Question:
It was stated in The System of Islam: [Thirdly: That there be an opinion intended to unify the word of the Muslims for their benefit. In this case, it is permissible for the Mujtahid to leave what his Ijtihad led him to and adopt the ruling intended to unify the word of the Muslims, as happened with Uthman (ra) during his Bay'ah (pledge of allegiance).] End quote.
And it was stated in The Islamic Personality, Volume 1: (Fourthly - That there be an opinion intended to unify the word of the Muslims for their interest. In this case, it is permissible for the Mujtahid to leave what his Ijtihad led him to and adopt the ruling intended to unify the word of the Muslims, as happened with Uthman during his Bay'ah. It was narrated that Abdurrahman bin Awf, after questioning the people in pairs and individually, collectively and separately, secretly and openly, gathered the people in the mosque, ascended the pulpit, made a long supplication, then called Ali, took his hand, and said to him: "Are you pledging to me to act according to the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Messenger, and what the two Caliphs after him, Abu Bakr and Umar, saw?" Ali said: "I pledge to you upon the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, and I will exert my own opinion." So he released his hand and called Uthman, saying to him: "Are you pledging to me to act according to the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Messenger, and what the two Caliphs after him, Abu Bakr and Umar, saw?" Uthman said: "O Allah, yes." Then Abdurrahman raised his head to the ceiling of the mosque, his hand in Uthman's hand, and said three times: "O Allah, listen and bear witness..."). End quote.
The question is: I found in narrations I read, "but rather to my best effort and capacity," and "to the extent of my knowledge and capacity." Are these the same in meaning as "I will exert my own opinion" (AjTahidu bi-ra'yi)? Furthermore, I read in another narration that Ali bin Abi Talib agreed and only said "as much as I am able." How authentic is that?
Answer:
Yes, there is no difference between those expressions among scholars and Mujtahids. To clarify this, I say:
- It was stated in Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah by Ibn Kathir:
فَقُمْ إِلَيَّ يَا عَلِيُّ، فقام إليه تَحْتَ الْمِنْبَرِ فَأَخَذَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بِيَدِهِ فَقَالَ: هَلْ أَنْتَ مُبَايِعِي عَلَى كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وسنَّة نَبِيِّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَفِعْلِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ؟ قَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ لَا وَلَكِنْ عَلَى جُهْدِي مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَطَاقَتِي...
"Come to me, O Ali. So he stood before him under the pulpit, and Abdurrahman took his hand and said: 'Are you pledging to me upon the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Prophet (saw), and the actions of Abu Bakr and Umar?' He said: 'O Allah, no, but rather to my best effort and capacity...'" End quote.
- It was stated in Tarikh al-Rusul wal-Muluk by Al-Tabari:
وَدَعَا عَلِيًّا، فَقَالَ: عَلَيْكَ عَهْدَ اللَّهِ وَمِيثَاقَهُ لَتَعْمَلَنَّ بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَسُنَّةِ رَسُولِهِ وَسِيرَةِ الْخَلِيفَتَيْنِ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ؟ قَالَ: أَرْجُو أَنْ أَفْعَلَ وَأَعْمَلَ بِمَبْلِغِ عِلْمِي وَطَاقَتِي...
"And he called Ali and said: 'Upon you is the covenant and bond of Allah that you shall act according to the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Messenger, and the way of the two Caliphs after him?' He said: 'I hope to do so and act to the extent of my knowledge and capacity...'" End quote.
It seems that when you read such narrations, you thought that "I will exert my own opinion" differs from "to my best effort and capacity" and "to the extent of my knowledge and capacity," but they all carry the same meaning. Ali (ra) distinguished between following the Book and the Sunnah and following the actions of Abu Bakr and Umar; he agreed to follow the Book and the Sunnah but made an exception regarding the actions of Abu Bakr and Umar, stating he would act according to his effort and knowledge—meaning, according to his own Ijtihad.
This is what scholars understood. It was stated in Tamhid al-Awa'il wa Talkhis al-Dala'il by Qadi Abu Bakr al-Baqillani al-Maliki (d. 403 AH):
وَإِن قَالُوا وَكَيف يكون عقد عبد الرَّحْمَن لعُثْمَان صَحِيحا وَقد عقد لَهُ على شَرط تَقْلِيده فِي الْأَحْكَام لأبي بكر وَعمر وَمَا رُوِيَ عَنهُ من أَنه قَالَ لعَلي نُبَايِع لَك ونعقد لَك هَذَا الْأَمر على أَن تحكم بِكِتَاب الله وَسنة نبيه وَسنة الشَّيْخَيْنِ من بعده وَأَن عليا قَالَ لَيْسَ مثلي من استظهر عَلَيْهِ وَلَكِن أجتهد رَأْيِي وَأَنه عرض ذَلِك على عُثْمَان فَرضِي بِالشّرطِ وَضَمنَهُ وَعقد لَهُ عَلَيْهِ...
