The Meaning of Ikhtilaf

[Abdur_Rahman]

Shaykh Muhammad 'Umar Baazmool (Professor @ Umm Al-Qura, Kingdom of Saudia)
From his book Ikhtilaaf wa ma Elayhi (p.7-8)

[In the Name of Allaah, the All-Merciful...]

The word ikhtilaaf comes from the 'Arabic root ( khaa' - laam - faa' ), which carries three basic linguistic meanings, as Ibn Faaris mentioned (may Allaah have Mercy on him):

1 - succession, that something comes and takes the place of that which came before it

2 - behind, after

3 - change, variation

[ Let us look to a more detailed discussion of these three meanings: ]

"Succession"

As for the first meaning, succession, it can be found in the Statement of Allaah, the Blessed and Exalted [1]:

( And He is the One who made the night and day khilfah (succeed each other) )

Night comes after day and takes its place, just as day comes later and takes the place of night. This meaning can also be found in Allaah's Statement, Most Blessed and Exalted [2]:

( And He is the One who made you the khalaa'if (successors of each other) of the earth )

This means that new nations of people come and take the place of the old ones. This meaning is also found in the Statement of Allaah the Most High [3]:

( And Moosaa said to his brother, Haaroon, Ukh-luf-nee fee qawmee (Take the leadership of my people after me)" )

"Behind" or "After"

As for the second meaning, this is found in the Statement of Allaah, the Blessed and Exalted [4]:

( He knows what is in front of them and what is khalfahum (behind them) )

It may also refer to something that is made to come after others due to its lesser virtues. This can be found in the Statement of Allaah, the Most High [5]:

( And there came after them a khalf (later group)
that delayed their prayers and followed their desires )

"Change" or "Variation"

As for the third meaning, it can be found in the statement of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam):

"Verily the khuloof of the fasting person's mouth
is better to Allaah than the smell of musk." [6]

The khuloof here means the change in the smell of a fasting person's breath due to his hunger and thirst, and this is what is better to Allaah than the smell of musk.

In Conclusion

Ibn Faaris (may Allaah have Mercy on him) said: "The first meaning mentioned (succession) is what is meant when people say, 'The people are in ikhtilaaf over such-and-such an issue.' It means that the people are differing, and the source of this differing is that each person has refuted or discarded the other one's argument and stood in the place where the other attempted to stand." [7]

What is apparent to me, and Allaah knows best, is that these three basic meanings mentioned by Ibn Faaris all stem from one main theme - that something comes and takes the place of that which came before it, or "succession."

It was as if Ibn Faaris chose to explain the word using these three basic meanings in an effort to make the meaning of the word abundantly clear.

[ And Allaah knows best. ]

FOOTNOTES
[1] the meaning of Soorah Al-Furqaan (25):62

[2] the meaning of Soorah Al-An'aam (6):165

[3] the meaning of Soorah Al-A'raaf (7):142

[4] the meaning of Soorah Al-Baqarah (2):255

[5] the meaning of Soorah Maryam (19):59, see also Soorah Al-A'raaf (7):169. See Basaa'ir Thawit-Tamyeez (2/561-562).

[6] an authentic hadeeth on the authority of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him). Al-Bukhaaree collected it in The Book of Fasting, in The Chapter of the Virtue of Fasting (#1894) and in other places. Muslim collected it in The Book of Fasting, in The Chapter of Guarding the Tongue (#1151). See Jaami'ul-Usool (9/450).

[7] Mu'jam Maqaayees Al-Lughah (2/213)

[Abdur_Rahman]

Ikhtilaaf wa ma Elayhi (p.9-12)

[In the Name of Allaah, the All-Merciful...]

The word ikhtilaaf is not found in the Sharee'ah with the previously discussed linguistic meaning. It only carries the specific meaning of "contradiction and opposition." [1] Careful contemplation over the texts of the Book and the Sunnah regarding how the word ikhtilaaf is used will lead one to the following conclusions:

1 - Ikhtilaaf after having knowledge of Allaah's clear proofs is only blameworthy differing and sinful behavior. Allaah, the Most Blessed and Exalted, has said [2]:

( And the only ones who differed over it (the Book) were those who were given it after clear proofs came to them, behaving sinfully towards each other )

And Allaah, the Blessed and Exalted, has said [3]:

( And those who were given the Book did not differ until after the knowledge came to them, behaving sinfully towards each other )

And Allaah, Glorified and Exalted, has also said [4]:

( And do not be like those who split up and differed after the clear proofs came to them, for them is a great punishment )

And Allaah, Blessed and Exalted, has said [5]:

( And verily We gave the Children of Israel the Book, the Hukm [6], and Prophethood [7], and We provided them with good sustenance and preferred them over all of the creation, giving them clear proofs about the affair. [8] They did not differ until after the knowledge came to them, behaving sinfully towards each other. Verily your Lordwill judge between them on the Day of Judgement regarding the things they used to differ about )

2 - It is possible that ikhtilaaf takes place between Muslims, but Allaah guides them to the truth as long as they seek it from Him, the Most Mighty and Magnificent. Allaah has said [9]:

( So Allaah guided those who believed in the truthful matters that they differed over, by His Permission )

Allaah, the Most Glorified and Highest in Rank, has also said [10]:

( And We only sent down the Book to you to clarify the matters that they used to differ about )

And Allaah, the Most Glorified and Exalted, has said [11]:

( And whatever you differ about in any affair, its judgement is to be taken from Allaah )

Allaah has also said [12]:

( O you who believe! Obey Allaah, and obey the Messenger, and (obey) those in authority among you. And if you differ in any matter, then refer back to Allaah and His Messenger, if you truly believe in Allaah and the Last Day. For that is better and a more proper solution. )

3 - Differences in understanding a given situation are not from the blameworthy ikhtilaaf. There are correct and incorrect understandings. The one who holds a correct understanding gets rewarded just like the one who has come to an incorrect conclusion, as they both honestly tried to reach the truth of the matter. Allaah, Blessed and Exalted, has said [13]:

( And Daawood and Sulaymaan, when they were referred to for their judgements about a tribe's sheep that grazed in a pasture during the night, verily We were a witness over their judgements. So we gave the proper understanding to Sulaymaan, while giving both of them wisdom and knowledge. )

4 - The ikhtilaaf that carries the meaning of contradictions or statements that directly oppose each other is not from Islaam. Allaah, the Most Blessed and Exalted, has said [14]:

( And if it was from other than Allaah, they surely would have a number of contradictions in it )

5 - Ikhtilaaf, meaning the differences found among the variations of approved actions in Islaam, exists in the Sharee'ah. Someone who chooses one variation that others have not chosen is not to be blamed.

It is established that the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) used to open his prayers with a number of different supplications. The tashah-hud was also performed with a number of different wordings. There are different things that can be said in rukoo' and sujood, and there are variations in how one can perform the Witr prayer. There are many other examples as well.

To perform any variation from these is perfectly acceptable, as the one who does it is establishing a good action. This can be understood from the hadeeth of Ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) about the differences in the recitations of the Qur'aan. He said that he heard a man reciting a verse in way that he had not heard the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) recite it, so he took him by the hand to the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) and mentioned that to him. Ibn 'Abbaas then noticed the disapproval on the face of the Prophet as he (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) said:

" Both of you are doing well, just don't differ! Those who came before you differed and thus they were destroyed." [15]

6 - Ikhtilaaf that causes animosity, hatred, or division of the Muslims is not from Islaam. About this, Allaah, the Blessed and Exalted, has said [16]:

( O you who believe! Fear Allaah as he deserves to be feared and do not die except as Muslims. And hold together, all of you, to the Rope of Allaah, and do not be divided. Remember Allaah's Favor on you, as you used to be enemies and you have become brothers, by His Blessing. And you used to be on the brink of the Hellfire and He saved you from it. This is how Allaah makes His Signs clear for you so that you might be rightly-guided. And let there be a group of you that calls to what is good, ordering righteousness and prohibiting vice, and it is they who are the successful ones. And do not be like those who split up and differed after the clear proofs came to them, for them is a great punishment. )

Some of the scholars said:

Every issue that the Muslims differed over without becoming angry with each other or splitting up is known to us to be from the affairs of Islaam. And all issues that have caused the Muslims to have animosity and anger for each other, turning away from each other and boycotting each other, it is known to us that these issues are not part of Islaam in any way. And indeed this is what the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) alluded to when he explained the verse [17]:

( Verily those who split up their religion and became sects,
you have absolutely nothing to do with them )

Ash-Shaatibee mentioned this [18], and then said, "And it is obvious that Islaam calls for mending broken ties, mutual love and respect, and being kind to one another. So every opinion that leads to other than this is not from Islaam."

FOOTNOTES
[1] Majmoo' Al-Fataawaa (13/19)

[2] the meaning of Soorah Al-Baqarah (2):213

[3] the meaning of Soorah Aali 'Imraan (3):19

[4] the meaning of Soorah Aali 'Imraan (3):105

[5] the meaning of Soorah Al-Jaathiyah (45):16-17

[6] Hukm: understanding of the Book, or it could mean authority over the people (Translator)

[7] Prophethood: the prophets from the time of Yoosuf all the way to the time of 'Eesaa, see Tafseer Al-Qurtubee (16/141)

[8] the affair: the coming of the prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam), according to Ibn 'Abbaas, see Tafseer Al-Qurtubee (16/141)

[9] the meaning of Soorah Al-Baqarah (2):213

[10] the meaning of Soorah An-Nahl (16):64

[11] the meaning of Soorah Ash-Shooraa (42):10

[12] the meaning of Soorah An-Nisaa' (4):59

[13] the meaning of Soorah Al-Ambiyaa' (21):78-79

[14] the meaning of Soorah An-Nisaa' (4):82

[15] It was collected by Al-Bukhari (#2410, #3476, #5062). See Jaami'ul-Usool (2/484). This hadith is lso found in Saheeh Al-Bukhari with a slight difference: "they were destructive," instead of, "they were destroyed." See Fathul-Bari (9/102).

[16] the meaning of Soorah Aali 'Imraan (3):102-105

[17] the meaning of Soorah Al-An'aam (6):159

[18] Al-I'tisaam (2/232-233)