IKHTILAF

(Arabic: disagreement), in Islam, differences of opinion on religious matters. Such diversity is permissible as long as the basic principles of Islam are not affected. Ikhtilaf is thus the opposite of ijma' (consensus). Ikhtilaf permits a Muslim to choose the interpretation of religious teachings that best suits his own circumstances and causes the least harm. Two famous sayings from Hadith in favour of ikhtilaf were attributed to the Prophet Muhammad: Difference of opinion in the Muslim community is a sign of divine favour; and It is a mercy of God that the theologians differ in opinion. Ikhtilaf thus allowed Islam to develop four equally orthodox legal schools: the Maliki, the Hanafi, the Shafi'i, and the Hanbali, within each of which there have been diverse interpretations of the same religious texts. Disagreements among Muslim theologians usually focus on details of legal practices, which, though relatively minor when compared with the great tenets of the faith, are nevertheless most relevant in everyday life.