THE RELIGION OF HUMANITY: Islam’s Ethical and Spiritual Outlook

and the Caliph would respond in a calm and balanced manner. It also demonstrates how, in a society where open questioning is allowed, confused minds can be cleared, and major doubts can be addressed and resolved directly by the relevant figures themselves. STAYING WITHIN THE LIMITS Tariq ibn Shihab reports that there was a disagreement between Khalid ibn al-Walid and Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas. They would often debate over a particular issue, but their disagreement remained unresolved for quite some time. During this period, a person came to Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas and began speaking negatively about Khalid ibn al-Walid— such as pointing out that he had accepted Islam late and had been a commander in the army of the polytheists during the Battle of Uhud. After listening to him, Sa’d said, “Stop. What lies between us and Khalid does not affect our religion.” (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Hadith No. 27187) This incident shows that even two highly respected scholars or leaders can have serious disagreements. Yet, even in the middle of such disagreements, they firmly maintain their limits. Under no circumstances do they overstep these boundaries. These boundaries exist in two ways. First, when both sides engage in discussion, their speech remains strictly focused