Who are the Ahl as-Sunnah wa'l Jama'ah?

Many people today like to classify themselves as belonging to the Saved Sect (Firqatun-
Najiyyah) - Ahl as-Sunnah Wa'l Jama'ah; but do these people really know which is
the Saved Sect, from the many sects we have today? The following is an attempt to
clarify some misconceptions by way of definitive proofs from the Qur'an and Sunnah, as
well as quotes from the profoundly learned Classical Scholars of Islam. Know that there
is only one Saved Sect in Islam, and this is the original pristine form of Islam that has
been transmitted to us by Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala in his Qur'an, his Rasul (Peace and
blessings be upon him), the blessed Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all)
and the great scholars of Islam (Allah's mercy be upon them all) who have been
following their Straight Path for more than one thousand years of Islam's history. The
first question that should be raised is: "What differentiates one sect from
another sect?" The answer to this is simple and definitive! Know that the chief
characteristic that distinguishes one sect from another, lies not in the differences of
opinion that its scholars have attained by making ijtihad from the sources of the
Shari'ah (this leads to the formation of the Madhhabs), but rather the actual belief
(aqid'ah or i'tiqad in Arabic) that the scholars and laity of the sect in question are
clinging onto - since the founding of their respective sect. 

According to the unknown author of the book Belief and Islam (pp. 78-9), the faith of
the People of the Sunnah and Jama'ah was spread as follows: 

"Nowadays, some mouths frequently use the name of 'Salafiyya'. Every Muslim should
know very well that in Islam there is nothing in the name of the Madhhab of Salafiyya
but there is the Madhhab of the Salaf as-salihin who were the Muslims of the first two
Islamic centuries (i.e; the Companions, their successors and the followers of the
successors) which were lauded in a Hadith sharif. The ulama of Islam who came in the
third and fourth centuries are called Khalaf as-sadiqin. The i'tiqad (belief) of these
honourable people is called the Madhhab of Ahl as-Sunnah wa'l Jama'ah. This is the
Madhhab of Iman, tenets of faith. The Iman held by the Sahaba al-Kiram (may Allah be
pleased with them all) and by the Tabi'un (Allah's mercy be upon them all) was the
same. There was no difference between their beliefs. Today most Muslims in the world
are in the Madhhab of Ahl as-Sunnah (i.e; most Muslim's claim to be Sunni's). All the
seventy-two heretical groups (see later for the actual Hadith and its commentary) of
bid'ah appeared (mainly) after the second century of Islam. Founders of some of them
lived earlier, but it was after the Tabi'un that their books were written, and that they
appeared in groups and defied the Ahl as-Sunnah. 
Rasulullah (Peace and blessings be upon him) brought the beliefs of Ahl as-Sunnah. The
Sahaba al-kiram (may Allah be pleased with them all) derived these teachings of Iman
from the source (the Qur'an and Sunnah). And the Tabi'un (successors), in their turn,
learned these teachings from the Sahaba al-kiram. And from them their successors
learned, thus the teachings of Ahl as-Sunnah reached us by way of transmission and
tawatur (through many undeniable chains of transmission). These teachings cannot be
explored by way of reasoning. Intellect cannot change them and will only help
understand them. That is, intellect is necessary for understanding them, for realizing
that they are right and for knowing their value. All the scholars of Hadith held the
beliefs of the Ahl as-Sunnah. The Imams of the four Madhhabs in deeds, too, were in
this Madhhab. Also, al-Maturidi and al-Ashari (Allah's mercy be upon them), the two
Imam's of our Madhhab in beliefs, were in the Madhhab of the Ahl as-Sunnah. Both of
these Imams promulgated this Madhhab. They always defended this Madhhab against
heretics and materialists, who had been stuck in the bogs of ancient Greek philosophy.
Though they were contemporaries, they lived in different places and the ways of
thinking and behaving of the offenders they had met were different, so the methods of
defence used and the answers given by these two great scholars of Ahl as-Sunnah were
different. But this does not mean that they belonged to different Madhhabs (rather they
were both from the Ahl as-Sunnah). Hundreds of thousands of profoundly learned
ulama and awliya (friends of Allah) coming after these two exalted Imams studied their
books and stated in consensus that they both belonged to the Madhhab of the Ahl as-
Sunnah. The scholars of the Ahl as-Sunnah took the nass (Qur'an and Sunnah) with
their outward meanings. That is, they gave the ayats and Hadiths their outward
meanings, and did not explain away (ta'wil) the nass or change these meanings unless
there was a darura (necessity) to do so. And they never made any changes with their
personal knowledge or opinions. But those who belonged to heretical groups and the la-
Madhhabi (those who do not belong to one of the four Madhhabs) did not hesitate to
change the teachings of Iman and Ibadat (worship) as they had learned from (the books
of) Greek philosophers and from sham scientists, who were Islam's adversaries."
Let us now see what the definition of Ahl as-Sunnah wa'l Jama'ah was according to the
classical scholars of this aided, Victorious sect (Tai'fatul-Mansoorah) of Islam. 
(1) Shaykh al-Islam Ahmad ibn Hajar al-Haytami (d. 974/1567; R.A.) 

Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Haytami defined the Sunni Muslims as follows in his book Fath al-
jawad: 

"A mubtadi (innovator) is the person who does not have the faith (aqid'ah) conveyed
unanimously by the Ahl as-Sunnah. This unanimity was transmitted by the two great
Imam's Abu'l Hasan al-Ashari (d.324/936; Rahimahullah) and Abu Mansur al-Maturidi
(d.333/944; Rahimahullah) and the scholars who followed their path." Hafiz Ibn Hajar
al-Haytami also said in his book al-Fatawa al-Hadithiyya (pg. 205): "Man of bid'ah
means one whose beliefs are different from the Ahl as-Sunnah faith. The Ahl as-Sunnah
faith, is the faith of Abu'l Hasan al-Ashari, Abu Mansur al-Maturidi and those who
followed them. One who brings forth something which is not approved by Islam
becomes a man of bid'ah."
(2) Imam Ahmad Shihab ad-Din al Qalyubi (d.1069/1659; R.A.) 

Imam al-Qalyubi wrote on the fourth volume of his marginalia to the book Kanz ar-
raghibin: 

"One who departs from what Abu'l Hasan al-Ashari and Abu Mansur al-Maturidi
(Allah's mercy be upon them) reported is not a Sunni. These two Imam's followed the
footprints of Rasulullah (Peace be upon him) and his Sahaba (may Allah be pleased with
them all)." 
(3) Imam Abdullah ibn Alawi al-Haddad (d. 1132 AH; Rahimahullah) 

Imam al-Haddad stated in The Book of Assistance (pg. 40): 

"You must correct and protect your beliefs and conform to the pattern of the party of
salvation, who are those known from among the other Islamic factions as the "People of
the Sunnah and Jama'ah" (Ahl as-Sunnah wa'l Jama'ah). They are those who firmly
adhere to the way of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and of
his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all). 
If you look with a sound understanding into those passages relating to the sciences of
faith in the Book (Qur'an), the Sunnah, and the saying of the virtuous predecessors,
whether they be Companions or followers, you will know for certain that the truth is
with the party called the Ashari (NB-the Maturidi's are also upon the truth), named after
the Shaykh Abu'l Hasan al-Ashari, may Allah have mercy on him, who systematized the
foundations of the creed of the people of the truth, and recorded its earliest versions,
these being the beliefs with the Companions and the best among the followers agreed
upon."
(4) Imam Abdal Ghani an-Nablusi (d. 1143/1733; Rahimahullah) 

Imam an-Nablusi stated in his book al-Hadiqat an-Nadiyya (vol. 2, pg. 103): 

"Jama'ah is rahma, that is, the union of Muslims on truth brings Allahu ta'ala's
Compassion. Tafriqa is adhab, that is, separation from the Community of Muslims
brings about punishment from Allahu ta'ala. Hence, it is necessary for every Muslim to
unite with those who are on the right path. He must join and believe like them even if
they are only a small group. The right path is the path of as-Sahaba al-Kiram. Those who
follow this path are called Ahl as-Sunnah Wa'l Jama'ah. It should not confuse us that
many heretical groups appeared after the time of as-Sahaba al-Kiram. Al-Imam al-
Bayhaqi (d. 458/1066; Rahimahullah) said, 'When Muslims go astray, you should
follow the right path of those who came before them! You should not give up that path
even if you are left alone on the path!' Najm ad-Din al-Ghazzi (d. 1061/1651;
Rahimahullah) wrote: 'Ahl as-Sunnah Wa'l Jama'ah are those ulama who keep on the
right path of Rasullullah (Peace and blessings be upon him) and as-Sahaba al-Kiram.
As-Sawad al-Azam, that is, the majority of Islamic scholars, have followed this right
path. The Firqatun-Naajiyyah which was defined to be the group of salvation among
the seventy three groups is this true Jama'ah.' The Qur'an al-Karim declares, 'Do not
disunite!' This ayat means 'Do not disunite in i'tiqad, in the teachings of beliefs!' Most
ulama, for example, Abdullah ibn Masood (may Allah be pleased with him), interpreted
this ayat as above and said that it meant, 'Do not deviate from the right path by
following your desires and corrupt ideas.' This ayat does not mean that there should be
no disagreement in the knowledge of fiqh. It forbids separation which causes discord
and dissension in the knowledge of i'tiqad (see Imam al-Qurtubi's opinion later). The
disagreement in the knowledge (of fiqh) derived through ijtihad in the field of practices
(amal) is not a discord, because such disagreement has brought to sight the rights, the
fards and the subtle teachings in amal and Ibadah (worship). As-Sahaba al-kiram (Allah
be pleased with them all), too, differed from one another in those teachings that
explained the daily life, but there was no disagreement among them in the knowledge of
i'tiqad."
(5) Allamah Sayyid Ahmad at-Tahtawi (d. 1231/1816; Rahimahullah) 

Allamah Sayyid Ahmad at-Tahtawi, a great Hanafi fiqh scholar of Egypt, wrote on the
subject of 'Zabayih' in his Hashiya al-Durr al-Mukhtar: 

"According to the majority of scholars of tafsir, the ayat, 'They parted into groups in the
religion,' referred to the people of bid'ah who would arise in this Ummah. In a Hadith
reported by Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), Rasulullah (Peace and blessings be
upon him) said to Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), 'The ayat about the partitions
into groups in the religion refers to the people of bid'ah and to the followers of their
nafs who would arise in this Ummah.' Allah declared in the 153rd ayat of Surah Al-
An'am, 'This is My Straight path, so follow it! Follow not other ways, lest you be
parted from His way!' (that is, Jews, Christians, and other heretics departed from the
right path; you should not part like them!). In the 103rd ayat of Surah Al-Imran, Allah
declares, 'And hold fast, all of you together, to the rope of Allah, and do not separate!'
(see later for a brief commentary). Some scholars of tafsir said that Allah's rope meant
Jama'ah, unity. The command, 'Do not separate', shows that it is so and the Jama'ah
are the possessors of fiqh and ilm (knowledge). One who descents from fuqaha (scholars
of fiqh) as much as a span falls into heresy, becomes deprived of Allah's help and
deserves Hell, because the fuqaha have been on the right path and have held on to the
Sunnah of Rasulullah (Peace and blessings be upon him) and on to the path of al-
Khulafa ar-Rashideen, the Four Khaliphs (may Allah be pleased with them). As-Sawad
al-Azam, that is, the majority of the Muslims, are on the path of fuqaha. Those who
depart from their path will burn in the fire of Hell. O believers! Follow the unique group
which is protected against Hell! And this group is the one that is called Ahl as-Sunnah
Wa'l Jama'ah. For, Allah's help, protection and guidance are for the followers of this
group, and His wrath and punishment are for those who dissent from this group. Today,
this group of salvation comes together in the Four Madhhabs, namely the Hanafi,
Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali." 

It is very important to have unity in the Ummah, and to achieve this goal of unity it is
incumbent that the whole Ummah has the correct and preserved aqidah of the Salaf as-
salihin (may Allah be pleased with them all); since Allah will no doubt ask us about our
aqidah if it is not in conformity with the divine revelation and what his Messenger
(Peace and blessings be upon him) transmitted to us. The way of the Salaf as-salihin is
the way of the saved sect of the Ahl as-Sunnah wa'l Jama'ah. And we should all know
that the Jama'ah is the sect which has the most correct and united aqid'ah out of all
other Jama'ahs. To know what is the real Jama'ah, one must look into the Qur'an and
Hadith for evidence. If one was to look deeply in to this matter with an open and
scholarly mind, one will come to the conclusion that this great Jama'ah is the one which
is composed of the foremost scholars of Qur'anic commentary, Hadith, fiqh and other
Islamic sciences; it is no doubt the Jama'ah which has had the greatest following
throughout Islamic history in terms of scholars and laity, and this alone is the main
body of Islam which represents the views of the great mass of believers (as-Sawad al-
Azam) as we shall see from the Hadith evidence below. Let us now see what Allah ta'ala
has said about unity and schism in the Holy Qur'an.

Qur'anic Evidence
(1) Surah al-Imran (3:103): 
"And hold fast, all of you together, to the rope of Allah and be not divided."
Imam Sayf ad-Din al-Amidi (d. 631/1233; Rahimahullah) said in his al-Ihkam fi
usul al-ahkam (The proficiency: on the fundamentals of legal rulings, pg. 295) with
regard to the above Qur'anic verse: 
"Allah has forbidden separation, and disagreement with consensus (ijma) is
separation." 
Hence, if Allah has forbidden separation then surely we must all unite on the
unanimously accepted aqid'ah of our pious predecessors. And I have already quoted
Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Haytami (Rahimahullah) as saying: "This unanimity (in aqidah)
was transmitted by the two great Imam's Abu'l Hasan al-Ashari and Abu
Mansur al-Maturidi (Allah's mercy be upon them) and the scholars who
followed their path." 

Mahmoud Ayoub wrote in The Qur'an and Its Interpreters (vol. II, 275-6): 