"And if they say: How can the contract of Abdurrahman for Uthman be valid when he contracted it on the condition of following the rulings of Abu Bakr and Umar? And what was narrated from him that he said to Ali: 'We give you the pledge and contract this matter to you on the condition that you rule by the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Prophet, and the Sunnah of the two Elders after him,' and that Ali said: 'One like me does not need to be overseen, but rather I will exert my own opinion,' and that he offered this to Uthman, who accepted the condition, guaranteed it, and the contract was made for him..." End quote. Thus, he expressed it with the phrase "I will exert my own opinion" (ajTahidu ra'yi).
Similarly, Al-Sarakhsi (d. 483 AH) mentioned this understanding in his Usul, saying:
ثمَّ عمر جعل الْأَمر شُورَى بعده بَين سِتَّة نفر فاتفقوا بِالرَّأْيِ على أَن يجْعَلُوا الْأَمر فِي التَّعْيِين إِلَى عبد الرَّحْمَن بَعْدَمَا أخرج نَفسه مِنْهَا فَعرض على عَليّ أَن يعْمل بِرَأْي أَبى بكر وَعمر فَقَالَ أعمل بِكِتَاب الله وبسنة رَسُول الله ثمَّ أجتهد رَأْيِي وَعرض على عُثْمَان هَذَا الشَّرْط أَيْضا فَرضِي بِهِ فقلده
"Then Umar made the matter a Shura after him among six individuals. They agreed to delegate the appointment to Abdurrahman after he removed himself from consideration. So he offered to Ali that he act according to the opinion of Abu Bakr and Umar, but he said: 'I will act according to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, then I will exert my own opinion.' He offered this condition to Uthman as well, who accepted it, so he appointed him." End quote. Thus, he also used the phrase "I will exert my own opinion."
Furthermore, this is a well-known and famous matter even in modern research institutes. It was stated in the Journal of the Islamic University of Madinah, Deanship of Scientific Research (1423 AH / 2002 CE):
"Abdurrahman bin Awf gathered the Muslims in the mosque... then he called Ali. Abdurrahman had been delegated to choose the Caliph after he declined it himself, on the condition that the Muslims follow him in the pledge to whomever he pledges to.
Abdurrahman placed his hand in Ali's hand, saying: 'We pledge to you on the condition that you act according to the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Messenger, and the Ijtihad of the two Elders'—meaning Abu Bakr and Umar. Ali did not agree to the Ijtihad of the two Elders and said: 'Rather, I will exert my own opinion.' So Abdurrahman withdrew his hand and called Uthman (ra), who accepted the Ijtihad of the two Elders, even though what happened later occurred." End quote.
Therefore, there is no contradiction between "I will exert my own opinion," "to my best effort and capacity," and "to the extent of my knowledge and capacity." All of these are the same to scholars given the knowledge Allah has bestowed upon them. Whichever of these expressions is used, it is correct, especially when the context concerns the derivation of a ruling from evidence (istinbat), as we have mentioned in our books. Therefore, if you see it mentioned as "I will exert my own opinion" instead of "to my best effort and capacity" or "to the extent of my knowledge and capacity," there is nothing wrong with that if it is in the context of legal reasoning and the derivation of rulings.
As for what was mentioned in the question regarding what Imam Ahmad narrated in his Musnad:
قُلْتُ لِعَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ: كَيْفَ بَايَعْتُمْ عُثْمَانَ وَتَرَكْتُمْ عَلِيًّا؟ قَالَ: مَا ذَنْبِي؟ قَدْ بَدَأْتُ بِعَلِيٍّ، فَقُلْتُ: أُبَايِعُكَ عَلَى كِتَابِ اللهِ وَسُنَّةِ رَسُولِهِ، وَسِيرَةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ. قَالَ: فَقَالَ: فِيمَا اسْتَطَعْتُ. قَالَ: ثُمَّ عَرَضْتُهَا عَلَى عُثْمَانَ، فَقَبِلَهَا
"I said to Abdurrahman bin Awf: 'How did you pledge to Uthman and leave Ali?' He said: 'What is my fault? I started with Ali and said: I pledge to you upon the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Messenger, and the way of Abu Bakr and Umar. He said: As much as I am able. Then I offered it to Uthman, and he accepted it.'" End quote.
Its chain of narration (isnad) is weak (da'if). Sufyan ibn Waki' was weakened by more than one scholar; Al-Hafiz said in Al-Taqrib: "Sufyan ibn Waki', his Hadith is discarded." Abu Zur'ah al-Razi also weakened him in his book Al-Du'afa', and Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from him in Al-Jarh wa al-Ta'dil: "I asked Abu Zur'ah about Sufyan ibn Waki', that it has been said he lies? He said: Yes." Consequently, the Hadith is weak and cannot be relied upon.