In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Blessings and peace be upon the noblest of the Prophets and Messengers, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon all his family and Companions.
This is a summary of what was covered in this part of the explanation of al-Risalah by Imam al-Shafi’i, focusing on the important points and clarifications.
The discussion of “variety-based difference” (ikhtilaf al-tanawwu’):
- The concept of variety-based difference: it is the difference that arises from:
- A variety of sound evidences.
- A variety of sound understandings of a single sound evidence.
- Examples of variety-based difference:
- The first example: the ‘Asr prayer at Banu Qurayzah:
- The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him not pray ‘Asr except at Banu Qurayzah.”
- The Companions understood this hadith in different ways:
- Some took the explicit wording (mantuq): they did not pray ‘Asr until they reached Banu Qurayzah, after sunset.
- Some took the implied meaning (mafhum), namely the urging to hurry: they exercised ijtihad and prayed ‘Asr on the way before sunset.
- Both ijtihads were correct, and the Prophet ﷺ did not rebuke either party.
- The second example: the wordings of the tashahhud:
- Multiple wordings of the tashahhud have been narrated from the Prophet ﷺ through a number of Companions (Ibn Mas’ud, ‘A’ishah, ‘Umar, ‘Ali, Ibn ‘Abbas, and Abu Hurayrah).
- All of these wordings are sound, and the differences between them are in wording and do not alter the meaning.
- The person praying may use any one of them, and no one who uses a different one is to be censured.
- Censuring others in matters of variety-based difference is transgression and injustice.
- The first example: the ‘Asr prayer at Banu Qurayzah:
- Imam al-Shafi’i’s discussion of the different wordings of the tashahhud:
- A questioner asked al-Shafi’i which tashahhud he adopted. Al-Shafi’i first cited the hadith of ‘Umar teaching the tashahhud from the pulpit.
- He then cited the hadith of Ibn ‘Abbas that the Prophet ﷺ used to teach them the tashahhud just as he taught them the Qur’an.
- The questioner said: The narrations from the Prophet ﷺ differ regarding the tashahhud, so what should we do?
- Al-Shafi’i answered: What matters is not the multiplicity of wordings but whether the meaning is altered. So long as the meanings agree, there is no problem in the wordings differing.
- He mentioned that the Prophet ﷺ permitted each of them to use what he had memorized, so long as there was no difference in meaning.
- The evidence that differing wordings are permissible when the meaning agrees:
- Al-Shafi’i cited the story of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab and Hisham ibn Hakim ibn Hizam regarding the recitation of Surat al-Furqan: each of them recited it in a different way, the Prophet ﷺ approved both, and said: “This Qur’an has been revealed in seven modes (ahruf), so recite whatever is easy.”
- Al-Shafi’i said: If Allah, out of His compassion for His creation, revealed His Book in seven modes, knowing that memory may slip, so as to make it permissible for them even where the wording differed, so long as their difference did not alter the meaning, then anything other than the Book of Allah is even more deserving of allowing differences in wording so long as the meaning is not altered.
- He mentioned the statement of one of the Successors: “I met some people from among the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ who agreed on the meaning but differed in the wording. I mentioned that to one of them, and he said: There is no harm, so long as it does not alter the meaning.”
- Conclusion on variety-based difference in the tashahhud:
- The tashahhud contains nothing but the glorification of Allah; all the wordings narrated for it allow latitude, and the differences between them in wording do not alter the meaning.
- An important principle stated by al-Shafi’i: “Whatever does not involve a ruling, a difference in its wording does not alter a meaning.”
- A linguistic point: He mentioned that ma lam may be used among some Arabs with the sense of ma, that is, for negation only, without the jussive.
- Close of the session: He mentioned that there is another form of variety-based difference that requires detailed treatment and will be deferred to the next session, namely the question of reconciliation and giving precedence in the prayer.
Some important benefits:
- The concept of variety-based difference and examples of it.
- In differences of wording, what counts is the agreement of meanings, not the multiplicity of wordings.
- Citing the story of ‘Umar and Hisham in reciting the Qur’an as evidence that differing wordings are permissible when the meaning agrees.
- An important principle: “Whatever does not involve a ruling, a difference in its wording does not alter a meaning.”
- The difference between variety-based difference and contradictory difference.
- The importance of understanding the objectives of the Shariah when dealing with differences of wording.
We ask Allah the Exalted for acceptance and ease.
All parts of Summary of the Explanation of al-Risala by Shaykh Dr. Ahmad al-Naqeeb