is not attained by giving a single dirham alone.
The second kind of generality is that the entirety applies to every one of its members, as in the Almighty’s words: “Then slay the polytheists” (At-Tawbah 9:5), which extends to every polytheist without exception.
The third kind is the generality of a genus over all its particular instances, exemplified by the prophetic saying, “A Muslim is not put to death for [killing] a disbeliever,” which encompasses every form of killing, every Muslim, and every disbeliever.
With this in mind, absolute opposition is not realized by differing in a single matter when agreement exists in a greater number of matters; it is achieved only by differing in all, or at least the majority, of matters. Absolute opposition stands in direct contrast to absolute agreement—they cannot coexist, and what predominates dictates the ruling. This is a precise clarification, yet it rests on one premise: that the sense conveyed by the unqualified term “opposition” includes opposition in the generality of
(1) The printed edition reads: “giving him a dirham.”
(2) The word “only” is not found in manuscript AT.
(3) The printed edition reads: “one of the categories of generality.”
(4) The printed edition has: “generic universality,” which is probably more accurate, yet it contradicts all the manuscript copies.
(5) Surah al-Tawbah, part of verse 5.
(6) Manuscripts B and J read: “and the third,” whereas AT has: “and the third: generic universality.”
(7) This sentence is part of a hadith recorded by Bukhari, Sahih, Book of Knowledge, “Writing Down Knowledge,” no. 111 (1:204) and also nos. 3047, 6903, 6915. Tirmidhi likewise narrated it and judged it hasan sahih; see Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Book of Blood Money, “No Muslim is killed for a kafir,” no. 1412 (4:24–25), ed. Ibrahim Atwah. The hadith also appears in the remaining Sunan and Musnad collections.
(8) The printed edition reads: “the Muslim and the unbeliever.”
(9) Manuscripts J and D read: “in much of it.”
(10) Manuscript AT reads: “however.”
(11) The printed edition reads: “and it is,” which fits the context better but differs from the other manuscripts.