Allaah said: "Those who were given the Scriptures did not differ except out of mutual jealousy and hatred (bagyan) after knowledge had come to them." Informing that their differing arose after the coming of knowledge that made clear to them as to what they should steer clear of - for indeed Allaah does not let a people become misguided after He guided them except after telling them what they should steer clear of. And informing that they differed only due to the reason of mutual jealousy and hatred. Al-Bagy means to exceed the proper bounds as was indicated by Ibn Umar (in his commentary to the verse): 'arrogance and jealousy' - this arising due to differing ijtihaads that were not based upon knowledge. What is not meant by al-Bagy is the permissible difference that arises between the scholars for al-Bagy is either the neglect or omission of the truth, or exceeding the proper bounds. Exceeding the proper bounds either by leaving an obligatory action or by performing a forbidden action and it is known that splitting and disunity is the outcome of this.

An example of this lies in what He said about the People of the Book: "And from those who call themselves Christians, We took their covenant but they abandoned (or forgot) a portion of the Message that was sent to them. So we planted enmity and hatred till the Day of Resurrection." (5:14) So He informed us that in their forgetting/abandoning a portion of the Message - meaning leaving a portion of that which they were commanded with - lay the reason for their enmity and hatred.

This is what is occurring amongst the adherents of our religion and it can be found amongst the various parties that differ with regards to their principles and many subsidiary matters - found amongst the scholars and the worshippers - to the point that one finds a resemblance to the two nations about whom one says about the other: 'They are upon nothing.'

This is like what we find amongst the legal jurists who stick to the outward actions of the religion, and those that take to the path of tasawwuf (Sufism) who stick to the inward actions of the religion for each one of these negates the path of the other and claims that they are not from the People of the Religion, or they oppose the other in a way of opposing of those who do not consider the other to be part of the religion. There occurs between them enmity and hatred.

This is because Allaah has ordered that the heart be purified just as He has ordered that the body be purified. Both these aspects of purification are from the religion that Allaah has commanded and made obligatory. Allaah said,

"Allaah does not want to place you in difficulty, but He wants to purify you and to complete His Favour on you that you may be thankful." (5:6 - the verse pertaining to wudu)

"In it (the mosque) are men who love to purify themselves and Allah loves those who purify themselves." (9:108)

"Indeed Allaah Loves those who turn to Him in repentance and He loves those who purify themselves." (2:222)

"Take charity from their wealth in order to purify and sanctify them." (9:103)

"They are the ones whose hearts Allaah does not wish to purify." (5:41)

"Indeed the polytheists are impure and filthy" (9:28)