MAJALAH AL-HIKMAH EDISI 3 | 2015

17 not to transgress the limits stip- ulated by Islam and more im- portantly, not to disrupt the uni- ty of the Muslim brotherhood. In fact, differences among the Islamic jurists were considered as bounty and mercy (raḥmah) to human beings, that more jus- tifications are taken into consid- eration in Islam due to the value of raḥmah and murūnah (flexibility) in Islamic jurispru- dence (fiqh ). But, somehow the spirit of looking forward into the maṣlahah of the ummah has been left out, and over shad- owed by particular interests and quest of some individuals and groups. At the end, it has given tremendous impacts on Islamic brotherhood and becoming a disease to Muslim community of late. Hatred, blatant accusa- tions and immorality started to overcome the Muslim minds and attitudes: Muslims are no more like one unit of structure (bunyānun marșuș) that was once cherished by the beloved Prophet SAW; supporting and encouraging each other in reli- gion and life. Differences as Wisdom ( Hikmah) One of the messages that Taha Jabir attempts to put preference was that differences among Muslims were perceived as great wisdom to Islam. He has given some identifications i.e. the spectrums of disagreement, as it implies different meanings and nature of ikhtilāf (disagreement). In fact, within the discipline and history of Islamic jurisprudence, some values were perpetuated such as dialectics ( jadal ) and dissen- sion ( shiqāq ) in consequence of encountering various schools of thoughts ( mazhab ) that eventu- ally lead to Taha Jabir’s dichot- omy of “acceptable and unac- ceptable differences.” There are particular guidelines stipulated for the Muslims not transgress in their differences. Taha Jabir had been so brilliant to present the life of the Companions, whom he viewed as capable of God- fearing ummah par excellence, yet they were too, differed on many issues. The Companions were recognized as the com- munity moulded by the Proph- et SAW through the Book of Guidance and the Sunnah of His Messenger. The differ- ences among them include the disagreement of the Compan- ions over the authenticity of the death of the Prophet SAW, where to bury the beloved Prophet SAW, who should suc- ceed him and the controversy over the zakah payment. Taha Jabir, has brilliantly put forward these values of the Companions in a meaningful way. This is because he managed to emphasize on the difference between the Companions and the Muslims of late, that their disagreements were motivated by the pursuit of knowledge and Truth, intellectual rigor and the demand of faith not by selfish- ness ( ghurūr ) or other personal interests.