The Sunnah Islam, Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah

Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah are the largest Islamic religious group of Muslims in most periods of the history of Islam , and the majority of Muslims are affiliated with them, and their scholars define them as being the ones who are united in following the approach of the Sunnah of the Prophet and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and the Imams of the religion from among the Companions and Followers and the owners of the recognized schools of jurisprudence among the jurists of opinion and people of opinion. Hadith, and those who followed in their footsteps and took their method from them through transmission and continuous chain of transmission. This designation was not a common term at the beginning of Islamic history , as there was no division or division. Rather, this designation appeared gradually due to the emergence of sects that broke away from the Muslim community under different names. The title “Ahl al-Sunnah” was given to the people of knowledge among the imams of the Companions and those who followed their path. In religion, as it was mentioned in the introduction to Sahih Muslim on the authority of Ibn Sirin that when the events of the killing of Caliph Uthman ibn Affan occurred , which he refers to as “sedition,” he said: “ They were not asking about the chain of transmission, so when the sedition occurred, they said, ‘Name your men for us,’ and the Sunnis would be looked at and taken into account.” Their hadiths, and the people of innovations should be looked at, and their hadiths should not be taken into account. ”  The imams in the religion are among the Companions and those who follow them in good faith are the people of the Sunnah, that is: the followers of the method followed in the religion, given that their method that they followed was based on following the method of the Prophet’s guidance, as they transmitted the knowledge of religion in its generality, and it was based on He must teach them what they have explained and what they have deduced according to the principles of Sharia.

Acquiring the knowledge of religion was restricted to the Companions who carried it. At the beginning of Islam, they were called reciters because of their reading of the Qur’an and their knowledge of religion. According to what Ibn Khaldun mentioned, after the jurisprudential deduction was possible and jurisprudence was perfected and became knowledge, they were replaced with the name of jurists and scholars instead of reciters, and the knowledge of the Companions was transferred to the followers and taken from them. The imams after them, then jurisprudence among them was divided into: the method of the people of opinion in Iraq and the leader of their group in whom the doctrine and its companions was established, Abu Hanifa , and the method of the people of hadith in the Hijaz and their imam Malik bin Anas and Al-Shafi’i after him.

After the second century AH, according to what Ibn Khaldun and others mentioned, a group of predecessors were attached to the apparent meanings of similar texts and exaggerated in affirming attributes, so they fell into anthropomorphism. In contrast, the Mu’tazilites exaggerated in exaltation and denied fixed attributes. As for the Sunnis at that time, they included a group such as: Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Dawud ibn Ali Al-Isfahani and others took the approach of those who came before them among the hadith scholars, such as Malik bin Anas and others, and they said regarding similar texts: We believe in them as they are and do not succumb to their interpretation. A group of Sunnis in the era of the Salaf supported the beliefs of the Salaf with verbal arguments and fundamentalist proofs. After the occurrence of the heresy of the Mu’tazila, the Mushhabi, and others, and the spread of their sayings at the end of the era of the Salaf, according to what Ibn Khaldun and others mentioned, Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari and Abu Mansur Al-Maturidi clarified the beliefs of the Salaf among the Sunnis, repelled suspicions about them, and supported them with rational and narrational evidence, with theological approaches, and wrote books on the articles of the sects,  This resulted in the differentiation of these sects, which scholars wrote about in the “Books of Sects,” most of them in the fourth century AH, including Abd al-Qahir al-Baghdadi, one of the jurists of the Shafi’i school of thought , in his book: “ The Difference Between the Sects ,” in which he mentioned that the Sunnis wal Jama’ah is the seventy-third sect and that they are one group. From the two groups of opinion and hadith, all of them agreed on one statement regarding the fundamentals of religion, and perhaps they differed in some of its branches in a way that does not necessitate misguidance or immorality. [  The name was given to the Sunnis and the community to distinguish them from the Kharijites, the Mu’tazila, the Mujasimah, the Shiite sects, and other sects.

The Sunnah is the language of the method and the biography,  and it means the path followed in the religion, or the example followed and the imam who is followed,  or the opposite of heresy,  and the meaning of the Sunnah differs among Sharia scholars according to what is meant by it.  Al-Shafi’i said : “ The generalization of the Sunnah refers to the Sunnah of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace .”  The Sunnah of the Messenger is a method for all Muslims, as he is the imam of the nation and the closest people to his nation and their first teacher. What is meant by the Sunnah whose necessity and obligation to be followed is indicated by the Sharia texts is the Prophetic method referred to in the texts as a specific reference, not a personal one. [14] Al-Aini said: The Sunnah: “a  . ” The Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him ”  and his Sunnah, his method in religion, his path to God, his knowledge, his approach, and his guidance that he and his companions followed. They took the knowledge of religion from him and were guided by his guidance, and after him they were role models for the nation. So the Sunnah is the path followed in the religion that he followed. He and his companions and the Rightly-Guided Caliphs after him in guidance, knowledge, work and belief, and this method according to the imams of the Sunnis and the community is the example followed in the religion, which was followed by the Rightly-Guided Caliphs and the imams of the religion among the Companions and Followers and those who followed them in righteousness, so it includes the Sunnah of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs and those who followed their path among the diligent Imams of Islam . In rulings, they are his successors after him, those who conveyed him and carried his guidance, and following their method in religion in the event of disagreement is following his method of referring to them in matters that are problematic, and following them in what they worked hard on and agreed upon after the era of prophecy, because it is following a Sunnah that was established with them and was not transmitted to us, or combined ijtihad. On them or their successors; Their consensus is consensus.  Everything that happened among them is included, such as compiling the Qur’an into one Qur’an, writing down collections, books of knowledge, and other matters because they are consistent with the principles of religion, even if they were created after the era of Prophethood.  God Almighty said: “ Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed God… Verse ”  [ An-Nisa : 80] And God Almighty said: “ O you who have believed, obey God and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you… Verse ” [ An- Nisa : 59] . 

According to the imams of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah, the Sunnah is this method that is commanded in Sharia to be followed on the basis that following these imams is based on following the guidance of the Prophethood, which is the path to being guided to the straight path.  Those who agree on this method are the group and they are the people of legal knowledge.  The group in this name refers to the group of the Sunnis and the community from the meaning of gathering in this way. The hadith contains the command to follow the Sunnah and avoid innovation, and the Sunnis and the community interpret innovation in its legal meaning as innovation in the religion that has no basis in the Sharia, and it is the one that is condemned in the Sharia and its perpetrator described as misguidance and promised hellfire, [20] and according to them it includes the types of  that It was introduced by the sects that appeared in the advanced eras of Islamic history, such as: the heresies of the Kharijites and those who followed them, the Qadariyah, the anthropomorphism, and others. The first heresy to appear in Islam was the strife of the Kharijites, who split from the group of Muslims and announced their departure from Ali bin Abi Talib , and they exaggerated in their threat, saying that the disobedient should be declared apostasy and immortalized in the world. Hellfire, and they used the infidelity of Muslims as a justification for rebellion against the rulers, thus unlawfully denouncing the blood, honor, and wealth of Muslims. They restricted faith to their group, and many sects branched out from them.

Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah are the greatest majority of people of legal knowledge, holders of jurisprudential schools of thought, diligent imams, and Sharia scholars throughout Islamic history, and among them are included others who followed them and agreed with them among the Muslims .  Their jurisprudence settled in the eras of the later ones on the imitation of the four schools of thought in the regions , and the work of each imitator with a school of thought. Those who imitated him, and their earlier imams, agreed on one statement regarding the foundations of belief, and on the validity of the succession of the first four caliphs: Abu Bakr , Omar, Uthman , and Ali . They believed in the justice of all the Companions , and in the obligation to remain silent about what happened between the Companions, and that the reward of diligence was proven to them, and they did not deem any of the people of the Qiblah a disbeliever. For a sin committed by him, they agreed on the necessity of listening and obeying the rulers and that it is not permissible to rebel against them.  And if they are disobedient, Al-Nawawi said: “ As for revolting against them and fighting them, it is forbidden according to the consensus of the Muslims, even if they are immoral and unjust .”

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Drawing the word majesty

Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah is a title that has been used since advanced periods of the history of Islam to refer to those who follow the method followed in religion followed by the Rightly Guided Caliphs and Imams among the Companions and Followers and those who followed them from among the jurists of opinion and the people of hadith and whoever followed them and followed their path. The title of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah was not a recognized term. Accordingly, at the beginning of Islamic history , when there was no division or division among Muslims, they did not need to name their distinction, as they were neither divided nor different in the principles of religion and its universals. And if a difference occurred between the diligent imams in other secondary issues, it is a matter approved by Sharia, and in most cases It did not end with consensus, and they were all united in the guidance of the Prophet, and the general believers in the religion of Islam were called: “ Muslims ” or people of Islam, and the imams among them were called “people of knowledge” or readers, that is: the educated or jurists in the sense of religious scholars, but the name began to appear gradually. Because of the emergence of sects that broke away from the Muslim community under different names, the Islamic nation has been one nation since its inception, and this is what God has confirmed in the Qur’an by saying: “And indeed, this nation of yours is one nation, and I am your Lord, so fear Me.”52[  Al-Mu’minun : 52] ,  And the Almighty says: “ And this is My path, straight, so follow it, and do not follow other paths, for lest He separate you from His path. This He has enjoined upon you, perhaps. How much you fear153( Al  – An’am : 153) . The straight path of God is the path of the religion of Islam in which there is no deviation, and the divided paths are paths of misguidance.

The origin of the name, before it was a recognized title, was used by the imams of the Sunnis in the era of the Salaf, where they used the phrase: “Ahl al-Sunnah” meaning: the owners of the method followed in the religion, and they are the imams who have legal knowledge that is carried by every successor, and they used the word: “Sunnah.” In the sense of knowledge in religion in general, they say, for example: So-and-so is the most knowledgeable of the Sunnah, and what is meant by this is knowledge of the Sharia, and when the sedition occurred, the events of which occurred with the revolt against Caliph Uthman bin Affan, the third of the caliphs, and led to his killing, the use of the name “Ahl al-Sunnah” began to appear in that period, and according to what was stated On the authority of Ibn Sirin , the title “Ahl al-Sunnah” means the imams of religious scholars and bearers of the Sharia, to distinguish them from those who oppose them. The reason for this was that the occurrence of the aforementioned sedition brought about strange phenomena, represented by those who were affiliated with the knowledge of the Sharia from other than its people. This was denounced and certain conditions were set for the transfer. The narration of the hadith is among the most important of its chain of transmission and justice. In Sahih Muslim: On the authority of Muhammad ibn Sirin, he said: “ This knowledge is a religion, so look from whom you take your religion. ” On the authority of Ibn Sirin , he said: “ They were not asking about the chain of transmission, so when the sedition occurred, they said: Name your men for us, so it is looked at. The Sunnis and their hadith are taken, and the people of innovations are looked at and their hadith is not taken .”  And in a narration by Al-Tirmidhi in Al-Ilal: On the authority of Ibn Sirin, he said: “ In the first time, they were not asked about the chain of transmission, but when the sedition occurred, they asked about the chain of transmission, in order to take the hadith of the Sunnis, and call it the hadith of the people of innovations .”  Muslim narrated in his Sahih on the authority of Abu Hurairah, who said: “The Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said: ‘ At the end of time, there will be liars and impostors who will bring you hadiths that you and your fathers have not heard. So beware of you and them, that they will not mislead you nor tempt you.’” The Sunnah that came in his words means the method followed in the religion that was followed by the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, the Imams among the Companions, and those who followed them with righteousness in guidance, knowledge, action, and belief. The Sunnis are the people of knowledge in religion, narration and knowledge. Narration is the transmission of the texts of the Qur’an, the Hadith, and the sayings of the Imams . Knowledge is knowledge in religion, so Ahl al-Sunnah means people of knowledge that include both narration and knowledge, and Ibn Sirin mentioned Ahl al-Sunnah in contrast to the people of heresy, and Ahl al-Sunnah at that time interpreted the people of heresy to include all the people of deviation and whims who invented in the religion what was not of it. It has no basis in Sharia law, like the Kharijites, the Qadariyya, and other sects that appeared in previous eras, for they spoke about religion according to their own whims. Al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih, commenting on the description of the Kharijites, the text of which is: “Ibn Umar saw them as the evilest of God’s creation, and he said: They turned to verses that were revealed in The disbelievers, so they imposed it on the believers .

It is very important to know the terms used by the imams of the Salaf. In the phrase of Ibn Sirin when he said: “ Hadith of the Sunnis ,” it indicates that the narration of the hadith was not limited to the Sunnis. Rather, those who described them as heresy also narrated the hadith, and that the hadith is part of the definition of the Sunnis. What is meant by them is the people of legal knowledge, and this is what is indicated by the texts of the imams of the predecessors, that by “Ahl al-Sunnah” they do not mean the narrators of the hadith, but rather by that they mean the people of knowledge that includes the narration of the hadith.

The imams of the Companions and those who followed them and those who followed them in good faith were a reference for Muslims after the era of prophethood in matters of religion, in that they transmitted the religion and knowledge of Sharia in its generality. Their knowledge is not limited to transmission only, but rather includes everything they transmitted and learned and the knowledge they specialized in interpreting religion, understanding Sharia, and deriving jurisprudential rulings. Because of their qualifications for ijtihad and knowledge of the abrogated and abrogated, and so on, and because they are more knowledgeable than others about Sharia law, it has been reported from the imams of Ahl al-Sunnah in the era of the Salaf that they used to call these imams “Ahl al-Sunnah,” that is: those with the path followed in the religion that they followed of guidance, knowledge, work, and belief, and these are Their method is based on following the method of prophecy in that they transmitted the knowledge of religion, understood it, and deduced from it. The Companions were not all competent to issue fatwas. Rather, it was specialized in Sharia scholars among them who had specialized since the era of prophecy for knowledge of religion, and in the early days of Islam they were called the readers, meaning: Learners, and the learner among them was called a reader, and after the spread of education, they became called: jurists, that is: imams of religion and scholars of Sharia. According to what Ibn Khaldun mentioned, the title of readers was given at the beginning of Islam to specialists in the knowledge of Sharia, and after the expansion of education and the ability of jurisprudential deduction among the imams. The mujtahids, as jurisprudence became an industry and a science, changed the title: reciters to the name: jurists and scholars.  The jurisprudence of the diligent imams was transferred from the companions and followers to the diligent imams after them, and the jurist became a title for the imams of the jurisprudential schools of thought. Then two approaches to the jurisprudential approach became famous, according to what Ibn Khaldun mentioned: the approach of the jurists of opinion and analogy in Iraq and the origin of their group in which the doctrine was established . Among his companions is Abu Hanifa , and the approach of the hadith jurists in the Hijaz and their imam is Malik bin Anas and Al-Shafi’i after him.  Then, Imam Al-Shafi’i laid out the science of the principles of jurisprudence in his book: Al-Risalah and combined the two methods, and the difference between them is that the method of the people of opinion expanded the analogy more, and these two methods are the ones that became famous after that among the Sunni jurists, considering that it is a jurisprudential approach.

After distinguishing the sects that appeared in the history of Islam and revealing their sayings in the era of the ancients, the scholars collected the violations of these sects and clarified their names and sayings. They limited the number of these sects and recorded their dates and collected them in the books of the sects. It was mentioned in the book “The Difference between the Sects” that Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah are the seventy-third sect of the two groups of opinion . And the hadith ,  Among them were the imams of reciters, hadith scholars, jurists, and theorists, and they all agreed on one statement regarding the principles of religion, and their earlier imams agreed on these principles, explained them, wrote them down, and the later ones took them from them, and the difference of the diligent imams in the branches of rulings does not enter into this division by agreement . And no immorality, innovation, or infidelity is attributed to it. According to what was stated in his words, this name was given to the Sunnis and the community to distinguish them from the Kharijites, the Mu’tazilites, the Mujasimah, the Shiite sects, and other sects that differed from them in the fundamentals of religion.

The concept of the word Sunnah

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Sunni beliefs

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Linguistic definition

The Sunnah in language is the method that is followed, the example that is followed, the behavior that is followed, and the continuous and permanent habit, and Ibn Jarir Al-Tabari defined it as: “ the example that is followed and the imam who is followed .” Lapid said:

From a group whose fathers taught them                            Every people has a sunnah and its imam.

God’s Sunnah: His rulings, commands, and prohibitions, and God’s laws for people: He explained them. And God established a Sunnah, meaning: He showed a straight path,  and Sunnah also means: the conduct, whether good or bad, and it is said: its Sunnah is a Sunnah, and its Sunnah means: its pleasure, and the Sunnah of the ancients is their conduct, and it is said: I have established a Sunnah for you, so follow it, meaning: follow it, and in the Hadith “ Whoever establishes a good Sunnah will have its reward and the reward of whoever acts upon it, and whoever establishes a bad Sunnah will have its reward.”He wants those who do it to be emulated in it, and everyone who initiates a matter will be followed by people after him. It is said: He is the one who initiated it. Nasib said:

As if I had enacted love as the first lover                               Of the people, as I loved among them alone

The word “Sunnah” and what is taken from it were repeatedly mentioned in the hadith , and the basic principle is that it means: method and biography, and Ibn Manzur said : “ If it is used in the Sharia, what is meant by it is what the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him , commanded , forbade, and recommended in word and deed, which he did not utter. Dear book ; That is why it is said: In the evidence of Sharia: the Qur’an and the Sunnah, that is: the Qur’an and the Hadith .  Evidence of this is the hadith: “I only forget to forget,” meaning: I am only pushed into forgetfulness in order to guide people to the straight path, and explain to them what they need to do if forgetfulness occurs to them. He said: It is possible that it is from the habits of camels if they herd and stand well . On it, and in the hadith: “Al-Muhasab revealed it but did not make it Sunnah,” meaning: he did not make it a Sunnah to be followed. He said in Al-Tahtheeb: The Sunnah is the praiseworthy and straight path, and therefore it was said: So-and-so is from the people of the Sunnah, meaning: from the people of the straight and praiseworthy way, and it is taken from Al-Sunan, which is the way. Abu Ubaid said: “ The laws of the path and its laws are its proof, and it departs from the laws of the mountain, that is, from its face. Al-Jawhari said: The laws of the method. It is said: So-and-so remained upright according to one law .”

Al-Amidi said: The Sunnah in language means the method, so the Sunnah of every person is what you are entrusted with preserving and increasing in abundance, whether that is a good thing or something else.  He said in Sharh Al-Kawkab Al-Munir: “ And among them is his saying , peace and blessings of God be upon him : “Whoever establishes a good sunnah will have its reward and the reward of whoever acts upon it..”Hadith . It is also called: habit and biography. He said in Al-Badr Al-Munir: “ The Sunnah of biography is good or reprehensible ,” and he said in the dictionary: “ The Sunnah of biography, and from God Almighty is His wisdom, commands, and prohibitions .”

In the legal sense

The word: “Sunnah” and what is interpreted from it in the legal sense are used in multiple meanings by scholars of Islamic Sharia in different fields of Sharia sciences, according to what is meant by it in each science. Al-Shafi’i said: “The definition of the Sunnah refers to the Sunnah of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace . ”

According to jurisprudence scholars, the Sunnah refers to: “whatever was a voluntary act of worship transmitted from the Prophet, peace be upon him,” and it is sometimes applied to the recommended or desirable act that corresponds to the obligatory act and the other five rulings.

The Sunnah according to the hadith scholars is: “ Whatever was narrated on the authority of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, whether a statement, action, report, or moral or ethical characteristic, whether it was before or after the mission .”  It means: transmitting and narrating what influenced him from words, deeds, acknowledgment, and narration as a fact or a ruling, and it includes his biography, his moral and ethical characteristics, his movements and his stillness in wakefulness and in a dream before and after the mission.

The Sunnah, according to the scholars of the principles of jurisprudence , is: “ The words, actions, and approval of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him.” Taqi al-Din al-Futuhi said in defining the Sunnah, in the terminology of the scholars of the foundations of jurisprudence, it is: “ The words of the Prophet , peace and blessings be upon him, other than revelation, that is: other than the Qur’an .”  Or: “ Whatever was issued by the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, of legal evidence that is not recited, nor is it miraculous, nor is it included in the miraculous ,” and this type is what is meant by clarification in the science of the principles of jurisprudence . Saif al-Din al-Amidi said: “ This includes the sayings of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his actions and reports .” The sayings include commands , prohibitions , choices, news, and their meanings within the transmitted legal evidence.

Taqi al-Din al-Futuhi said: “ The Sunnah, both in law and in terminology, is: ‘the saying of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, and his action and approval of a thing.’ It is said or done, so if the Prophet , peace and blessings be upon him, heard a person say something, or saw him doing something and approved of it, then it is definitely from the Sunnah .” He also said: “ What is meant by The sayings and actions of the Prophet , peace and blessings of God be upon him, unless they are miraculous .

According to religious scholars, the Sunnah refers to “ the guidance of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, regarding the foundations of religion and the knowledge, work, and guidance he had .”

In general Sharia custom, the Sunnah applies to everything that is transmitted from the Sunnah of the Prophet or from the Companions and Followers. Taqi al-Din al-Futuhi said: “Be careful when saying: ‘conventionally’ from the Sunnah in general Sharia custom, as it applies to what is more general than what is transmitted from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and from Companions and followers; Because, in the terminology of scholars of jurisprudence: “ The words of the Prophet , peace and blessings be upon him, other than revelation, that is: other than the Qur’an .”

The word “Sunnah” is used in general legal custom to mean the method. Ibn Hajar said : “ His saying ‘this Sunnah’ refers to the method of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, as a specific reference, not a personal one .”  This is a definition of the Sunnah in its general sense, which is not limited to the Prophetic hadith. It means: the Prophetic method and the Prophetic guidance in its generality, and what falls within that from the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and diligent Imams. It may be used in general legal custom to mean the entire religion, given that he is the conveyor of the religion from God, and everything that came by way of revelation is known only from him, so his Sunnah is his guidance, his way, and his way to God, and it is his call to which he was called, and the way he followed in calling for the Oneness of God and devotion to worshiping Him without Gods and idols, and ending with obeying Him and abandoning disobedience to Him.

The Sunnah according to the imams of the righteous predecessors is knowledge in religion. Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani said: Al-Awza’i said: “ Knowledge is what came from the companions of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and what did not come from them is not knowledge .” Abu Ubaid and Yaqoob bin Shaybah narrated on the authority of Ibn Masoud that he said: “ People continue to be included in the goodness of knowledge that has come to them from the companions of Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, and their elders. But if knowledge comes to them from the youngest of them and their desires are dispersed, they will perish .” Abu Ubaidah said that what it means is that everything that came from the Companions and their senior followers in good faith is inherited knowledge, and what was introduced by those who came after them is reprehensible, and the predecessors used to differentiate between knowledge and opinion, so they said that the Sunnah has knowledge and everything other than it is opinion. On the authority of Ahmad: “ Knowledge is taken from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and then from the Companions. If it is not, then the Followers have a choice.” And on his authority: “What came from the Rightly Guided Caliphs is from the Sunnah, and what came from other companions who said it is Sunnah, I do not reject it .” On the authority of Ibn al-Mubarak : “ Let the one relied upon be the one who relies on it, and take from the opinion what explains the news to you .” Ibn Hajar said: “ The bottom line is that if an opinion is based on transmission from the Qur’an or the Sunnah, then it is praiseworthy, but if it is devoid of knowledge, then it is reprehensible, and this is evidenced by the aforementioned hadith of Abdullah bin Amr, as he mentioned after losing knowledge that ignorant people issue fatwas based on their opinion. ”

The Sunnah that one is commanded to follow

The Sunnah that the Sharia texts indicate is the command to follow it is the prophetic path in its most general sense according to the scholars of the Sunnis and the community, so the Sunnah of the imams of the religion among the Companions and those who followed them in goodness is included in it, and the imams of the Sunnis from the early predecessors interpreted it to mean: the knowledge of religion and Sharia transmitted from the imams of the Companions and their scholars and the imams of those who followed them with goodness. They interpreted the Sunnah, which the Sharia texts indicated that it was necessary to follow, as: “ the way of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace .”  That is: his guidance, his method, and what he and his companions followed in terms of guidance, knowledge, work, and belief, meaning: the path followed in the religion that he, his companions, and his rightly-guided caliphs after him and the imams of religion who followed them followed, and it is an interpretation of the Sunnah in its complete and comprehensive meaning, and many Some of the later scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah interpret the Sunnah, the obligation of which the texts indicate, as being specific to beliefs in the sense that innovation that contradicts it poses a great danger.  Their earlier imams meant by it the knowledge of religion that was transmitted in general terms from the imams of the Companions and their scholars, for they were the ones who carried the knowledge of religion and Sharia and learned it and explained it to the people. He is their imam and their first teacher and the most worthy of people to his nation, and his Sunnah is his way of religion, his approach, his knowledge, his guidance, his clarification to the people, and his ruling among them in what was mixed among them. They were responsible for matters, and the Companions were not all of them who issued fatwas. Rather, those who learned from him were singled out, and among them were the imams of religion and scholars of Sharia. They took knowledge from him about religion and the matters that he taught them and understood them from him through sitting with him, companionship, and experiencing the events, and all of this is what is meant by the word “Sunnah that is not It is limited to transmitting texts, and their knowledge includes what they learned and what is added to that from the rulings that they understood, explained, derived, or agreed upon. The Sunnis in the era of the ancient predecessors interpreted the Sunnah that the texts of Sharia indicated the command to follow in the sense of jurisprudence in religion, which is the knowledge of Sharia in its generality. It is taken from the imams of the religion among the Companions and those who followed them with goodness, and they make the Sunnah in this sense in contrast to the heresy that violates the principles of religion and its rules, such as the heresy of the Khawarij, the Qadariyyah, and the sects branching from them, and they call the sayings of these sects misguided desires, and by that they mean those who spoke about the religion without knowledge and interpreted the religion according to their desires and spoke about what was forbidden. God and His Messenger refrained from delving into it, and they did not take knowledge from the imams of the religion who carry the Sharia.

Their interpretation of the Sunnah in its integrated sense means the knowledge of the Sharia in its generality taken from the imams of the Companions and those who followed them in good faith, given that the imams of the Companions were united in guidance, and their Sunnah was implicitly included in the Sunnah of the Prophet, and their knowledge of the Sunnah included the characteristics of knowledge of the Sharia in all aspects, so they were the most knowledgeable people in the Arabic language that interprets it. They have the texts of the Sharia, so they were not asked about the interpretation of much of the Qur’an. Because it was revealed in their language, they did not need someone to explain to them the meanings of the words of the texts of the Qur’an and the Hadith. Because they originally mastered the language, and the imams of the Companions did not need to know the rules of interpretation of the Qur’an and the Hadith, the principles of interpretation, the methods of jurisprudential reasoning, the principles of jurisprudence, and other things. Because these matters were clear and well-established in their minds, and the scholars who established the science of interpretation, the science of jurisprudence, the principles of jurisprudence, and other sciences of Sharia law only developed them as a result of taking the knowledge of the Companions, and the doctrines of jurisprudence are the result of the doctrines of the jurists of the Companions, and the imams of religion after them are all dependent on them in the transmitted knowledge. About them.

God Almighty said: “ Indeed there has been for you in the Messenger of God a good example…the verse ” [ Al-Ahzab : 21] . That is, to emulate him and be with him wherever he is, and do not lag behind him. Ibn Jarir said: “ This is a reproach from God for those who remain behind the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, and his army in Medina from those who believe in him. For whoever hopes for God’s reward and mercy in the Hereafter does not desire himself or the place he is in, but he will have an example for him in being with him wherever he is. ” . 

Omar bin Abdul Aziz said when he was asked about fate: “ You must adhere to the Sunnah, for it is your protection, God willing .”

Sunnah versus heresy

The Sunnah may be used in Sharia law to refer to what is equivalent to innovation, and the texts of Sharia law include the command to follow the Sunnah and adhere to it in exchange for prohibiting innovation and warning against innovations, and the followed Sunnah in opposition to newly introduced innovations, and guidance in opposition to misguidance. The imams of the Sunnah from among the early predecessors used to interpret the Sunnah in its integrated meaning . They put it in contrast to heresy in its legal meaning, which is: a new innovation in the religion that opposes the Sunnah and is contrary to the Sharia, which violates the principles and rules of the religion and has no basis in the Sharia and is not part of the religion at all, and its owner is described as straying from the straight path for which punishment is promised in the afterlife. According to the Sunnis and the community, it includes all types. The heresies and misguided desires introduced by the sects that appeared in the advanced eras of the history of Islam, the first of which were the heresies of the Kharijites and the sects branching from them, such as the Qadariyyah and others. They rely in this on the transmitted legal texts regarding the dispersion of the nation, the characteristics of the Kharijites, and the occurrence of temptations.

