(2) INTRA-FAITH DIVERGENCES IN MUSLIM’S HISTORY (AN ANALYSIS OF ITS NATURE, SCOPE AND REALITY)

Abstract

Difference of opinion and thought is a natural process and every individual has a right to have his own point of view. Human intellectual fertility depends on his difference of opinion and learning from it. Disagreement in the religious affairs creates ease and enhances the scope of religion. The divergence among various schools of thought in Islam is often criticized for the reason that if their source is the same, (i.e. Qur’an and Sunnah) then why there is different opinions and different schools of thought in Islam. It is emphasized that there is the need to promote mutual respect and tolerance, to promote unity and encourage mutual co-existence for a peaceful atmosphere in the Muslim societies. In this article, an attempt has been made to answer these questions in the light of Muslim’s history. The nature, scope and reality of Intrafaith differences have been described in an analytical and critical perspective.