1a] Why did the Imâms Differ?

1a]
issue religious verdicts, pass judgements or conduct other matters. And some of the people that were absent from the first gathering would witness it. They would then convey it to whomsoever they were able to convey it to. So these individuals would possess some knowledge that those people did not and those people would possess some knowledge that these individuals did not. And verily, the scholars among the Sahâbah and those after them were only distinguished from one another due to who possessed more knowledge or who bore itsexcellence. As for whether one single person can encompass all of the hadîth of the Messenger ofAllâh, then this claim is impossible.
An example of this is seen in the rightly guided khalîfahs, who were the most knowledgeable of the ummah concerning theaffairs of the Messenger of Allâh, his Sunnah and his states of being. This is especially so with Abu Bakr As-Siddîq who never separated from the Prophet(saw), whether he was present or on a journey. Rather, he was with him the majority of the time, even to the pointthat he used to spend nights talking to him about the affairs of the Muslims. This goes the same for 'Umar Ibn Al-Khattâb, for the Prophet(saw) would say many times:
"Abu Bakr, 'Umar and I entered…" and "Abu Bakr, 'Umar and I left…"
In spite of this, when Abu Bakr was asked on the inheritance of the grandmother, he said:
"There is nothing for you in the Book of Allâh nor have I learned of anything from the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allâh that is for you. However, I will askthe people."
So he asked them and Al Mughîrah Ibn Shu'bah and Muhammad Ibn Maslamah stood up and testified
"that the Prophet has given her a sixth (of the inheritance)." [3]
This aspect of the Sunnah was conveyed to 'Imrân Ibn Husain, also. These three individuals were not equal to Abu Bakr nor to any of the other (four rightly guided) khalîfahs interms of knowledge. However, they were specifically characterized with knowledge of this Sunnah – of which its acting upon has been agreed on by the ummah.
Likewise, 'Umar did not know the Sunnah for asking permission to entera household, until he was informed of it by Abu MûsâAl-Ash’arî, who called on the Ansâr as witnesses. [5] This was even though 'Umar possessed more knowledge than the one who told him of this aspect of the Sunnah.
Also, 'Umar did not know that a woman was supposed to inherit from her (deceased) husband's blood money, but instead he held the opinion that the blood money belonged to the 'آqilah [6] . This was until Ad-DahhâkIbn Sufyân Al-Kulâbî, who was a leader of some Bedouin Arabs (Al-Bawâdî) for the Messenger of Allâh, wrote to him and informed him that:
"The Messenger of Allâh(swt) gave the wife ofAshyam Ad-Dabâbî, inheritance from the bloodmoney of her (deceased) husband." [7]
So he abandoned his opinion in favor of that (hadîth) and said:
"Had we not heard of this, we would have ruled in opposition to it."
Also, he did not know the regulations of the Majûs in regards to their payment of the jizyah (money tribute). This was until 'Abd-ur-Rahmân Ibn 'Awf informed him that the Messenger of Allâh(swt) said:
"Treat them like the people of the House (Ka'bah)." [8]
And when 'Umar arrived atSargh [9] and news reached him that there was a plague in Shâm, he first sought counsel from the Muhâjirîn that were with him, then from the Ansâr, then from the Muslims that were present at the Conquest (of Makkah). Everyone of themadvised him according to his own personal opinion and not one of them informed him of the Sunnah (in regards to this situation). This was until 'Abd-ur-Rahmân Ibn 'Awf arrived and informed him of the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allâh(swt) concerning plagues and that he(saw) said:
"If it breaks out in a land while you are in it, then donot leave from it by fleeing. And if you hear news that it has broken out in a land, then do not go near it." [10]
And he and Ibn 'Abbâs were reminded of what should be done when one has doubt in his prayer as to whether or not he has broken his ablution. And the Sunnah for that affair was not conveyed to him, until 'Abd-ur-Rahmân Ibn 'Awf informed him that the Prophet(saw) would
"Cast away all doubts and work upon that which he was certain of." [11]
And one time 'Umar was on a journey when a wind began to blow violently, so he began to say:
"Who will narrate to us a hadîth concerning the wind?"
Abu Hurairah said:
"News of this reached me while I was in the last rows of people (on the journey), so I hurried my riding animal until I reached him. Then I narrated to him, what the Prophet(saw) commanded should be done at the timewhen the wind is blowing." :->/ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en