Al-Tirmidhi narrated in his Sunan: “ On the authority of Al-Irbad bin Sariyah, he said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace , preached to us one day after the morning prayer a eloquent sermon that made our eyes shed tears and our hearts feared. A man said: This is a farewell sermon, so what did you entrust to us, O Messenger of God? He said: “I advise you to fear God, listen and obey, and if an Abyssinian slave is among you, then he is the one who lives among you. He sees a lot of disagreement, and beware of newly invented matters, for they are misguidance. Whoever among you realizes that should follow my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs , biting on it with your molars.”».  Al-Hakim narrated it: “You should adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs after me..”.  This hadith is an indication of the characteristics of prophecy, including the comprehensiveness of words, and it contains a miracle that indicates the truthfulness of prophecy in informing about what will be innovations in the religion that will lead to disagreement, conflict, and division, and informing the Companions that whoever of them lives will live; He will see a lot of difference in religion with the emergence of new innovations that contradict the principles and rules of religion and have no basis in Sharia law.

The imams of the Sunnis in the era of the ancient predecessors meant by this innovation, which was condemned by the texts of Sharia law, that it was all that was introduced by the sects that appeared in the early Islamic eras, such as delving into similarities that caused enmity between Muslims, division from the group of Muslims, rebellion against the rulers, and tyranny of opinion in opposition to the text. And monopolizing following one’s desires and different misguided desires, due to which people form separate sects that are not united by Islam. Al-Hasan referred to it and said: “ Beware of these desires, for their source is misguidance, and their destination is Hell .”  The hadith included a number of religious teachings, including: the commandment to fear God, to listen and obey those in charge, and not to rebel against them. In the two Sahih books, on the authority of Ibn Masoud , he said: “The Messenger of God , peace and blessings of God be upon him, used to give us the right to admonish us about the hatred of being bored with us.”.

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said : It contains a warning to the nation against following newly invented and innovated matters, and he confirmed that by saying: Every innovation is a misguidance, and what is meant by heresy is something new that has no basis in the Sharia that indicates it, and as for what has a basis in the Sharia that indicates it, it is not an innovation in Sharia, even if it is an innovation in language. . What occurred in the words of the predecessors regarding the approval of some innovations; This is only about linguistic innovations, not legality. Among that is the saying of Omar, may God be pleased with him, in Tarawih: What a wonderful innovation this is. It was narrated from him that he said: If this is an innovation, then what a wonderful innovation. Among that is the first Friday call to prayer. Uthman added it to the people’s need for it, and Ali approved it, and the Muslims’ work on it continued . It was narrated on the authority of Ibn Omar that he said: It is an innovation, and perhaps he wanted what his father wanted in Tarawih. End summary. The meaning of the hadith: Who among you realizes the time of great disagreement? So he must adhere to my Sunnah, that is: let him adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, for they did not act except by my Sunnah, so adding the Sunnah to them is because they are more knowledgeable about it and because they derived it from it and chose it. The hadith included the command to follow the path followed by the Messenger of God and the Companions, and to follow it and adopt it in word, deed, and belief, and this is indicated by the hadith: “ You should adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs after me…”.  In the hadith: “You must adhere to the group of Muslims and their imam.”  In the hadith: “Whoever lives among you will see much difference,” and in a narration: “There will be things that you deny,”

Al-Shawkani said : “ The Sunnah is the method. It is as if he said: Adhere to my method and the method of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. Their method was the same as his method. They were the people who were most keen on it and applied it in everything. In any case, they were keen to differ from him in the smallest matters as well as the largest ones, and when they lacked The evidence is from the Book of God and the Sunnah of His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him . They acted on the opinion that appeared to them after examination, research, consultation and contemplation, and this opinion in the absence of evidence is also from his Sunnah, as indicated by the hadith of Muadh when the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said to him : What do you decide? He said: By the Book of God. He said: If you do not find it, he said: Then by the Sunnah of the Messenger of God. He said: If you do not find it, he said: I will work hard on my opinion. He said: Praise be to God who has guided the Messenger of His Messenger, or as he said.. » .  What they acted upon based on opinion is from his Sunnah, and he urged us to follow them. As a confirmation for those who came after them, so that no one would imagine that they were violating his guidance, and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs is the same as the Sunnah of the Prophet and does not deviate from it.

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani said : “Innovated matters” with fatha al-dāl are the plural of “innovated” and what is meant by them is what is innovated, and it has no basis in the Sharia, and it is called in Sharia custom: “innovation.” And whatever has a basis that is indicated by Sharia is not an innovation, for innovation in Sharia custom is reprehensible, unlike the language, for everything that is newer according to the law is not an innovation. Other than this, it is called an innovation, whether it is praiseworthy or reprehensible, and the same applies to the saying regarding the newly invented matter and the newly invented matter that was mentioned in the hadith of Aisha: “Whoever introduces into this matter of ours something that is not part of it will have it rejected.”.  ​​The hadith of Al-Irbad is close in meaning to the aforementioned hadith of Aisha , and it is one of the comprehensive words. It indicates that the innovator is called an innovation, and what is meant by his saying: “Every innovation is a misguidance” is something new and for which there is no evidence from the Sharia in a specific or general way.  ​​Ibn Hajar also said: Some scholars divided innovation into five rulings, and it is clear, and it is proven on the authority of Ibn Masoud that he said: “ You have become on the Fitrah, and you will introduce something new and it will happen to you, so if you see something new, then you should follow the first guidance .”  ​​Al-Shafi’i said: “ Innovation is two innovations: praiseworthy and reprehensible. Whatever agrees with the Sunnah is praiseworthy, and whatever contradicts it is reprehensible .”  Al-Shafi’i also said: “ Innovated matters are of two types: whatever is innovated that contradicts the Qur’an, Sunnah, tradition, or consensus, then this is an innovation of misguidance, and whatever good is innovated that does not contradict any of these, then this is innovated and not reprehensible. ”  Among the things that happened were the recording of the hadith, then the interpretation of the Qur’an, then the recording of jurisprudential issues generated from pure opinion, then the recording of what relates to the actions of the hearts. Among the things that happened was delving into similarities and fallacies in matters of belief, and the predecessors’ denial of this was severe. Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani said : “ It is proven on the authority of Malik: that during the era of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, Abu Bakr, and Umar, there was nothing of whims – meaning the heresies of the Kharijites, the Shiites, and the Qadariyyah – ,” and he said. Also: “ The denial of this was intensified by the predecessors, such as Abu Hanifa, Abu Yusuf, and Al-Shafi’i, and their words in denouncing the people of theology are well-known, and the reason for this is that they spoke about what the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, and his companions remained silent about .”  ​​Al-Izz bin Abdul Salam divided innovation into five categories: obligatory, forbidden, recommended, permissible, and disliked.

The innovation that is described as misguidance according to the scholars of the Sunnis and the community is that which occurs in the religion by introducing something that is not from it, such as: the innovation of the Kharijites to say that people of sin are infidels, and such as: the innovation of anthropomorphism , the temptation of anthropomorphism, and other innovations that are promised to the one who innovated them with fire, even if his innovation does not take him out of the religion, since what is intended is punishment for Heresy. As for what has its origin in religion or what is part of the good Sunnah; It is not one of the innovations that is forbidden, as it was stated in the hadith: “Whoever establishes a good tradition in Islam and acts upon it after him, will be credited with the reward of the one who acted upon it, and nothing will be detracted from their rewards. Whoever initiates a bad tradition in Islam and acts upon it after him, the same burden as the one who acted upon it will be recorded for him, and no “Something will be reduced from their burdens.”.  And in another narration by Muslim, with the wording: “Whoever calls to guidance..” and “Whoever calls to misguidance..” Al-Nawawi said: These two hadiths are clear in urging the desirability of doing good things, and prohibiting doing bad things. Al-Nawawi said : “ His saying, peace and blessings be upon him : ‘So he implemented it after him.’”It means: He enacted it whether the work was done during his lifetime or after his death. And God knows best .

Follow the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs

The names of the four caliphs are written on the ceiling of Yeni Mosque in Istanbul.

The Rightly Guided Caliphs, in the general sense, are the imams of the Muslims in the religion, the people of guidance and guidance, or whoever among them was a caliph of the Muslims. According to the Sunnis, they are the four caliphs in agreement, and many imams stated that Omar bin Abdul Aziz was the fifth Rightly Guided Caliphs, [39] because they combined the leadership of the  . And the world, and they had a guardianship based on the method of prophecy, and the Sunnis and the community agree that it is obligatory to follow the Sunnah of the Caliphs, and that it is from the Sunnah that the Sharia commanded us to follow, and that they were united in guidance, and they support this with evidence, including the hadith: “You must adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs after me. ”It means adhere to my way, that is: the one he and his companions followed in terms of knowledge, work, belief, and guidance, and adhere to the way of the Rightly Guided Caliphs who are known for their guidance and guidance, and they are those who follow his example and follow his Sunnah and are guided by his guidance. This is because when he was a messenger to the worlds and the seal of the prophets and messengers, the imams in religion were the successors after him. Those who carry his law, those who communicate his message to him, those who call upon his call, those who follow his guidance, those who command what is right and forbid what is wrong, who inherit the knowledge of prophecy after him in taking knowledge from them, and in the hadith: “The children of Israel used to be governed by prophets. Whenever a prophet died, a prophet rose after him, and there will be no prophet after me, and there will be successors and they will multiply.”.

What is meant by the caliphs in this hadith is the diligent imams and jurists in the religion, who specialized in knowledge of the Qur’an and the Sunnah, narration and knowledge. They are the first four caliphs: Abu Bakr al-Siddiq , Omar ibn al-Khattab , Uthman ibn Affan, and Ali ibn Abi Talib . The command to follow the Sunnah of the caliphs includes following the imams of the jurists in the religion, the scholars of Sharia from The Companions and those who followed them in good faith are the heirs of the knowledge of prophecy.

“On the authority of Yahya bin Abi Al-Mut’a, he said, I heard Al-Irbad bin Sariyah say: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, rose among us one day and preached to us a eloquent sermon that made our hearts tremble and our eyes shed tears. It was said, ‘O Messenger of God, you gave us a farewell sermon, so entrust us with a covenant.’ He said: ‘You must fear God, listen, and obey, even if you are a servant. Abyssinians, and after me you will see severe disagreement, so adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and bite on it with your molars, and beware of newly invented matters, for every innovation is a misguidance.”In the hadith: The command to listen and obey the rulers of affairs, even if the one in charge of them is an Ethiopian slave, is an exaggeration of the obligation of obedience, and the impermissibility of rebellion against the rulers unless they command you to commit clear disbelief for which you have proof from God. And he said: “And you will see a difference after me.”In the same way as the justification for the commandment in this way, i.e. hearing and obedience, which eliminates severe disagreement, is good, and in that case: “You should adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs after me.”It was said that they are the four caliphs, and it was said that they are the people of knowledge of the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and what is evidenced by the hadith: “ And on the authority of Ibrahim bin Abdul Rahman Al-Adhari, he said: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said: “ Every successor of his will carries this knowledge, refuting from it the distortion of the extremists, the impersonation of the false, and the interpretation of the ignorant. »». Narrated by Al-Bayhaqi.  Al-Sindhi said: His saying: “And the Sunnah of the Caliphs, etc.”It was said: They are the four, may God be pleased with them. It was said: Rather, they are the imams of Islam who are diligent in rulings, and they are the successors of the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, in upholding the truth, reviving the religion, and guiding people to the straight path. And he said: “Bite on it with your molars.”By the embossed ones, which are the molars, it was said: He meant seriousness in adhering to the Sunnah, such as the action of one who holds something between his molars and bites on it to prevent it from being pulled out, or patience with the fatigue that befalls God’s essence, as one who suffers from pain does when he says: “And new matters. ”It was said: I mean by it what has no basis in the religion. Al-Sindhi said: “ As for matters that are consistent with the principles of the religion, they are not included in it, and if they were introduced after him, peace and blessings be upon him , I said: It is consistent with his saying: “And the Sunnah of the Caliphs.”Let him meditate .

Al-Rashidun is the plural of Rashidun, who is the one who knew the truth and acted upon it. Rather, the caliphs were described as the Rashidun because they knew the truth and ruled by it. Righteousness is the opposite of deception, and the deviant is one who knew the truth and acted contrary to it. In the novel: “The Mahdis”It means: God guides them to the truth and does not lead them astray from it. There are three categories: the rightly guided, the misguided, and the misguided. The rightly guided person knew the truth and followed it, the misguided: he knew it but did not follow it, and the misguided: he did not know it completely. So every adult is guided, and every person who is fully guided is an adult, because guidance is only accomplished by knowing the truth and working. It also has it.

« On the authority of Abd al-Rahman bin Amr al-Sulami that he heard al-Irbad bin Sariyah saying: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, preached to us a sermon from which the eyes shed tears and the hearts tremble from it. We said, O Messenger of God, this is a farewell sermon. So what did you entrust to us? He said: «I have left you on the white plain, the night of which is like its day. No one will deviate from it after me except one who perishes. Whoever among you lives will see a lot of disagreement, so you must adhere to what you know of my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, bite on it with your mohawks, and you must obey it, even if an Abyssinian slave is a believer, for the believer is like a camel’s nose wherever he is restrained and submissive.”».

Al-Sindi said: His saying: “on the white one”That is: the religion and the clear argument that does not accept suspicion at all, so the moment a suspicion is introduced to it is the same as the case when the suspicion is revealed and repelled from it, and the reference to it is His saying: “ Her night is like its day.”His saying: “The believer is the believer.”That is: the matter of the believer is to abandon arrogance and adhere to humility, so he will be like a camel with a nose like a kanaf, meaning without a stretch, and like a companion, meaning: with a stretch and the first is more correct and eloquent, meaning: the one who places the reins in his nose, so he drags whomever he wants, young and old, to wherever he wants, wherever he is tied, that is, a harness, and God knows best.

In it, he informed his companions of the great differences that would occur after him, that is, after the spread of Islam, the merging of the cultures of different peoples, and the occurrence of new phenomena and problems. He explained to them that whoever realized the time of this difference must return to what they had learned from his Sunnah and the Sunnah of his caliphs after him. The Sunnah that the imams of the Sunnah are commanded to follow is The early predecessors are the knowledge of religion in general terms from the imams of the Companions and their scholars, “and the Sunnah of the Caliphs…”It is included in the general meaning of the Sunnah, but he singled them out with the Sunnah added to them because they have a followed Sunnah, which must be followed and referred to when there is disagreement, and the Sunnahs of the Caliphs upon which the people agreed, such as compiling the Qur’an, gathering the people under one imam in Tarawih prayers, compiling collections of poetry, and so on.

Abu Naim narrated from the hadith of Arzab Al-Kindi: “The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘Indeed, things will happen after me, so I like them so that you adhere to what Omar did.’”“.

Malik said: Omar bin Abdul Aziz said: “ The Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, and the rulers after him enacted our laws, which are to be adhered to the Book of God and strength to the religion of God, and no one has the right to change them or alter them or consider a matter that contradicts them. Whoever is guided by them is guided.” And whoever seeks victory through it will be victorious, and whoever abandons it and follows other than the path of the believers, God will protect him from what he has taken, and He will cast him into Hell, and it is an evil destination .”

Khalaf bin Khalifa said: I witnessed Omar bin Abdul Aziz delivering a sermon to the people while he was a caliph, and he said in his sermon: “ But what the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and his two companions enacted is a duty of religion, we take it and end with it .”

The Sunnah of the Caliphs, upon which the meeting took place, includes the rulings issued by them regarding new developments for which there is no legal text indicating them regarding them, such as the ruling of Umar, which the Companions unanimously agreed upon in the matter of dependency and in the two issues of Al-Gharawayn, and similar to what the people agreed upon in the triple divorce, and in the prohibition of mut’ah with women, and other things.  Everything that was decided by the imams of the Companions or their successors, and upon which there was a consensus, is considered by the Sunnis and the community to be a valid proof, and their consensus is a consensus. As for the branches of rulings that they did not agree on, they are not proof, but rather are jurisprudential schools of thought.

Waki` said: “ If Omar and Ali agree on something, then it is the matter .”

On the authority of Ibn Masoud , he used to swear to God: The straight path is the one on which Omar remained steadfast until he entered Paradise.

Ali used to follow his rulings and issues, and he said: “ Omar was wise in matters .”

Ash’ath narrated on the authority of Al-Sha’bi, who said: “ If people disagree about something, then see how Omar decided on it, for Omar would not decide on a matter that he had not decided on before until he consulted .”

Mujahid said: “ If people disagree about something, look at what Omar did and accept it .”

Ayoub said on the authority of Al-Sha’bi: “ Look at what the nation of Muhammad agreed upon, for God would not have united them on misguidance. If they disagree, then look at what Omar Ibn Al-Khattab did and accept it .”

Ikrimah was asked about the child’s mother, and he said: She will be freed upon the death of her master. He was asked: What do you say? He said: By the Qur’an. He said: By what Qur’an? He said: “ Obey God and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you ” [ An-Nisa : 59] , and Omar was one of those in authority. 

The concept of the word group

identification

The group in the language is those who come together over something, and the plural of something from separation,  and the origin of the word is to benefit the meaning of coming together as opposed to separation, and it has been mentioned in the texts of the Qur’an and the Hadith that the word “group” is used against division and coming together against separation, so the word “group” is not limited to one group as opposed to another, so Muslims They are all like one body, their Lord is one, their Prophet is one, and their religion is one, and all Muslims are one nation and one group united by the word of Islam, and the people of Islam coming together as one group and not being divided is what is required in Islamic law, and God has commanded all Muslims to be one group, united and not divided, [55  And God Almighty said: “ And hold fast to the rope of God all together and do not become divided… Verse ” [ Al Imran : 103] . Ibn Abbas said : It means hold fast to the religion of God, and Ibn Masoud said: It means the group, and he said: “ You should adhere to the group, for it is the rope of God that God has commanded.” “And what you dislike in congregation and obedience is better than what you like in division .” Mujahid and Ataa said: By the covenant of God, and Qatada and Al-Suddi said: It is the Qur’an, and Muqatil bin Hayyan said : By the rope of God: that is, by God’s command and obedience to Him. Al-Aini said: The Book and the Sunnah.  “ And do not become divided ” Al-Baghawi said: That is, do not separate as the Jews and Christians did.  And God Almighty said: “ And obey God and His Messenger, and do not dispute, lest you lose heart and your strength will depart, and be patient. Indeed, God is with those who are patient . ”  Conflict leads to disappointment and the loss of power, and the division that is forbidden in Islamic law is that which is opposed to the group by disobeying the group of people of Islam in what they have agreed upon, which turns the nation into sects, separate parties, and multiple groups, and it is different from the disagreement considered in issues of branches, so it does not enter into the meaning of Division in religion. The ijtihad of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, the imams of the Companions, and those who followed them among the people of considered ijtihad is not included in this according to consensus, as it does not lead to conflict and division of religion, but rather it is one that is merciful and does not spoil a cause of friendship. 

The group, as it is in Islamic law, is the group of Muslims in general, and the group of Muslims in general includes the common people and their special ones, except that the group that Sharia forbids to separate from is not represented by a large number, but rather in the specific, which is the group of imams and princes. Imams, that is: in religion, and princes are governors. Things, and the division that is forbidden, means separation from the group of imams and princes, and it also means division in opinions and religions, and this detail was mentioned by Abu Suleiman Al-Khattabi in the book: “Isolation” in the fourth century AH, and he said: “ Division is two groups, the group of opinions and religions, and the group of people and bodies, and the group is two groups.” “A group is the imams and princes , and a group is the common people and the demagogues,” and in his words he clarifies what is meant by this division, which is that the group that is forbidden to separate from is the group of imams and princes, but the group of common people is not what is intended by this prohibition, just as the division of bodies and persons is not what is intended by This is also a prohibition, but what is meant is the division of opinions and religions.

He stated in his speech: The division that is forbidden in Sharia is the division in opinions and religions, and he explained that by saying: “ As for the division in opinions and religions, it is forbidden in minds and forbidden in issues of fundamentals because it invites misguidance and causes obstruction and neglect. If people were left divided, opinions and disputes would disperse and multiply.” Religions and sects were of no use in sending messengers, and this is what God Almighty criticized for the division in His Book and condemned it in the verses mentioned above . He said: “ At this same pace, we also conduct the matter in parting with the imams and princes, because parting with them involves the separation of familiarity, the disappearance of infallibility, and the departure from the confines of obedience and the shadow of trustworthiness, which is what the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, forbade and intended when he said: “Whoever separates from the group and dies, his death is ignorance,” and that is because The people of pre-Islamic times did not have an imam who would unite them in a religion and unite them with one opinion. Rather, they were various sects and sects with different opinions and different religions. This is what called many of them to worship idols and obey their rulers, based on a corrupt opinion that they believed that they had good and that they would benefit them or ward off harm from them .

Interpretation of the meaning of community

The group as it is in the legal sense generally refers to the group of Muslims, but the group that is forbidden in Sharia to separate from is the group of imams and princes, and the group in that it gives the meaning of the meeting refers to those who gathered in a matter in which others disagreed with them, and explanations of the meaning of the group have come from the imams of the Sunnis and the community. What is mentioned in the hadiths mentioned in sayings transmitted from their imams from among the predecessors, and they are explanations for defining the group for specific considerations in the group and the characteristics of those gathered and what they agreed upon. Ibn Jarir al-Tabari (d. 318 AH) collected the sayings of the imams and the scholars after him quoted them, and the difference between these sayings is due to To the different characteristics of the meeting according to what is meant by it in the meaning of dissent, and these sayings were quoted by Al-Shatibi in the book: Al-I’tisam, and he mentioned them in five that I say in brief: “ The great majority, the diligent imams, the Companions, the people of Islam if they gather on a matter, the group of Muslims if they gather on a prince.” ».

The first saying: The group is the greatest majority of the people of Islam, so whatever they adhere to regarding the matter of their religion is the truth, and whoever disagrees with them dies the death of ignorance, whether he disagrees with them in any part of the Sharia or in their imam and authority, then he is in conflict with the truth, and they are the ones who, if they come together to agree to present a prince The people who separated from them were dead in ignorance, and they were most of the people and all of them from the people of knowledge and religion and others, who gathered together according to what the people of the first guidance were upon, so the nation’s diligent scholars and scholars and the people of the Sharia who work in it, and everyone else, are included in their rule, because they follow them and follow their example, so what They were upon him regarding the matter of their religion, for it is the truth, and among those who said this were Abu Masoud Al-Ansari and Ibn Masoud , and this is the group that Abu Masoud Al-Ansari described in what Al-Tabari narrated that when Caliph Uthman bin Affan was killed , Abu Masoud Al-Ansari was asked about sedition, so he recommended the group and said: The nation should not unite on Misguidance, and he described the sect as misguidance, so everyone who departed from their group are those who deviated, and all the people of heresy are included in these because they differed from those who came before from the nation. They did not enter into their group under any circumstances, whether the one who differed from them in a matter of religion or differed from them in their leader.

One of them: It is the vast majority of the people of Islam, so whatever they adhere to in terms of their religion is the truth, and whoever disagrees with them dies a death of ignorance, whether he disagrees with them in any part of the Sharia or in their imam and authority, then he is in disagreement with the truth, and among those who said this were Abu Masoud Al-Ansari and Ibn Masoud, so he narrated that When Uthman was killed, Abu Masoud Al-Ansari was asked about sedition, and he said: “ You must adhere to the group, for God would not unite the nation of Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, on misguidance, but be patient until you are relieved or relieved from the ungodly. ” And he said: “ Beware of division, for division is misguidance .” Ibn Masoud said: “ You must listen and obey, for it is the rope of God that He has commanded. ” Then he held his hand and said: “ Indeed, the one you hate in the group is better than the ones you love in the group. ” On the authority of Al-Hussein, it was said to him: Abu Bakr, the successor of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace? He said: “ That is, by Him there is no god but Him, God would not have united the nation of Muhammad upon misguidance .” According to this saying, the nation’s diligent scholars, scholars, and people of the Sharia who work within it are included in the group, and everyone else is included in their rule, because they follow them and follow their example. Everyone who departs from their group are those who have deviant and are the prey of Satan, and all the people of heresy are included in these because they are different from those who came before from the nation. They did not enter into their darkness in any way.

Second: The group is the group of the imams of the diligent scholars. Whoever deviates from what the scholars of the nation are upon dies the death of ignorance, and among those who say this are Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak , Ishaq bin Rahawayh , and a group of the predecessors, and this is the opinion of the fundamentalists, so the diligent imams are the reference of the nation.

Third: The group is the Companions in particular, because their group is the basis, as they united on guidance, and the meeting on guidance is not achieved except by following them in what they agreed upon of the truth, and among those who said this saying is Omar bin Abdul Aziz . The third: The group is the Companions in particular, for they are the ones who established the pillar of religion and established its stakes, and they are the ones who do not unite on misguidance at all, and this may be possible among others, and among those who said this saying was Omar bin Abdul Aziz, and Ibn Wahb narrated on the authority of Malik, who said: Omar bin Abdul Aziz says: “ The Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, and the rulers after him enacted our traditions, adopting them is confirmation of the Book of God, completion of obedience to God, and strength for the religion of God. No one has the right to change it, change it, or consider it. Whoever is guided by it will be guided, and whoever seeks victory by it will be victorious. And whoever fears it follows a path other than that of the believers, and God will appoint him as long as he undertakes, and He will send him to hell, and it is an evil destination . ” Malik said : “I liked Omar’s determination to do that.” According to this saying, the wording of the group is identical to the other narration in his saying, peace and blessings be upon him: “That is what I and my companions are upon.”It is as if it is due to what they said, what they enacted, and what they worked hard on as evidence at all, and the testimony of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, to them, especially in his saying: “So adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs.”And those like him, or because they are the imitators of the words of prophecy, those who are guided by the Sharia, who understood the command of God’s religion by receiving it from His Prophet orally, with knowledge and insight into the areas of legislation and evidence of circumstances, unlike others. Therefore, everything they have enacted is a Sunnah with no equal in it, unlike others, so there is room in it for the people of diligence. To consider the response and acceptance, then the people of innovations are definitely not included in the group according to this saying.

Fourth: The group is the group of the people of Islam. If they agree on a matter, it is obligatory for other people of the sect to follow them, and they are the ones whom God guaranteed to His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that he would not unite them in misguidance. If a disagreement occurs between them, it is obligatory to know what is correct in what they differed about. Al-Shafi’i said : « There is no negligence in the group about the meaning of the Book of God, nor about the Sunnah or analogy, but rather negligence results in division . It is as if this saying goes back to the second saying, which also implies what it requires, or goes back to the first saying, which is more apparent.

Fifth: What Al- Tabari , the imam, chose, that the group is a group of Muslims if they gather around a leader. So he, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded their adherence to him and forbade the separation of the nation regarding what they had agreed upon, such as taking precedence over them, because their separation does not exceed one of two situations, either to denounce them in obeying their prince and to criticize him for his satisfactory conduct. For no reason, but rather by interpretation to create heresy in the religion, such as the Haruriyya, which the nation was ordered to fight and which the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, called a deviant from the religion, or to seek leadership from concluding the pledge of allegiance to the leader of the group, in which case he broke a covenant and broke a covenant after it was obligatory. He, peace and blessings be upon him, said : “Whoever comes to my nation to disperse their group, behead him, whoever he may be.”. Al-Tabari said: This is the meaning of the command to adhere to the group. He said: As for the group that, if they come together to agree to the introduction of an emir, they will die the death of ignorance, then they are the group described by Abu Masoud Al-Ansari, and they are the majority of people and all of them are people of knowledge, religion, and others, and they are the greatest majority. He said: This was explained by Omar bin Al-Khattab May Allah be pleased with him, and it was narrated on the authority of Omar bin Maimun Al-Awdi that he said: Omar said when he stabbed Suhaib: “Pray with the people three times, and let Othman, Ali, Talha, Al-Zubayr, Saad, and Abd Al-Rahman enter, and let Ibn Omar enter at the side of the house, and he has nothing to do with the matter, so stand up.” O Suhaib, on their heads with the sword. If five pledged allegiance and one reneged, then flog his head with the sword. If four pledged allegiance and two men reneged, then flog their heads until they trust a man . And he ordered Suhayb to strike the head of the one who separated from them with the sword. They understood the meaning of the large number gathered to pledge allegiance to him and the small number of those who separated from them. He said: As for the report in which it was mentioned that the nation should not unite on misguidance, its meaning is: that he should not unite them in misleading the truth in what has befallen them regarding the matter of their religion until it is misled. All of them lack knowledge and make mistakes in it, and this does not happen in the nation. This is the entirety of his words, and they are conveyed in the meaning and in most of the wording. The bottom line is that the group is due to the gathering of the imam who agrees with the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and this is evident in the fact that gathering on a basis other than the Sunnah is outside the meaning of the group mentioned in the aforementioned hadiths, such as the Kharijites and those who followed their path.

