More on Ikhtilaaf

 

Further to the previous post, we find that Ikhtilaaf has also been used to mean coming and going (or visiting time and again) in other ahadith. For example, in the famous hadith of 'Unwan al-Basri, he says:

 

َ كُنْتُ أَخْتَلِفُ إِلَى مَالِكِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ سِنِينَ فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ جَعْفَرٌ الصَّادِقُ ع

 

 الْمَدِينَةَ اخْتَلَفْتُ إِلَيْه

 

Furthermore, if we were to take the meaning of the prophetic tradition quoted in the first post to mean 'differences' – and this would be difficult to understand since to question that would obviously arise is: How can differences between the Muslims be a blessing? – we find that once again the Infallible Imams ('a) solve this problem beautifully as in the narration:

 

ٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمُؤْمِنِ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع

 

 إِنَّ قَوْماً يَرْوُونَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص قَالَ اخْتِلَافُ أُمَّتِي رَحْمَةٌ

 

 فَقَالَ صَدَقُوا فَقُلْتُ إِنْ كَانَ اخْتِلَافُهُمْ رَحْمَةً فَاجْتِمَاعُهُمْ عَذَابٌ

 

 قَالَ لَيْسَ حَيْثُ تَذْهَبُ وَ ذَهَبُوا إِنَّمَا أَرَادَ قَوْلَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ

 

 فَلَوْ لا نَفَرَ مِنْ كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِنْهُمْ طائِفَةٌ لِيَتَفَقَّهُوا فِي الدِّينِ

 

وَ لِيُنْذِرُوا قَوْمَهُمْ إِذا رَجَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ

 

 فَأَمَرَهُمْ أَنْ يَنْفِرُوا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص فَيَتَعَلَّمُوا ثُمَّ يَرْجِعُوا إِلَى قَوْمِهِمْ

 

 فَيُعَلِّمُوهُمْ إِنَّمَا أَرَادَ اخْتِلَافَهُمْ مِنَ الْبُلْدَانِ لَا اخْتِلَافاً فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ

 

 إِنَّمَا الدِّينُ وَاحِدٌ إِنَّمَا الدِّينُ وَاحِدٌ