventual re-
marriage]. […] Lodge them [divorced wives] where you dwell, according to your means, and do
not be hurtful to them so you constrain them [forcing them to leave]. And if they are pregnant,
then spend on them until they deliver their burdens. Then if they breast-fed the children for you,
give them their due payment, and consult each the normal way (bil maruf). ” - Quran –Surat Al
Talaq-65. 1,6
Some scholars preserved their scholarly opinion to stand on the Qur’an verse, that a
divorced woman has the right of accommodation and expenses, whether the divorce is final or
Forgetting is usually normal as we are just human beings that are susceptible to fail
remembering things, and such is not exempted to our Muslim Scholars in this present time and
during the time of the Shahabah.
The Prophet Muhammad once missed out a verse forgetfully, and after the prayer ‘Ubayy
Ibn Ka'b (r.a) informed the prophet.Then Prophet Muhammad said“Why you did not remind me
of the verse?”. This happening shows us that even our beloved Prophet tends to forget as he is
Additionally, consider the verses in the Qur’an:“We will have you recite ˹the Quran, O
Prophet,˺ so you will not forget ˹any of it˺, unless Allah wills otherwise.“ (Surah Al-A'la 87:6-7).
This verse does not implies that Muhammad will never forget any of the Qur'an. It is saying that
he will only forget what God wills. Thus the verse seems to be an explanation and justification of
Muhammad's forgetfulness.
This also occurs in both the Qur’an and the sunnah. An example is the famous hadith on
the authority of Sa’id bin ‘Abd al-Rahman bin Abzay on the authority of his father, that a man
came to ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab and said, “I became Junub, but did find any water.” He
responded, “Do not pray.” Then, 'Ammar bin Yasir said to 'Umar, “Do you not remember, when
we were together on aa journey, and we became Junub (ritually impure) and could not find
water. You did not pray, but I rolled myself on the ground and prayed. I informed the Prophet
about it and he said, “It would have been sufficient if you struck your hands on the ground, blew
4. A hadith had reached a scholar but misinterpret the real meaning of such hadith.
In a case when a same evidence or hadith is presented to two different ulama but
they came up with two different understanding, they may have interpreted it contradicting
each other. This is happening in our present ulamas and happened many times among the
blame upon you if you divorce your wives before you have touched them”- (Al-Baqarah:236).
In this verse the word “touched” is still a big discussion in Arabic language. Thus give rise to
different meanings and interpretations. Does this word means “to be intimate”, “ to almost be
intimate”, or merely “just a touch”? This kind of matters will result to differences in
understanding but in regards to issues like this muslim scholars view this in a broad meaning.
The most famous example of this misinterpretation is related by Nafi’ bin ‘Abdullah, who
said The Messenger of Allah ordered his Companions to leave for battle and said: “Let none of
you pray the `Asr prayer [in Muslim also: the Zuhr prayer] except after reaching the Banu
Qurayza.” The Companions understood this command differently: Some of the companions were
worried about the time for prayer expiring, The `Asr prayer became due for some of them on the
way, so they prayed before Banu Qurayza. Others said, ‘We will not pray even if the time passes,
in obedience to the command of the Prophet.’ Later on it was mentioned to the Prophet and He
did not rebuke either of the two opposing groups. This is a proof that there is more than one way
to understand a hadith.
Another ground of having differences of opinion is that sometimes there are different
wordings of a narration. Different scholars use another terms or phrasing which led to difference
in the understanding of the readers or listeners. That makes the scholars prefer narrations by
A narration appears in the Sunan of Imām Abu Dāwood (r.a) regarding prayer upon the
deceased. The wordings of different narrations differ resulting in a difference in the juristic
ruling derived there from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (r.a) narrates that Rasulullah said: “Whoever
prays over a deceased in the masjid, then there is nothing against him”. Other narrations have the
The scholars who take the wordings of “then there is nothing against him” interprets this
verse as allowing salāh on the deceased in the masjid. Contradicting to those who take the
wordings “then there is nothing for him”, which they interpret as disallowing of salāh on the
5. The Scholar is aware of the hadith but it was abrogated, and he did not know the
abrogating text.
previous rulings was completely revoked. Also some of the texts from different sources and
previous revelations like Torah or Injeel were canceled by the rules set in the Holy Qur’an.
One issue related to the Qur’an is abrogation. Muslim scholars in have been aggressive
to one another over abrogation in the Qur’an. Some scholars favor the abrogation and the others
invalidate it. All of them insist on their respective scholarly opinion on the abrogation. They
firmly stands on what they think more practicable. When one does not find any direct statement
from the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) indicating that any verse of the Qur’an is practically
invalid, and if the Prophet he remained silent over this matter, it means there is no verse
abrogated.
There is a verse in the Qur’an stating: “If We ever abrogate a verse or cause it to be
forgotten, We replace it with a better or similar one. Do you not know that Allah is Most Capable
The hadith had reached the scholar, but he did not regard the transmitter as reliable or
when a scholar thought that it contradicted something that was truthful than it, whether
that was a text or scholarly consensus (ijmaa’) and followed the more applicable option.
An example for this category is the opinion of Ibn 'Abbaas on Riba al-fadhl. Although it
is recognized by the scholars that Riba is haram, they differ when it comes to what constitutes
Riba and what does not. They all agreed that Riba Al-Nasi’ah is disallowed. The term nasi’ah
means to postpone or wait. There is a time factor and it refers to time period that is allowed for
the borrower to repay the loan in return for the addition of the premium, in simple words there is
The only argument that exists among the scholars is on the acceptance of Riba al-Fadhl.
