Yet even such leading scholars may err concerning the rulings of Allah, Mighty and Majestic—not concerning the foundational matters mentioned earlier. Such errors are inevitable, for the human being is as Allah Most High described him: “And humankind was created weak.” 1.

Human beings are limited in their knowledge and understanding, as well as in their ability to comprehend matters fully. They must therefore err in some matters. We shall summarize the causes of error among scholars that we wish to discuss under the following seven headings, although in reality they are numerous—an unfathomable ocean. Anyone well versed in the views of scholars recognizes the many causes of disagreement. We shall summarize them as follows: