Humaid said: I said to Umar bin Abdul Aziz, may Allah have mercy on him: If only you would unite all the people upon one thing. He replied: If they did not differ, I would not be pleased. Humaid said: Then Umar bin Abdul Aziz, may Allah have mercy on him, wrote to all the cities and provinces that every group should decide according to what their jurists have unanimously agreed upon.

Awn bin Abdullah said: I do not like that the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) do not differ, because if they had consensus on something and a person abandoned that thing, it would be as if he had abandoned the Sunnah. But if they differed and a person acted upon the saying of any one of those companions, then (it is as if) he acted upon the Sunnah.

It is narrated from Laith (ibn Abi Sulaym) that Imam Tawus, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Sometimes Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, formed an opinion and then abandoned it.

Marwan bin Hakam said: Sayyiduna Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) said to me: Sayyiduna Umar bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said to me: "I have an opinion regarding the inheritance of the grandfather; if you consider it appropriate, then follow it." Sayyiduna Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "If we follow you, then it is guidance and right conduct, and if we follow the Sheikh before you, who had a very good opinion..." The narrator said: (That Sheikh, meaning) Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), used to consider the grandfather in the position of the father.