Cooperation with Theological Opponents

Fifth century Baghdad could probably be said to be the time and place where the tension between Asharis and Hanbalis was at its peak. Instead of pdf rebuttals, there were street fights and stabbings at times. It was awful, and al-hamdulillah, despite the tension remaining to date, we’ve generally moved past physical violence. However, that doesn’t mean that we are “better off” today. You see, despite the tensions in Baghdad back then, the Sunnis from the two camps still cooperated to pursue important Islamic goals.

Ibnul Jawzi (d. 597 A.H.) in his book, Al-Muntadham fi Tarikh al-Muluk wal-Umam, relates an incident which occurred in 464 A.H.[1]

Once, one of the Hanbali muftis of Baghdad, Abu Sa’d b. Abi ‘Imamah (d. 506 A.H.), saw a female singer coming out of one of the amir’s houses. He got hold of her lute and cut off its strings. She went to the amir to complain and the amir sent men after him and he escaped. He complained to the Hanbali Shaykh, Abu Ja’far al-Hashimi (d. 470 A.H.). They gathered a group of Hanbalis and went to the palace to plead on his behalf. They also got the Ashari scholar Abu Ishaq ash-Shirazi (d. 476 A.H.) and his companions involved. Together, they demanded an end to the rampant and open corruption (e.g. shutting down of brothels, prohibiting sale of alcoholic drinks, etc.) in Baghdad. And they were successful.

They did this together when? During the ultimate peak of the tension between them. After this, they went back to their theological feud! But what does this tell you? It tells you that at the end of the day, we can’t let our disagreements make us lose sight of what is going on around us.

[1] The story relayed by Ibnul Jawzi:

وفي جمادى الآخرة لقي أبو سعد بن أبي عمامة مغنية قد خرجت من عند تركي بنهر طابق فقبض على عودها وقطع أوتاره ، فعادت إلى التركي فأخبرته ، فبعث التركي إليه من كبس داره وأفلت ، وعبر إلى الحريم إلى بن أبي موسى الهاشمي شاكياً ما لقي ، واجتمع الحنابلة في جامع القصر من الغد فأقاموا فيه مستغيثين ، وأدخلوا معهم الشيخ أبا إسحاق الشيرازي وأصحابه ، وطلبوا قلع المواخير وتتبع المفسدات ومن يبيع النبيذ وضرب دراهم المعاملة بها عوض القراضة ، فتقدم أمير المؤمنين بذلك ، فهرب المفسدات ، وكبست الدور ، وارتفعت الأنبذة ، ووعد بقلع المواخير ومكاتبة عضد الدولة برفعها ، والتقدم بضرب دراهم يتعامل بها ، فلم يقتنع أقوام منهم بالوعد ، وأظهر أبو إسحاق الخروج من البلد فروسل برسالة سكتته