The diligent imams

The Companions chose the caliph on the basis that he was a diligent imam, one of the most knowledgeable of them in the religion and the most knowledgeable of the Sharia, whom the people followed and the nation agreed upon. Their successors chose the governors on the basis that they were among the imams of the religion and scholars of the Sharia. This is because the meaning of the group, according to them, was not achieved except by the gathering of the diligent imams from the people of Sharia. Knowledge, and interpretations of the meaning of the group that the hadiths indicate came from the imams of the Sunnis from among the predecessors. Ibn Jarir al-Tabari mentioned their statements in interpreting the group, and the scholars of the Sunnis and the group quoted them from him, including al-Shatibi, and he said: “ The second: It is the group of imams of diligent scholars, so whoever departs from what Accordingly, the scholars of the nation died the death of ignorance, because God’s group of scholars, God made them a proof for the worlds, and they are concerned with his saying, peace and blessings be upon him: “God will not unite my nation upon misguidance.”This is because the common people take their religion from it, and are terrified of calamities, and they follow them. The meaning of his saying: My nation will not come together, the scholars of my nation will not come together on misguidance, and among those who said this were Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak , Ishaq bin Rahawayh , and a group of the predecessors, and this is the opinion of the fundamentalists, so it was said to Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak : Who is the group of people who should be emulated? He said: Abu Bakr and Omar – and he continued counting until he reached Muhammad bin Thabit and Al-Hussein bin Waqid – so it was said: These are dead, so who are the living? He said: Abu Hamza al-Sukkari, and on the authority of al-Musayyab ibn Rafi’, who said: Whenever something came to them regarding the judiciary that was not in the Book of God or the Sunnah of the Messenger of God, they called him “the narrators of the princes,” so they gathered the people of knowledge for him, and whatever their opinion agreed upon was the truth, and on the authority of Ishaq ibn Rahawayh, similar to what he said. Ibn Al-Mubarak. According to this saying, there is no entry into the question for someone who is not a diligent scholar, because he is included among the people of imitation, so whoever among them does something that contradicts them is the one who died of pre-Islamic times .

Everyone has agreed that the people of knowledge and ijtihad are considered, and that the consideration in the group interpreted by the great majority is only by the greatest majority of scholars whose ijtihad is taken into account, so whoever deviates from them and dies, his death is ignorance, and as for the group of common people, they follow their imams; Because they do not know the Sharia, they must return in their religion to the scholars. If they had gathered to differ from the scholars, they would have been the majority due to the scarcity of scholars and the large number of ignorant people. But the point is not the number, so the gathering of the common people is not an argument or a reference in the religion, even if they are the largest in number, then they have They gather on misguidance, so no one says: Following the group of the common people is what is required and that the scholars are the ones who separate from the group and those who are reprehensible in the hadith. Rather, the matter is the opposite, and that the scholars are the greatest majority, even if they are few, and the common people are the ones who separate from the group, if they disagree, and if they agree, then it is what is obligatory for them, so it cannot be said that The common people are the group that they are commanded to follow, and if the time is devoid of a mujtahid, then it is not possible for the common people to follow people like them. Rather, the transmission of the mujtahids descends to the status of the presence of the mujtahids. What binds the common people with the presence of the mujtahids is what binds the people of the imposed time that is devoid of a mujtahid. The imams who worked in advanced times on what they agreed upon are proof. On those after them. Ibn Al-Mubarak was asked about the group of people he emulates, and he answered by saying: Abu Bakr and Omar.. He said: He continued counting until he came to Muhammad bin Thabit and Al-Hussein bin Waqid. It was said: These are dead, so who is alive? He said: Abu Hamza al-Sukkari , and he is Muhammad bin Maimun al-Marwazi.

Al-Shatibi said: Following the opinion of one who has no insight and the ijtihad of one who has no ijtihad is pure misguidance and blindness, which is what is implied by the authentic hadith: “God does not take away knowledge by snatching it away…”the talk. Abu Nu`aym narrated on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Qasim al-Tusi, who said: I heard Ishaq ibn Rahwiyah mentioned in a hadith that he submitted to the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, who said: “God would not unite the nation of Muhammad upon misguidance, so if you see disagreement, then you should adhere to the greatest rule.”Then a man said, “O Abu Ya’qub, from Al-Sawad Al-Azam?” Muhammad bin Aslam and his companions and those who followed them said. Then he said: A man asked Ibn Al-Mubarak: Who is Al-Sawad Al-Azam? He said: Abu Hamza al-Sukkari. Then Ishaq said: In that time (meaning Abu Hamza), and in our time, Muhammad bin Aslam and those who followed him. Then Ishaq said: If you had asked the ignorant about the greatest mass, they would have said: The group of people, not knowing that the group is a scholar who adheres to the influence of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. And his path, whoever is with him and follows him, is the group.  It was narrated on the authority of Al-Bukhari and others that the group was interpreted as: a group of people of knowledge, who are the diligent imams and all the Sharia scholars who follow them in good faith, and Badr al-Din al-Ayni said in explaining what is meant by “the group” in what is mentioned in the hadith: “ The group that the lawgiver ordered to be adhered to is a group.” Scientists; Because God Almighty has made them a proof against His creation, and to them the common people fear in their religion, and they follow it, and they are concerned with His saying: “ God will not unite my nation upon misguidance.”».

It is proven in the authentic hadith that the Companions were told that whoever of them lives will realize a time in which there will be a lot of disagreement and things that they deny, so he advised them that whoever realizes any of that should follow the first guidance, that is, his way that he and his companions followed and the way of the Rightly Guided Caliphs after him, and this is coming together upon the truth and guidance in matters. The religion that was followed by the imams of the Companions and those who followed them in righteousness, and it is based on agreement in the principles of the religion. As for the difference in the branches of rulings, it occurred during the time of the Companions and after them among the diligent imams in matters related to which there is no text in the Sharia indicating it, according to conditions mentioned by the scholars in The science of the foundations of jurisprudence . This ijtihad, which was specific to the diligent imams, most often ended in consensus, and the consensus of the diligent imams of the Companions and those after them was evidence against the people of that era and those after them. The doctrines of the jurists of the Companions were transmitted to the jurists of the Successors and the imams of the jurisprudential schools after them, and they became famous among them . The Sunnis and the community are the doctrines of the jurists of the people of opinion and the jurists of the people of hadith. They took the doctrines of the Companions and the imams who followed them, and they worked hard on the issues that remained subject to disagreement, and in many of them they reached consensus. These doctrines were transmitted by their imams, and the adherents of each school of thought worked hard on the issues in which there was no text about the imam of his doctrine. The disagreement occurred in the branches of each school of thought, then the scholars of preference came from the adherents of each school of thought, and they gave preference to one of the opinions in which the disagreement occurred. The jurisprudential schools of thought that are considered by the Sunnis and the community upon which the work was settled for them in the era of the later scholars are the four schools of thought, and the work is based on one school of them . In education, fatwas, and judgment according to the scholars of each sect, according to what prevails in its sect, Ibn Khaldun mentioned that imitation stopped in the regions with these four, and people closed the door to disagreement and its paths when the terminology in the sciences became more complex, and when it hindered it from reaching the level of ijtihad, and when it was feared that it would be attributed to it. To someone other than his family and someone whose opinion or religion cannot be trusted, so they declared their inability and need. Each imitator worked according to the doctrine of those whom he imitated after correcting the principles and connecting their chain of transmission to the narration, not merely quoting from books. Ibn Khaldun said: “ The claimant of ijtihad for this covenant is rejected and his tradition abandoned. Today, the people of Islam have begun to imitate these four imams .

The necessity of the Muslim community

The obligation of the group of Muslims to the group of Muslims is required in all circumstances, except that it is specifically specified in the case of separation, and the obligation of the group has the meaning of following and imitating the imams in the religion, and listening and obedience to those in charge, and the hadith came in the command to adhere to the group of Muslims in what they have agreed upon of the truth in general. Ibn Jarir al-Tabari believed that what was meant was: adherence to the group of Muslims if they gathered around a leader. He said: “Then he, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded adherence to him and forbade the separation of the nation regarding what they had gathered about, such as prioritizing them over them . ” Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani said : Al-Tabari said: There was a difference of opinion regarding this matter and regarding the group. Some people said: It is the greatest importance for obligation and congregation. Then he quoted on the authority of Muhammad bin Sirin, on the authority of Abu Masoud, that he advised anyone who asked him about the killing of Uthman: “You must adhere to the congregation, for God would not gather the nation of Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, upon misguidance .” Some people said: What is meant by the group is the Companions, not those after them, and some people said: What is meant by them is the people of knowledge, because God made them a proof of creation and the people followed them in the matter of religion. Al-Tabari said: The correct view is that what is meant by the report is the adherence of the group who are in obedience to the one who has gathered to appoint him, so whoever breaks his pledge of allegiance leaves the group. He said: And in the hadith, when the people do not have an imam and the people split into parties, he should not follow anyone in the division and everyone should isolate himself if he is able to do so for fear of Falling into evil, and on this is what is stated in all the hadiths, and it combines what appears to be different from them, and is supported by the aforementioned narration of Abd al-Rahman bin Qart.

In the hadith, when the people do not have an imam and the people separate into parties, he should not follow anyone in the division, and everyone should isolate himself if he is able to do so for fear of falling into evil, which is indicated by: “On the authority of Hudhayfah bin Al-Yaman, who said: The people used to ask the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, about good, and I used to ask him about evil . Fearing that he would overtake me, I said, O Messenger of God, we were in ignorance and evil, and God brought us this good. Is there any evil after this good? He said: Yes, I said: Is there any good after that evil? He said: “Yes, and it contains smoke.” I said, “What is his smoke?” He said: “A people who are guided by other than my guidance. You will recognize them and reject them.” I said: “Is there any evil after that good?” He said: “Yes, they are preachers at the gates of Hell. Whoever answers them to it, they will throw him into it.” I said: O Messenger of God, describe them for us. He said: “They are from our skin and speak with our tongues.” I said: So what do you order me to do if that happens to me? He said, “You adhere to the group of Muslims and their imam.” I said, “If they do not have a group or an imam,” he said, “Then withdraw from all of these groups, even if you bite the root of a tree until death overtakes you while you are in that state.”  The best path is the guidance of Islam, which is the path followed by the imams of the Companions and the Rightly-Guided Caliphs and those who followed them with righteousness in guidance, knowledge, work, and belief. Those who oppose this path are those who are described as being guided by other than the guidance of prophecy, and it came from the Sunnis and the community’s interpretation of the preachers at the gates of Hell that they are the ones who went out. In seeking kingship, like the Kharijites and others, for they strayed from the path of guidance, so he advised him not to follow those sects that split from the group of Muslims, and to adhere to the group and their imam, who is the caliph. The commitment of the group is due to the meeting on a caliph, and if their meeting agrees with what the imams of the Companions and the Rightly Guided Caliphs agreed upon, then the commitment of the group It means following them, imitating them, listening and obeying their leader, and if the caliph is disobedient or a sinner or one of the followers of sects that differ from what the Sunnis and the community are upon, as was the case in the Mu’tazila’s victory in the time of al-Ma’mun and his two brothers after him, then he should not follow them in the desires they introduced, and despite that, the Sunnis at that time did not They will go out against the Caliph, and what is meant by preachers at the gates of Hell is someone who rises up in demand of kingship from the Kharijites and others, and this is indicated by his saying: “Adhere to the group of Muslims and their imam.”Meaning, even if it is a neighbor, and this is explained by Abu Al-Aswad’s narration: “Even if he hits your back and takes your money.”. Meaning: “Adhere to the community of Muslims and their imam.”That is: the ruler. He added in Abu Al-Aswad’s narration: “You listen and obey, even if he hits your back and takes your money.”Likewise, in the narration of Khalid bin Subay’ according to Al-Tabarani: “If you see a caliph, adhere to him, and if he strikes your back, if there is no caliph, then run away.”. And he said: “Even if you bite the root of a tree…”It is a metaphor for adhering to the community of Muslims and obeying their rulers even if they disobey, and in the narration of Abd al-Rahman ibn Qart on the authority of Hudhayfah according to Ibn Majah: “It is better for you to die while you are disobedient than to follow any of them.”That is: Do not follow any of the people of desires who are outside the community of Muslims and their imam. The joy is when the jimm is broken and the sukun of the ma`jamah is followed by the lam of a stick that is erected for the camels to rub against. Al-Baydawi said: The meaning is that if there is no caliph on earth, then you must isolate yourself and be patient to bear the hardship of time, and biting the root of the tree is a metaphor for enduring hardship, as they say: So-and-so bites stones out of intense pain, or what is meant is imposition, as in his saying in the other hadith: “Bite on it with the prongs. ”. The first is supported by his statement in another hadith: “If you die biting a group of people, it is better for you than following one of them.”. Ibn Battal said: There is evidence for the group of jurists in the necessity of adhering to the group of Muslims and avoiding rebelling against the imams of injustice, because he described the latter group as: “ preachers at the gates of Hell.”He did not say about them: recognize and disavow, as he said about the first two, and they cannot be like that unless they are not right. However, he ordered adherence to the group.

Sharia texts indicate the necessity of listening and obeying those in charge. Because it contains the combination of the word and in the hadith: “ On the authority of Ibn Abbas, on the authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, who said: “Whoever dislikes something from his ruler, let him be patient, for whoever is removed from the authority by a span of time will die a death of ignorance .” And in a narration: “Let him be patient with him.” And his saying: “For he is one who departs from the authority,” meaning: from obedience to the authority, and in the second narration, “he who separates from the group,” and his saying “an inch” is a metaphor for disobeying the authority and fighting him. Ibn Abi Jamra said: What is meant by paradox is seeking to undo the pledge of allegiance that occurred to that prince, even if it is for the slightest thing, so denote it as the amount of an inch, because taking that would lead to unjust bloodshed. And in the other narration: “He died but died a death of pre-Islamic times,” and in a narration by Muslim: “So his death was a death of pre-Islamic times.” According to him, in the hadith of Ibn Umar, he attributed it to him: “Whoever removes his hand out of obedience will meet God and has no proof, and whoever dies without a pledge of allegiance on his neck dies a death of pre-Islamic times.” That is: the state of death is like the death of people of pre-Islamic times following misguidance and not having an obeyed imam. Because they did not know that, and what is meant is not that he dies as an infidel, but rather that he dies as a disobedient, and what is meant is rebuke and repulsion, and it appears that it is not intended. Ibn Battal said: There is evidence in the hadith for refraining from rebelling against the Sultan, even if he is a tyrant, and the jurists have unanimously agreed on the obligation of obeying the conquering Sultan and jihad with him, and that obeying him is better. From rebelling against him because of the shedding of blood and calming down the mobs.

The evidence for the necessity of congregation is many, including: what Al-Tirmidhi narrated : “ On the authority of Abdul Rahman bin Abdullah bin Masoud, narrating on the authority of his father, on the authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, who said: May God bless a man who heard my words, understood them, memorized them, and communicated them. Perhaps there are three things that carry jurisprudence to someone who is more knowledgeable than him, and the heart of a Muslim should not be deceived by them . Devoting one’s work to God, advising the imams of Muslims, and adhering to their group, for the call surrounds them .  Narrated by Al-Shafi’i and Al-Bayhaqi in the introduction.

On the authority of Ibn Abi Malika, he said: Asmaa said: “On the authority of the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, he said: ‘ I am at my basin waiting for someone to respond to me, then people are taken away from me, so I say, ‘My nation,’ and it is said, ‘You don’t know. Walk backwards.’”Ibn Abi Mulaika said: Oh God, we seek refuge in You from turning back on our heels or being tempted.

The majority of the Sunnis and the community agreed on the necessity of obeying those in charge because of the unification of the word of the Muslims, for disagreement is a reason for the corruption of their conditions in their religion and world. According to the Almighty’s saying: “ Obey God and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you ” [ An- Nisa : 59] Al-Nawawi said: “ The scholars said: What is meant by those in authority is those whom God has made obligatory to obey, among the governors and princes. This is the opinion of the majority of the predecessors and successors, among the commentators, jurists and others, and it was said: They are the scholars, and it was said: They are the scholars, and it was said that : The princes and scholars, and as for whoever said: The Companions in particular only, he made a mistake . 

Muslim narrated in his Sahih: “On the authority of Abu Hurairah, on the authority of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, he said: “Whoever obeys me has obeyed God, and whoever disobeys me has disobeyed God, and whoever obeys the prince has obeyed me, and whoever disobeys the prince has disobeyed me.”. Al-Nawawi said: “ Because God Almighty commanded obedience to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and he, may God bless him and grant him peace, commanded obedience to the prince, so obedience went hand in hand .”

And in a narration by Muslim: “On the authority of Abu Hurairah, he said: The Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said: ‘You must listen and obey in your hardship and ease, in what makes you happy and in what you dislike, and in what is preferable to you.’””.

Al-Nawawi said: “ The meaning of the hadith is: Do not dispute with the rulers regarding their authority, and do not object to them unless you see a definite reprehensible act on their part that you know is one of the principles of Islam. If you see that, then denounce it to them, and speak the truth wherever you are. As for revolting against them and fighting them, it is forbidden according to the consensus of the Muslims, even if they are Immoral and unjust .”  He said: The hadiths have demonstrated the meaning of what I mentioned, and the Sunnis have unanimously agreed that the Sultan is not isolated by immorality. As for the aspect mentioned in the books of jurisprudence of some of our companions that he is isolated, and it was also reported from the Mu’tazilites, then the one who said it was wrong and contradicts the consensus.

He also said: “ The scholars said: The reason for his not being isolated and forbidding rebellion against him is the strife, bloodshed, and corruption between people that would result from that, so the spoilage would be greater in his isolation than in his survival .”

“ The majority of Sunnis, including jurists, hadith scholars, and theologians, said: He should not be isolated due to immorality, injustice, and obstruction of rights, and he should not be removed from office, and it is not permissible to rebel against him for that, but rather he should be exhorted and intimidated; For the hadiths mentioned in that .

The question of the imamate

A drawing of the name of Imam Ali bin Abi Talib on one of the giant frescoes in Hagia Sophia .

The issue of the Imamate is one of the most important issues used by the groups that dissented from the Muslim group, and the first of them was the strife of the Kharijites who split from the Muslim group and announced their departure from Ali bin Abi Talib , saying there is no judgment except for God. Ali bin Abi Talib responded to them by saying: “The word of truth is intended.” What lies behind it is falsehood.” They were the first to innovate rebellion against the rulers, then the Shiite sects appeared who believed that the Imamate was one of the foundations of the religion, and that it was hereditary, despite their differences in determining who deserved it. The Sunnis and the community considered the imamate a matter of unanimous interest and not one of the principles of the faith. The imam is the one whom people emulate in his words and deeds. The imams of the Muslims are religious scholars and they are the heirs of the prophets in carrying knowledge and performing religious tasks towards the general public. These tasks differ according to the scholarly ranks and the powers assigned to them. The imams of the Muslims are: the caliphs and those below them among the people of states and religious scholars.  The basic principle of imamate is that it is the imamate of the religion among the diligent imams of all levels of ijtihad , and the religious scholars are subordinate to them, considering that the imams in the religion who bear the law are the heirs of the prophets in conveying the religion and explaining it to the people. It was said to Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq: O Caliph of God, and he said: “ No, but I am the successor of the Messenger of God , peace and blessings of God be upon him.” The selection of the caliphs in the beginning was on the basis that they would be imams in the religion, and the Rightly-Guided Caliphs were like that, and each one of them was a diligent imam, and the companions did not choose for the position of caliphate except a diligent imam from among the best and most knowledgeable of them in the religion, until He is able to rule according to God’s law with the knowledge of Sharia law that he has, and he will be a reference for judging people in the developments of matters that confuse them. Many of the imams of the Companions and the Successors and those after them, like the four imams and other religious figures, had a scientific mission, and they did not seek to obtain authority with their knowledge. They choose for the caliphate the best and most knowledgeable of them in the religion, and they commit themselves to obeying him, and they do not use their knowledge as a ladder to reach political positions and oppose and dispute the rulers.

Succession

Islamic Caliphate, 622-750

  Expansion of the Islamic state under the rule of the Prophet, 622-632

  Expansion under the Rightly Guided Caliphs, 632-661

  Expansion under the Umayyad Caliphate, 661-750

Ottoman Islamic Caliphate.

The caliphate or the great imamate is a general mandate, and the greatest imam who succeeds the prophethood is in charge of guarding the religion and the politics of the world, and then he stipulated in it what was stipulated in the judge and in addition.  The caliph is called an imam; Because the selection of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs was based on the fact that the Caliph should be a diligent imam with the highest possible level of knowledge in religion. People would follow him in knowledge and religion, submit to his rule, pray behind him, and be obliged to obey him. Al-Mawardi said : “The imamate is established to succeed the Prophethood in guarding the religion and the politics of the world.”  Saad al-Din al-Taftazani said in al-Maqasid: “ Imamate: it is general leadership in the affairs of religion and the world as a succession from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him . ”  The Imam of the Two Holy Mosques said: “Imamate is complete leadership and general leadership, relating to the elite and the public, in religious and worldly tasks. Its mission is to preserve the estate, take care of the flock, establish advocacy with argument and sword, stop fear and injustice, seek redress for the oppressed by the oppressors, collect rights from those who abstain, and fulfill them to those who deserve them. On the authority of Abu Hurairah, on the authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, who said: The Imam is only a shield behind which he is fought . And he is protected by it. If he commands to fear God Almighty and be just, he will have a reward for that, and if he commands something else, he will be rewarded for it . Al-Nawawi said : “His saying , peace and blessings be upon him: ‘The Imam is a shield’, meaning: like a veil; Because it prevents the enemy from harming Muslims, protects people from one another, protects the foundation of Islam, and people fear it and fear its power. The meaning of: “He fights from behind him,” meaning: he fights with him the infidels, transgressors, Khawarij, and all other people of corruption and injustice in general. The ta’ in “pious” is substituted from the waw. Because its origin is prevention.

Ibn Khaldun said: “ Then appointing an imam is a duty whose obligation is known in the Sharia by the consensus of the Companions and Followers. Because the companions of the Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, upon his death, hastened to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr May Allah be pleased with him and hand over their matters to him, and this was the case in every era after that, and the people did not leave chaos in any era, and this established a consensus indicating the necessity of appointing an Imam . He said: If it is determined that this assignment is obligatory by consensus, then it is a sufficient obligation and is due to the choice of the people of the contract and the solution, then it is obligatory for them to appoint it, and all of creation must obey it, according to the Almighty’s saying: “ Obey God and obey the Messenger and those in charge of authority among you ” [ An- Nisa : 59] .  Saad al-Din al-Taftazani mentioned the public’s evidence on the necessity of appointing a caliph in the text of al-Maqasid, saying: “ We have reasons: The first: consensus, which is the basis until they presented it for the burial of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him. The second: that what is required of establishing borders, closing the gaps, and other such things cannot be completed without it. It relates to preserving the system. Third: It brings benefits and wards off countless harms, and that is obligatory according to consensus. Fourth: It is obligatory to obey it and know the Qur’an and Sunnah, and it necessitates that it must be achieved by its status . He finished briefly with Al-Saad’s words. The necessity of appointing an imam is proven by the authentic hadiths mentioned in the commitment of the Muslim community and their imam, such as the hadith: “Whoever dies without a pledge of allegiance on his neck dies a death of pre-Islamic times.” .  “ On the authority of Hudhayfah bin Al-Yaman, peace and blessings be upon him, he said to him: “You must adhere to the group of Muslims and their imam.”.

The consensus on the appointment of the Caliph is sufficient evidence, and accordingly the state of the nation has stabilized throughout Islamic history, and the Ottoman Caliphate was the last state of the Islamic Caliphate.

Provisions of succession

The Great Mosque of Banu Umayyad in Damascus , one of the most prominent examples of Umayyad architecture.

The Sunnis and the community, both predecessors and successors, and the majority of other sects, unanimously agreed that the appointment of the Imam, i.e. his appointment as ruler of the nation, is a duty for Muslims according to Islamic law, not just reason. Because the ruler is commanded to perform religious duties, just as the subjects are commanded religiously to obey the ruler. The majority of Sunnis and the community agreed that the ruling on appointing a caliph or ruler is a legal duty. To protect the interests of the people, and the statements of the Kharijites and those who agreed with them otherwise cannot oppose the consensus. The legal evidence has unanimously confirmed the obligation of obeying those in charge, based on the texts of the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and consensus. God Almighty said: “ Obey God and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. Then if you dispute over anything, refer it to God and the Messenger. ” ( An- Nisa : 59) , and in the hadith: “You must listen and obey,” meaning For the rulers of affairs, Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari said: “They agreed to listen and obey the imams of the Muslims, and that everyone who took charge of any of their affairs, willingly or by force, and whose obedience extends, whether righteous or immoral, is not obligated to revolt against them with the sword, whether righteous or just, and that they must fight with them the enemy and perform Hajj with them to the House, and the House must be defended.” They are given alms if they ask for them, and the Friday and Eid prayers are performed behind them.” 

Methods of convening the Imamate and installing rulers

The Imamate is concluded in one of the ways, one of which is: through the pledge of allegiance, that is: the pledge of allegiance to the scholars, leaders, and prominent figures of people whose meeting is possible in the case of the pledge of allegiance without customary cost. As for the pledge of allegiance to non-people of the solution and contract among the common people, it does not matter, and the second is: by appointing the imam as successor, one after him, or by appointing a chosen number as successors. The people of solution and contract are one of them. Al-Nawawi said: “The imamate is established by the pledge of allegiance, and the most correct is the pledge of allegiance of the people of solution and contract, among the scholars, leaders, and prominent people whom it is possible to meet, and by appointing the imam as successor. If the matter is made by consultation among a group, then it is considered as succession, and they agree to one of them, and with the control of the one who fulfills the conditions, as well as a sinner and an ignorant person, in the most correct way.” .

Imam’s conditions

The scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah have mentioned several conditions regarding whoever assumes the position of caliphate, some of which are agreed upon and some of which are disputed. These conditions are in the beginning, that is: at the beginning of the installation of the caliph. As for the continuity, there is detail. Al-Nawawi said: “The condition for the imam is that he is a Muslim, obligated, free, and male . ” A hard-working, courageous Qurayshi with an opinion, hearing, sight, speech, and justice .” The condition for the imam is that he is a Muslim in order to take into account the interests of Islam and its people, and this is in agreement with the majority of the Sunnis and the community. As for whoever is a non-Muslim, such as a Jew, a Christian, or someone else, he does not have guardianship over the Muslims, and he is accountable; Because someone else is his guardian, so he does not have the authority to command anyone else, and he must be free. Because the one who has slavery is not to be feared, and if he is a male, the woman does not have guardianship according to consensus. Because of her weakness and her lack of interaction with men, and in the hadith: “A people who appoint a woman as their leader will not succeed.”And to be a Quraysh; In the hadith: “The imams are from Quraysh.”It is not required that he be a Hashemite or an Alawite; Because the three caliphs were not like that, and they were Quraysh, and the Companions agreed on their succession. And that he should be a diligent person like a judge and more deserving, in fact, consensus was mentioned about him, and the Companions would not choose for the caliphate except a diligent imam from among the most knowledgeable and best among them in religion. If there were no diligent scholars or he was appointed as a successor and the matter was completed for him and he was not a diligent person, as is the case with some after the Rightly Guided Caliphs; It is obligatory to obey him, as he delegates matters of religion to the scholars in cases where he lacks diligence, and he must be brave to invade himself, deal with the armies, and be able to conquer the country and protect the country, and he considers his safety to be free from a deficiency that prevents complete movement and rapid advancement, just as he entered into courage, and he must have an opinion to guide the subjects and manage their religious and worldly interests. He said. Al-Harawi: The minimum is that he should know the fate of people, that he should have hearing, even if it is weak, and that he should have weak sight, even if it is weak to the point that it does not prevent him from distinguishing between people, or that he is one-eyed or blind, and that he should be a speaker whose speech is understood, even if he has lost taste and smell, so that matters can be resolved from him, and that he should be just. He was forced to appoint a sinner to be a guardian, and that is why Ibn Abd al-Salam said: If justice among the imams was not possible, we would give priority to the least immoral of them. Al-Adhra’i said, and he was appointed; There is no way to make people into chaos. If justice is not possible among the people of Qatar, the least immoral of them will prevail.

