Islam - conflict of opinions for an ethics of disagreement

Islam, conflict of opinions, can be seen as a presentation of the behavior recommended by Islam of those who are engaged in argument and intellectual debate. To a large extent, this book lays out the higher principles and purposes of Sharia which open up horizons for Muslims much wider than can be afforded by pedantic debates on the finer points of law and procedure. In fact, experience has shown that habituation to such futile debates often renders the mind incapable of apprehending real situations and making value judgments about ever-changing circumstances. Since this book was originally addressed to Islamic parties, the author has made great efforts to give examples drawn from the historical experience of Muslims. In particular, he analyzes cases of judicial disagreement between the fuqahâ' (jurists) of the early days of Islam – disagreements which were not allowed to overflow the intellectual framework or cause resentment among the authors of arguments or the objectors. It is true that the differences between these early scholars never pushed them so far as to lose sight of the higher objectives of sharia or of their responsibilities. This book provides a useful introduction to how to deal with differences of opinion within the framework of the principles of Islam. It also presents contemporary Muslims with many commendable examples of tolerance and understanding from some of the most illustrious personalities and scholars in the history of Islam. This is where the usefulness of this book lies. And it is the resuscitation of this spirit of tolerance and open-mindedness that enables contemporary Muslims to look to the future with hope.