and dispute. Disagreement among those outside the religious communities is greater than among the adherents of religion. The closer any people are to following the prophets, the less disagreement there is among them.

The disagreements reported among the philosophers of Greece and India, and others like them, are beyond enumeration by anyone but Allah. Next come the disagreements among the religious groups most deeply steeped in innovation, such as the Rāfida among us. After them come the disagreements among the Mutazila and their like, followed by those among the groups that affiliate themselves with the main body of Muslims, such as the Kullābiyya, Karrāmiyya, Ashariyya, and their like. Then, after that, (1) come the disagreements among the people of hadith. Of all these groups, they disagree least over their fundamental principles, because their inheritance from prophethood is greater than that of others. The rope of Allah, to which they held fast, therefore safeguarded them. Thus He said (2):

“Hold firmly, all together, to the rope of Allah.”

[Surah Āl Imrān: 103]

How, then, in view of the disagreement that existed among the nations before us, can it be said that, after Satan’s specious argument, the source of corruption was the disagreement that occurred during the Prophet’s illness—may Allah bless him and grant him peace? How much corruption and disagreement had indeed (3) occurred before that?

Restricting the matter to Satan’s specious argument and the disagreement that occurred during the illness is false. As for Satan’s specious argument, no trace of any chain of transmission for it is known, as stated earlier, and its falsity is evident.

As for what occurred during the Prophet’s illness—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—more serious incidents had occurred before it. Fighting had even broken out among the people of Qubā, prompting the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—to go out and reconcile them.