Ibn Khaldun said: As for the conditions for this position, they are four: knowledge, justice, competence, and the integrity of the senses and organs, which influences opinion and action. There was disagreement about a fifth condition, which is Qurayshi lineage.

Al-Qurtubi mentioned that the conditions for imamate are eleven,  Ibn Abidin said: The scholar Al-Biri mentioned at the end of his explanation of the ashbah that among the conditions for imamate are: that he be just, mature, trustworthy, pious, male, trustworthy in blood, livestock, and wealth, ascetic, humble, and compliant. In place of politics.

Schools of Jurisprudence

See also: Jurists of the Companions , Jurists of the Successors , Islamic jurisprudence , and the principles of jurisprudence

the date

An old view of Medina.

A picture of Mecca

In Islamic heritage books, such as Tabaqat al-Fuqaha’ by al-Shirazi , written in the fifth century AH, the author considers most of the Companions to be jurists by definition,  and al-Shirazi makes the Rightly Guided Caliphs and Aisha from the class of “ jurists of the Companions , ” and includes to them those who were appointed to give fatwa, or to teach jurisprudence, or He was sent to judge or rule during the time of the Messenger or among the Caliphs and Companions, and to cite for them the Messenger and the Companions and their sayings about each other. It mentions Abdullah bin Masoud , who was sent by Omar bin Al-Khattab to Kufa in Iraq as a judge and minister, and Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari , who was sent by the Prophet to teach the people of Yemen the Qur’an, and Omar put him in charge of Basra, and Ubayy bin Ka’b , about whom it was said “the most read of Muslims” and “the master of the people of Medina,” and Muadh bin Jabal , who It was said that the Companions used to approach him when they were faced with something and ask him, as well as Zaid ibn Thabit, about whom it was said that he was the most knowledgeable of Muslims regarding religious obligations, and Abu Darda , who advised Muadh ibn Jabal to seek knowledge from him.

Al-Shirazi classifies another class of Companion jurists and calls them the “jurisprudence of the Companions.” The jurisprudence of these people is divided into another class of Companions, and the most famous of them were the four Abdillahs (for their names beginning with “Abdullah”), and they are: Abdullah bin Al-Abbas, Abdullah bin Omar bin Al-Khattab, and Abdullah bin Al-Zubayr bin Al – Awwam . And Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-Aas , and the jurisprudence of the Abadla was passed on to the jurists of the Successors. Then Al-Shirazi classifies a class of jurists that he calls “ the jurists of the Successors ” and their followers, and they established the doctrines of Islamic jurisprudence , and everyone who came after them was a burden on them in taking from them, and the second and third centuries of the Prophet’s migration are considered as The golden age for formulating jurisprudential doctrines and codifying their principles and rules. After the death of the Abadlis, the jurisprudence of the Companions had passed to the followers in all countries,  and among the most famous of them, according to countries, were: the jurist of Mecca Ata’ , the jurist of Medina Saeed bin Al-Musayyab , the jurist of Yemen Taus , the jurist of Al-Yamamah Yahya bin Abi Katheer , and the jurist Al- Hasan of Basra , the jurist of Kufa Ibrahim Al-Nakha’i, the jurist of Syria Makhoul , and the jurist of Khorasan Ata Al-Khorasani .

The schools of jurisprudence of the Sunnis and the community were established by the jurists of the Companions who spread in various countries, and then their followers. Among them were the diligent imams, and all the jurists were narrators of the hadith. The school of jurisprudence of the people of the Hijaz in Medina became famous, and one of its notables was Zaid bin Thabit, and the most famous of those who took Ten of the city’s jurists were named from him: Saeed bin Al-Musayyab , Abu Salamah bin Abdul Rahman , Ubaid Allah bin Abdullah bin Utbah bin Masoud, Urwa bin Al-Zubayr, Abu Bakr bin Abdul Rahman, Kharga bin Zaid , Suleiman bin Yasar, Aban bin Othman, Qubaisa bin Dhu’ayb , and Al-Qasim bin Muhammad . The most famous person who took it from them is Muhammad bin Muslim Al-Zuhri, and from him he took Imam Malik bin Anas .

And the Hijaz School in Mecca, where the doctrine of Ibn Abbas was famous. Among his most famous students were the jurists: Ikrimah , Ata’ , Tawoos , and Saeed bin Jubayr . Then jurisprudence moved to a second class, including: Ibn Jurayj , then jurisprudence moved to a third class, including: Muslim bin Khaled Al-Zanji, from whom Al-Shafi’i took jurisprudence. Then jurisprudence moved to another class, from which it became famous: Muhammad bin Idris Al-Shafi’i, the founder of the Shafi’i school of thought .

Among the first class of Companions jurists in Yemen, he became famous: Ali bin Abi Talib , Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari , and Muadh bin Jabal , then the Tabi’een jurists in Yemen, among whom were famous: Tawus bin Kaysan Al-Yamani, Ata bin Markbouth ,  and Abu Al-Ash’ath Sharahil . Bin Sharhabeel Al-San’ani,  Hanash bin Abdullah Al-San’ani , and Wahb bin Munabbih .

Among the Tabi’in jurists in the Levant and the Peninsula were famous : Abu Idris Al-Khawlani and Shahr bin Hawshab Al-Ash’ari. Then jurisprudence moved to a second class, including: Abdullah bin Abi Zakaria , and Hani bin Kulthum .  Raja bin Haywa and Makhoul Al-Shami ,  Among them was Abu Ayyub Suleiman bin Musa Abu Al-Rabi’ Al-Ashdak,  Then the fatwa was transmitted in the Levant to: Al- Awza’i and Saeed bin Abdul Aziz Al-Tanukhi , and among them: Yazid bin Yazid bin Jaber , and Abd al-Rahman bin Yazid bin Jaber ,  Abu al-Hudhayl ​​Muhammad bin al-Walid bin Amer al-Zubaidi, and Yahya bin Yahya al-Ghassani , who was the mufti of the people of Damascus. The fatwas in the Levant were based on the doctrine of Al-Awza’i and Saeed bin Abdul Aziz . Among the Tabi’in jurists on the island: Maymun bin Mahran .

Among the Tabi’een jurists in Egypt, the most famous were: Al – Sanabihi and Al-Jishani , who were among the companions of Omar .  Then he moved to another class,  Among them: Abu al-Khair Marthad bin Abdullah al-Yazani ,  the judge of Alexandria , from whom Abu Raja Yazid bin Abi Habib learned . Among those to whom jurisprudence was transmitted were: Bukair bin Abdullah bin Al-Ashjaj and Abu Umayyah Amr bin Al-Harith , and then the knowledge of these people ended up with Abu Al-Harith Al-Layth bin Saad bin Abdul Rahman, the founder of a school of jurisprudence.

Jurists of Iraq and other countries

The Great Imam Mosque in Baghdad in 1960 AD

Mihrab of the Kufa Mosque

Kufa School in Iraq: It was famous for the jurisprudence of Ibn Masoud .  The jurists of Iraq and others took from him, and among the most famous followers who took his doctrine were: Alqamah bin Qays , Al-Aswad bin Yazid , Masruq bin Al-Ajda’ , Ubaidah bin Amr Al-Salmani , Shurayh Al-Qadi, and Al-Harith Al-Hamdani ,  and these six mentioned are the companions of Abd. Allah bin Masoud , including Amr bin Sharhabeel Al-Hamdani and others.  Then jurisprudence passed to another class of them: Al-Sha’bi , Saeed bin Jubair , and Ibrahim Al-Nakha’i , then jurisprudence passed after that to another class of them: Al-Hakam bin Utaiba ,  and Hammad bin Abi Suleiman taught jurisprudence with Ibrahim Al-Nakha’i, and Abu Hanifa took About jurisprudence. Habib bin Abi Thabit , Al-Harith bin Yazid Al-Akli ,  Al-Mughirah bin Muqasim Al-Dhabi , Abu Ma’shar Ziyad bin Kulayb bin Tamim Al-Hanthali,  Al-Qaqa’ bin Yazid, Al- A’mash , and Mansur bin Al-Mu’tamir , they took knowledge from Al -Sha’bi and Al-Nakha’i ,  and Ibn Shubramah. And Ibn Abi Laila, then he obtained jurisprudence and fatwas in: Sufyan Al-Thawri ,  the founder of a school of jurisprudence, among them: Al-Hasan bin Saleh bin Hayy bin Muslim bin Hayyan Al-Hamdani, Sharik bin Abdullah bin Abi Sharik Al-Nakha’i , and Abu Hanifa Al-Numan , the founder of the Hanafi school of thought .

Famous among the Tabi’in jurists in Basra were: Al-Hasan Al-Basri , Jabir bin Zaid Al-Azdi, Muhammad bin Sirin , Rafi’ bin Mahran , Hamid bin Abdul Rahman Al- Himyari , Muslim bin Yasar ,  Abu Qilabah , and others.

In the era of the earlier imams who were the owners of the schools of jurisprudence after Abu Hanifa, Malik and Al-Shafi’i, the jurists of Baghdad became famous, the most famous of whom were: Abu Abdullah Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hanbal bin Hilal Al-Shaybani,  He was one of the narrators of the Shafi’i school of thought, then he became independent by establishing another school of thought, which is considered the fourth school of thought. Major jurisprudence. Abu Thawr Ibrahim bin Khalid bin Abi Al-Yaman Al-Kalbi, who is one of the narrators of the Shafi’i school of thought, with the status of an absolute and affiliated mujtahid . And Abu Ubaid Al-Qasim bin Salam Al-Baghdadi. And Abu Suleiman Daoud bin Ali bin Khalaf Al-Isfahani .  Abu Jaafar Muhammad bin Jarir bin Yazid al-Tabari , one of the narrators of the Shafi’i school of thought as an absolute and affiliated mujtahid .

The most famous jurists of Khorasan: Ata bin Abi Muslim Al-Khorasani . And Abu Al-Qasim Al-Dahhak bin Muzahim Al-Hilali. And Abu Abdul Rahman Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak Al-Maruzi. And Abu Yaqoub Ishaq bin Ibrahim bin Mukhlid Al-Hanzali Al-Maruzi, known as Ibn Rahawayh .

After the spread of Islam in Africa, then Andalusia and Morocco,  Hijaz was closer to them than others, as Medina was famous for the jurisprudence of Imam Malik bin Anas, and most of the jurists in that country followed the jurisprudence of Malik, and after the codification of the jurisprudential schools of thought, Malik’s doctrine spread in Morocco and Andalusia .

Doctrinal schools of thought

A map showing the spread of Islamic sects around the world.

The jurisprudential schools of thought that became known as the schools of thought of the Sunnis and the community are the summary of the jurisprudence of the Companions, the Successors, and their followers. At the beginning of the history of the emergence of these schools of thought, there were two famous methods, one of which was: the method of the people of opinion and analogy, which is the method of the people of Iraq, and their imam Abu Hanifa and his companions after him, and the second: the method of the people of hadith, which is The way of the people of Hijaz, and their imam is Malik bin Anas . He was known as the Imam of Dar al-Hijrah. His jurisprudence was specialized in the work of the people of Medina, considering that they were followers of those before them as a necessity for their religion and their imitation.  Then after Malik bin Anas , Muhammad bin Idris Al-Shafi’i , he learned the jurisprudence of the people of Hijaz, then he moved to Iraq after Malik and took from the companions of Abu Hanifa and combined the way of the people of Hijaz with the way of the people of Iraq, and after them came Ahmad bin Hanbal and he was from Ulayya. The hadith scholars, and he took from Al-Shafi’i and narrated his doctrine from him, then he adopted another doctrine.  Ibn Khaldun mentions in his history : The famous schools of thought in advanced times were three: the doctrine of the people of opinion and analogy and their most famous imam Abu Hanifa and his companions after him, the doctrine of the people of hadith and their imams Malik and then al-Shafi’i, and the doctrine of Dawud al-Zahiri. The imam of this sect was Daoud Ibn Ali, his son, and their companions, and these three sects were the sects of the majority that were well-known among the nation.  The doctrine of Dhahiri became extinct and declined in later times, and all that remained of it were drawings in books, by transferring knowledge from books without the key of teachers, which may lead to dissent from the public. Ibn Khaldun said : “Then he studied the doctrine of the people of al-Zahir today with the lessons of his imams and the public’s denial of his plagiarists, and it remained only in bound books.”

The work of these four schools of thought was established, and imitation in the countries stopped with these four, and the imitators studied those other than them, and the people closed the door to disagreement and its methods when the terminology in the sciences became very diverse, and when it hindered people from reaching the level of ijtihad, and when they feared that this would be attributed to people other than those who are qualified and those whose opinion or opinion cannot be trusted. With his religion, they declared their inability and want, and they returned the people to imitating these people, each of the imitators who were specific to him, and they prohibited their imitation from being circulated due to the manipulation involved in it, and all that remained was the transmission of their doctrines, and each imitator acting according to the doctrine of those whom he imitated after correcting the principles and connecting its chain of transmission to the narration, not just transmission. From books. Ibn Khaldun said: “The claimant of ijtihad for this covenant has been rejected and his tradition abandoned, and the people of Islam today have begun to imitate these four imams.”  As for Ahmad ibn Hanbal, his doctrine was established in Baghdad , and most of his followers were in the Levant and Iraq , from Baghdad and its environs, and they were the people who memorized the Sunnah and the narration of hadith the most. Malik’s doctrine spread in Andalusia and Morocco, and Abu Hanifa’s doctrine spread in Iraq, Muslim India, China, Transoxiana, and Persian countries. The Hanafi books, their debates, and discussions with the Shafi’is were many, and they brought from them exceptional knowledge and strange views, while they were in the hands of people and in the West, a little of them was transmitted to him by Al-Qadi Ibn Al-Arabi and Abu Al-Walid Al-Baji in their journeys.  As for Al-Shafi’i, his imitators were more in Egypt than elsewhere, and his doctrine spread in Iraq, Khorasan, and beyond the river, and they shared the Hanafi school of thought in fatwas and teaching in all countries. The debate sessions between them were great, and their books were filled with the types of their reasoning. Then he studied all of that with the lessons of the East and its regions, and the Imam was Muhammad bin Idris Al-Shafi’i when it was revealed . Over the Banu Abd al-Hakam in Egypt, a group of Banu Abd al-Hakam, Ashhab , Ibn al-Qasim , Ibn al-Mawaz and others were taken from him, then al-Harith bin Miskin and his sons. Then the jurisprudence of the Sunnis became extinct in Egypt with the emergence of the Rafidah state, and the Ismaili jurisprudence was circulated in it, and everyone else vanished until the Ubaidite state of the Rafidites disappeared at the hands of Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, and the jurisprudence of al-Shafi’i and his companions from the people of Iraq and the Levant returned to them, so he returned to the best it had been, and his market perished, and among them Muhyi al-Din al-Nawawi became famous under the Ayyubid state in the Levant , and Izz al -Din ibn Abd al-Salam as well, then Ibn al-Rif’ah in Egypt, Taqi al-Din Ibn Daqiq al-Eid , then Taqi al-Din . Al-Subki followed them until it reached the Sheikh of Islam in Egypt for that era, who was Siraj al-Din al-Balqini. At that time, he was the greatest Shafi’i scholar in Egypt, the greatest scholar, or even the greatest scholar among the people of the era.

The four schools of thought according to the date of appearance are:

The Hanafi school of thought , named after Abu Hanifa al-Numan .

The Maliki school of thought , named after Malik bin Anas .

The Shafi’i school of thought , named after Al-Shafi’i .

The Hanbali school of thought , named after Ahmad ibn Hanbal .

Other schools of jurisprudence:

The doctrine of Hasan Al-Basri .

The apparent doctrine .

Al-Awza’i doctrine .

The doctrine of Al-Layth bin Saad .

The revolutionary doctrine of Sufyan .

Science of controversies

The imams of the schools of jurisprudence agreed in the principles of the general legal rulings and the principles of religion (creed), but the difference occurred in the branches of jurisprudence . There is no difference in belief between them . The disagreement did not occur between the imams of the ancestors in matters of belief (the principles of religion). Rather, their disagreement occurred in secondary rulings, either due to the lack of clear evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah , or a weak hadith such that it cannot be supported by evidence, or other reasons. With the spread and expansion of Islam and its exposure to many new issues that have no text from the Qur’an and Sunnah to indicate them regarding them, there was an urgent need to come up with interpretations for these new jurisprudential issues and meet the needs of the people and answer their questions. Hence, a group of religious jurisprudence scholars emerged who taught people in every region the affairs of Islam. Their religion and their world. The geographical expansion of Islam and the diversity of the environments in which it spread, as well as the ability of many Islamic legal texts to be based on ijtihad according to circumstances and situations, all of this led to the emergence of schools of jurisprudence that spread in various Islamic countries. The evidence of jurisprudence according to the Sunnis and the community is either auditory, which is: the Qur’an , Sunnah , and consensus , or rational, which is: analogy , in addition to other methods of reasoning mentioned in the books of the principles of jurisprudence .

As it was established, there is no difference between the imams in the generalities of Sharia law, nor in the branches of religion that have been agreed upon, such as: the obligation of prayer, zakat, and other things that are necessarily known from the religion. Rather, the difference occurred in the branches of jurisprudence that are the subject of ijtihad, and the weighting or determination of the ruling in the issue is according to the diligent scholar . The principles and rules of his doctrine on which he bases his reasoning. Since the four schools of thought are the ones that the majority of Sunnis and the community have settled upon; The fruit of the disagreement appeared in the emergence of the science of disputes, in which the Hanafis and Shafi’is wrote more than the Malikis. Ibn Khaldun mentioned it and then said about it: “For my life, it is a science of great benefit in knowing the opinions of the imams and their evidence and the practice of those who read it in drawing evidence from it, and the Hanafi and Shafi’is writings in it are more Written by Al-Malikiyya; Because analogy according to the Hanafis is the basis for many branches of their doctrine, as I have known, they are therefore people of theory and research, and as for the Malikis, the majority of scholars rely on them, and they are not people of theory.

Doctrine of the Sunnis and the community

The doctrine of the Sunnis and the community is the agreed upon foundations of the Islamic religion, based on the fact that Islam is the religion of God that He has chosen for all of His creation. The Almighty said: “Then We revealed to you that you should follow the religion of Abraham” [An-Nahl: 123]. And God Almighty said: “The religion of your father Abraham . ” And He called you Muslims “Before. ” [ Al-Hajj : 78] . The Sunnis and the community agree on the principles of belief represented in the monotheism of God, belief in Him, and worshiping Him alone with no partner, belief in everything that the Messenger brought from God, and belief in God, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and destiny, its good and its evil. Faith is belief in everything that is known to be essential from religion, and belief in God is knowledge and firm certainty that God alone is the God of the entire universe, and He is the God who is truly worshiped, there is no god other than Him, and worship is only to Him alone, with no partner, no similarity, no equal, no equal, no companion, no one. He was born, and sight does not perceive Him, and He perceives sight, and He is the Kind and All-Aware, and that He is the Lord of the Worlds and the Creator of all creation, and their Owner and Master of all their affairs, and that He is characterized by all the attributes of absolute perfection, and He is above all imperfection, and that He created creation and created all creatures from nothing, and everything else is lacking in Him. He is independent of anyone else. He admits whomever He wills into His mercy. He forgives whomever He wills by His grace and punishes whomever He wills with His justice. He is not asked about what he does and they are asked. He knows all things, apparent and hidden, whether they are hidden or subtle. He knows what is subtler and hidden, and He knows the secret and hidden. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, the Kind, the All-Aware. All creatures are subdued by His greatness, and that He is the Creator, the restorer, the life-giving, the deadly, the beneficial and the harmful. He has the most beautiful names and sublime attributes. Faith in God – “linked to the letter B” – is belief in the heart and acknowledgment, and faith in God – “linked to the L” – is good deeds. And belief in the messengers, the angels, and everything that is due to them. Belief in the Last Day and in destiny, its good and evil, and belief in the unseen, that is: in what is hidden from the eyes, as indicated by the legal texts, such as belief in Paradise and Hell, resurrection, resurrection, reward, reckoning, the path, the balance, and so on.  

Religion basics

The foundations of the religion or the foundations of the Islamic belief among the Sunnis and the community are all transmitted by reception from the imams of the righteous predecessors from the Companions and Followers, and all of them agreed, before and after them, on a single saying regarding the foundations of belief, and whatever disagreement occurred between them is a verbal or formal disagreement that does not require infidelity, innovation, or immorality of some of them. Some, and these principles are established in the books of their imams, it is reliable to adopt them, and it is sufficient to know them in an easy way without interfering with what God and His Messenger have forbidden from delving into. He explained the levels of religion in the hadith of Gabriel , which are Islam, faith, and charity. In language, faith is belief, and what is meant by it is acknowledgment and belief in God and His Messenger and in everything in which one must believe that it is part of the religion of Islam, and in the Qur’an: “The Bedouins said, ‘We have believed.’ Say, ‘You have not believed, but say, ‘We have submitted.’” The verse ( Al -Hujurat : 14) was revealed about a delegation that acknowledged Islam outwardly and knowingly. God is what is in their hearts, so He informed His Prophet of that, and the ruling on them was achieved through revelation. Faith in God is ratification and acknowledgment in the heart, and it is with the knowledge of God who is aware of the truths of hearts. God has called prayer faith; Because good deeds are part of faith for God in the sense of believing what is in the heart by action, so faith is speech and deed,  and the Sunnis and the community are unanimously agreed that faith increases by acts of obedience and decreases by acts of disobedience, and that the believer in God is not excluded from it by any act of disobedience, in contrast to the Kharijites and those who agree with them; Because the disobedient are not excluded from the letter of assignment, nor are they expelled from the religion due to sins, and it is not guaranteed that any of the disobedient people of the Qiblah will enter Hell, nor is it guaranteed that any of the obedient people will enter Paradise, except for someone who is proven by a clear and definitive text from the Qur’an or Sunnah. The Sunnis and the community are unanimously agreed that God Almighty has been described with everything He described Himself with and His Prophet described Him with, without objection or conditioning it, and that belief in Him is obligatory and abandoning conditioning for Him is necessary, and that He Almighty has no need of anything of what He has created, and that He Almighty guides whomever He wills astray. He punishes whomever He wants, bestows blessings on whomever He wants, honors whomever He wants, forgives whomever He wants, enriches whomever He wants, gives dominion to whomever He wants, and takes away dominion from whomever He wants, and that He is not asked in any of that what he does, and that He does what He wants as He wants, and He gives to whomever He wants what He wants. An objection to it is as he said: “ This is the bounty of God. He gives it to whomsoever He wills ” [ Al-Ma’idah : 54] and he said: “ My torment inflicts upon whomever I will. ” [ Al- A’raf : 156] He does not ask what he does and they are asked, and all of creation must be satisfied with the rulings of God which He has commanded them to be satisfied with. In all of this, submitting to His command, being patient with His decrees, and ending up obeying Him in what He calls them to do or not do, and that He is characterized by justice in all of His actions and rulings, whether that is bad or not, it benefits us or harms us. They unanimously agreed that God is the Creator of all events alone, and there is no creator of any of them except Him. He gives to whomever He wills, grants success to whomever He wills, guides whomever He wills, and misleads whomever He wills. He is the Most Benevolent and Most Gracious to His servants, and that no one of creation has any objection to God Almighty in any of His plan, and that whoever objects In his actions, he followed the opinion of Satan in that matter when he refrained from prostrating to Adam, peace be upon him, and claimed that this was a corruption of his plan and a departure from wisdom when he said, “I am better than him. You created me from fire, and you created him from clay.”   76﴾  [ p . 76] .

The Sunnis and the community are unanimously agreed that the servants have keepers who write down their deeds, and that God Almighty predestined all the deeds of creation, their deadlines, and their livelihoods before creating them, and recorded in the Preserved Tablet all that is to come from them until the day they are resurrected. This is indicated by His saying: “And everything they did, they did in the Book . ”52Everything, big and small, is underlined53(  Al -Qamar : 52-53) . And that the torment of the grave is real, and that Paradise is real, and that Hell is real, and that God raises those in the graves, and that the trumpet will be blown before the Day of Resurrection, and whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on earth will be struck by shock, except whom God wills, and then another blow will be blown into it, and they are standing and watching, and that God Almighty He will return them as He began them, and that God Almighty will set up scales to weigh the deeds of His servants, and that creation will be given on the Day of Resurrection with scrolls containing their deeds. Whoever is given his book in his right hand will be given an easy reckoning, and whoever is given his book in his left – those will pray in the Blazing Fire, and on the path, the intercession, and the basin, and that God Almighty will emerge from the Fire from There is some faith in his heart after taking revenge on him. They unanimously agreed that it is obligatory for them to enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong with their hands and with their tongues if they are able to do so, otherwise with their hearts. Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ashari said: “They unanimously agreed to listen and obey the imams of the Muslims, and that everyone who took charge of any of their affairs willingly or overpowering and whose obedience extends, whether righteous or immoral, is not obligated to revolt against them with the sword, whether righteous or just, and that they must fight with the enemy and perform Hajj with them to the House, and alms should be given to them if they ask for them.” The Friday and Eid prayers are performed behind them.

The virtue of the Companions

The majority of the Sunnis and the community agreed that the best of generations is the century of the Companions, then those who come after them, as indicated by the hadith: “The best of you is my generation,” and that the best of the Companions are the four Imams, the Caliphs, the first of whom were: Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, then Omar ibn al-Khattab , then Uthman ibn Affan , then Ali ibn Abi Talib . Then the rest of the ten who were promised Paradise, then the people of Badr, and that the choice after the ten among the people of Badr were the Muhajireen and Ansar according to the degree of migration and precedence in Islam, and that everyone who believed in God and His Messenger and had companionship, even if for an hour, or met with the Messenger of God, or saw him even once, despite his belief in him. And what he called for is better than the followers. And that the Imamate of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs was based on the consent of their group, and that God conditioned their hearts to that because He wanted to appoint them all as successors, saying: “God has promised those of you who have believed and done righteous deeds that He will appoint them as successors in the land, just as He appointed them as successors.” before them, and to establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them. (Surah An- Nur : 55 ) They unanimously agreed to refrain from mentioning the Companions, peace be upon them, except for the best of what they are remembered for, and that they are more deserving of having their virtues published and the best ways out of their actions sought, and to have the best opinion of them and the best of doctrines, complying in this with the words of the Messenger of God: “If my companions are mentioned, then they abstain.” The people of knowledge said the meaning of that: do not mention them. Except for the goodness of remembrance, and his saying: “Do not harm me regarding my companions, for by the One in whose hand is my soul, if one of you spent the equivalent of Uhud in gold, it would not amount to one mudd or half of it.” And for what God Almighty praised them with, saying: “Muhammad is the Messenger of God, and those with him are hard against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves. You see them.” They kneeled, prostrating , striving As a blessing from God and His pleasure, He has marked them on their faces as a result of prostration. That is their likeness in the Torah, and their likeness in the Gospel. ( Al- Fath : 29) …the verse. They agreed that what was among them was Worldly matters do not forfeit their rights, just as what was among the children of Jacob the Prophet, peace be upon him, is not forfeited Of their rights, and it is not permissible for anyone to deviate from the sayings of the predecessors regarding what they agreed upon and what they differed about or in its interpretation, because the truth is not permissible to deviate from their sayings. They agreed to advise the Muslims, to support their group, to befriend God, to pray for the imams of the Muslims, to disavow anyone who slandered any of the companions of the Messenger of God, his household, and his wives, to refrain from mingling with them, and to disavow them. These are the principles that the ancestors followed and followed the rulings of the Qur’an and Sunnah, and the righteous successors imitated them in their virtues.  

The concept of mediocrity

The concept of moderation in Islam is neither excess nor negligence, but rather a middle ground between that, with consistency and a valuable religion in which there is no exaggeration or negligence. Exaggeration in religion by exceeding the limit in it is forbidden in the Islamic religion, and moderation in it is a religious requirement that is not specific to one group of Muslims and not another, and it came from imams. Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah and their scholars consider mediation in religion to be a general religious approach regardless of the different paths of belief, practicality and morality, and they consider exaggeration or negligence in the foundations of belief to be characteristic of misguided sects such as the Khawarij and those who follow them. They mentioned in their description what al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih in the hadith with the wording: “One of you is despised. ” His prayer is with their prayer..the talk.  This is because they exaggerated in worship to the point that they described negligent and disobedient people as disbelievers, and this is contrary to the moderation of Islam. On the other hand, they exaggerated in saying that disobedience is disbelief, and they exaggerated in interpreting the warning verses to the point that they disbelieved everyone who commits a sin and said that the sinner will remain in Hell forever. In doing so, they prevented God’s mercy from people, and one of the foundations of the belief of the Sunnis and the community is that they do not declare any of the people of the Qiblah a disbeliever for a sin he commits, and that the afterlife reward is God’s will, and created beings have no business deciding that.

