al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Adabuhu

al-Khilaf: Asbabuhu wa Adabuhu (Disagreement: Its Causes and Etiquettes) is a treatise by the contemporary Saudi scholar and preacher Aidh al-Qarni (b. 1379 AH / 1959 CE) addressing the nature of conflict and error, the underlying causes of disagreement, and the Islamic etiquettes required when managing disputes al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada…+1.

Background and Purpose

Al-Qarni composed the work in response to the spread of factionalism, insults, defamation, and attacks against the honor of scholars and virtuous individuals, a trend he observed proliferating among Muslim youth al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada…. In his introduction, the author identifies human error as the fundamental gateway to disagreement, even when covert motives such as envy or hatred are involved al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada…. He emphasizes that making mistakes is an inherent human trait, citing the Prophetic tradition: كل ابن آدم خطاء وخير الخطائين التوابون ("Every child of Adam makes mistakes, and the best of those who make mistakes are the repentant") al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….

Structure and Contents

The book is structured around the conceptual framework of dealing with error, analyzing the roots of discord, and outlining the codes of conduct necessary for constructive dialogue al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada…+1.

Handling Error

Before addressing disagreement directly, al-Qarni outlines two successive stages for interacting with perceived mistakes:

• The Pre-Judgment Stage (al-marhalah al-qabliyyah): Entails verifying reports, examining the integrity and competence of the narrator, evaluating the matter against the foundational texts of the Quran and the Sunnah through the understanding of the scholars, exercising patience without rushing to issue rulings, and inquiring directly into the actor’s circumstances and intentions al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada…+1.
• The Post-Judgment Stage (al-marhalah al-ba'diyyah): Involves rectifying confirmed errors through lawful, measured methods, either directly or indirectly, while maintaining proper manners al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….

Causes of Disagreement

The treatise enumerates various psychological, intellectual, and methodological causes of dispute, including:

• The initial occurrence of error itself, which differs in gravity between fundamental doctrinal deviations and subsidiary (furu'i) jurisprudential differences among the four Sunni legal schools al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….
• Transgression and hostility (al-baghy wa-al-'udwan) al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….
• Envy (al-hasad), particularly among peers and contemporaries in similar professions al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….
• Fanatical allegiance to individuals and methodologies (al-ta'assub) al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….
• Narrow-mindedness and unwillingness to listen to opposing views al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….
• Flawed perception and conceptualization, such as equating minor sins with major offenses or misapplying textual evidences al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….
• Imposing unwarranted conclusions and unverified assumptions onto opponents' statements (ilzam ma la yalzam) al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….
• Allowing youthful emotion and enthusiasm to overpower reasoned analysis al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….
• A reflexive inclination to disagree for its own sake al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….
• Failure to verify statements and reports ('adam al-tathabbut) al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….
• Discrepancies in knowledge, comprehension, or access to textual evidence al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….
• Innate psychological or spiritual dissonance ('adam al-insijam al-ruhi) al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….

Etiquettes of Disagreement

Al-Qarni details sixteen distinct etiquettes for engaging in dialogue and managing disagreement al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada…+1:

1. Maintaining sincerity to God and following the Prophetic example in discourse, rather than seeking to humiliate opponents al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….
2. Sincerely desiring that the opponent returns to the truth, motivated by compassion al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….
3. Patiently listening to the opponent's argument before passing judgment al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….
4. Supporting claims with verified textual proofs and rational evidence al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….
5. Maintaining calmness and avoiding unnecessarily raising one's voice al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….
6. Establishing shared points of agreement before debating differences al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….
7. Referring contested issues back to the Quran, the Sunnah, and qualified scholars al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….
8. Submitting disputes to qualified scholarly authorities for arbitration al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….
9. Refraining from ad hominem attacks, mockery, and defaming the opponent's character al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….
10. Distinguishing between definitive (qat'i) matters and presumptive (zanni) legal rulings, excusing differences in valid areas of ijtihad al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….
11. Exercising fairness and justice (al-insaf) even toward adversaries al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….
12. Maintaining a favorable assumption (husn al-zann) regarding fellow Muslims al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….
13. Recognizing the distinction between impermissible, contradictory disagreement (khilaf tadadd) and permissible diversity of opinion (khilaf tanawwu') al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….
14. Placing oneself in the opponent's position to foster empathy and gentleness in communication al-Khilaf Asbabuhu wa Ada….