Judging Others By Your Own Standards

A common mistake when JUDGING OTHERS – أدب الاختلاف

Some people judge their opponents with the Fiqhi opinion that they themselves hold.

This is a huge mistake …

For example, a guy believes that keeping trousers below ankles (الإسبال) is a sin even if its not done with pride – so whenever he sees another guy keeping his trousers below his ankles, he assumes that he is a: FAASIQ (فاسق – sinner).

Or a girl believes that shaping eyebrows (النمص) is a sin at all times, so whenever she sees another woman that has shaped her eye-brows for her husband – she assumes that she is a: FAASIQAH (فاسقة – sinner).

This is NOT how this works.

You don’t judge the OTHER person with the opinion that YOU hold.

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Imam Ahmad believed was of the view that bleeding breaks Wudhu. But when he was asked if he would pray behind an Imam who bled but did not repeat Wudhu?

He replied
كيف لا أصلي خلف الإمام مالك وسعيد بن المسيب
“How can I not pray behind Imam Maalik and Sa’eed bin Al-Musayyab?!”

[“Majmoo’ Al-Fatawa”, 20/364].
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Many scholars believe that your Wudhu breaks by:

– Touching a Woman
– Eating Camel Meat
– Touching your Private Parts
– Bleeding
– Hijama (cupping)

Other scholars did not believe this – but they ALLLLL prayed behind each other.

If they had judged the OTHER side with their OWN opinion, they would not have prayed behind each other, because according to their understanding of evidences, their opponents Wudhu was broken, without Wudhu there is NO PRAYER.

But they did not do this.

NOTE: This is of course when the difference of opinion itself is valid on an issue, not all ikhtilaf is valid.

Allaahu A’alam