Differences
مع، معاني الأخبار ج، الإحتجاج ع، علل الشرائع الدَّقَّاقُ عَنِ الْأَسَدِيِّ عَنْ صَالِحِ بْنِ أَبِي حَمَّادٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ هِلَالٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمُؤْمِنِ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع إِنَّ قَوْماً يَرْوُونَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص قَالَ اخْتِلَافُ أُمَّتِي رَحْمَةٌ
‘Ma’any Al Akhbar’ – Al Daqaq, from Al Asady, from Salih Bin Abu Hamad, from Ahmad Ibn Hilal, from Ibn Abu Umeyr, from Abdul Momin Al Ansary who said,
‘I said to Abu Abdullah-asws, ‘There is a group who are reporting that Rasool-Allah-saww said: ‘ ‘اخْتِلَافُ’ The differing’s (Ikhtilaaf) of my-saww community is a Mercy’.
فَقَالَ صَدَقُوا
He-asws said: ‘They speak the truth’.
فَقُلْتُ إِنْ كَانَ اخْتِلَافُهُمْ رَحْمَةً فَاجْتِمَاعُهُمْ عَذَابٌ
I said, ‘If their differing’s is a Mercy, then their consensus would be a Punishment?’
قَالَ لَيْسَ حَيْثُ تَذْهَبُ وَ ذَهَبُوا إِنَّمَا أَرَادَ قَوْلَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَ فَلَوْ لا نَفَرَ مِنْ كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِنْهُمْ طائِفَةٌ لِيَتَفَقَّهُوا فِي الدِّينِ وَ لِيُنْذِرُوا قَوْمَهُمْ إِذا رَجَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ
He-asws said: ‘It isn’t where you are going and they are going (with it). But rather he-saww meant the Words of Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic: so why don’t a group of them from every sect from them go forth to obtain understanding in the Religion and let them warn their people when they return to them, perhaps they would be cautious [9:122].
فَأَمَرَهُمْ أَنْ يَنْفِرُوا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص وَ يَخْتَلِفُوا إِلَيْهِ فَيَتَعَلَّمُوا ثُمَّ يَرْجِعُوا إِلَى قَوْمِهِمْ فَيُعَلِّمُوهُمْ إِنَّمَا أَرَادَ اخْتِلَافَهُمْ مِنَ الْبُلْدَانِ اخْتِلَافاً فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ إِنَّمَا الدِّينُ وَاحِدٌ
He-azwj Commanded that they should send a number (of people) to Rasool-Allah-saww, and they should frequent to him-saww, and they would learn, then return to their own people and let them know. But rather their ‘Ikhtilaaf’ is meant their interchange from their various cities regarding the Religion of Allah-azwj. But rather, the Religion is one’’.[1]
[1] Bihar Al-Anwaar – V 1, The book of intellect, and the knowledge, and the ignorance, S 2 Ch 7 H 19