"Ibn Kathir (d. 774/1373; Rahimahullah) interprets the 'rope of God' in verse 103 as
'The covenant of God,' citing in support of this interpretation verse 112 below (in Surah
al-Imran). Another view, he adds, is that 'The rope of God' here refers to the Qur'an, as
reported on the authority of Ali (Allah be pleased with him) who said that 'The Qur'an is
God's strong rope and the straight way.' He cites another Hadith, on the authority of
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him), where the Prophet (Peace be upon
him) declared, 'The book of God is God's rope stretched from heaven to earth.' Abd
Allah ibn Mas'ud (Allah be pleased with him) reported -that the Messenger of God
(Peace be upon him) said, 'Surely this Qur'an is God's strong rope, manifest light, and
beneficial source of healing. It is protection for those who hold fast to it, and a means
of salvation for those who abide by it.' 
Ibn Kathir interprets the injunction, 'and do not be divided' to mean strict adherence
to unity among Muslims. He reports on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (Allah be pleased
with him) that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, 'God will be pleased with
three acts from you, and wrathful with three others. He wishes that you
worship Him alone without associating any thing with Him; that you hold
fast all together to the rope of God and be not divided; and that you show
loyalty to those whom God has set in authority.' (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, II, pp. 83-4) 
Qurtubi (d. 671/1273; Rahimahullah) agrees with Tabari (d. 923 CE; Rahimahullah)
and Ibn Kathir regarding the meaning of 'the rope of God' in verse 103. He cites with
approval the famous traditionist Ibn al-Mubarak (d. 181/797; Rahimahullah) who
said, 'Surely unity is God's rope; therefore hold fast all together to 'its firm handle'
(see Qur'an 2:256).' Qurtubi adds that 'God enjoins concord and forbids dissension, for
in disunity is perdition, and in unity salvation.' 
Qurtubi offers two possible interpretations of the phrase 'And be not divided': 
'Be not divided in your religion as were the Jews and Christians divided in
their religions' and 'Be not divided in following different false opinions and
purposes. Rather, be brothers in God's religion.' 

As a jurist, Qurtubi observes that, 'There is no indication in this verse of the

prohibition of disagreement in the branches (furu') [of fiqh] as this in
reality is not dissension. This is because true dissention is one wherein
concord and unity become virtually impossible. As for disagreement in
judgements based on personal effort (ijtihad), it is due to differences in
deducing obligations (fara'id) and the minutiae of law.' On page 279, Imam
al-Razi (d. 606/1210; Rahimahullah) was quoted as saying in conclusion to his
commentary on the above ayat: 
'If a person going down into a well must hold fast to a rope in order that he
may not fall in, so also the Book of God, His covenant, religion and
obedience to Him, as well as unity and harmony among the people of faith
are means of security for anyone who holds fast to them from falling into
the bottom of Hell.'" 
(2) Surah al-Imran (3:105): 
"And be not like those who separated and disputed after the clear proofs
had come unto them: For such there is an awful doom." 
(3) Surah al-Imran (3:110): 
"Ye are the best community that has been raised up for mankind. Ye enjoin
the good and forbid the evil; and ye believe in Allah" 
(4) Surah Al-An'am (6:159): 
"As for those who divide their religion and break up into sects, thou has no
part in them in the least: Their affair is with Allah: He will in the end tell
them the truth of all that they did." 
(5) Surah Al-Mu'minun (23:52-53): 
"And verily this Ummah of yours is a single Ummah and I am your Lord, so
keep your duty unto Me. But they have broken their religion among them
into sects, each sect rejoicing in its tenets." 
(6) Surah Al-Rum (30:32): 
"Those who split up their Religion, and become Sects, each sect exulting in
its tenets." 
(7) Surah Al-Nisa (4:115): 
"He that disobeys the Apostle (Muhammad) after guidance has been made
clear to him and follows a way other than that of the believers, We appoint
for him that unto which he himself hath turned, and expose him unto Hell -
a hapless journey's end!" 
(8) Surah Al-An'am (6:153): 
"This is My Straight path, so follow it. Follow not other ways, lest ye be
parted from His way. This has he ordained for you, that ye may ward off
(evil)."

Hadith Evidence
(1) Imam Abu Dawood (Rahimahullah) has quoted the well known Hadith
concerning the division of the Muslim Ummah into seventy-three sects in his Sunan
(3/4580, English edn):
Abu Amir al-Hawdhani said, "Mu'awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with
him) stood among us and said, 'Beware! The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him)
stood among us and said': 'Beware! The People of the Book before (you) were split up
into 72 sects, and this community will be split up into 73, seventy-two of them will go to
Hell and one of them will go to Paradise, and it is the majority group (Jama'ah).' 

Another version of the above Hadith has been reported by Hafiz Ibn Kathir
(Rahimahullah) in The signs before the day of Judgement (pg. 14): 

"Awf ibn Malik reported that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, 'The Jews split into
71 sects: one will enter Paradise and 70 will enter Hell. The Christians split into 72 sects:
71 will enter Hell and one will enter Paradise. By Him in Whose hand is my soul, my
Ummah will split into 73 sects: one will enter Paradise and 72 will enter Hell.' Someone
asked, 'O Messenger ofAllah (Peace be upon him), who will they be?' He replied, 'The
main body of the Muslims (al-Jama'ah).' Awf ibn Malik is the only one who reported this
Hadith, and its isnad is acceptable." And in another version of this Hadith the Prophet
(Peace be upon him) goes onto say that the saved sect, "...Are those who follow my and
my Sahaba's path" (Tirmidhi, vol. 2, pg. 89) 

Shaykh al-Islam Ahmad al-Sirhindi (d. 1034/1624; Rahimahullah) who is

regarded by many people in the Indian sub-continent as a great renovator of the Tenth
Islamic Century (Mujaddid alf Thani) wrote in his Maktubat (Vol. 3, Letter 38):