Riba al-Fadhl deals with hand to hand or barter exchange. This issue is of greatest concern
compared to other issues in riba as people are unknowingly falling into Riba. The argument is
between majority of the scholars on one side who believe that both types of Riba (al-Fadhl and
al-Nasi‟ah) exist in the items that was mentioned in a hadith narrated from 'Ubada ibn al-Samit :
The Prophet, , said: "Gold for gold, silver for silver, wheat for wheat, barley for barley, dates for
dates, and salt for salt - like for like, equal for equal, and hand-to-hand; if the commodities differ,
then you may sell as you wish, provided that the exchange is hand-to-hand." (Muslim, Kitab al-
While against Abdullah ibn Abbas and some scholars who agreed on his opinion that
Riba only occurred in Al-Nasi’ah and not in al-Fadhl. Their stand on this opinion is from the
hadith that was narrated from Usamah ibn Zayd : The Prophet, , said: "There is no riba except in
Nasiyah [waiting]." (Bukhari, Kitab al-Buyu', Bab Bay' al-dinari bi al-dinar nasa'an; also Muslim
and Musnad Ahmad) "There is no riba in hand-to-hand [spot] transactions." (Muslim, Kitab al-
Abdullah ibn Abbas opinion is that as long as two people exchange and make the
payment at the same time their is no need for prompt payment, the transaction is halaal even if 5
7. The scholar used a weak hadith as the basis for his ruling, or he derived the ruling
Majority of Muslim scholars accept weak hadith when they are not aware or they cannot
find any stronger narration. Instead they use a weak narration over analogy which is an accepted
source of Islāmic Jurisprudence. Those scholars whose accept weak narrations in establishing a
ruling will differ with those who do not accept weak narrations as strong enough proof. Some
scholars did not narrate weak hadiths, to take evidence from them, or to follow them, they only
narrated them for the sake of narrating or to free themselves from the obligation. It must be noted
that a hadith that is weak, must not be considered a proof in Islamic Law
When there are doubts in a weak hadith being proven that it is from the Prophet (peace be
upon him) or not, And Allah The Exalted mentioned in a verse that:
“And follow not that of which you have no knowledge. Verily! The hearing, and the sight, and
the heart, of each of those one will be questioned (by Allah).” [Al-Isra: 36]
And it was also stated in a hadith from The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
said: “What is lawful is evident and what is unlawful is evident, and in between them are the
things doubtful which many people do not know. So he who guards against doubtful things keeps
his religion and honour blameless, and he who indulges in doubtful things indulges in fact in
unlawful things, just as a shepherd who pastures his animals round a preserve will soon pasture
A basic principle when we want to assure that an opinion is valid or not. We should note
that an opinion to be accepted must given by someone who has the expertise, experience, and
peer recognition. It must be from a Muslim scholar that possesses credibility and adequate
knowledge. Another way for an opinion to be valid, it must be derived from the Islamic sources.
It has to be based upon the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah, not from imaginative source
that has no basis in Islam and the opinion must not that violates the very basis of Islam. An
opinion that claims to be Islamic must be accordant with the values of justice, mercy,
The best guidance is the way of our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the scholars of
hadith that are knowledgeable of this guidance, for they are also named as righteous
predecessors. Allah has not left people unsure and unclear on distinguishing the valid from the
invalid, rather Allah has created signs, evidence and proof for the truth. This means entrusting
the interpretations to the Shahabah and those who followed them in truth.
Moreover, God has created in this life serve as a spiritual test for the believers, including
the existence of differences. God states, “And We have made some of you people as a trial for
others—will you have patience?” (Qur’an 25:20). The test demonstrate itself in different ways:
whether we will manage our disagreement in a manner that will please Allah; whether we will
acquire a position because we believe it is closest to the truth or because it is more self-serving or
politically beneficial; whether we will elevate our scholars to infallibility on account of our
overzealousness or whether we give them due respect for their expertise while acknowledging
their humanity.
CONCLUSION
In this paper we relate some of the causes why there are differences of opinion resulting
to dispute among the Muslim Scholar. The point of this research paper is not to resolve specific
points of controversy; rather, it redirects our attention that differences of opinions among the
Muslim Scholars existed and is a normal occurrence. We sum up the reasons of conflicting
insights of our Muslim Scholars on matters which leads to disputes among them, and give some
example scenarios from the time of the Shahabah, the Companion of the Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh). Our review of the religion led us to identify that the variations of opinion from the
Muslim scholars are permissible in Islam as long as its basic principles are not modified and
will remain unchanged. The Qur’an and Hadith should be the basis that will always prevail
above all. This finally leads to clarify positive side of the presence of Ikhtilaf (religious
disagreement) on an issue can also help Muslims to have a choice on whose interpretation is
best to apply on a certain circumstances and personal experiences, considering there will be no
negative effects on them. Respecting each others opinion must be practiced, irrelevant of the
disagreement between parties, as the essence of our religion Islam is to keep harmony and
balance in humanity. The focus should always be on clarifying the issue itself so that people are
duly educated, rather than focusing on attacking an individual who adopts an invalid opinion. In
fact, holding an invalid opinion does not invalidate one from being a valuable member of the
Although diverse scholarly opinion is within the parameters of Islam, it still represents a
basic union of belief in Allah. The diversity of opinions on some matters are for the goal of
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