Brothers and Sisters,
We need to fear Allah, especially during this blessed time of the year. There are people out there arguing about issues that they probably themselves do not understand where the area of disagreement among the Scholars lays from the beginning. They are taking positions about things that they have no right to take a position on, and choosing which Scholars are right and which ones are wrong, many times using criterion that are baseless.
We must learn to stay away from these areas of differing unless we are qualified to really get into the meat of the issue and really research the issues. It is not as easy as many people make it appear. If you think about it, why would our scholars, past and present have spent their whole lives studying to do this if it could be done by the average Joe that never really had any formal training? The answer is that they would not have. This shows us that many people are diving into areas, pretending to do all kinds of fancy tricks and many times we find out they were swimming in the wrong pool from the beginning.
Therefore, for our own protection, and the protection of the Ummah as a whole, we need to let the people of knowledge deal with these issues. We need to let those in authority make the decisions that they see fit for their nations, and understand that we are followers and not the leaders.
Unity is important to us as an Ummah as well as generally inside of our Religion. We should be very cautious about breaking this issue of unity, especially for issues that are differed upon by our Scholars for generations upon generations. We should definitely not indulge ourselves in trying to come up with final conclusions that they have not been able to agree upon. Being as though this is the case, we should definitely not be willing to break the uniformity that is worked to so hard to be developed in our communities, if we are not 100% sure that we are correct and everyone else is 100% incorrect. If this is not the case, we need to let the people in charge of these affairs do what they are responsible for in front of Allah while we do what is upon us, which is following.
There is a general principle in Islam, which states “Staying away from differing is recommended (liked Legislatively).” Therefore, staying away from issues that are issues of valid differing among the people of knowledge when possible is recommended. If we can go with that which is agreed upon, and leave off the areas s where we go against the grain due to something that we are unsure of from the start. It is better that we leave these affairs to those whom are qualified and are charged with the responsibility of making these decisions for the masses. Then, we do as we have been commanded when we don’t actually know ourselves, especially due to not being qualified to really make these decisions, and follow what Allah has told us in His book;
{وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ إِلَّا رِجَالًا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ، فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ} [النحل: 43]
{So ask the people of the message if you do not know.} [16:43]