"It was declared in a Hadith that this Ummah would part into 73 groups, 72 of which
would go to Hell. This Hadith informs us that the 72 groups will be tormented in the
Fire of Hell. It does not inform us that they will remain in torment eternally. Remaining
in the torment of Hell Fire eternally is for those who do not have Iman. That is, it is for
disbelievers. The 72 groups, on account of their corrupt beliefs, will go to Hell and will
burn as much as the corruptness of their beliefs. One group, the 73rd, will be saved from
Hell Fire because their belief is not corrupt. If among the members of this one group
there are those who committed evil deeds and if these evil deeds of theirs have not been
forgiven through repentance or intercession, it is possible that these, too, will burn in
Hell as much as their sins. All of those who are in the 72 groups will go to Hell. But none
of them will remain in Hell eternally. Not all of those who are in this one group will go to
Hell. Of these only those who have committed evil deeds will go to Hell. The 72 reported
groups of bid'ah, which will go to Hell, should not be called disbelievers, because they
are Ahl al-Qibla (people of the Qibla in prayer). But, of these, the ones who disbelieve
those facts in the Deen that are indispensably required to be believed, as well as those
who deny the rules of the Shari'ah which every Muslim has heard and knows, become
disbelievers." 

In another letter (vol. 1, letter 80) he said: 

"There is no doubt whatsoever that the sect that made conforming to the conduct of the
Prophet's Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) necessary, that alone is the
Ahl as Sunnah wa'l Jama'ah." 
Shaykh Abdal Qadir al-Jilani (d. 561/1166; Rahimahullah) stated in his commentary to
the above Hadith in Ghunyat at-Talibin (pg. 90), 
"The Believer should adapt himself to the Sunnah and to the Jama'ah. The Sunnah is the
way shown by Rasulullah (Peace be upon him). The Jama'ah is composed of the things
done unanimously by the Sahaba al-Kiram who lived in the time of the four caliphs
called Khulafa' ar-Rashidin (and others in their path). A Muslim must prevent the
multiplication of the men of bid'ah and keep away from them, and should not greet
them (as given in many Hadith on this issue). Ahmad ibn Hanbal (rahimahullah), the
Imam of our Madhhab, said that greeting a man of bid'ah meant loving him since it had
been declared in a Hadith, 'Disseminate (your) greeting (salaam)! Love one another in
this way!" He also said (pg. 143): "The title, Ahl as-Sunnah, which the innovators have
expressed for themselves is not appropriate for them." 

Although Ibn Taymiyya was accused of holding certain corrupt points in his aqid'ah,
which led so many scholars to denounce him for his heresy, he never the less hit the
right point when he described those who are the real Sunni's in his Aqeedat-il-
Wasitiyyah (pg. 154): 

" Their creed is the religion of Islam which was sent to the world by Allah through the
Prophet (Peace be upon him). But the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, 'My Ummah
will get divided into 73 sects and each one will go to Hell save one and that one is the
Jama'at.' Also in one Hadith he said, 'They are those people who will follow this path
which I and my Sahaba follow today.' Therefore they have caught hold of Islam
unalloyed from every adulteration and these are the people of Ahl as-Sunnah Wa'l
Jama'ah. This group includes the truthful, the martyrs and the virtuous; it includes the
minarets of guidance, lamps in the darkness and owners of such superiorities and
virtues who have been already mentioned. It includes the saints and also those Imams
on whose guidance Muslims are unanimous. It is this successful group about which the
Prophet (Peace be upon him) has said: 'One group from my Ummah will always remain
dominant with truth; the opponents will never be able to harm its members or afflict
them upto the Doomsday.'" 

(2) Imam Muslim (Rahimahullah) has collected a number of variant Hadith on the
saved sect. He has related a longer version of the last Hadith quoted above:

"Abdal Rahman ibn Shamasa al-Mahri said: 'I was in the company of Maslama bin
Mukhallad and Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-Aas (may Allah be pleased with them).'
Abdullah said, 'The Hour shall come only when the worst type of people are left on the
earth. They will be worse than the people of pre-Islamic days. They will get what ever
they ask of Allah.' While we were sitting Uqba ibn Amir came, and Maslama said to him,
'Uqba, listen to what Abdullah says.' Uqba said, 'He knows, so far as I am concerned, I
heard the Prophet (Peace be upon him) say: A group of people from my Ummah will
continue to fight in obedience to the Command of Allah, remaining dominant over
their enemies. Those who will opose them shall not do them any harm. They will
remain in this condition until the Hour over takes them.' (At this) Abdullah said, 'Yes.
Then Allah will raise a wind which will be fragrant like musk and whose touch will be
like the touch of silk; (but) it will cause the death of all (faithful) persons, not leaving
behind a single person with an iota of faith in his heart. Then only the worst of men
will remain to be overwhelmed by the Hour.'" (Sahih Muslim, 3/4721, English ed'n, see
also Sahih al-Bukhari, 9/414, English ed'n)

Imam Nawawi (d. 676/1277, Rahimahullah) said in his Sharh Muslim (vol. 2, pg.
143):

"The group of people (mentioned in the above Hadith) consists of scholars,

jurisprudents, authorities on Hadith, those who enjoin Good (Maroof) and forbid Evil
(Munkar) and all such persons who do good deeds. Such righteous persons may be
found spread all over the world." 