Examples of extremism in religion are what was mentioned in the Qur’an when Christians described Jesus, son of Mary, with the attributes of divinity. God Almighty said: “ And whoever venerates the rituals of God, they are from the piety of hearts.”32(  [ Al-Hajj : 32] The prophets, scholars, and righteous people have status and respect, and they are more deserving of glorification. What is forbidden in Islam is only flattery, meaning: exaggerating in glorifying a creature and describing it as something it does not deserve. Divinity belongs to God alone, with no partner.

The Qur’an confirms that God made the Muhammadan nation a moderate nation in His Almighty’s saying: “ And thus We have made you a moderate nation ” [ Al-Baqarah : 143] meaning: just and just choices,  meaning: We have made you below the prophets and above the nations. And the middle: justice, and the basis of this is that I praise things in the middle. Al-Tirmidhi narrated: “On the authority of Abu Saeed Al-Khudri, on the authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, in the Almighty’s saying: “ And thus We have made you a moderate nation ” [ Al-Baqarah : 143] He said: Just.  . This is a good talk properly said. And in the revelation : “ The middle of them said ” [ Al-Qalam : 28] , meaning: the most just and the best of them. 

Zuhair said:

They are among people who are satisfied with their rule                               If you stay one night at most…

Another said:

You are the middle class in the neighborhood                     In a small matter or a major matter

Another said:

Don’t go overboard with things

Don’t ask if you ask too much

And be among all people in the middle

The middle of the valley: the best place with the most grass and water. Since the middle distance is free from exaggeration and negligence, it is praiseworthy, that is, this nation did not exaggerate the exaggeration of the Christians in their prophets, nor did they neglect the negligence of the Jews in their prophets. In the hadith: “The best things are the middle ones.”In it, on the authority of Ali, may God be pleased with him: “Adhere to the middle type, for to it the high descends, and to it the descending rises.”

Al-Shatibi said about the meaning of the words of God Almighty: “ And this is My path, straight, so follow it and do not follow other paths, for lest He divert you from His path. This He has enjoined upon you that you may become righteous.”153(  [ Al-An’am : 153] : The straight path is the path of God to which He has called, and it is the Sunnah, and the paths are the paths of difference for those who deviate from the straight path and they are people of innovation, and what is meant is not the paths of sin; Because sins, insofar as they are sins, no one has established a path that always follows legislation in conformity with legislation, but rather this description is specific to newly invented innovations. On the authority of Mujahid, in his saying: “ And do not follow paths ” [ Al-An’am : 153] , he said: heresies and doubts. Malik was asked about the Sunnah? He said: It is what has no name other than the Sunnah, and he recited: “ And this is My path, straight, so follow it, and do not follow other paths, for they will separate you from His path ” [ Al-An’am : 153] . This interpretation indicates that the verse includes all methods of innovation, and is not specific to one innovation or another. Among the verses is the saying of God Almighty: “ And upon God is the intent of the path, and from it is unjust; and had He willed, He could have guided you all.”  9﴾  [ An-Nahl : 9] . The intended path is the path of truth, and anything other than it is unjust to the truth, meaning: just from it, and they are the paths of innovations and misguidance.

The straight path in which there is no deviation is the path of God to which He has called, and the mission of the prophets and messengers is to guide people to the straight path of God with guidance and guidance. And God guides whom He wills and misleads whom He wills. And whoever God misleads, he has no guide. Misguidance and misguidance: the opposite of guidance and guidance, which is going out. From the path, so the one who goes astray becomes confused because he has no guide to guide him, and He is the evidence. So the one who is an innovator, when his desires and ignorance of the path of the Sunnah prevail, imagine that what appeared to him in his mind is the straight path and not something else, so he proceeds on it, and because of it he deviates from the straight path, so he is lost, even if He was allegedly investigating her intent. The innovator from this nation only went astray in its evidence, as he took it as a source of desire and lust, not as a source of submission under the laws of God, and this is the difference between the innovator and others. Because the innovator made desire his first requirement, and took the evidence to follow.

The prohibition against asking too much and exaggerating in it came from the Almighty’s saying: “ O you who have believed, do not ask about things that, if they were made known to you, they would displease you ” [ Al-Ma’idah : 101] and in the hadith: “ On the authority of Abu Hurairah, on the authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: “Leave me what I have left you. But whoever he was perished He accepted you with their questions and their disagreement with their prophets, so if I forbid you something, avoid it, and if I command you to do something, then do as much of it as you can . ”  And Muslim used the wording: “Dharoni,” which means “leave me.” Muslim mentioned the reason for this hadith from the narration of Muhammad ibn Ziyad, and he said: “ On the authority of Abu Hurairah, the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, addressed us and said: O people, God has imposed Hajj on you, so they performed Hajj, and a man said: Eating in public, O.” Messenger of God? He was silent until he said it three times, then the Messenger of God said: If I had said yes, it would have been obligatory and you would not have been able to. Then he said, “Leave me alone as long as I leave you. ”  Ibn Hajar said: What is meant by this command is to refrain from asking about something that has not happened for fear that it will become obligatory or forbidden, and to forbid asking too much because it often involves stubbornness, and for fear that the answer will come with something that is difficult, as it may lead to abandoning compliance and thus a violation will occur. 

Ibn Faraj said: The meaning of his saying, “Leave me as I have left you, is not to inquire too much about places that will be useful for the purpose of what appears, even if they are good for other things,” and the prohibition of digging for that because it may lead to something like what happened to the Children of Israel, when they were commanded to slaughter a cow, and if they slaughtered any cow. They would have complied, but they were strict, so he toughened them.  This is evidence of the prohibition of asking too many questions and going to extremes in that. Al-Baghawi said in his explanation of the Sunnah: Questioning is of two types, one of which is: what is in the form of education for what is needed regarding the matter of religion. It is permissible, and even commanded, according to the Almighty’s saying: “So ask the people of the message” [ Al – Nahl ] . :43] …the verse, and based on that, the questions of the Companions about Anfal, Al-Kalala, and others are revealed. Secondly: It was not in the form of obstinacy and affectation, which is what is meant in this hadith, and God knows best, and is supported by the occurrence of rebuke in the hadith about that and the condemnation of the predecessors. According to Ahmad, from the hadith of Muawiyah, that the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, forbade mistakes. Al-Awza’i said: They are the most severe issues, and Al-Awza’i also said : « If God wants to deprive His servant of the blessing of knowledge, he casts fallacies on his tongue, for I have seen them as the least knowledgeable of people.” Ibn Wahb said: I heard Malik say: “Dissent in knowledge takes away the light of knowledge from a man’s heart.” [115] Ibn al-Arabi said: “The prohibition  on Asking during the Prophet’s era for fear that something would befall them that would be difficult for them. As for what came after, it was safe to do so, but most of the narrations from the predecessors stated that it was disliked to speak about issues that did not occur. Especially with the scholars going and learning lessons.” End quote. Summary.  And in the hadith: “Those before you were destroyed by their many questions and their differences over their prophets.” .

Al-Shatibi said: Among the texts of the Qur’an that indicate the condemnation of heresy: God Almighty’s saying: “ It is He who has revealed to you the Book, among which are decisive verses that are the mother of the Book, and others that are ambiguous. As for those in whose hearts is deviation, they follow what is ambiguous of it, seeking discord and seeking its interpretation… the verse” [ Al Imran :7] , The decisive ones are clear and clear in their meaning, with no ambiguity for any of the people,  and the similar ones bear in their meaning agreement with the decisive one, and they may bear something else in terms of the wording and structure, not in terms of the intent.  And in a narration by Al-Bukhari with the wording: “So if you see those who follow what is similar to it, then they are those whom God has named, so beware of them.” . And in a narration: “If you see those who follow what is similar to it, then they are those whom God has named, so beware of them.”. In a narration: “God has warned you, so if you see them, recognize them.”.  Ibn Katheer narrated on the authority of Imam Ahmad: In his saying: “ As for those in whose hearts there is deviation, they follow what is similar to it. ” He said: “They are the Kharijites,” and in his saying: “ The Day when faces will be white and faces will turn black . ”  He said: “ They are the Kharijites .”  Al-Tabari suggested that even though the revelation of the verse was among the Christians of Najran, it includes all types of innovators, whether they were Christians, Jews, Magians, or Sabaean, Harurian, Qadari, Jahmite, or others who dispute it.

This is in contrast to the use of reason as a means of contemplating creatures that leads to faith, as the texts of Sharia indicate the use of rational proof in proving beliefs.  Ibn Khaldun said: “ The most important beliefs of faith are justified by their rational evidence, and their evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah is many, and they are known and established, and what happened Most of the differences in beliefs come from following similarities .”

The following table presents the Sunni point of view from the point of view that Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah are people of moderation in beliefs.

Fate and destiny              Jabriyah : They went to extremes in proving destiny, denying the servant’s action at all, and making man coerced and forced and having no choices at all.      Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah: They interceded and made a choice for him, but his choice is tied to God’s will: And you do not will except that God wills. They said: Indeed, the servants are doers, and God is their Creator and the Creator of their actions, as the Qur’an mentioned: And God created you and what you do. This is their mediation in the matter of predestination.  Fatalism : They exaggerated in predestination and destiny, and said that man is the one who creates his actions, and God has no ability to guide the servant or lead him astray.

The issue of faith and religion     The Haruriyyah and the Mu’tazilites : The Haruriyyah call the one who commits a major sin an infidel and deem his blood and wealth permissible. As for the Mu’tazilites, they said: If the one who commits a major sin has departed from faith and has not entered into disbelief, then he is in a position between the two positions?                Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah: They make a person worthy of the name of faith and the name of Islam, even if he has some sins and some disobedience. According to them, the one who commits a major sin is deficient in faith. His faith has been diminished in proportion to the amount of disobedience he has committed, so they do not negate his faith at all and do not take him out of Islam completely, and they did not make The guilty person has complete faith. Rather, they make him a believer who lacks faith.               The Murji’ah and the Jahmiya : The Murji’ah said: The one who commits a major sin is a believer with complete faith and does not deserve to enter Hell. They said that sin does not harm with faith just as obedience does not benefit with disbelief. According to them, whoever believes in his heart, even if he does not act, is a believer with complete faith.

Ali bin Abi Talib  The Nawasib and Khawarij : The Nawasib said: Because of the immorality of Ali bin Abi Talib, and the Khawarij said: Because of the disbelief of Ali bin Abi Talib.            Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah: They said that Ali bin Abi Talib is a rightly guided caliph and that he is better than thousands of companions except three, namely Abu Bakr, Omar, and Uthman, all of whom are virtuous, but he is not infallible like the infallibility of the prophets.       The Shiites : The Twelvers said: He is infallible like the infallibility of the prophets and that he is better than all the prophets except the Prophet Muhammad.

the date

Naturally, many Sunnis today believe that Sunni Islam represents the nature of Islam that appeared in the period following the death of the Prophet, and that the rest of the sects are divisions from Sunni Islam. Likewise, the other sects, in contrast, naturally also see that they are the origin or representative of the original nature of Islam, and taking The Sunni perception is something that historians such as Aaron Howes refer to as a common fallacy because it is based on adopting late and ideological sources as if they represent a disciplined historical narrative. [124] This  is reinforced by the fact that the vast majority of all Muslims belong to the Sunnis, while the two major sects, Sunnis and Shiites, are attributed , and other sects, because they are the final product of ideological disputes that spanned centuries, in which each sect used the other to establish its identity and teachings.

The first heresy in Islam

The first heresy that occurred in Islam was the sedition of the Kharijites, and their departure from the truth was because of the world, which is what Ibn Katheer al-Dimashqi (d . 774 AH ) mentioned in his interpretation, where he said: “ The first heresy that occurred in Islam was the sedition of the Khawarij, and their inception was because of the world when the Messenger of God swore May God’s prayers and peace be upon him, as spoils of Hunayn. It was as if they saw in their corrupted minds that he had not been fair in the division, so they surprised him with this statement. Their speaker – who was Dhul-Khuwaysarah – God’s cows in his flanks – said: Be fair, for you have not been fair. So the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to him: “I have failed and lost if I am not fair. Will he trust me ? against the people of the earth and do not trust me.”When the man stood up, Omar ibn al-Khattab – according to a narration: Khalid ibn al-Walid – (and there is no more in the plural) – asked the Messenger of God for permission to kill him, so he said: “Leave him, for there will emerge from this group of people – i.e. from his kind – a people whose prayer and fasting will be despised by one of you along with their prayers and fasting.” With their fasting, and reciting it with their recitation, they will leave the religion as an arrow leaves its target, so wherever you meet them, kill them, for in killing them there is a reward for whoever killed them.”.. ».  This hadith is in the Two Sahihs and other authentic narrations, including in Sahih Muslim: “On the authority of Jabir bin Abdullah, he said: A man came to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, with Al-Jirana – he left Hunayn – and on Bilal’s garment : silver , and the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, took some of it and gave it to the people, so he said: Oh Muhammad is the most just. He said: “Woe to you! Who will be just if I am not just? I have failed and lost if I am not just.” Then Omar bin Al-Khattab , may God be pleased with him, said: O Messenger of God, let me kill this hypocrite. He said: “God forbid that people say that I kill my companions. This man and his companions recite the Qur’an, but it does not go beyond their throats. They escape from it as an arrow escapes from its target.”.

In the words of Ibn Katheer that Dhu al-Khuwaysarah is the head of the Kharijites, he created the suspicion of departing from the truth, and this is indicated by his saying: “He will emerge from this young woman…”That is: from a kind, and similar to this was the creation of sedition in the time of Uthman ibn Affan and the revolt against him and his killing, except that their departure from the truth was not under the name of a sect except in the time of Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib when they announced their split from him after the Battle of Siffin, so they were the first sect to appear in Islam. In the beginning, they joined the side of Ali bin Abi Talib, and when he accepted the arbitration, they announced their exit and shouted, saying: “There is no judgment except for God.” Ali bin Abi Talib responded to them by saying: “A word of truth behind which falsehood is intended,” since their exit was for a worldly reason under the influence of A religious name. The Companions were consulted about them and Ibn Abbas and other Companions interviewed them. Then the Companions’ statements agreed on the necessity of fighting them according to the texts of the hadiths they had indicating their fight if they announced their departure, and Ali bin Abi Talib killed them in Nahrawan. Ibn Katheer said: “ Then their emergence took place during the days of Ali bin Abi Talib, and he killed them at Nahrawan, then peoples and tribes spread from them, and many widespread opinions, desires, articles, and solutions emerged. Then the Qadariyyah emerged, then the Mu’tazilites, then the Jahmiyyah, and other heresies that Al-Sadiq Al-Masduq reported about in his saying: “ This nation will split into seventy-three sects, all of whom will be in Hell except one.They said: Who are they, O Messenger of God? He said: “Whoever follows what I and my companions are upon.”.. ».  And in a narration on the authority of Hudhayfah: “In my nation there are people who recite the Qur’an, sprinkling it with a prose of nonsense, and interpreting it in a way other than its interpretation.”.  On the authority of Ibn al-Aas, on the authority of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, he said: “The Qur’an was not revealed in order for some of it to be false, so whatever of it you know, act upon it, and whatever of it is similar to it, believe in it.”.  Al-Nawawi said : “ His saying , peace and blessings be upon him : ‘They recite the Qur’an but it does not go beyond their throats.’”Al-Qadi said: There are two interpretations: One of them: It means: Their hearts do not understand it, and they do not benefit from what they recite from it, and they have no share except the recitation of the mouth, the throat, and the throat, since they cut off the letters. The second: It means: No action or recitation comes up for them and it will not be accepted . It was stated in the hadith: “They are devoid of religion.”In Muslim’s narration: “They will fall out of it just as an arrow leaves the target.”That is: from the religion, and what is meant here is: the religion of Islam, as in the other narration with the wording: “they are driven away from Islam.”As indicated by the words of God Almighty: “ Indeed, the religion with God is Islam ” [ Al Imran : 19] . The judge said: Its meaning is: They take it out like an arrow if the catch runs out from another side, and nothing of it is attached to it, and the shot is the thrown catch. Al-Khattabi said: It is obedience, meaning: from obedience to the imam. End with a summary of Al-Nawawi’s words. Many authentic hadiths have been proven in the Two Sahihs and elsewhere describing the Kharijites as: “They kill the people of Islam and call upon the people of idols.” A hadith described them: “They speak well and act badly.”. It was mentioned in the hadith of Dhul-Khuwaysarah in Sahih Muslim, with the wording: “Then the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said : From this person’s light, there will be people who recite the Qur’an but it does not go beyond their throats. They will kill the people of Islam and let the people of idols pass away from Islam just as an arrow passes through its target. If I overtake them, I will kill them like Aad. ”.

The Kharijites introduced the first heresy in Islam that included extreme and exaggerated statements, and they took the principle of takfir as a reason to rebel against the rulers of the Muslims, and since Ali bin Abi Talib was strict in dealing with them and with the jurisprudence he had in religion, he dialogued with them and tried to restore them to the right path, but some of them returned from their paths. He returned and some of them remained, and after the Battle of Nahrawan, only a small number of them remained, and they dispersed throughout the countries. Ibn Battal mentioned in a hadith on the authority of Ali bin Abi Talib that he said during his sermon: “ What prevents the most wretched of you from staining it with blood, ” and he pointed to his beard.  One of the Kharijites, Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam, went to kill Ali ibn Abi Talib, so he killed him in the mosque on Friday before the dawn prayer .

Discussion of attributes and issues of belief

After the emergence of the Kharijites and their split from the group of Companions, many sects branched out from them, and the Sunnis described them as people of misguided desires who, through their desires, introduced what had no basis in the Sharia and spoke about what God and His Messenger had forbidden from researching, so their desires differed, their opinions separated, and their suspicions turned into beliefs because of which they became separate groups. The imams of Ahl al-Sunnah from the early Salaf era were content with clarifying what needed clarification, and did not speak about what God and His Messenger had forbidden from delving into, and they abandoned disputes, arguments, and disputing about it. Ibn Khaldun said in his history written in the eighth century AH: “And the most important faith beliefs are justified by their rational evidence . There is much evidence for it from the Qur’an and Sunnah, and it is known and established. Most of the disagreements that have occurred in beliefs are from following what is similar .  It was stated in his speech that since it was obligatory to exalt God Almighty in describing Him as absolute perfection, and the texts indicated this, such as the Almighty’s saying: “ There is nothing like Him ” [ Al-Shura : 11] , then the Qadariyyah (Mu’tazilites) exaggerated in exaltation, which led to the introduction of the heresy of the statement denying the attributes of God. Fixed by the text, and on the other hand, in the era of the predecessors, innovators appeared who exaggerated in confirming the attributes. They followed the similarities from the texts and interpreted them according to the apparent meaning, so they fell into anthropomorphism that contradicts the verses of clear exaltation. Abu al-Fath al-Shahristani (479 AH / 548 AH) mentioned in his book: “ Al – Milal wal – Nihal ” that When the Mu’tazilites went to extremes in exaltation and denied attributes proven in the text, they called them muta’il, and that the predecessors, because they were among those who affirmed attributes, called them the Sufiites, and that some of the predecessors exaggerated in affirming attributes and fell into anthropomorphism, and among them was mentioned the heresy of Muhammad ibn Karam al-Sijistani, [130] in claiming anthropomorphism and  . The Karamiya came to him, and Mahmoud bin Sabuktekin, the Sultan, (who was from the Karamiya) supported them.  Ibn Khaldun said: “ Nothing remains in these phenomena except the beliefs and doctrines of the predecessors and belief in them as they are, lest the negation be based on their meanings by negating them even though they are correct and proven from the Qur’an .” 

The Sunnis and the community have agreed, both in advance and in succession, that texts that appear to suggest similarities to events are among the ambiguous matters that are not permissible to delve into, and God has forbidden delving into them. Because it is one of the characteristics of the people of deviation and misguidance, as they spoke about what God had not permitted, of which they had no knowledge, and they interpreted the ambiguous things according to their desires. This was mentioned in the Qur’an in the Almighty’s saying: “But as for those in whose hearts is deviation, they follow that which is ambiguous thereof, seeking temptation. seeking its interpretation, and its interpretation is not known Except Allah ( Al Imran : 7) .  Ibn Katheer narrated : “ On the authority of Ibn Abbas, he said: Interpretation has four parts: an interpretation that no one has an excuse for understanding, an interpretation that the Arabs know from their languages, an interpretation known to those who are firmly rooted in knowledge, and an interpretation that no one knows except God Almighty. This saying is narrated on the authority of Aisha, Urwa, Abu Al-Sha’atha, Abu Nahik and others . 

There are two doctrines narrated from the Companions that the commentators mentioned in the Almighty’s saying: “ And no one knows its interpretation except Allah ” [ Al Imran : 7] , and Ibn Jarir al-Tabari mentioned the saying regarding the interpretation of the verse: that no one knows its interpretation except Allah. He said: “ As for those who are firmly rooted in knowledge So they say: “ We believe in it, all of it is from our Lord ” [ Al Imran : 7] . They do not know that, but the superiority of their knowledge in this matter over others is the knowledge that God is the One who knows that, to the exclusion of anyone else from His creation .  Then he mentioned the difference of the people of interpretation regarding the interpretation of that, and do “ the established ones ” know the interpretation of the similar, or do they say: We believe in the similar and believe that the knowledge of that is known only to God? Some of them said: The meaning of that is: No one knows the interpretation of that except God alone, alone with His knowledge. As for those who are firmly rooted in knowledge, they believe in it but do not know its interpretation. On the authority of Aisha, she said: “Part of their firmness in knowledge was that they believed in what was clear and similar, and they did not know its interpretation . ” This was narrated on the authority of Ibn Abbas, Urwa, Abu Nahik Al-Asadi, Omar bin Abdul Aziz, and Malik. Others said: Rather, the meaning of that is: “ And none knows its interpretation except Allah and those who are firmly rooted in knowledge ” [ Al-Imran : 7] , and despite their knowledge of that and their firmness in knowledge, they say: “ We believe in it, it is all from our Lord ” [ Al-Umar]. Anne : 7] . It was narrated on the authority of Ibn Abbas that he said: “ I am one of those who know its interpretation .” On the authority of Mujahid: “ And those who are firmly rooted in knowledge ” [ Al Imran : 7] : They know its interpretation and say: “ We believe in it ” [ Al Imran : 7] . Abu Jaafar said: “ As for the meaning of interpretation in Arab speech, it is interpretation, reference, and destiny. Ibn Jarir al- Tabari (who is one of the imams of the predecessors ) favored the first opinion, which is: that no one knows its interpretation except God .      

These two doctrines narrated on the authority of the predecessors were narrated by Ibn Kathir (who was one of the scholars of the eighth century AH). The first of them is that no one knows the interpretation of the similar except God, and this is what Ibn Jarir narrated based on the reading of Ibn Abbas, Ibn Masoud, and Abu Ibn Ka’b, and Ibn Jarir also narrated it on the authority of Omar bin Abdul Aziz. And Malik bin Anas: They believe in it but do not know its interpretation, and Ibn Jarir chose this opinion. This is the doctrine of submission or delegation because they delegate the knowledge of that to God and do not interpret what is similar, but rather believe in it and say: No one knows its interpretation except God, and this saying was narrated from the imams of the predecessors.  And the second: He does not know the interpretation of the ambiguous one who wanted what he wanted ( except Allah and those firmly rooted in knowledge ) [ Al Imran : 7] They know its interpretation “ They say, ‘We believe in it’ ” [ Al Imran : 7] , then they rejected the interpretation of the ambiguous on what they knew of the interpretation of the decisive ones. In which there is no interpretation for anyone except one interpretation, so what they say is consistent with the Book, and some of it confirms others, so the argument is implemented and the excuse is made apparent, and falsehood is removed and disbelief is repelled by it. It is called the doctrine of interpretation, and it is narrated on the authority of some of the imams of the predecessors. Ibn Katheer said: “And many of the commentators and scholars of principles followed them and said Speech with something that is not understood is far-fetched, and Ibn Abi Najih narrated on the authority of Mujahid on the authority of Ibn Abbas that he said: “ I am one of the established ones who know its interpretation .” Ibn Abi Najih said on the authority of Mujahid: Those who are well-established in knowledge know its interpretation and say: We believe in it. This is what Al-Rabi’ bin Anas said. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said on the authority of Muhammad ibn Jaafar ibn al-Zubayr : “ And its interpretation is not known ” [ Al Imran : 7] who wanted what he wanted “ except Allah, and those who are firmly rooted in knowledge say, ‘We believe in it. ’” [ Al Imran : 7] Then they rejected the similar interpretation to what They knew who The interpretation of the court in which there is no interpretation for anyone except one interpretation, so their words were consistent with the book, and some of it confirmed the other, so the argument was implemented and the excuse appeared with it, and falsehood was removed with it and disbelief was repelled, and in the hadith: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, called for Ibn Abbas and said: “O God, give him understanding of religion. ” And he taught him interpretation.”    ».

There are texts from the Qur’an and Sunnah that indicate the use of rational inferences in proving issues of belief, and there is no disagreement about this among the Sunnis and the community, except that the discussion of the issues of belief that were introduced by the groups that broke away from the Sunnis and the community took another direction, as they spoke about what God and His Messenger forbade. Go into it. Al-Shahrastani said: “ Know that the predecessors among the hadith scholars, when they saw the Mu’tazila’s penetration into the science of theology and contradiction of the Sunnah that they had learned from the Rightly Guided Imams, and their support from a group of princes of the Umayyads for their belief in predestination, and a group of caliphs from the Abbasids for their belief in denying the attributes and the creation of the Qur’an, they were confused about establishing the doctrine of the Sunnis. And the group is in the similarities of the verses of the Wise Book and the narrations of the Faithful Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him .  He said: “ As for Ahmad bin Hanbal, Dawud bin Ali Al-Isfahani, and a group of the imams of the Salaf, they followed the method of the Salaf who preceded them among the hadith scholars, such as: Malik bin Anas and Muqatil bin Sulaiman, and they took the path of safety and said: We believe in what was stated in the Qur’an and Sunnah, and we are no longer subject to interpretation. That we know with certainty that God Almighty does not resemble any of the creatures and that everything that is represented in illusion is its Creator and Destiner. They were wary of resemblance to the point that they said that whoever moved his hand when reading the words of God Almighty: “I created with My own hands” [p. 75] or pointed with his two fingers . When he narrated: “The heart of the believer is between two of the fingers of the Most Merciful.” His hand must be cut off and his two fingers must be cut off .” The reason for their stopping in interpreting the verses and avoiding delving into similarities is because of the prohibition contained in the revelation in the Almighty’s saying: “But as for those in whose hearts is deviation, they follow that which is similar thereof, seeking temptation and seeking its interpretation.” And no one knows its interpretation except God, and those who are well-grounded in knowledge say, “We believe in it.” It is all from our Lord, and nothing is mentioned except People of understanding7(  [ Al Imran : 7] They said: So we guard against deviation, and they said: Interpretation is a matter that is presumed by agreement, and speaking about the attributes of the Creator by assumption is not permissible. Perhaps we interpreted the verse in a way other than what the Creator, Most High, intended, so we fell into deviation. Rather, we say as those who are firmly rooted in knowledge said) “Each is from Our Lord } [ Al Imran : 7] We believe in its apparent meaning and believe in its hidden meaning, and we have entrusted its knowledge to God Almighty, and we are not obligated to know that, since that is not one of the conditions or pillars of faith. This is the path to safety and is not similar to anything. However, a group of Ghali Shiites and a group of Hashwiyya hadith scholars declared the simile. 

