When we look at the tree of da�wah, with its firm roots and tall branches, we will see how far its shade spreads day after day, and how it bears ripe fruits all the time, but there are storms coming one after another to uproot it, and there are diseases which threaten its growth and progress. But Allaah insists that His light should shine perfectly even though the disbelievers hate that. Among these diseases and storms is the problem of intense disagreements among the daa�iyahs.

These destructive differences lead to two dangerous things:

1 � Malicious joy directed against the daa�iyahs and their da�wah. Hating one another and insulting one another lead people to look down on them. Those who plot against the da�wah find opportunities to cause harm to the daa�iyahs and rejoice maliciously at their misfortune. Moosa said to Haaroon, when he seized him by the (hair of his) head:

�so make not the enemies rejoice over me�

[al-A�raaf 7:150 interpretation of the meaning]

2 � Putting people off the message and the daa�iyahs, because they are not united and because they do not pay attention to the etiquette of disagreement. For this reason the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Abu Moosa al-Ash�ari and Mu�aadh (may Allaah be pleased with them both), when he sent them as daa�iyahs to Yemen: �Be in agreement and not in dispute.� (Al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 3/142). When it was said to Ibn Mas�ood, �You criticized �Uthmaan then you prayed four rak�ahs,� he said, �Disagreement is an evil.� (Al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 1/394)

There are numerous reasons for disagreements and discord among the daa�iyahs, the most important of which include:

1- Calling people to follow oneself or a group. Da�wah should be to call purely for the Qur�aan and Sunnah. If a daa�iyah calls people to follow him, it should be (like Ibraaheem�s call)

�O my father! Verily, there has come to me of the knowledge that which came not unto you. So follow me, I will guide you to the Straight Path� [Maryam 19:43 � interpretation of the meaning]

Its purpose should be to guide people to the truth:

�So follow me, I will guide you to the Straight Path� [Maryam 19:43 � interpretation of the meaning]

�Follow me, I will guide you to the way of right conduct�[Ghaafir 40:38]

The daa�iyah should avoid calling people to follow him (as a personality) or his way or his group. This is what al-Qaasimi referred to when he said: �No group found a way to make people follow them except by exaggerating about themselves, by means of undermining others or causing trouble for them whenever the opportunity arose or circumstances permitted it, whether that was by the sword or by the tongue.� (Kitaab al-Jarh wa�l-Ta�deel by Jamaal al-Deen al-Qaasimi).

2 � Undermining others and treating them badly. Being unfair to other daa�iyahs is one of the main causes of disagreement and division. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said concerning this matter: �Because one of the groups does not acknowledge what the other has of the truth and does not speak fairly of them. Instead, it exaggerates about what it has of the truth and attributes false things to the other, and the other group does likewise. Hence Allaah described unfairness as the root of differences.� (Iqtidaa� al-Siraat al-Mustaqeem, p.40)

The daa�iyah should look at how far ahead of him his brothers are in goodness and virtue, and make that a reason to treat them with good manners and be polite if he notices mistakes and shortcomings on their part. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said concerning Moosa (peace be upon him), when he threw down the Tablets and pulled his brother�s beard, and poked out the eye of the Angel of Death: �His Lord did not rebuke him, for he had achieved great things and stood up against the greatest enemy of Allaah, and he had to deal with the Children of Israel. But Dhu�l-Noon (Yoonus) did not achieve what Moosa achieved, so Allaah imprisoned him in the belly of the fish when he gotangry with his people. And indeed Allaah has set a measure for all things [cf. Al-Talaaq 65:3].� (Madaarij al-Saalikeen by Ibn al-Qayyim, 2/456)

3 � Sectarianism. The danger does not usually reside in the mere fact that there are different groups, but in partisan attitudes towards this or that effort, so that it becomes the matter of loyalty and enmity, love and hate. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: �If a man studies the way of some believing people, such as the followers of the imaams and shaykhs, he has no right to make his leader and companions the standard (by which he measures others), so that he takes as friends those who agree with them and takes as enemies those who differ from them.� (al-Fataawa, 20/8; see also 20/124, 3/347)

He also said: �A person does not need to attach himself to a specific shaykh; everyone from whom he can learn something about his religion is his shaykh with regard to that matter. No one should attach himself to a shaykh and take his followers as friends and others as enemies. He should take as a friend everyone who is a believer and who he knows to have taqwa, among all the shaykhs and others.� (al-Fataawa, 12/512; see also 12/514)

4 � Hasad (envy). The disease of hasad has created a great deal of hatred between different groups and daa�iyahs. The following story illustrates this point. Imaam al-Dhahabi said: Imaam al-Barbahaari had a large number of followers. He passed by the west side and sneezed, so his companions said �Yarhamuk Allaah (may Allaah have mercy on you).� They made so much noise that the khaleefah heard it and was told of what had happened, and he thought it was too much. Then the people of bid�ah kept on stirring up hatred in the heart of the khaleefah until it was declared in Baghdaad, No two followers of al-Barbahaari may gather together. Then he disappeared. (See al-Siyar, 15/92)