Imam al-Tirmidhi (Rahimahullah) said:

"The explanation of al-Jama'ah according to the people of knowledge: They are the
people of fiqh, knowledge and Hadith." (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 4/2167; Ahmad Shakir
ed'n) 

Imam Bukhari (Rahimahullah) stated in his Sahih (vol. 9, chapter. 10, English ed'n), 

"The statement of the Prophet (Peace be upon him): 'A group of my followers will
remain victorious in their struggle in the cause of the Truth.' Those are the religious(ly)
learned men (Ahl ul-Ilm)." 

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (Rahimahullah) said about this group:

"If it is not the people of Hadith, then I do not know who they may be." (Sahih Muslim
Sharif-Mukhtasar Sharh Nawawi, vol. 5, pg. 183, W. Zaman) 

Qadi Iyad (Rahimahullah) said in ash-Shifa (pg. 188):

"In a Hadith from Abu Umama (Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (Peace be upon
him) said, `A group of my community will remain constant to the truth, conquering
their enemy until the command of Allah comes to them while they are still in that
condition.' He was asked, 'Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him), where are they?'
He replied, `In Jerusalem.'"

(3) Imam Muslim (Rahimahullah) has related in his Sahih (3/4553) under the chapter
heading 'Instruction to stick to the main body of the Muslims in the time of
the trials and warning against those inviting people to disbelief', a Hadith on
the authority of Hudhaifa ibn al-Yaman (Allah be pleased with him), who said: 
"People used to ask the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) about the good
times, but I used to ask him about (the) bad times fearing lest they overtake me. I said,
'Messenger of Allah, we were in the midst of ignorance and evil, and then God brought
us this good (time through Islam). Is there any bad time after this good one?' He said,
'Yes'. I asked, 'Will there be a good time again after that bad time?' He said, 'Yes, but
therein will be a hidden evil.' I asked, 'What will be the evil hidden therein?' He said,
'(That time will witness the rise of) the people who will adopt ways other than mine and
seek guidance other than mine. You will know good points as well as bad points.' I
asked, 'Will there be a bad time after this good one?' He said, 'Yes. (A time will come)
when there will be people standing and inviting at the gates of Hell. Whoso responds to
their call, they will throw them into the fire.' I said, 'Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon
him), describe them for us.' He said, 'All right. They will be a people having the same
complexion as ours and speaking our language.' I said, `Messenger of Allah (Peace be
upon him), what do you suggest if I happen to live in their time?' He said, 'You should
stick to the main body of the Muslims and their leader' I said, 'If they have no (such
thing as the) main body of the Muslims and have no leader?' He said, 'Separate yourself
from all these factions, though you may have to eat the roots of trees until death comes
to you and you are in this state.'" 
(NB-It is not likely that there will be an absence of a Jama'ah, since I have already
quoted the Prophet, peace be upon him, as saying: 'A group of people from my
Ummah will continue to fight in obedience to the command of Allah,
remaining dominant over their enemies. Those who will oppose them shall
not do them any harm. They will remain in this condition until the Hour
overtakes them.') 

(4) Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) reported the Messenger of Allah (Peace
be upon him) as saying: 

"Who (ever) defected from the obedience (to the Amir) and separated from the main
body of the Muslims - then he died in that state - would die the death of one belonging
to the days of Jahiliyya (pre-Islamic ignorance). And he who is killed under the banner
of a man who is blind (to the cause for which he is fighting), who gets flared up with
family pride and fights for his tribe - is not from my Ummah, and whoso from my
followers attacks my followers (indiscriminately) killing the righteous and the wicked of
them, sparing not (even) those staunch in faith and fulfilling not his obligation towards
them who have been given a pledge (of security), is not from me." (Sahih Muslim,
3/4557 & 4555; English ed'n)
Imam al-Bayhaqi (d. 458/1066; Rahimahullah) stated in his: The Seventy-Seven
Branches of Faith (pg. 42-3), under the fiftieth branch of faith (50 - Holding firmly to
the position of the majority): "God Most High has said: Hold fast, all together, to the
rope of God, and do not be disunited. [3:103]. Muslim (Rahimahullah) relates on the
authority of Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (Peace be upon
him) said, 'Whoever is disobedient, and departs from the majority, and then dies, has
died in a state of Jahiliyya.' He also relates the following Hadith on the authority of Ibn
Shurayh (Allah be pleased with him): 'After I am gone, there will come days of
corruption and turmoil. When you see people damaging the unity of the Community of
Muhammad (Peace be upon him), you must fight them, whoever they may happen to
be.' 