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal had a prominent role in supporting and defending the Sunnah. He was patient in adversity and faced persecution from the Mu’tazilites.  He was followed in this by the Hanbali imams who followed his method in defending the Sunnah and followed his path. Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari worked to respond to the people of whims and desires and formulated An approach based on proving religious beliefs with auditory and rational evidence, and based on the approach of previous imams, on the basis that transmission is the basis and that reason is a servant of transmission and a means of proving it and proving its authenticity. He collected what was dispersed from the words of the scholars of the Sunnis and the community, supported the transmission with reason, and invalidated the fallacies and falsehoods of the Mu’tazilites and others. He compared this to the appearance of Abu Mansur al-Maturidi beyond the river, and he did work similar to the work of Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari. Al-Shahrastani said: “ As for the predecessors who were not subject to interpretation and did not aim for simile, they include: Malik ibn Anas, may God be pleased with them both, when he said: Istiwaa is known, the method is unknown, belief in it is obligatory, and asking about it is an innovation, and the likes of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may God have mercy on him, Sufyan al-Thawri, Dawud ibn Ali al-Isfahani, and those who followed them until The time ended with Abdullah bin Saeed Al-Kalabi, Abu Abbas Al-Qalanisi, and Al-Harith bin Asaad Al-Muhasibi. These were among the Salaf, except that they embarked on the science of theology and supported the beliefs of the Salaf with verbal arguments and fundamental proofs. Some of them classified and others studied until a debate took place between Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari and his teacher on one of the issues. The righteous and the righteous quarreled, and Al-Ash’ari sided with this sect and supported their opinion with theological methods, and this became the doctrine of the Sunnis and the community, and the character of Sufiism was transferred to the Ash’ari. »

Ibn Khaldun mentioned in his history: “ When the codification of the sciences increased and theologians became accustomed to exaltation, the heresy of the Mu’tazilites occurred, and they created the sedition of saying that the Qur’an is created, and it is an innovation that the predecessors declared contrary to it. The harm of this heresy was great, and some of the caliphs taught it on the authority of their imams, so the people were led to it, and the imams of the predecessors disagreed with them, so their disagreement was deemed permissible. The loss of many of them and their blood . Then he said: “ This was a reason for the Sunnis to rise up with rational evidence on these beliefs in order to ward off the issuance of these heresies. Sheikh Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari, the imam of theologians, did this and mediated between the paths, denied the analogy, affirmed the moral attributes, and limited purity to what the predecessors restricted it to, and the evidence specific to its generality attested to him, so he confirmed The four moral qualities, hearing, sight, and speech based on the soul through transmission and reason, and he responded to the innovators in all of that, and spoke to them about what they paved the way for these innovations, such as saying what is good, what is best, what is best, what is ugly, perfecting the beliefs in the mission, the conditions of Paradise and Hell, and reward and punishment .  And he said: “ And he added to that speech about the Imamate because of the Imami’s heresy that appeared at that time in their saying that it is one of the doctrines of faith and that it is obligatory for the Prophet to designate it and deviate from the covenant in that for whomever it is for, and also for the nation and the whole matter of the Imamate that it is a matter of unanimous interest and does not attach to the doctrines, so for that reason They attached it to the issues of this art and called it the collection of theology .  Ibn Khaldun said: “ The followers of Sheikh Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari increased, and his students followed his path after him, such as Ibn Mujahid and others. Judge Abu Bakr Al-Baqalani took from them, so he led the Imamate in their method, refined it, and set the rational premises on which the evidence and considerations depend. ”  He said: “ In summary, the subject of the science of theology according to its scholars is the faith beliefs after they have been imposed as correct from the Sharia insofar as they can be inferred with rational evidence, so heresies are removed and doubts and suspicions about those beliefs are removed. ”

Introducing the Sunnis and the community

Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah is a title that has been in circulation since previous periods in the history of Islam due to the sects, most of which appeared in the eras of the predecessors. Then this designation became a distinction for them from the sects that differed from them. The origin of the name among the imams of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah goes back to the meaning of following. The followed Sunnah is the path followed in Religion and community. The people of the followers are the rightly guided caliphs and the diligent imams from the Companions and the Successors, and the jurists from the people of opinion and the people of hadith, and those who followed their path, followed in their footsteps, and took from them their method through transmission and continuous chain of transmission. The jurisprudence of the Companions was transmitted to the followers and the imams after them, and they had their own jurisprudence in the branches, which resulted in From it, the emergence of jurisprudential schools of thought became famous, and two approaches to the jurisprudential approach became famous, mentioned by Ibn Khaldun in his history (which he wrote down in the eighth century AH). They are: the approach of the jurists of the people of opinion in Iraq and the leader of their group in whom the doctrine and its companions settled, Abu Hanifa , and the approach of the hadith jurists in the Hijaz, whose imam is Malik . Ibn Anas and Al-Shafi’i after him.  Ibn Khaldun and others mentioned that Imam Al-Shafi’i was the first to establish the science of the principles of jurisprudence , which he formulated in his book: “Al-Risalah,” thus combining the two methods of opinion and hadith, and the doctrine of the Sunnis at this stage was summarized in the doctrines of the three imams, namely: Abu Hanifa, Malik, and Al-Shafi’i. The jurisprudence of the Sunnis settled on these two methods in them and in their companions after them, and imams of other sects who agreed with them in the fundamentals of religion entered their group. The imams of jurists who followed these two methods followed them in the third century AH. Then jurisprudence settled in the imams of the four sects, and imams entered into their group . Other schools of jurisprudence who agreed with them regarding the principles.

After the spread of the Mu’tazilites, especially in the last periods of the Salaf era, and the emergence of the Mushabbah, al-Mujasimah, and other sects, most of which appeared in the Salaf era, and the occurrence of talk about attributes and other things, another stage began because of that in demonstrating the foundations of the belief of the Sunnis and supporting their statement with evidence and repelling suspicion about it, and through this a differentiation occurred. These sects, their descriptions, sayings, and names were revealed, and scholars of fundamentals wrote about them in “Books of Sects” (most of them in the fourth century AH), including: Abu Al-Muzaffar Al-Isfarayini in the book: “Insight into Religion.” He mentioned these sects and then said: “ Those whom we have mentioned are seventy-two sects .” The seventy-third group are Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah, who are people of hadith and opinion.  Among them: Abd al-Qahir al-Baghdadi , one of the jurists of the Shafi’i school of thought , in his book: “ The Difference Between the Sects, ” in which he explained the names of these sects, their characteristics, and their sayings due to which they separated from each other and their differences with the Sunnis, and that the Sunnis wal Jama’ah are the seventy-third sect and that they are one group of the Sunnis. Opinion and the people of hadith, and they all agree on one statement regarding the foundations of religion, and if they differ in the branches of rulings , then that does not cause immorality, heresy, or infidelity, and the name was given to the Sunnis and the community to distinguish them from the Kharijites, the Mu’tazilites, the Mujasimah, the Shiite sects, and other sects that differ from them.

The definition that distinguishes Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah from others who oppose them is based on agreement on one statement regarding the principles upon which the group of Ahl al-Sunnah has agreed, in the approach followed and the method followed. Abdul Qahir al-Baghdadi referred to this in another place in this book, where he said : “ The majority of the Sunnis and the community have agreed on the principles of the pillars of the religion, each of which must be known by every adult, rational person, and each of them has its people, and within its branches there are issues about which the Sunnis agreed on one opinion and misled those who disagreed with them.. », and he explained these principles and then said : “ These are principles whose principles the Sunnis agreed upon and misled those who disagreed with them. In every corner of them there are issues of principles and issues of branches. They agree on their principles, and perhaps they differed in some of their branches in a way that does not necessitate misleading or immorality. ”  The Sunnis are the owners of the recognized schools of jurisprudence, including the jurists of the people of opinion and the scholars of hadith, who followed the path of the imams of these two paths, and they all agree on one saying regarding the principles, and the foundations of the belief of the Sunnis were originally taken from the Companions, given that they were the ones who received the doctrine of Islam from its first source and received it. On the authority of those who came after them, and the foundations of the belief of the Sunnis at the end of the era of the Salaf and those after them were transmitted from their previous imams from the people of opinion and the scholars of hadith, who received it from those who preceded them by transmitting from the imams of the Companions and followers according to what was established in the books of their scholars. The difference only appears in the reason for establishing the rules of the science of monotheism and its method. His imams in reasoning. The method of the scholars of hadith depends in inferring on auditory evidence, that is: transmission from the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and consensus, in what constitutes evidence used as an argument to prove the ruling, and the method of the scholars of theorizing and theoretical industry relies in inferring on auditory and theoretical evidence, given that the auditory evidence is the origin, and the rational evidence is its servant. .

The emergence of those sects that differed from Ahl al-Sunnah in fundamentals, their distinction, and their separation from each other led, in fact, to describing Ahl al-Sunnah in this case as a sect among these sects, and describing Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah in this way is only in relation to their definition in contrast to the sects that differ from them in fundamentals. After the end of the era of the Salaf, the doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah was passed on to those who came after them, and the doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah became famous in the manner of Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari in Iraq, Khorasan, the Levant, Morocco, Andalusia, and elsewhere. The doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah became famous in the manner of Abu Mansur al-Maturidi in Transoxiana and elsewhere, and a group of Ahl al-Hadith by transmitting the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah in the manner of the Athariyya from Ahl al-Hadith. Then the title of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah came to be applied to the Ash’aris, Maturidiyya, and Athariyyah from Ahl al-Hadith, considering that Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’a are among the possessors of theoretical craftsmanship, namely the Ash’aris and Maturidiyya, as they decided upon the doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama’ah in the method of synthesis. Theory. As for the Athariyya, they were not the owners of theoretical industry. Rather, they were limited to determining the doctrine of the Sunnis and the community using the auditory method (the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and consensus), and perhaps some of them took the method of the theologians from the theorists. The Sunnis and the group, despite their different methods in determining the doctrine of the Sunnis and the community, are a component. They agreed on one statement regarding the fundamentals of religion, and perhaps they differed in some of its branches in a way that does not necessitate misleading or immorality.

There are multiple designations that scholars have mentioned to define Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah, and no matter how different their wording is in the uses of scholars from Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah, their meaning is the same, and the difference in their wording is merely a matter of formality and nothing more. After the emergence of Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari and Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, the title “Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah” became more common among the Ash’arites and the Maturidites. He said: Ibn Abidin in his report on the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah: What is obligatory for every accountable person to believe without imitating anyone is the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah, who are the Ash’aris and the Maturidites, and they agree except in simple issues that some of them attributed to verbal disagreement, as explained in the appropriate place.  Others mentioned something like this, and the reason for this was that the Ash’aris and Maturidis worked to prove the doctrine of the imams of the Sunnis through theological methods, but the popularity of this name was due to the fact that the theoretical craftsmen from the Sunnis and the community wrote down and achieved more than others, since the Atharis were not people of faith. A theoretical creation. The first to establish the foundations of the science of monotheism according to the doctrine of the Sunnis and the community was Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari and those who followed him after him, and Abu Mansur Al-Maturidi and those who followed him after him. If we say, for example: The majority of the Sunnis and the community agreed to give priority to Sharia over reason, and in return for this, the Mu’tazilites exaggerated in sanctifying reason, giving it precedence over the texts of Sharia, with evidence that some of the Mu’tazilites, like some Kharijites, denied the punishment of stoning on the pretext that it is reprehensible to the mind, and they denied the established texts of the Sunnah regarding stoning, and Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari used rational proofs and verbal arguments to prove the statement of the Sunnis and the community regarding the issue of prioritizing Sharia evidence over reason, and the Maturidiyya did likewise. In any case, the Ash’aris, Maturidiyahs, and Athariyya all agree on the view that Sharia precedence over reason.

They also mentioned the Islamic sects and made of them Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah one sect. However, the disagreement between Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah is only in the branches, and whatever their difference is in the branches of rulings, they do not judge each other as disbelievers or describe them as innovations, and whatever disagreement may occur in matters of doctrine is a formal disagreement. The common people may be confused, due to judging things without examining things, or exaggerating the ruling without knowledge, and whoever is affiliated with Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah and disagrees with their consensus, then his statement is attributed to him and is attributed to him alone and is rejected by him. Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah has one school of thought regarding the foundations of belief.

Taj al-Din al-Subki said in explaining the doctrine of Ibn al-Hajib: “Know that all of the Sunnis and the community have agreed on one belief in what is obligatory, permissible, and impossible, even if they differ in the methods and principles that lead to that, or in the meaning of what there is. In general, by induction, they are understood as three groups: the first: the people of hadith , and the principles relied upon are: auditory evidence, meaning: the Qur’an , the Sunnah , and consensus . Second: People of rational theory and intellectual craft, namely: Ash’arism and Hanafi . The Ash’arite sheikh: Abu Al-Hasan Al- Ash’ari, and the Hanafi sheikh: Abu Mansur Al-Maturidi . They agreed on rational principles in every demand on which hearing depends, and on auditory principles in what only the mind understands is permissible, and rational and auditory in other matters, and they agreed in all doctrinal demands except in the issue of formation and the issue of tradition. Third: People of conscience and revelation; They are Sufis , and their principles are those of the people of theorizing and hadith in the beginning, and revelation and inspiration in the end.

Imam Abd al-Qahir al-Baghdadi, in his book The Difference Between the Sects , enumerated the sects and sects opposing the doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah that appeared in the history of Muslims, and which he lived with. It includes seventy-two sects, including: the Rawafidites , the Kharijites , the Qadariyya , the Murji’ah , the Najjariyah , the Bakriyah , the Dirariyya , and the Jahmiyyah . And the Karamiya , then he said: “As for the seventy-third group, they are the people of the Sunnah and the community from the two groups of opinion and hadith, without those who buy the distraction of hadith, and the jurists of these two groups, their readers, hadith scholars, and the theologians of the people of hadith among them, all of them agree on one article regarding the monotheism of the Maker and his attributes, his justice and wisdom, and about his names. And its attributes, and in the chapters of prophecy and imamate , and in the rulings of Al-Uqabi, and in the rest of the principles of religion . Rather, they differ in what is permissible and what is forbidden in the branches of rulings, and there is no misguidance or immorality between them in what they differed from, and they are the saved group , and they are united by the acknowledgment of the monotheism of the Maker and the preeminence of His eternal attributes, and the permissibility of seeing Him without comparison or obstruction, while acknowledging the books of God and His messengers and supporting the law of Islam , and permitting what He has permissible. The Qur’an and the prohibition of what the Qur’an has forbidden, with the restrictions of what is authentic in the Sunnah of the Messenger of God, the belief in the resurrection, the questioning of the two angels in the grave, and the acknowledgment of the basin and the balance. Whoever believes in this direction that we mentioned and does not mix his faith with any of the heresies of the Kharijites , the Rafidites , the Qadariyyah , and the rest of the people of whims, then he is among the group of the saved sect – if God has sealed him with it – and included in this group is the majority of the nation and its greatest majority, including the companions of Malik, Al-Shafi’i, Abu Hanifa, Al-Awza’i, Al-Thawri , and the people of Al-Zahir.. »

Al-Safarini mentioned : “ Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah has three sects: Al-Athariyya: and their imam is Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and Al-Ash’ariyyah: and their imam is Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari. And the Maturidiyya: Their imam is Abu Mansur al-Maturidi. As for the misguided sects, they are very numerous .  He said in the book Al-Ayn wa Al-Athar: The Sunnis and the community are three sects: the Ash’aris, the Hanbalis, and the Maturidis.

The archaeological method in matters of belief

The athar method is that which is based on the hadith, and the athar in the language is the rest of the thing, and what is transmitted is what is transmitted by a successor from a predecessor,  and the athariya is among the people of hadith according to theologians. The scholars who rely in matters of faith on the hadith that is based on transmission and taking auditory evidence, that is: The Qur’an, the Sunnah, and consensus, and the hadith, in the sense of what is said, may be more general than the hadith, but what is meant does not differ, and the people of the Sunnah and the community, whether they are people of hadith or theory, are all people of hadith, but the difference in naming appears in the method of inference, and this difference is important in naming, and that Auditory evidence is essential in legal rulings, whether scientific or practical. However, practical rulings involve analogy when the text is missing, unlike scientific rulings (creed), which are taken by audio evidence through transmission and text, and there is no room for analogy in them. The imams of the Sunnis and the community were In the era of the Companions and Followers, they were interested in transmitting the knowledge of Sharia law, narrating it, and deducing secondary rulings. As for matters of belief, they received them orally and were not the subject of their research and diligence. Because they are matters that are established, established and agreed upon, but they used to clarify what was in need of clarification and clarification and when there was a need to ward off suspicion. The archaeologists among the scholars of hadith relied mainly on auditory evidence, while the scholars of theory and theoretical craftsmanship combined auditory and rational evidence together, and by them is meant the theologians among the jurists. People of opinion or jurists of hadith.

After the spread of the Mu’tazilites during the third century AH, and according to what Ibn Khaldun and others mentioned, the Mu’tazilites delved into the attributes, denying fixed attributes and using verbal methods to support what they had introduced. Among the predecessors were a group who were attached to the apparent meanings of similar texts and went to extremes in affirming the attributes, so they fell into explicit anthropomorphism that contradicted exaltation. As for the predecessors who They took the approach of those who preceded them among the hadith scholars and took the path of integrity. They said in the similar texts: We believe in them and do not succumb to their interpretation. Al-Shahrastani said: “ As for the predecessors who did not succumb to interpretation and did not aim for simile, among them is: Malik bin Anas, may God be pleased with them both, when he said: Istiwa is known, the manner is unknown, and faith is It is obligatory and asking about it is an innovation, and the likes of Ahmad ibn Hanbal , may God have mercy on him , Sufyan al- Thawri, Dawud ibn Ali al-Isfahani, and those who followed them until the end of time, including Abdullah ibn Sa`id al-Kalabi, Abu al-Abbas al-Qalanisi, and al-Harith ibn As`ad al-Muhasibi, and these were among the Salaf, except that they embarked on the science of theology and supported the doctrines of the Salaf with arguments. Verbal and fundamental proofs .”  And the predecessors were among the scholars of hadith, when they saw the Mu’tazila’s penetration into the science of theology and the violation of the Sunnah that they had known from the Rightly Guided Imams; They were confused about stating the doctrine of the Sunnis and the community in the ambiguous texts. Al-Shahrastani said: “ As for Ahmad ibn Hanbal , Dawud ibn Ali Al-Isfahani, and a group of the imams of the Salaf, they followed the method of the Salaf who preceded them among the hadith scholars, such as: Malik ibn Anas and Muqatil ibn Sulaiman , and they followed the path of safety and said: We believe in what is stated in the Qur’an and Sunnah, and we are not subject to interpretation after we know with certainty that God Almighty does not resemble any of the creatures, and that everything that is represented in illusion is its Creator and Destiner. They were wary of resemblance until they said: Whoever moves his hand when reading the Almighty’s saying: “ I created with My own hands ” [ p . 75] or he pointed with his two fingers when narrating: “The heart of the believer is between two of the fingers of the Most Merciful.” His hand must be cut off and his two fingers must be cut off. ”

The way of people of vision

The theoretical method means: rational reasoning and intellectual industry based on methodological foundations, and what is meant by that in particular is the method of Sunni theologians to prove religious beliefs with rational and transmission evidence, based on the fact that reason confirms transmission and there is no contradiction between them, and in many places in the Qur’an, contemplation, contemplation, and contemplation are mentioned. Reasoning, applying reason, and inferring with reason, and that contemplating creatures indicates the Creator. This includes the speech of idol worshipers, deniers of the resurrection, and others, with phrases that guide them to contemplate the invalidity of what they believed. The fact is that since they did not believe in the texts of the Sharia, rational evidence was mentioned to them in the context of the Sharia text, and Ibn Khaldoun in Lessons: The most important faith beliefs are justified by their rational evidence, and they are known and established by the imams of the predecessors, and the imams after them verified them. However, after that, a disagreement was presented in the details of these beliefs, most of them sparked by similar verses, so this called for disputes, consideration, and reasoning with reason, and in addition to transmission, and thus knowledge occurred. talk.

After the year two hundred AH, a group of predecessors appeared who went to extremes in affirming the attributes, so they fell into anthropomorphism, and they disagreed with the imams of the predecessors who preceded them, who believed in what was proven from the texts that inspired similes, and they did not address its meaning through research or interpretation, nor did they approach its interpretation or interpretation because it is permissible for it to be a test, so one must stop and submit to it. Ibn Khaldun described them as innovators who deviated from what they invented, followed similar verses, and delved into similes in accordance with apparent phenomena mentioned in that way, so they fell into explicit anthropomorphism and contradicted the meaning of absolute purity, which is most of the sources of the Sharia. Then, when sciences increased and theologians became accustomed to exaltation, the Mu’tazila heresy arose in generalizing this exaltation in the meaning of the meanings, so they ruled to deny the attributes of meanings.. He said: “ This was a reason for the Sunnis to rise up with rational evidence on these beliefs to ward off the issuance of these heresies, and Sheikh Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari, the imam, did this. The theologians, so he mediated between the paths, denied similes, affirmed the moral attributes, and restricted transcendence to what the predecessors restricted it to, and the evidence specific to its generality attested to him. He affirmed the four moral attributes, hearing, sight, and speech based on the soul by means of transmission and reason, and he responded to the innovators in all of that and spoke to them about what they prepared for these innovations, such as saying what is good and what is best. And improvement and ugliness, and perfection of the beliefs in the mission, and the conditions of Paradise and Hell, and reward and punishment… ” He mentioned that there were many followers of Sheikh Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari, and his path was followed by his students after him, such as Ibn Mujahid and others, and the judge Abu Bakr Al-Baqalani and others took from them.  Ibn Khaldun’s words included an explanation of the direct reason for the emergence of the science of theology according to the Sunni doctrine, as Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari formulated it and his companions followed it after him. It is a science based on proving religious beliefs with evidence of reason and transmission. Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari was one of the jurists of the hadith, and he built his method. According to the approach of reason and transmission, there is no contradiction between reason and transmission.

On the other hand, there was work similar to the work of Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari, carried out by Abu Mansur Al-Maturidi (who died in the year 333 AH ). He was one of the scholars of the Hanafi school of thought in Transoxiana , and this was due to the spread of the sayings of the Mu’tazilites, the Mushabbis, and others in the late era of the Salaf. Abu Mansur wrote works on articles, principles, and refutations of the Mu’tazila, Qarmatians, and Rafidites. He died in Samarkand in the year: thirty-three and three hundred AH .  What Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari (who died in the year 324 AH ) and Abu Mansur Al-Maturidi (who died in the year 333 AH ) did was to take the sayings of the Companions, the Successors, and the Imams after them regarding the foundations of religion, clarify them, support them with addition, explanation, and clarification, and establish the theoretical approach. And the rules of rational inference to prove religious beliefs by both auditory and theoretical methods, that is: by transmissional and rational evidence, and to reject suspicions about them, as they formulated this approach in the manner of the Sunnis and the community, they and their companions after them, and this approach became an independent science called the science of theology, and its purpose was to clarify the doctrine. The people of the Sunnah, which the Companions and the imams who followed them followed, and their support with evidence, due to the spread of the heresy of the Mu’tazilites, the anthropomorphists, and other sects contrary to the Sunnis, and the characteristic of the people of theorizing and theoretical industry among the Sunnis and the community came to be applied to the Ash’aris, in reference to their imam, Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari, and the Maturidiyya, in reference to their imam , Abu Mansour Al-Maturidi. Abdul Qadir bin Abi Al-Wafa Al-Qurashi (deceased: 775 AH ) said in his book: Al-Jawahir Al-Madiyya fi Tabaqat Al-Hanafiyyah: “ Imam Abu Mansour Al-Maturidi is the head of the Sunnis and his followers are mostly Hanifis, and Imam Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari and his followers are mostly Shafi’is .”

There is no dispute that the imams of the Salaf used rational proof, and examples of that are what Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Adhrami mentioned in the Council of al-Wathiq, until a group appeared in the era of the Salaf who supported the beliefs of the Sunnis and the community with verbal arguments and fundamental proofs and wrote down about that. Al-Shahrastani said in al-Milal al-Nihal: “Until it ended. ” Time goes back to Abdullah bin Saeed Al-Kalabi, Abu Abbas Al-Qalanisi, and Al-Harith bin Asaad Al-Muhasibi, and these were among the Salaf, except that they embarked on the science of theology and supported the beliefs of the Salaf with verbal arguments and fundamentalist proofs.. » .  The use of verbal methods according to Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah is not considered reprehensible in and of itself, since it is a method of reasoning. Rather, it may be reprehensible for other considerations. This is because what is preferred from the Salaf regarding the condemnation of speech regarding what the Companions were silent about, and what is used of it for argument and debate, so Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah is only They used it when the people of whims spread in order to invalidate their suspicions and clarify the truth, not to consider it a profession for controversy and confusion among the public. The historian Ibn Khaldun mentioned that the emergence of the science of theology was due to the occurrence of the heresy of the Mu’tazilites, the Mushabbah, and others, and he stated that it was not necessary for this era, that is: the period in which he lived in the century The eighth AH, and he mentioned that atheists and innovators have become extinct, and the Sunni imams have been content with what they wrote and recorded, and the rational evidence they only needed when they defended and supported, but now nothing remains of it except words that the innocent has eschewed from many of his insinuations and generalities.  These sects have become extinct, so there is no need to speak about what is absent from people’s minds, but the possibility of the emergence of people of desires requires that among the religious scholars in every era there be someone skilled in the science of theology if he has extensive knowledge of the sciences of Sharia, so the theologian who has no knowledge There is inevitably error in religion, and if we read the history of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah, we would find that among the theologians were scholars of religion who were scholars of hadith, jurisprudence, and knowledge of Sharia. Just as it is not necessary for every individual to learn the science of theology, rather it is limited to some individuals among the scholars of religion in every era to respond. Regarding the people of whims, Ibn Khaldun said: “ But its benefit to individual people and seekers of knowledge is significant, as it is not good for a bearer of the Sunnah to be ignorant of the theoretical arguments for its beliefs .” We also find that some of them are famous for their speech and some of them are not famous for it, and the reason for this is due to a rule they have that Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali explained by saying: The science of theology is like a dangerous medicine that needs a skilled doctor, and it is only used when necessary, meaning: the correct one does not need medicine. In fact, taking medicine may harm him, and he likened it elsewhere to a weapon, so it is only used when necessary.

The Ash’aris and Maturidis are issued to respond to misguided sects and deviant sects, and they and the people of the Athari order are considered one component, the majority of scholars of the Sunnis and the greatest community in the science of interpretation , the science of hadith , and in various disciplines of forensic science.

Badr al-Din al-Zarkashi said in his book “Al-Bahr al-Muhit”: “ And know that Sheikh Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari used to follow al-Shafi’i in the branches and principles, and perhaps he disagreed with him in the principles, such as his saying that the mujtahids are correct in the branches, and that is not the doctrine of al-Shafi’i, and like his saying: “There is no formula for generality.” Sheikh Abu Muhammad al-Juwayni said: “His opposition to the principles of al-Shafi’i and his texts was conveyed, and perhaps the innovators attribute to him what he is innocent of, just as they attributed to him that he says: There is no Qur’an in the Qur’an, nor in the graves a prophet. Likewise, the exception in faith and the denial of the Creator’s ability in eternity, the excommunication of the common people, and the obligation Know the evidence for them. I browsed through his books and studied his texts on these issues and found that they were all contrary to what was attributed to him. Ibn Fourak said in the book Sharh Kitab al-Maqalāl by al-Ash’ari regarding the issue of correcting the mujtahids: Know that our Sheikh Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari also follows the Shafi’i doctrine in jurisprudence, the issues of branches, and the principles of jurisprudence, and the text of his statement in the book of interpretation in the chapter on the obligation of reciting al-Fatihah for those who are prayed in prayer is contrary to the saying of Abu Hanifa, and reciting the basmalah out loud. : Contrary to Malik’s statement, and in proving the verse of the Basmala in every surah there is a verse of the Qur’an revealed in it, and for this reason he said in his book on the principles of jurisprudence in agreement with its principles .

