and ʿUbaydah, together with those who stepped forward from Quraysh to duel them—namely ʿUtbah, Shaybah, and al-Walīd.
Most of the discord within the Ummah that degenerates into mere whims belongs to this first type. Such quarrels have led to bloodshed, the unlawful seizure of property, and entrenched enmity and hatred. The reason is that each faction refuses to acknowledge the portion of truth the other possesses or to treat it justly; rather, each adds layers of falsehood to the truth it already holds—and the other side behaves in the same way.
In the same vein, Allah identifies the root of this discord as transgression when He says: “None differed concerning it except those who had been given it after the clear proofs had come to them, out of transgression among themselves” (al-Baqarah 2:213). Transgression (baghy) means overstepping the limits. Allah reiterates this theme in several passages of the Qur’an so that it might serve as a lesson for this community.
(1) The eminent Companion is ʿUbaydah ibn al-Harith ibn ʿAbd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim al-Qurashi, a paternal cousin of the Messenger of Allah. He embraced Islam early in Mecca, migrated to Madinah, and held a distinguished position with the Prophet, who gave him the first banner raised for the Muhajirun (Meccan emigrants). He fought at Badr, where he duelled with ʿUtbah from the polytheists; each struck the other twice, and ʿUbaydah later died from his wounds, may Allah be pleased with him. See: Ibn al-Athir, Usd al-ghabah, 2:356–57.
(2) ʿUtbah and Shaybah are the sons of Rabiʿah ibn ʿAbd Shams ibn ʿAbd Manaf al-Qurashi. They ranked among the fiercest opponents of the Messenger and the believers, and the Prophet invoked specific curses against them. Al-Walid is the son of the aforementioned ʿUtbah and was likewise a leading adversary of Quraysh in Mecca. See: Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah wa-l-Nihayah, 3:273.
(3) I.e., a condemnation directed at both of the disputing parties.
(4) Copy J reads la an (“not that”), which is an error.
(5) Copies B and J read anfusaha (“themselves”).
(6) Copy B reads wa-li-hadha (“and for this reason”).
(7) The printed edition reads: masdar al-ikhtilaf al-baghy (“the source of disagreement is unjust aggression”).
(8) Qur’an, Surah al-Baqarah (2):213.