Abdal Hakim Murad (the translator of the above book) said in the footnote to the fiftieth
branch of faith: 'Orthodoxy in Islam is defined as the doctrine of ahl al-sunna wa'l
jama'a, the People of the Sunna and the Community. To know whether a doctrine or
practise is orthodox or heretical, the Muslim is required to find out whether it is
recognised by the majority of Muslim scholars (see later for Imam al-Munawi's
commentary). Thus even without looking into their theology, he will know that sects
such as the Isma'ilis, the Khariji's, the Wahhabi's, the Twelver Shi'a and others (not to
mention anti-Islamic groupings such as the Ahmadiya and the Bahais) are to be
repudiated.'" 

(5) Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) reported the Prophet (Peace be upon him)
as saying: 

"One who found in his Amir (the ruler of the true Islamic state; which is absent today)
something which he disliked should hold his patience, for one who separated from the
main body of the Muslims even to the extent of a handspan and then he died, would die
the death of one belonging to the days of Jahiliyya." (Sahih Muslim, 3/4559; English
ed'n & Sahih al-Bukhari, 9/257; English ed'n)
(6) Imam's Ahmad and Abu Dawood (Allah's mercy be upon them) said that Abu
Dharr (Allah be pleased with him) reported the Prophet (Peace be upon him) as saying: 
"He who separates from the main body (of the Ummah) by even a hand's breadth from
the Community he throws off Islam from his neck." (Mishkat-ul-Masabih, 1/185 &
Sunan Abu Dawood, 3/4740)
NB-The following five Hadith have been mentioned by the great scholar of Hadith,
Hafiz Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Jawzi (d. 597/1201; Rahimahullah) in his Talbis Iblis
(section entitled: Adherence to the Sunnah and Jama'ah). A section of the above work
has been translated by Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips in to English, under the title: The
Devil's Deception of the Shee'ah (pp. 4-5). Bilal Philips has put footnotes to the five
Hadith that I will be quoting below (to declare some of the Hadith to be Da'eef), but one
thing that should be mentioned is that he has mainly relied upon al-Albani's
classification of the Hadiths in question; hence these 'classifications' of al-Albani need
re-verifying! I say this because it is a well known fact that Hafiz Ibn al-Jawzi was noted
for his exceptional stringency in accepting Hadith, and he has been known to have
declared some of the Hadith in Bukhari/Muslim to be Da'eef, as well as declaring some
sound Hadith to be fabricated! Nevertheless, I would like to make it clear to those
readers who are unaware of the status of Bilal Philips, that he has heavily depended on
the classifications of al-Albani in most of his books! If the esteemed reader is convinced
that the errors of al-Albani are most apparent, then one should beware of the status of
those Hadiths that have been used by Bilal Philips (on account of his accepting al-
Albani's classifications). Bilal Philips seems to be a leading critic of Taqleed who has
been swept away by the tide of modern day "Salafiyyism"; and it seems that he has
'blindly' accepted the classifications of al-Albani without himself reverifying al-Albani's
classifications! I ask you, is this not a clear cut example of Taqleed? If it has been proven
that al-Albani's classifications are unreliable, would it not be just for Bilal Philips to re-
verify all the Hadiths that have been authenticated by al-Albani and correct any
misclassifications in his books? Allah know's best. 

(7) 'Umar (Allah be pleased with him) reported that on one occasion Allah's Messenger
(Peace and blessings be upon him) stood up among them and said, "Whoever among
you desires the centre of paradise should keep close to the Jama'ah for the
Devil closely accompanies the solitary individual and is more distant from
two." (Collected by Imam Tirmidhi) 

(8) And 'Arfajah (Allah be pleased with him) reported (Allah's Messenger, peace be
upon him, as saying): "that Allah's hand is over the Jama'ah and the Devil is
with whoever deviates from the Jama'ah." (Collected by Imam al-Tabarani) 

(9) 'Abdullah ibn Masood (Allah be pleased with him) reported that once Allah's
Messenger (Peace be upon him) drew a line in the dust with his hand and said, "This is
the straight path of Allah." Then he drew a series of lines to the right of it and to the
left and said, "Each of these paths has a devil at its head inviting people to it."
He then recited (Qur'an 6:153), "Verily this is my straight path so follow it and
do not follow the (twisted) paths." (Collected by Ahmad, Nisai and Darimi; see
Mishkat ul-Masabih, 1/166) 

(10) Mu'adh ibn Jabal (Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah's Messenger
(Peace be upon him) said, "The Devil is like a wolf among humans as a wolf is
among sheep; it snatches the stray sheep. So beware of the paths which
branch off and adhere to the Jama'ah, the masses and the masjid." (Collected
by Imam Ahmad; NB- The version given in Mishkat, 1/184, also on the authority of
Imam Ahmad does not have the addition 'the masses and the masjid.') 

