Embracing Differences: Authority, Tolerance, and Obedience

📜 Benefiting from Our Differences
by: Dr.

Mohammad Akram Nadwi
Oxford

📖 Obeying God’s Command

The clear command of God is that when the believers are in dispute over a matter, they should defer it to God and His Messenger, that is to say, the Book and the Wisdom. (Wisdom is that sense and quality of judgment given to the Messengers, along with revelation, so that they can embody the commands and guidance of God in everyday practice, sometimes strictly sometimes flexibly, always faithfully. The Wisdom in the case of the final Messenger is more popularly known as the Sunnah.)

⚖️ Avoiding Delegation of Authority

We cannot obey this command if there is an established institution to which religious differences among Muslims must be referred, and whose judgments must be accepted without question. If we truly obey God and His Messenger, we must deny any other highest authority, individual or institutional, even if the authority is someone of proven learning and righteousness.

🌊 Flow of Authority

There is a source and flow of authority which begins from and must return to the Book of God. The flow is maintained when Muslims refer their differences to God and His Messenger. Authority is interrupted when people seek judgment from individuals or institutions as if their judgments carry the highest authority of God and His Messenger.

🚨 Consequences of Interrupting Authority

When the natural flow of authority is interrupted, individuals, schools, and sects raise their voices around these points, leading to agitation. If the current authority separates from the main source, it becomes stagnant and self-referential.

📜 Final Authority of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

God has said that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last Messenger. No one after him has the authority to determine laws with religious authority. The highest authority cannot be duplicated or packaged into summary legal formulas.

🤝 Tolerating Differences in the Community

We must accept disagreements unresolved by reference to the Book and Sunnah. Both parties have the right to hold their positions if they’ve diligently sought evidence. There is no need to condemn, ostracize, or accuse others of impure belief.

🔍 Reserving Final Judgment to God

Final judgment belongs to God, preserving hope for mercy and forgiveness. Deferring judgment to God strengthens hope and empowers civility within the community.

💡 Understanding Modern Intolerance

Muslims today may struggle with tolerance due to political and cultural weakness. Unable to resist Western powers, some Muslims direct their frustration at each other. This mirrors how children react to harsh discipline.

📎 Source: <a href=”https://t.me/DrAkramNadwi/118″ target=”_blank”>https://t.me/DrAkramNadwi/118