Behavioral science

The science of behavior , or the science of Sufism, is one of the legal sciences. It is a method or path that the servant follows to reach knowledge of God and knowledge of Him, and achieve the status of benevolence, through diligence in acts of worship, avoiding forbidden things, educating the soul, purifying the heart of bad morals, adorning it with good morals, and asceticism in this world. Its origin is that this method has not ceased to be the path of truth and guidance among the great Companions, the Successors, and those after them. Its origin is devotion to worship, devotion to God Almighty, turning away from the trappings and adornments of the world, abstinence from the pleasures, money, and prestige that the majority accepts, and seclusion from creation in solitude for worship. This was common in Companions and predecessors, when the interest in the world became widespread in the second century and after and people tended to mix with the world, those who started to worship were designated as Sufis and Sufis.  The method of Sufism is the method of conduct, and the disciple is the one who follows the path, and in his knowledge of the path he needs the educator, who is the one who guides the pathologist and guides him to correct behavior so that he can follow the path, and advances in the ranks of servitude by increasing faith by doing obedience and abandoning what is forbidden, and advancing in the ranks of goodness by drawing near. To God with voluntary prayers after performing the obligations and duties, separating from creation, engaging in worship, holding oneself accountable, treating one’s shortcomings, and struggling with oneself, until a state arises in every struggle and worship in which one progresses from one state to another. The origin of all of them is obedience and sincerity, and faith precedes and accompanies them, and conditions and attributes produce results and fruits. Then another arises from it and another leads to the station of monotheism and knowledge, and the aspirant continues to rise from one station to another until he reaches monotheism and knowledge, which is the desired goal of happiness.  In addition, they have etiquettes specific to them and conventions in terms that circulate among them, and the knowledge of Sharia has become of two types: a type reserved for jurists and those who give fatwas, and a class reserved for the people of Sufism in carrying out this struggle and holding the soul accountable for it and speaking about the tastes and occurrences that occur on its way and how to advance from them in terms of taste. To taste and explain the conventions that pass between them in this regard.

Ibn Khaldun said: “ After codifying the sciences, men of this order wrote in their own way. Some of them wrote about piety and holding oneself accountable for following the example of taking and abandoning, as Al-Qushayri did in the book Al-Risala, and Al-Suhrawardi in the book Al-Awarif Al-Ma’arif and their likes, and Al-Ghazali, may God have mercy on him, combined the two matters in The Book of Revival of Religious Sciences , in which he recorded the rulings on piety and imitation, then he explained the etiquette and Sunnahs of the people and explained their terminology in their expressions. The science of Sufism in the religion became a written science after the method was only worship and its rulings were only received from the breasts of men, as happened in all the other sciences that were recorded in the book, such as interpretation, hadith, and jurisprudence. And assets and so on .

Some Sunni scholars have considered some of the methods of Sufism to be things that are contrary to the Sunnah, such as abstaining from food. Al-Qurtubi said : “ As for the method of Sufism: for a sheikh to be one of them day, night, and month, a thinker who does not cease, this is a far-fetched method.” away from what is right, not befitting humankind, and not consistent with the Sunnahs »,  As for dancing and clapping, it is attributed to the one who does it, not to this knowledge. Al-Izz ibn Abd al-Salam said : “ As for dancing and clapping, it is lightness and recklessness similar to the recklessness of women. It is not done by a fool or a pretender who is a liar. How can balanced dancing with the scales of singing be achieved by someone who is reckless? His core, and his heart was gone, and he, peace be upon him, said: “The best of generations is my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them,” and none of those whom he emulates did any of that. Rather, Satan took control of a people who thought that their joy upon hearing was related to In God Almighty, they have believed in what they said, and they have lied in what they claimed… And whoever fears God and realizes some of His glorification will not imagine dancing or clapping, and clapping and dancing only come from a stupid and ignorant person, and they do not come from a sane and virtuous person. ”  The people of Sufism, after the era of the righteous predecessors, in the fundamentals of belief, follow the doctrine of the Sunnis and the community in the manner of the Ash’arites and the Maturidites , and they follow one of the four Sunni schools of jurisprudence, and they take revelation and inspiration. The methods that educators take in raising their disciples have varied, and from them emerged what is known as “Sufi paths.” The most famous among the Sunnis are:

Desouki method .

Naqshbandi method .

The Shadili method .

The Qadiri method .

Tijaniya method .

The Rifa’i method .

Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah are the largest Islamic religious group of Muslims in most periods of the history of Islam , and the majority of Muslims are affiliated with them, and their scholars define them as being the ones who are united in following the approach of the Sunnah of the Prophet and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and the Imams of the religion from among the Companions and Followers and the owners of the recognized schools of jurisprudence among the jurists of opinion and people of opinion. Hadith, and those who followed in their footsteps and took their method from them through transmission and continuous chain of transmission. This designation was not a common term at the beginning of Islamic history , as there was no division or division. Rather, this designation appeared gradually due to the emergence of sects that broke away from the Muslim community under different names. The title “Ahl al-Sunnah” was given to the people of knowledge among the imams of the Companions and those who followed their path. In religion, as it was mentioned in the introduction to Sahih Muslim on the authority of Ibn Sirin that when the events of the killing of Caliph Uthman ibn Affan occurred , which he refers to as “sedition,” he said: “ They were not asking about the chain of transmission, so when the sedition occurred, they said, ‘Name your men for us,’ and the Sunnis would be looked at and taken into account.” Their hadiths, and the people of innovations should be looked at, and their hadiths should not be taken into account. ”  The imams in the religion are among the Companions and those who follow them in good faith are the people of the Sunnah, that is: the followers of the method followed in the religion, given that their method that they followed was based on following the method of the Prophet’s guidance, as they transmitted the knowledge of religion in its generality, and it was based on He must teach them what they have explained and what they have deduced according to the principles of Sharia.

Acquiring the knowledge of religion was restricted to the Companions who carried it. At the beginning of Islam, they were called reciters because of their reading of the Qur’an and their knowledge of religion. According to what Ibn Khaldun mentioned, after the jurisprudential deduction was possible and jurisprudence was perfected and became knowledge, they were replaced with the name of jurists and scholars instead of reciters, and the knowledge of the Companions was transferred to the followers and taken from them. The imams after them, then jurisprudence among them was divided into: the method of the people of opinion in Iraq and the leader of their group in whom the doctrine and its companions was established, Abu Hanifa , and the method of the people of hadith in the Hijaz and their imam Malik bin Anas and Al-Shafi’i after him.

After the second century AH, according to what Ibn Khaldun and others mentioned, a group of predecessors were attached to the apparent meanings of similar texts and exaggerated in affirming attributes, so they fell into anthropomorphism. In contrast, the Mu’tazilites exaggerated in exaltation and denied fixed attributes. As for the Sunnis at that time, they included a group such as: Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Dawud ibn Ali Al-Isfahani and others took the approach of those who came before them among the hadith scholars, such as Malik bin Anas and others, and they said regarding similar texts: We believe in them as they are and do not succumb to their interpretation. A group of Sunnis in the era of the Salaf supported the beliefs of the Salaf with verbal arguments and fundamentalist proofs. After the occurrence of the heresy of the Mu’tazila, the Mushhabi, and others, and the spread of their sayings at the end of the era of the Salaf, according to what Ibn Khaldun and others mentioned, Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari and Abu Mansur Al-Maturidi clarified the beliefs of the Salaf among the Sunnis, repelled suspicions about them, and supported them with rational and narrational evidence, with theological approaches, and wrote books on the articles of the sects,  This resulted in the differentiation of these sects, which scholars wrote about in the “Books of Sects,” most of them in the fourth century AH, including Abd al-Qahir al-Baghdadi, one of the jurists of the Shafi’i school of thought , in his book: “ The Difference Between the Sects ,” in which he mentioned that the Sunnis wal Jama’ah is the seventy-third sect and that they are one group. From the two groups of opinion and hadith, all of them agreed on one statement regarding the fundamentals of religion, and perhaps they differed in some of its branches in a way that does not necessitate misguidance or immorality. [  The name was given to the Sunnis and the community to distinguish them from the Kharijites, the Mu’tazila, the Mujasimah, the Shiite sects, and other sects.

The Sunnah is the language of the method and the biography,  and it means the path followed in the religion, or the example followed and the imam who is followed,  or the opposite of heresy,  and the meaning of the Sunnah differs among Sharia scholars according to what is meant by it.  Al-Shafi’i said : “ The generalization of the Sunnah refers to the Sunnah of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace .”  The Sunnah of the Messenger is a method for all Muslims, as he is the imam of the nation and the closest people to his nation and their first teacher. What is meant by the Sunnah whose necessity and obligation to be followed is indicated by the Sharia texts is the Prophetic method referred to in the texts as a specific reference, not a personal one. [14] Al-Aini said: The Sunnah: “a  . ” The Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him ”  and his Sunnah, his method in religion, his path to God, his knowledge, his approach, and his guidance that he and his companions followed. They took the knowledge of religion from him and were guided by his guidance, and after him they were role models for the nation. So the Sunnah is the path followed in the religion that he followed. He and his companions and the Rightly-Guided Caliphs after him in guidance, knowledge, work and belief, and this method according to the imams of the Sunnis and the community is the example followed in the religion, which was followed by the Rightly-Guided Caliphs and the imams of the religion among the Companions and Followers and those who followed them in righteousness, so it includes the Sunnah of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs and those who followed their path among the diligent Imams of Islam . In rulings, they are his successors after him, those who conveyed him and carried his guidance, and following their method in religion in the event of disagreement is following his method of referring to them in matters that are problematic, and following them in what they worked hard on and agreed upon after the era of prophecy, because it is following a Sunnah that was established with them and was not transmitted to us, or combined ijtihad. On them or their successors; Their consensus is consensus.  Everything that happened among them is included, such as compiling the Qur’an into one Qur’an, writing down collections, books of knowledge, and other matters because they are consistent with the principles of religion, even if they were created after the era of Prophethood.  God Almighty said: “ Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed God… Verse ”  [ An-Nisa : 80] And God Almighty said: “ O you who have believed, obey God and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you… Verse ” [ An- Nisa : 59] . 

According to the imams of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah, the Sunnah is this method that is commanded in Sharia to be followed on the basis that following these imams is based on following the guidance of the Prophethood, which is the path to being guided to the straight path.  Those who agree on this method are the group and they are the people of legal knowledge.  The group in this name refers to the group of the Sunnis and the community from the meaning of gathering in this way. The hadith contains the command to follow the Sunnah and avoid innovation, and the Sunnis and the community interpret innovation in its legal meaning as innovation in the religion that has no basis in the Sharia, and it is the one that is condemned in the Sharia and its perpetrator described as misguidance and promised hellfire, [20] and according to them it includes the types of  that It was introduced by the sects that appeared in the advanced eras of Islamic history, such as: the heresies of the Kharijites and those who followed them, the Qadariyah, the anthropomorphism, and others. The first heresy to appear in Islam was the strife of the Kharijites, who split from the group of Muslims and announced their departure from Ali bin Abi Talib , and they exaggerated in their threat, saying that the disobedient should be declared apostasy and immortalized in the world. Hellfire, and they used the infidelity of Muslims as a justification for rebellion against the rulers, thus unlawfully denouncing the blood, honor, and wealth of Muslims. They restricted faith to their group, and many sects branched out from them.

Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah are the greatest majority of people of legal knowledge, holders of jurisprudential schools of thought, diligent imams, and Sharia scholars throughout Islamic history, and among them are included others who followed them and agreed with them among the Muslims .  Their jurisprudence settled in the eras of the later ones on the imitation of the four schools of thought in the regions , and the work of each imitator with a school of thought. Those who imitated him, and their earlier imams, agreed on one statement regarding the foundations of belief, and on the validity of the succession of the first four caliphs: Abu Bakr , Omar, Uthman , and Ali . They believed in the justice of all the Companions , and in the obligation to remain silent about what happened between the Companions, and that the reward of diligence was proven to them, and they did not deem any of the people of the Qiblah a disbeliever. For a sin committed by him, they agreed on the necessity of listening and obeying the rulers and that it is not permissible to rebel against them.  And if they are disobedient, Al-Nawawi said: “ As for revolting against them and fighting them, it is forbidden according to the consensus of the Muslims, even if they are immoral and unjust .”

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Drawing the word majesty

Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah is a title that has been used since advanced periods of the history of Islam to refer to those who follow the method followed in religion followed by the Rightly Guided Caliphs and Imams among the Companions and Followers and those who followed them from among the jurists of opinion and the people of hadith and whoever followed them and followed their path. The title of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah was not a recognized term. Accordingly, at the beginning of Islamic history , when there was no division or division among Muslims, they did not need to name their distinction, as they were neither divided nor different in the principles of religion and its universals. And if a difference occurred between the diligent imams in other secondary issues, it is a matter approved by Sharia, and in most cases It did not end with consensus, and they were all united in the guidance of the Prophet, and the general believers in the religion of Islam were called: “ Muslims ” or people of Islam, and the imams among them were called “people of knowledge” or readers, that is: the educated or jurists in the sense of religious scholars, but the name began to appear gradually. Because of the emergence of sects that broke away from the Muslim community under different names, the Islamic nation has been one nation since its inception, and this is what God has confirmed in the Qur’an by saying: “And indeed, this nation of yours is one nation, and I am your Lord, so fear Me.”52[  Al-Mu’minun : 52] ,  And the Almighty says: “ And this is My path, straight, so follow it, and do not follow other paths, for lest He separate you from His path. This He has enjoined upon you, perhaps. How much you fear153( Al  – An’am : 153) . The straight path of God is the path of the religion of Islam in which there is no deviation, and the divided paths are paths of misguidance.

The origin of the name, before it was a recognized title, was used by the imams of the Sunnis in the era of the Salaf, where they used the phrase: “Ahl al-Sunnah” meaning: the owners of the method followed in the religion, and they are the imams who have legal knowledge that is carried by every successor, and they used the word: “Sunnah.” In the sense of knowledge in religion in general, they say, for example: So-and-so is the most knowledgeable of the Sunnah, and what is meant by this is knowledge of the Sharia, and when the sedition occurred, the events of which occurred with the revolt against Caliph Uthman bin Affan, the third of the caliphs, and led to his killing, the use of the name “Ahl al-Sunnah” began to appear in that period, and according to what was stated On the authority of Ibn Sirin , the title “Ahl al-Sunnah” means the imams of religious scholars and bearers of the Sharia, to distinguish them from those who oppose them. The reason for this was that the occurrence of the aforementioned sedition brought about strange phenomena, represented by those who were affiliated with the knowledge of the Sharia from other than its people. This was denounced and certain conditions were set for the transfer. The narration of the hadith is among the most important of its chain of transmission and justice. In Sahih Muslim: On the authority of Muhammad ibn Sirin, he said: “ This knowledge is a religion, so look from whom you take your religion. ” On the authority of Ibn Sirin , he said: “ They were not asking about the chain of transmission, so when the sedition occurred, they said: Name your men for us, so it is looked at. The Sunnis and their hadith are taken, and the people of innovations are looked at and their hadith is not taken .”  And in a narration by Al-Tirmidhi in Al-Ilal: On the authority of Ibn Sirin, he said: “ In the first time, they were not asked about the chain of transmission, but when the sedition occurred, they asked about the chain of transmission, in order to take the hadith of the Sunnis, and call it the hadith of the people of innovations .”  Muslim narrated in his Sahih on the authority of Abu Hurairah, who said: “The Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said: ‘ At the end of time, there will be liars and impostors who will bring you hadiths that you and your fathers have not heard. So beware of you and them, that they will not mislead you nor tempt you.’” The Sunnah that came in his words means the method followed in the religion that was followed by the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, the Imams among the Companions, and those who followed them with righteousness in guidance, knowledge, action, and belief. The Sunnis are the people of knowledge in religion, narration and knowledge. Narration is the transmission of the texts of the Qur’an, the Hadith, and the sayings of the Imams . Knowledge is knowledge in religion, so Ahl al-Sunnah means people of knowledge that include both narration and knowledge, and Ibn Sirin mentioned Ahl al-Sunnah in contrast to the people of heresy, and Ahl al-Sunnah at that time interpreted the people of heresy to include all the people of deviation and whims who invented in the religion what was not of it. It has no basis in Sharia law, like the Kharijites, the Qadariyya, and other sects that appeared in previous eras, for they spoke about religion according to their own whims. Al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih, commenting on the description of the Kharijites, the text of which is: “Ibn Umar saw them as the evilest of God’s creation, and he said: They turned to verses that were revealed in The disbelievers, so they imposed it on the believers .

It is very important to know the terms used by the imams of the Salaf. In the phrase of Ibn Sirin when he said: “ Hadith of the Sunnis ,” it indicates that the narration of the hadith was not limited to the Sunnis. Rather, those who described them as heresy also narrated the hadith, and that the hadith is part of the definition of the Sunnis. What is meant by them is the people of legal knowledge, and this is what is indicated by the texts of the imams of the predecessors, that by “Ahl al-Sunnah” they do not mean the narrators of the hadith, but rather by that they mean the people of knowledge that includes the narration of the hadith.

The imams of the Companions and those who followed them and those who followed them in good faith were a reference for Muslims after the era of prophethood in matters of religion, in that they transmitted the religion and knowledge of Sharia in its generality. Their knowledge is not limited to transmission only, but rather includes everything they transmitted and learned and the knowledge they specialized in interpreting religion, understanding Sharia, and deriving jurisprudential rulings. Because of their qualifications for ijtihad and knowledge of the abrogated and abrogated, and so on, and because they are more knowledgeable than others about Sharia law, it has been reported from the imams of Ahl al-Sunnah in the era of the Salaf that they used to call these imams “Ahl al-Sunnah,” that is: those with the path followed in the religion that they followed of guidance, knowledge, work, and belief, and these are Their method is based on following the method of prophecy in that they transmitted the knowledge of religion, understood it, and deduced from it. The Companions were not all competent to issue fatwas. Rather, it was specialized in Sharia scholars among them who had specialized since the era of prophecy for knowledge of religion, and in the early days of Islam they were called the readers, meaning: Learners, and the learner among them was called a reader, and after the spread of education, they became called: jurists, that is: imams of religion and scholars of Sharia. According to what Ibn Khaldun mentioned, the title of readers was given at the beginning of Islam to specialists in the knowledge of Sharia, and after the expansion of education and the ability of jurisprudential deduction among the imams. The mujtahids, as jurisprudence became an industry and a science, changed the title: reciters to the name: jurists and scholars.  The jurisprudence of the diligent imams was transferred from the companions and followers to the diligent imams after them, and the jurist became a title for the imams of the jurisprudential schools of thought. Then two approaches to the jurisprudential approach became famous, according to what Ibn Khaldun mentioned: the approach of the jurists of opinion and analogy in Iraq and the origin of their group in which the doctrine was established . Among his companions is Abu Hanifa , and the approach of the hadith jurists in the Hijaz and their imam is Malik bin Anas and Al-Shafi’i after him.  Then, Imam Al-Shafi’i laid out the science of the principles of jurisprudence in his book: Al-Risalah and combined the two methods, and the difference between them is that the method of the people of opinion expanded the analogy more, and these two methods are the ones that became famous after that among the Sunni jurists, considering that it is a jurisprudential approach.

After distinguishing the sects that appeared in the history of Islam and revealing their sayings in the era of the ancients, the scholars collected the violations of these sects and clarified their names and sayings. They limited the number of these sects and recorded their dates and collected them in the books of the sects. It was mentioned in the book “The Difference between the Sects” that Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah are the seventy-third sect of the two groups of opinion . And the hadith ,  Among them were the imams of reciters, hadith scholars, jurists, and theorists, and they all agreed on one statement regarding the principles of religion, and their earlier imams agreed on these principles, explained them, wrote them down, and the later ones took them from them, and the difference of the diligent imams in the branches of rulings does not enter into this division by agreement . And no immorality, innovation, or infidelity is attributed to it. According to what was stated in his words, this name was given to the Sunnis and the community to distinguish them from the Kharijites, the Mu’tazilites, the Mujasimah, the Shiite sects, and other sects that differed from them in the fundamentals of religion.

The concept of the word Sunnah

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Sunni beliefs

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Linguistic definition

The Sunnah in language is the method that is followed, the example that is followed, the behavior that is followed, and the continuous and permanent habit, and Ibn Jarir Al-Tabari defined it as: “ the example that is followed and the imam who is followed .” Lapid said:

From a group whose fathers taught them                            Every people has a sunnah and its imam.

God’s Sunnah: His rulings, commands, and prohibitions, and God’s laws for people: He explained them. And God established a Sunnah, meaning: He showed a straight path,  and Sunnah also means: the conduct, whether good or bad, and it is said: its Sunnah is a Sunnah, and its Sunnah means: its pleasure, and the Sunnah of the ancients is their conduct, and it is said: I have established a Sunnah for you, so follow it, meaning: follow it, and in the Hadith “ Whoever establishes a good Sunnah will have its reward and the reward of whoever acts upon it, and whoever establishes a bad Sunnah will have its reward.”He wants those who do it to be emulated in it, and everyone who initiates a matter will be followed by people after him. It is said: He is the one who initiated it. Nasib said:

As if I had enacted love as the first lover                               Of the people, as I loved among them alone

The word “Sunnah” and what is taken from it were repeatedly mentioned in the hadith , and the basic principle is that it means: method and biography, and Ibn Manzur said : “ If it is used in the Sharia, what is meant by it is what the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him , commanded , forbade, and recommended in word and deed, which he did not utter. Dear book ; That is why it is said: In the evidence of Sharia: the Qur’an and the Sunnah, that is: the Qur’an and the Hadith .  Evidence of this is the hadith: “I only forget to forget,” meaning: I am only pushed into forgetfulness in order to guide people to the straight path, and explain to them what they need to do if forgetfulness occurs to them. He said: It is possible that it is from the habits of camels if they herd and stand well . On it, and in the hadith: “Al-Muhasab revealed it but did not make it Sunnah,” meaning: he did not make it a Sunnah to be followed. He said in Al-Tahtheeb: The Sunnah is the praiseworthy and straight path, and therefore it was said: So-and-so is from the people of the Sunnah, meaning: from the people of the straight and praiseworthy way, and it is taken from Al-Sunan, which is the way. Abu Ubaid said: “ The laws of the path and its laws are its proof, and it departs from the laws of the mountain, that is, from its face. Al-Jawhari said: The laws of the method. It is said: So-and-so remained upright according to one law .”

Al-Amidi said: The Sunnah in language means the method, so the Sunnah of every person is what you are entrusted with preserving and increasing in abundance, whether that is a good thing or something else.  He said in Sharh Al-Kawkab Al-Munir: “ And among them is his saying , peace and blessings of God be upon him : “Whoever establishes a good sunnah will have its reward and the reward of whoever acts upon it..”Hadith . It is also called: habit and biography. He said in Al-Badr Al-Munir: “ The Sunnah of biography is good or reprehensible ,” and he said in the dictionary: “ The Sunnah of biography, and from God Almighty is His wisdom, commands, and prohibitions .”

In the legal sense

The word: “Sunnah” and what is interpreted from it in the legal sense are used in multiple meanings by scholars of Islamic Sharia in different fields of Sharia sciences, according to what is meant by it in each science. Al-Shafi’i said: “The definition of the Sunnah refers to the Sunnah of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace . ”

According to jurisprudence scholars, the Sunnah refers to: “whatever was a voluntary act of worship transmitted from the Prophet, peace be upon him,” and it is sometimes applied to the recommended or desirable act that corresponds to the obligatory act and the other five rulings.

The Sunnah according to the hadith scholars is: “ Whatever was narrated on the authority of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, whether a statement, action, report, or moral or ethical characteristic, whether it was before or after the mission .”  It means: transmitting and narrating what influenced him from words, deeds, acknowledgment, and narration as a fact or a ruling, and it includes his biography, his moral and ethical characteristics, his movements and his stillness in wakefulness and in a dream before and after the mission.

The Sunnah, according to the scholars of the principles of jurisprudence , is: “ The words, actions, and approval of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him.” Taqi al-Din al-Futuhi said in defining the Sunnah, in the terminology of the scholars of the foundations of jurisprudence, it is: “ The words of the Prophet , peace and blessings be upon him, other than revelation, that is: other than the Qur’an .”  Or: “ Whatever was issued by the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, of legal evidence that is not recited, nor is it miraculous, nor is it included in the miraculous ,” and this type is what is meant by clarification in the science of the principles of jurisprudence . Saif al-Din al-Amidi said: “ This includes the sayings of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his actions and reports .” The sayings include commands , prohibitions , choices, news, and their meanings within the transmitted legal evidence.

Taqi al-Din al-Futuhi said: “ The Sunnah, both in law and in terminology, is: ‘the saying of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, and his action and approval of a thing.’ It is said or done, so if the Prophet , peace and blessings be upon him, heard a person say something, or saw him doing something and approved of it, then it is definitely from the Sunnah .” He also said: “ What is meant by The sayings and actions of the Prophet , peace and blessings of God be upon him, unless they are miraculous .

According to religious scholars, the Sunnah refers to “ the guidance of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, regarding the foundations of religion and the knowledge, work, and guidance he had .”

In general Sharia custom, the Sunnah applies to everything that is transmitted from the Sunnah of the Prophet or from the Companions and Followers. Taqi al-Din al-Futuhi said: “Be careful when saying: ‘conventionally’ from the Sunnah in general Sharia custom, as it applies to what is more general than what is transmitted from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and from Companions and followers; Because, in the terminology of scholars of jurisprudence: “ The words of the Prophet , peace and blessings be upon him, other than revelation, that is: other than the Qur’an .”

The word “Sunnah” is used in general legal custom to mean the method. Ibn Hajar said : “ His saying ‘this Sunnah’ refers to the method of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, as a specific reference, not a personal one .”  This is a definition of the Sunnah in its general sense, which is not limited to the Prophetic hadith. It means: the Prophetic method and the Prophetic guidance in its generality, and what falls within that from the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and diligent Imams. It may be used in general legal custom to mean the entire religion, given that he is the conveyor of the religion from God, and everything that came by way of revelation is known only from him, so his Sunnah is his guidance, his way, and his way to God, and it is his call to which he was called, and the way he followed in calling for the Oneness of God and devotion to worshiping Him without Gods and idols, and ending with obeying Him and abandoning disobedience to Him.

The Sunnah according to the imams of the righteous predecessors is knowledge in religion. Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani said: Al-Awza’i said: “ Knowledge is what came from the companions of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and what did not come from them is not knowledge .” Abu Ubaid and Yaqoob bin Shaybah narrated on the authority of Ibn Masoud that he said: “ People continue to be included in the goodness of knowledge that has come to them from the companions of Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, and their elders. But if knowledge comes to them from the youngest of them and their desires are dispersed, they will perish .” Abu Ubaidah said that what it means is that everything that came from the Companions and their senior followers in good faith is inherited knowledge, and what was introduced by those who came after them is reprehensible, and the predecessors used to differentiate between knowledge and opinion, so they said that the Sunnah has knowledge and everything other than it is opinion. On the authority of Ahmad: “ Knowledge is taken from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and then from the Companions. If it is not, then the Followers have a choice.” And on his authority: “What came from the Rightly Guided Caliphs is from the Sunnah, and what came from other companions who said it is Sunnah, I do not reject it .” On the authority of Ibn al-Mubarak : “ Let the one relied upon be the one who relies on it, and take from the opinion what explains the news to you .” Ibn Hajar said: “ The bottom line is that if an opinion is based on transmission from the Qur’an or the Sunnah, then it is praiseworthy, but if it is devoid of knowledge, then it is reprehensible, and this is evidenced by the aforementioned hadith of Abdullah bin Amr, as he mentioned after losing knowledge that ignorant people issue fatwas based on their opinion. ”

The Sunnah that one is commanded to follow

The Sunnah that the Sharia texts indicate is the command to follow it is the prophetic path in its most general sense according to the scholars of the Sunnis and the community, so the Sunnah of the imams of the religion among the Companions and those who followed them in goodness is included in it, and the imams of the Sunnis from the early predecessors interpreted it to mean: the knowledge of religion and Sharia transmitted from the imams of the Companions and their scholars and the imams of those who followed them with goodness. They interpreted the Sunnah, which the Sharia texts indicated that it was necessary to follow, as: “ the way of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace .”  That is: his guidance, his method, and what he and his companions followed in terms of guidance, knowledge, work, and belief, meaning: the path followed in the religion that he, his companions, and his rightly-guided caliphs after him and the imams of religion who followed them followed, and it is an interpretation of the Sunnah in its complete and comprehensive meaning, and many Some of the later scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah interpret the Sunnah, the obligation of which the texts indicate, as being specific to beliefs in the sense that innovation that contradicts it poses a great danger.  Their earlier imams meant by it the knowledge of religion that was transmitted in general terms from the imams of the Companions and their scholars, for they were the ones who carried the knowledge of religion and Sharia and learned it and explained it to the people. He is their imam and their first teacher and the most worthy of people to his nation, and his Sunnah is his way of religion, his approach, his knowledge, his guidance, his clarification to the people, and his ruling among them in what was mixed among them. They were responsible for matters, and the Companions were not all of them who issued fatwas. Rather, those who learned from him were singled out, and among them were the imams of religion and scholars of Sharia. They took knowledge from him about religion and the matters that he taught them and understood them from him through sitting with him, companionship, and experiencing the events, and all of this is what is meant by the word “Sunnah that is not It is limited to transmitting texts, and their knowledge includes what they learned and what is added to that from the rulings that they understood, explained, derived, or agreed upon. The Sunnis in the era of the ancient predecessors interpreted the Sunnah that the texts of Sharia indicated the command to follow in the sense of jurisprudence in religion, which is the knowledge of Sharia in its generality. It is taken from the imams of the religion among the Companions and those who followed them with goodness, and they make the Sunnah in this sense in contrast to the heresy that violates the principles of religion and its rules, such as the heresy of the Khawarij, the Qadariyyah, and the sects branching from them, and they call the sayings of these sects misguided desires, and by that they mean those who spoke about the religion without knowledge and interpreted the religion according to their desires and spoke about what was forbidden. God and His Messenger refrained from delving into it, and they did not take knowledge from the imams of the religion who carry the Sharia.