(11) And Abu Dharr (Allah be pleased with him) reported from the Prophet (Peace be
upon him) that, "Two are better than one, and three better than two; so stick
to the Jama'ah for verily Allah, Most Great and Glorious, will only unite my
nation on guidance." (Collected by Ahmad) 

(12) Al-Harith al-Ashari (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of
Allah (Peace be upon him) said: 

"I bid you to do five things: to remain attached to the main body (Jama'ah of Muslims),
listen to your ruler (the Khalif of the Islamic state) and obey him, and migrate, and fight
in the way of Allah. And he who detaches himself from the main body of the Muslims
(Jama'ah) to the extent of one span of hand, he in fact, throws off the yoke of Islam from
his neck, and he who calls with the call of ignorance, he is one from the denizens of Hell
beyond doubt, even if he observes fast and says prayers and considers himself as a
Muslim." (Musnad Ahmad, vide: Selection from Hadith, no. 288; by A.H. Siddique)
(13) Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon
him) as saying: 
"Follow the great mass (as-Sawad al-Azam) for he who kept himself away from it, in fact
would be thrown in Hell Fire." (Ibn Majah; vide: Mishkat, 1/174, by A.H. Siddiqui). 
The translator of Mishkat-ul-Masabih (A.H. Siddiqui, pg. 113) said in the footnote to the
last Hadith: 
"There is a good deal of difference of opinion as to what the term Sawad al-Azam
implies. The overwhelming majority of the scholars are of the view that As-Sawad al-
Azam means the largest group of the learned scholars and pious persons whose opinions
are held in high esteem in Islam." 
(14) Imam al-Shafi'i (Rahimahullah) said in his Risala (pg. 252-3): 
"Sufyan (ibn Uyayna) told us from Abd al-Malik ibn Umayr from Abd al-Rahman ibn
Abd Allah ibn Masood from his father, that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, `God
will grant prosperity to His servant who hears my words, remembers them, guards
them, and hands them on. Many a transmitter of law is no lawyer (faqih) himself, and
many may transmit law to others who are more versed in the law than they. The heart
of a Muslim shall never harbour vindictive feelings against three: sincerity in working
for God; faithfulness to Muslims; and conformity to the community of believers
(Jama'ah) - their call shall protect (the believers) and guard them from (the Devil's)
delusion.'" (vide: Sunan al-Darimi, vol. 1, pp. 74-6; Ibn Hanbal, vol. 6, pg. 96; Musnad
al-Shafi'i, vol. 1, pg. 16; Mishkat-ul-Masabih, 1/228; and al-Bayhaqi in his al-Madkhal).
Imam al-Shafi'i said (pg. 253): "The Apostle's (Peace be upon him) order that men
should follow the Muslim community is a proof that the ijma (consensus) of the
Muslims is binding." 
(15) Imam al-Shafi'i (Rahimahullah) stated in al-Risala (pg. 286-7): 
"And Sufyan (also) told us from `Abd Allah ibn Abi Labid from `Abd Allah ibn
Sulayman ibn Yasar from his father, who said: `Umar ibn al-Khattab (Allah be pleased
with him) made a speech at al-Jabiya in which he said: The Apostle of God (Peace be
upon him) stood among us by an order from God, as I am now standing among you,
and said: Believe my Companions, then those who succeed them (the Successors), and
after that those who succeed the Successors; but after them untruthfulness will prevail
when people will swear (in support of their saying) without having been asked to swear,
and will testify without having been asked to testify. Only those who seek the pleasure of
Paradise will follow the community, for the devil can pursue one person, but stands far
away from two. Let no man be alone with a woman, for the devil will be third among
them. He who is happy with his right (behaviour), or unhappy with his wrong
behaviour, is a (true) believer.'" (see also Musnad al-Shafi'i, vol. 2, pg. 187; and Ibn
Hanbal, vol. 1, pg. 112-13, 176-81).
Imam al-Shafi'i said in conclusion to this Hadith: 
"He who holds what the Muslim community (Jama'ah) holds shall be regarded as
following the community, and he who holds differently shall be regarded as opposing
the community he was ordered to follow. So the error comes from separation; but in the
community as a whole there is no error concerning the meaning of the Qur'an, the
Sunnah, and analogy (qiyas)."
(16) Imam Hakim (1/116) has related a Sahih Hadith from the Prophet (Peace be upon
him) in the following words: "My Ummah shall not agree upon error." 

(17) Imam al-Tirmidhi (4/2167) reported on the authority of Ibn Umar (Allah be
pleased with him) from the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), who said:
"Verily my Ummah would not agree (or he said the Ummah of Muhammad)
would not agree upon error and Allah's hand is over the group and whoever
dissents from them departs to Hell." (see also Mishkat, 1/173) 
Imam al-Azizi (d. 1070/1660; Rahimahullah) quoted Imam al-Munawi's (d.
1031/1622; Rahimahullah) commentary to the last Hadith in his al-Siraj al-munir
sharh al-Jami al-saghir (3.449), as follows:- Allah's hand is over the group 

(al-Azizi): Munawi says, "Meaning his protection and preservation of them, signifying
that the collectivity of the people of Islam are in Allah's fold, so be also in Allah's shelter,
in the midst of them, and do not separate yourselves from them." The rest of the Hadith,
according to the one who first recorded it (Tirmidhi), is:- 

and whoever descents from them departs to hell. 

Meaning that whoever diverges from the overwhelming majority concerning what is
lawful or unlawful and on which the Community does not differ has slipped off the path
of guidance and this will lead him to hell." (vide: The Reliance of the Traveller, pg. 25)