any superior form among them. Rather, this is like the routes to Mecca: the people of each region make the pilgrimage by their own route. They do not choose it because it is superior, such that their pilgrimage would be better than that of others, but because they must take some route. They therefore take this one either because it is easier for them or for some other reason, even if all the routes are equal.

One should therefore distinguish between choosing a prescribed form because one considers it intrinsically superior and choosing one because some choice is unavoidable, with ease or some other consideration tipping the balance in its favour.

Each of the early generations would recite, pray, supplicate and remember Allah in a prescribed manner, and his companions and the people of his locality would learn that manner from him. These forms might be equal, or some might be superior to others. Then, among later generations, someone would seek to attribute that choice to the superiority of the chosen form, while another would oppose him on this point. From this arose ruinous, misleading passions. The two forms might be equal in the sight of Allah and His Messenger, yet each group considers its own way superior, loves those who agree with it, and turns away from those who practise the other form. Thus they give preference where Allah has made things equal, and treat things as equal where Allah has distinguished between them in merit.

This is one avenue of the division and disagreement that have afflicted the Muslim community, which the Quran and Sunnah have forbidden. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade this very kind of disagreement in an authentic hadith—as I have explained in al-Sirāt al-Mustaqīm (The Straight Path)—when he said:

“Recite as you have learned.”