Why Muslims differ: schools and labels

Most of what you have learned so far is shared by every Sunni Muslim: belief in one God, the six articles of faith, the five pillars, the Quran, and the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The differences you notice at the masjid sit on top of that shared base. They are about details, such as where the hands rest in prayer. They are not about who Allah is or whether prayer is required.

The Quran tells believers that when they disagree over anything, they should refer it back to Allah and the Messenger (Quran 4:59). Scholars do that by going back to the Quran and the Prophet's teaching. On some questions the evidence can be read in more than one careful way, and that is where honest differences come from.

A school of law (madhhab) is a shared method for reading the Quran and the Sunnah (ਸ਼ਬਦਾਵਲੀ) and turning them into practical rulings. It is a method, not a sect. Four Sunni schools are followed today: Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali, each named after an early scholar. Dr. Emad Hamdeh's paper for Yaqeen Institute explains that the schools agree on the foundations and differ on secondary matters.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that a judge who works hard to reach the right verdict and gets it right has two rewards, and one who works hard and gets it wrong still has one (Sahih al-Bukhari 7352). The hadith is about a judge. Scholars apply the same idea to a qualified scholar's careful effort on an open question, which is why the schools can disagree and still respect each other. The Amman Message, a 2005 declaration signed by scholars and institutions from many countries, calls disagreement on secondary matters a mercy (point 2).

Not as a first step. A beginner does not need to study the four schools and choose between them. What helps is to learn one reliable method from one teacher and stay with it. Most people end up following the school of their teacher or their local masjid without a formal decision.

Scholars phrase the duty to follow a school in different ways. Dr. Hamdeh's paper presents following a recognised school as the normal way for a layperson to follow scripture. Dr. Nazir Khan's Yaqeen paper on difference of opinion (updated 22 July 2024) says a layperson needs a trustworthy teacher they can go to with questions. Either way, the beginner advice is the same: one teacher, followed consistently.

Two habits cause trouble. One is picking the easiest opinion from each school to suit yourself. Dr. Khan's paper is clear that valid differences are not a licence to pick whatever suits your desires. The other is deciding that someone whose hands rest in a different place has an invalid prayer. Ask your teacher before you switch anything.

The word Sunni comes from Sunnah, the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him). On this site it means the tradition of the four schools named above. Revert Guide teaches mainstream Sunni scholarship. Our religious sources come from Sunni scholars and institutions, and the masjid directory lists Sunni masjids. Where the four schools differ, we show the difference and leave the choice to you and your teacher.

This is also why the site does not use Shia or Ahmadiyya institutions as sources, and why their centres are not in the directory. That is a decision about what we teach. It is not a judgement on any person you meet.

Shia Muslims are a distinct tradition with their own schools of law and their own scholars. The Amman Message names two Shia schools, the Ja'fari and the Zaydi, among the schools whose followers are Muslims (point 1). You may meet Shia Muslims at work, at school or in your neighbourhood. Treat them with the same good manners you would show anyone.

Mainstream Sunni scholarship, including Egypt's official fatwa (ਸ਼ਬਦਾਵਲੀ) body, Dar al-Ifta, holds that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last prophet (Quran 33:40), so belief in a prophet after him, as the Ahmadiyya movement teaches, falls outside Islam.

At the masjid or online, people may describe themselves or others as Salafi, Sufi, Deobandi, Barelvi or Tablighi. These are movements or tendencies among Sunni Muslims. None of them is a separate religion, and you do not need to join any of them to be a complete Muslim.

The Amman Message (point 1) says that followers of true Salafi thought and of genuine Sufism (tasawwuf) may not be declared outside Islam. Dr. Nazir Khan's paper adds that declaring another Muslim a disbeliever (takfir) belongs only to trained scholars, never to ordinary Muslims arguing online.

If a group tells you that most other Muslims are not real Muslims, or asks you to cut off your family or your other teachers, step back. The red flags guide explains what to watch for.

Sooner or later someone will correct you. Thank them, then ask one question: is this a difference between the schools, or a real mistake? Where your hands rest, or whether you raise them before bowing, is usually a school difference. Leaving out a required part of the prayer is a mistake. You do not have to settle it on the spot. Take it to your teacher.

The Amman Message (point 3) says no one may give a ruling (fatwa) without the proper qualifications. A confident tone is not a qualification.

You will find answers online that disagree. It helps to know that there are three kinds of statement. Some things are clear and agreed, such as the five daily prayers. Some are a scholar's reasoned opinion on a question that is open to interpretation. And a ruling (fatwa) is a scholar's answer to one person's question about their own situation. A fatwa written for someone else may not fit you, and one written for another country may not fit life in Canada.

The Amman Message (point 3) says fatwas are for people with the proper qualifications who work within the method of the schools. Dr. Nazir Khan's paper lists what makes an opinion valid, including that it comes from a qualified scholar and does not contradict clear evidence. It warns against treating valid differences as a menu, and also against sorting opinions into "conservative" and "liberal" and always taking one side. Picking the easiest answer and always picking the strictest answer have the same problem: your mood replaces your teacher.

Some fatwa sites describe their own approach. IslamQA, for example, says on its About page that its answers are supervised by one scholar, Shaykh Muhammad Salih al-Munajjid, and draw on the imams of the four schools and other scholars. Whatever you read, note who wrote the answer and which school it follows.

• When you find two answers, write down the source and the school of each, then ask your teacher which applies to you.
• Do not act on a screenshot of a fatwa without the full question and the scholar's name.
• When this site shows Where scholars differ, it is telling you that a difference exists. It is not asking you to choose alone.

1. 1Name one teacher or one beginner course as your default for questions about worship.
2. 2When this site shows Where scholars differ, follow what your teacher or local masjid does, and ask before switching.
3. 3Leave online debates about sects and groups alone for your first year.
4. 4If someone pushes you to join a group or to look down on other Muslims, read the red flags guide and talk to someone you trust.

The schools, the labels and the ruling on following a school are questions to take to a qualified teacher. This page gives you a map, not a verdict.