Their interpretation of the Sunnah in its integrated sense means the knowledge of the Sharia in its generality taken from the imams of the Companions and those who followed them in good faith, given that the imams of the Companions were united in guidance, and their Sunnah was implicitly included in the Sunnah of the Prophet, and their knowledge of the Sunnah included the characteristics of knowledge of the Sharia in all aspects, so they were the most knowledgeable people in the Arabic language that interprets it. They have the texts of the Sharia, so they were not asked about the interpretation of much of the Qur’an. Because it was revealed in their language, they did not need someone to explain to them the meanings of the words of the texts of the Qur’an and the Hadith. Because they originally mastered the language, and the imams of the Companions did not need to know the rules of interpretation of the Qur’an and the Hadith, the principles of interpretation, the methods of jurisprudential reasoning, the principles of jurisprudence, and other things. Because these matters were clear and well-established in their minds, and the scholars who established the science of interpretation, the science of jurisprudence, the principles of jurisprudence, and other sciences of Sharia law only developed them as a result of taking the knowledge of the Companions, and the doctrines of jurisprudence are the result of the doctrines of the jurists of the Companions, and the imams of religion after them are all dependent on them in the transmitted knowledge. About them.

God Almighty said: “ Indeed there has been for you in the Messenger of God a good example…the verse ” [ Al-Ahzab : 21] . That is, to emulate him and be with him wherever he is, and do not lag behind him. Ibn Jarir said: “ This is a reproach from God for those who remain behind the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, and his army in Medina from those who believe in him. For whoever hopes for God’s reward and mercy in the Hereafter does not desire himself or the place he is in, but he will have an example for him in being with him wherever he is. ” . 

Omar bin Abdul Aziz said when he was asked about fate: “ You must adhere to the Sunnah, for it is your protection, God willing .”

Sunnah versus heresy

The Sunnah may be used in Sharia law to refer to what is equivalent to innovation, and the texts of Sharia law include the command to follow the Sunnah and adhere to it in exchange for prohibiting innovation and warning against innovations, and the followed Sunnah in opposition to newly introduced innovations, and guidance in opposition to misguidance. The imams of the Sunnah from among the early predecessors used to interpret the Sunnah in its integrated meaning . They put it in contrast to heresy in its legal meaning, which is: a new innovation in the religion that opposes the Sunnah and is contrary to the Sharia, which violates the principles and rules of the religion and has no basis in the Sharia and is not part of the religion at all, and its owner is described as straying from the straight path for which punishment is promised in the afterlife. According to the Sunnis and the community, it includes all types. The heresies and misguided desires introduced by the sects that appeared in the advanced eras of the history of Islam, the first of which were the heresies of the Kharijites and the sects branching from them, such as the Qadariyyah and others. They rely in this on the transmitted legal texts regarding the dispersion of the nation, the characteristics of the Kharijites, and the occurrence of temptations.

Al-Tirmidhi narrated in his Sunan: “ On the authority of Al-Irbad bin Sariyah, he said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace , preached to us one day after the morning prayer a eloquent sermon that made our eyes shed tears and our hearts feared. A man said: This is a farewell sermon, so what did you entrust to us, O Messenger of God? He said: “I advise you to fear God, listen and obey, and if an Abyssinian slave is among you, then he is the one who lives among you. He sees a lot of disagreement, and beware of newly invented matters, for they are misguidance. Whoever among you realizes that should follow my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs , biting on it with your molars.”».  Al-Hakim narrated it: “You should adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs after me..”.  This hadith is an indication of the characteristics of prophecy, including the comprehensiveness of words, and it contains a miracle that indicates the truthfulness of prophecy in informing about what will be innovations in the religion that will lead to disagreement, conflict, and division, and informing the Companions that whoever of them lives will live; He will see a lot of difference in religion with the emergence of new innovations that contradict the principles and rules of religion and have no basis in Sharia law.

The imams of the Sunnis in the era of the ancient predecessors meant by this innovation, which was condemned by the texts of Sharia law, that it was all that was introduced by the sects that appeared in the early Islamic eras, such as delving into similarities that caused enmity between Muslims, division from the group of Muslims, rebellion against the rulers, and tyranny of opinion in opposition to the text. And monopolizing following one’s desires and different misguided desires, due to which people form separate sects that are not united by Islam. Al-Hasan referred to it and said: “ Beware of these desires, for their source is misguidance, and their destination is Hell .”  The hadith included a number of religious teachings, including: the commandment to fear God, to listen and obey those in charge, and not to rebel against them. In the two Sahih books, on the authority of Ibn Masoud , he said: “The Messenger of God , peace and blessings of God be upon him, used to give us the right to admonish us about the hatred of being bored with us.”.

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said : It contains a warning to the nation against following newly invented and innovated matters, and he confirmed that by saying: Every innovation is a misguidance, and what is meant by heresy is something new that has no basis in the Sharia that indicates it, and as for what has a basis in the Sharia that indicates it, it is not an innovation in Sharia, even if it is an innovation in language. . What occurred in the words of the predecessors regarding the approval of some innovations; This is only about linguistic innovations, not legality. Among that is the saying of Omar, may God be pleased with him, in Tarawih: What a wonderful innovation this is. It was narrated from him that he said: If this is an innovation, then what a wonderful innovation. Among that is the first Friday call to prayer. Uthman added it to the people’s need for it, and Ali approved it, and the Muslims’ work on it continued . It was narrated on the authority of Ibn Omar that he said: It is an innovation, and perhaps he wanted what his father wanted in Tarawih. End summary. The meaning of the hadith: Who among you realizes the time of great disagreement? So he must adhere to my Sunnah, that is: let him adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, for they did not act except by my Sunnah, so adding the Sunnah to them is because they are more knowledgeable about it and because they derived it from it and chose it. The hadith included the command to follow the path followed by the Messenger of God and the Companions, and to follow it and adopt it in word, deed, and belief, and this is indicated by the hadith: “ You should adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs after me…”.  In the hadith: “You must adhere to the group of Muslims and their imam.”  In the hadith: “Whoever lives among you will see much difference,” and in a narration: “There will be things that you deny,”

Al-Shawkani said : “ The Sunnah is the method. It is as if he said: Adhere to my method and the method of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. Their method was the same as his method. They were the people who were most keen on it and applied it in everything. In any case, they were keen to differ from him in the smallest matters as well as the largest ones, and when they lacked The evidence is from the Book of God and the Sunnah of His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him . They acted on the opinion that appeared to them after examination, research, consultation and contemplation, and this opinion in the absence of evidence is also from his Sunnah, as indicated by the hadith of Muadh when the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said to him : What do you decide? He said: By the Book of God. He said: If you do not find it, he said: Then by the Sunnah of the Messenger of God. He said: If you do not find it, he said: I will work hard on my opinion. He said: Praise be to God who has guided the Messenger of His Messenger, or as he said.. » .  What they acted upon based on opinion is from his Sunnah, and he urged us to follow them. As a confirmation for those who came after them, so that no one would imagine that they were violating his guidance, and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs is the same as the Sunnah of the Prophet and does not deviate from it.

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani said : “Innovated matters” with fatha al-dāl are the plural of “innovated” and what is meant by them is what is innovated, and it has no basis in the Sharia, and it is called in Sharia custom: “innovation.” And whatever has a basis that is indicated by Sharia is not an innovation, for innovation in Sharia custom is reprehensible, unlike the language, for everything that is newer according to the law is not an innovation. Other than this, it is called an innovation, whether it is praiseworthy or reprehensible, and the same applies to the saying regarding the newly invented matter and the newly invented matter that was mentioned in the hadith of Aisha: “Whoever introduces into this matter of ours something that is not part of it will have it rejected.”.  ​​The hadith of Al-Irbad is close in meaning to the aforementioned hadith of Aisha , and it is one of the comprehensive words. It indicates that the innovator is called an innovation, and what is meant by his saying: “Every innovation is a misguidance” is something new and for which there is no evidence from the Sharia in a specific or general way.  ​​Ibn Hajar also said: Some scholars divided innovation into five rulings, and it is clear, and it is proven on the authority of Ibn Masoud that he said: “ You have become on the Fitrah, and you will introduce something new and it will happen to you, so if you see something new, then you should follow the first guidance .”  ​​Al-Shafi’i said: “ Innovation is two innovations: praiseworthy and reprehensible. Whatever agrees with the Sunnah is praiseworthy, and whatever contradicts it is reprehensible .”  Al-Shafi’i also said: “ Innovated matters are of two types: whatever is innovated that contradicts the Qur’an, Sunnah, tradition, or consensus, then this is an innovation of misguidance, and whatever good is innovated that does not contradict any of these, then this is innovated and not reprehensible. ”  Among the things that happened were the recording of the hadith, then the interpretation of the Qur’an, then the recording of jurisprudential issues generated from pure opinion, then the recording of what relates to the actions of the hearts. Among the things that happened was delving into similarities and fallacies in matters of belief, and the predecessors’ denial of this was severe. Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani said : “ It is proven on the authority of Malik: that during the era of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, Abu Bakr, and Umar, there was nothing of whims – meaning the heresies of the Kharijites, the Shiites, and the Qadariyyah – ,” and he said. Also: “ The denial of this was intensified by the predecessors, such as Abu Hanifa, Abu Yusuf, and Al-Shafi’i, and their words in denouncing the people of theology are well-known, and the reason for this is that they spoke about what the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, and his companions remained silent about .”  ​​Al-Izz bin Abdul Salam divided innovation into five categories: obligatory, forbidden, recommended, permissible, and disliked.

The innovation that is described as misguidance according to the scholars of the Sunnis and the community is that which occurs in the religion by introducing something that is not from it, such as: the innovation of the Kharijites to say that people of sin are infidels, and such as: the innovation of anthropomorphism , the temptation of anthropomorphism, and other innovations that are promised to the one who innovated them with fire, even if his innovation does not take him out of the religion, since what is intended is punishment for Heresy. As for what has its origin in religion or what is part of the good Sunnah; It is not one of the innovations that is forbidden, as it was stated in the hadith: “Whoever establishes a good tradition in Islam and acts upon it after him, will be credited with the reward of the one who acted upon it, and nothing will be detracted from their rewards. Whoever initiates a bad tradition in Islam and acts upon it after him, the same burden as the one who acted upon it will be recorded for him, and no “Something will be reduced from their burdens.”.  And in another narration by Muslim, with the wording: “Whoever calls to guidance..” and “Whoever calls to misguidance..” Al-Nawawi said: These two hadiths are clear in urging the desirability of doing good things, and prohibiting doing bad things. Al-Nawawi said : “ His saying, peace and blessings be upon him : ‘So he implemented it after him.’”It means: He enacted it whether the work was done during his lifetime or after his death. And God knows best .

Follow the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs

The names of the four caliphs are written on the ceiling of Yeni Mosque in Istanbul.

The Rightly Guided Caliphs, in the general sense, are the imams of the Muslims in the religion, the people of guidance and guidance, or whoever among them was a caliph of the Muslims. According to the Sunnis, they are the four caliphs in agreement, and many imams stated that Omar bin Abdul Aziz was the fifth Rightly Guided Caliphs, [39] because they combined the leadership of the  . And the world, and they had a guardianship based on the method of prophecy, and the Sunnis and the community agree that it is obligatory to follow the Sunnah of the Caliphs, and that it is from the Sunnah that the Sharia commanded us to follow, and that they were united in guidance, and they support this with evidence, including the hadith: “You must adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs after me. ”It means adhere to my way, that is: the one he and his companions followed in terms of knowledge, work, belief, and guidance, and adhere to the way of the Rightly Guided Caliphs who are known for their guidance and guidance, and they are those who follow his example and follow his Sunnah and are guided by his guidance. This is because when he was a messenger to the worlds and the seal of the prophets and messengers, the imams in religion were the successors after him. Those who carry his law, those who communicate his message to him, those who call upon his call, those who follow his guidance, those who command what is right and forbid what is wrong, who inherit the knowledge of prophecy after him in taking knowledge from them, and in the hadith: “The children of Israel used to be governed by prophets. Whenever a prophet died, a prophet rose after him, and there will be no prophet after me, and there will be successors and they will multiply.”.

What is meant by the caliphs in this hadith is the diligent imams and jurists in the religion, who specialized in knowledge of the Qur’an and the Sunnah, narration and knowledge. They are the first four caliphs: Abu Bakr al-Siddiq , Omar ibn al-Khattab , Uthman ibn Affan, and Ali ibn Abi Talib . The command to follow the Sunnah of the caliphs includes following the imams of the jurists in the religion, the scholars of Sharia from The Companions and those who followed them in good faith are the heirs of the knowledge of prophecy.

“On the authority of Yahya bin Abi Al-Mut’a, he said, I heard Al-Irbad bin Sariyah say: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, rose among us one day and preached to us a eloquent sermon that made our hearts tremble and our eyes shed tears. It was said, ‘O Messenger of God, you gave us a farewell sermon, so entrust us with a covenant.’ He said: ‘You must fear God, listen, and obey, even if you are a servant. Abyssinians, and after me you will see severe disagreement, so adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and bite on it with your molars, and beware of newly invented matters, for every innovation is a misguidance.”In the hadith: The command to listen and obey the rulers of affairs, even if the one in charge of them is an Ethiopian slave, is an exaggeration of the obligation of obedience, and the impermissibility of rebellion against the rulers unless they command you to commit clear disbelief for which you have proof from God. And he said: “And you will see a difference after me.”In the same way as the justification for the commandment in this way, i.e. hearing and obedience, which eliminates severe disagreement, is good, and in that case: “You should adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs after me.”It was said that they are the four caliphs, and it was said that they are the people of knowledge of the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and what is evidenced by the hadith: “ And on the authority of Ibrahim bin Abdul Rahman Al-Adhari, he said: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said: “ Every successor of his will carries this knowledge, refuting from it the distortion of the extremists, the impersonation of the false, and the interpretation of the ignorant. »». Narrated by Al-Bayhaqi.  Al-Sindhi said: His saying: “And the Sunnah of the Caliphs, etc.”It was said: They are the four, may God be pleased with them. It was said: Rather, they are the imams of Islam who are diligent in rulings, and they are the successors of the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, in upholding the truth, reviving the religion, and guiding people to the straight path. And he said: “Bite on it with your molars.”By the embossed ones, which are the molars, it was said: He meant seriousness in adhering to the Sunnah, such as the action of one who holds something between his molars and bites on it to prevent it from being pulled out, or patience with the fatigue that befalls God’s essence, as one who suffers from pain does when he says: “And new matters. ”It was said: I mean by it what has no basis in the religion. Al-Sindhi said: “ As for matters that are consistent with the principles of the religion, they are not included in it, and if they were introduced after him, peace and blessings be upon him , I said: It is consistent with his saying: “And the Sunnah of the Caliphs.”Let him meditate .

Al-Rashidun is the plural of Rashidun, who is the one who knew the truth and acted upon it. Rather, the caliphs were described as the Rashidun because they knew the truth and ruled by it. Righteousness is the opposite of deception, and the deviant is one who knew the truth and acted contrary to it. In the novel: “The Mahdis”It means: God guides them to the truth and does not lead them astray from it. There are three categories: the rightly guided, the misguided, and the misguided. The rightly guided person knew the truth and followed it, the misguided: he knew it but did not follow it, and the misguided: he did not know it completely. So every adult is guided, and every person who is fully guided is an adult, because guidance is only accomplished by knowing the truth and working. It also has it.

« On the authority of Abd al-Rahman bin Amr al-Sulami that he heard al-Irbad bin Sariyah saying: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, preached to us a sermon from which the eyes shed tears and the hearts tremble from it. We said, O Messenger of God, this is a farewell sermon. So what did you entrust to us? He said: «I have left you on the white plain, the night of which is like its day. No one will deviate from it after me except one who perishes. Whoever among you lives will see a lot of disagreement, so you must adhere to what you know of my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, bite on it with your mohawks, and you must obey it, even if an Abyssinian slave is a believer, for the believer is like a camel’s nose wherever he is restrained and submissive.”».

Al-Sindi said: His saying: “on the white one”That is: the religion and the clear argument that does not accept suspicion at all, so the moment a suspicion is introduced to it is the same as the case when the suspicion is revealed and repelled from it, and the reference to it is His saying: “ Her night is like its day.”His saying: “The believer is the believer.”That is: the matter of the believer is to abandon arrogance and adhere to humility, so he will be like a camel with a nose like a kanaf, meaning without a stretch, and like a companion, meaning: with a stretch and the first is more correct and eloquent, meaning: the one who places the reins in his nose, so he drags whomever he wants, young and old, to wherever he wants, wherever he is tied, that is, a harness, and God knows best.

In it, he informed his companions of the great differences that would occur after him, that is, after the spread of Islam, the merging of the cultures of different peoples, and the occurrence of new phenomena and problems. He explained to them that whoever realized the time of this difference must return to what they had learned from his Sunnah and the Sunnah of his caliphs after him. The Sunnah that the imams of the Sunnah are commanded to follow is The early predecessors are the knowledge of religion in general terms from the imams of the Companions and their scholars, “and the Sunnah of the Caliphs…”It is included in the general meaning of the Sunnah, but he singled them out with the Sunnah added to them because they have a followed Sunnah, which must be followed and referred to when there is disagreement, and the Sunnahs of the Caliphs upon which the people agreed, such as compiling the Qur’an, gathering the people under one imam in Tarawih prayers, compiling collections of poetry, and so on.

Abu Naim narrated from the hadith of Arzab Al-Kindi: “The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘Indeed, things will happen after me, so I like them so that you adhere to what Omar did.’”“.

Malik said: Omar bin Abdul Aziz said: “ The Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, and the rulers after him enacted our laws, which are to be adhered to the Book of God and strength to the religion of God, and no one has the right to change them or alter them or consider a matter that contradicts them. Whoever is guided by them is guided.” And whoever seeks victory through it will be victorious, and whoever abandons it and follows other than the path of the believers, God will protect him from what he has taken, and He will cast him into Hell, and it is an evil destination .”

Khalaf bin Khalifa said: I witnessed Omar bin Abdul Aziz delivering a sermon to the people while he was a caliph, and he said in his sermon: “ But what the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and his two companions enacted is a duty of religion, we take it and end with it .”

The Sunnah of the Caliphs, upon which the meeting took place, includes the rulings issued by them regarding new developments for which there is no legal text indicating them regarding them, such as the ruling of Umar, which the Companions unanimously agreed upon in the matter of dependency and in the two issues of Al-Gharawayn, and similar to what the people agreed upon in the triple divorce, and in the prohibition of mut’ah with women, and other things.  Everything that was decided by the imams of the Companions or their successors, and upon which there was a consensus, is considered by the Sunnis and the community to be a valid proof, and their consensus is a consensus. As for the branches of rulings that they did not agree on, they are not proof, but rather are jurisprudential schools of thought.

Waki` said: “ If Omar and Ali agree on something, then it is the matter .”

On the authority of Ibn Masoud , he used to swear to God: The straight path is the one on which Omar remained steadfast until he entered Paradise.

Ali used to follow his rulings and issues, and he said: “ Omar was wise in matters .”

Ash’ath narrated on the authority of Al-Sha’bi, who said: “ If people disagree about something, then see how Omar decided on it, for Omar would not decide on a matter that he had not decided on before until he consulted .”

Mujahid said: “ If people disagree about something, look at what Omar did and accept it .”

Ayoub said on the authority of Al-Sha’bi: “ Look at what the nation of Muhammad agreed upon, for God would not have united them on misguidance. If they disagree, then look at what Omar Ibn Al-Khattab did and accept it .”

Ikrimah was asked about the child’s mother, and he said: She will be freed upon the death of her master. He was asked: What do you say? He said: By the Qur’an. He said: By what Qur’an? He said: “ Obey God and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you ” [ An-Nisa : 59] , and Omar was one of those in authority. 

The concept of the word group

identification

The group in the language is those who come together over something, and the plural of something from separation,  and the origin of the word is to benefit the meaning of coming together as opposed to separation, and it has been mentioned in the texts of the Qur’an and the Hadith that the word “group” is used against division and coming together against separation, so the word “group” is not limited to one group as opposed to another, so Muslims They are all like one body, their Lord is one, their Prophet is one, and their religion is one, and all Muslims are one nation and one group united by the word of Islam, and the people of Islam coming together as one group and not being divided is what is required in Islamic law, and God has commanded all Muslims to be one group, united and not divided, [55  And God Almighty said: “ And hold fast to the rope of God all together and do not become divided… Verse ” [ Al Imran : 103] . Ibn Abbas said : It means hold fast to the religion of God, and Ibn Masoud said: It means the group, and he said: “ You should adhere to the group, for it is the rope of God that God has commanded.” “And what you dislike in congregation and obedience is better than what you like in division .” Mujahid and Ataa said: By the covenant of God, and Qatada and Al-Suddi said: It is the Qur’an, and Muqatil bin Hayyan said : By the rope of God: that is, by God’s command and obedience to Him. Al-Aini said: The Book and the Sunnah.  “ And do not become divided ” Al-Baghawi said: That is, do not separate as the Jews and Christians did.  And God Almighty said: “ And obey God and His Messenger, and do not dispute, lest you lose heart and your strength will depart, and be patient. Indeed, God is with those who are patient . ”  Conflict leads to disappointment and the loss of power, and the division that is forbidden in Islamic law is that which is opposed to the group by disobeying the group of people of Islam in what they have agreed upon, which turns the nation into sects, separate parties, and multiple groups, and it is different from the disagreement considered in issues of branches, so it does not enter into the meaning of Division in religion. The ijtihad of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, the imams of the Companions, and those who followed them among the people of considered ijtihad is not included in this according to consensus, as it does not lead to conflict and division of religion, but rather it is one that is merciful and does not spoil a cause of friendship. 

The group, as it is in Islamic law, is the group of Muslims in general, and the group of Muslims in general includes the common people and their special ones, except that the group that Sharia forbids to separate from is not represented by a large number, but rather in the specific, which is the group of imams and princes. Imams, that is: in religion, and princes are governors. Things, and the division that is forbidden, means separation from the group of imams and princes, and it also means division in opinions and religions, and this detail was mentioned by Abu Suleiman Al-Khattabi in the book: “Isolation” in the fourth century AH, and he said: “ Division is two groups, the group of opinions and religions, and the group of people and bodies, and the group is two groups.” “A group is the imams and princes , and a group is the common people and the demagogues,” and in his words he clarifies what is meant by this division, which is that the group that is forbidden to separate from is the group of imams and princes, but the group of common people is not what is intended by this prohibition, just as the division of bodies and persons is not what is intended by This is also a prohibition, but what is meant is the division of opinions and religions.

He stated in his speech: The division that is forbidden in Sharia is the division in opinions and religions, and he explained that by saying: “ As for the division in opinions and religions, it is forbidden in minds and forbidden in issues of fundamentals because it invites misguidance and causes obstruction and neglect. If people were left divided, opinions and disputes would disperse and multiply.” Religions and sects were of no use in sending messengers, and this is what God Almighty criticized for the division in His Book and condemned it in the verses mentioned above . He said: “ At this same pace, we also conduct the matter in parting with the imams and princes, because parting with them involves the separation of familiarity, the disappearance of infallibility, and the departure from the confines of obedience and the shadow of trustworthiness, which is what the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, forbade and intended when he said: “Whoever separates from the group and dies, his death is ignorance,” and that is because The people of pre-Islamic times did not have an imam who would unite them in a religion and unite them with one opinion. Rather, they were various sects and sects with different opinions and different religions. This is what called many of them to worship idols and obey their rulers, based on a corrupt opinion that they believed that they had good and that they would benefit them or ward off harm from them .

Interpretation of the meaning of community

The group as it is in the legal sense generally refers to the group of Muslims, but the group that is forbidden in Sharia to separate from is the group of imams and princes, and the group in that it gives the meaning of the meeting refers to those who gathered in a matter in which others disagreed with them, and explanations of the meaning of the group have come from the imams of the Sunnis and the community. What is mentioned in the hadiths mentioned in sayings transmitted from their imams from among the predecessors, and they are explanations for defining the group for specific considerations in the group and the characteristics of those gathered and what they agreed upon. Ibn Jarir al-Tabari (d. 318 AH) collected the sayings of the imams and the scholars after him quoted them, and the difference between these sayings is due to To the different characteristics of the meeting according to what is meant by it in the meaning of dissent, and these sayings were quoted by Al-Shatibi in the book: Al-I’tisam, and he mentioned them in five that I say in brief: “ The great majority, the diligent imams, the Companions, the people of Islam if they gather on a matter, the group of Muslims if they gather on a prince.” ».

The first saying: The group is the greatest majority of the people of Islam, so whatever they adhere to regarding the matter of their religion is the truth, and whoever disagrees with them dies the death of ignorance, whether he disagrees with them in any part of the Sharia or in their imam and authority, then he is in conflict with the truth, and they are the ones who, if they come together to agree to present a prince The people who separated from them were dead in ignorance, and they were most of the people and all of them from the people of knowledge and religion and others, who gathered together according to what the people of the first guidance were upon, so the nation’s diligent scholars and scholars and the people of the Sharia who work in it, and everyone else, are included in their rule, because they follow them and follow their example, so what They were upon him regarding the matter of their religion, for it is the truth, and among those who said this were Abu Masoud Al-Ansari and Ibn Masoud , and this is the group that Abu Masoud Al-Ansari described in what Al-Tabari narrated that when Caliph Uthman bin Affan was killed , Abu Masoud Al-Ansari was asked about sedition, so he recommended the group and said: The nation should not unite on Misguidance, and he described the sect as misguidance, so everyone who departed from their group are those who deviated, and all the people of heresy are included in these because they differed from those who came before from the nation. They did not enter into their group under any circumstances, whether the one who differed from them in a matter of religion or differed from them in their leader.

One of them: It is the vast majority of the people of Islam, so whatever they adhere to in terms of their religion is the truth, and whoever disagrees with them dies a death of ignorance, whether he disagrees with them in any part of the Sharia or in their imam and authority, then he is in disagreement with the truth, and among those who said this were Abu Masoud Al-Ansari and Ibn Masoud, so he narrated that When Uthman was killed, Abu Masoud Al-Ansari was asked about sedition, and he said: “ You must adhere to the group, for God would not unite the nation of Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, on misguidance, but be patient until you are relieved or relieved from the ungodly. ” And he said: “ Beware of division, for division is misguidance .” Ibn Masoud said: “ You must listen and obey, for it is the rope of God that He has commanded. ” Then he held his hand and said: “ Indeed, the one you hate in the group is better than the ones you love in the group. ” On the authority of Al-Hussein, it was said to him: Abu Bakr, the successor of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace? He said: “ That is, by Him there is no god but Him, God would not have united the nation of Muhammad upon misguidance .” According to this saying, the nation’s diligent scholars, scholars, and people of the Sharia who work within it are included in the group, and everyone else is included in their rule, because they follow them and follow their example. Everyone who departs from their group are those who have deviant and are the prey of Satan, and all the people of heresy are included in these because they are different from those who came before from the nation. They did not enter into their darkness in any way.

Second: The group is the group of the imams of the diligent scholars. Whoever deviates from what the scholars of the nation are upon dies the death of ignorance, and among those who say this are Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak , Ishaq bin Rahawayh , and a group of the predecessors, and this is the opinion of the fundamentalists, so the diligent imams are the reference of the nation.

Third: The group is the Companions in particular, because their group is the basis, as they united on guidance, and the meeting on guidance is not achieved except by following them in what they agreed upon of the truth, and among those who said this saying is Omar bin Abdul Aziz . The third: The group is the Companions in particular, for they are the ones who established the pillar of religion and established its stakes, and they are the ones who do not unite on misguidance at all, and this may be possible among others, and among those who said this saying was Omar bin Abdul Aziz, and Ibn Wahb narrated on the authority of Malik, who said: Omar bin Abdul Aziz says: “ The Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, and the rulers after him enacted our traditions, adopting them is confirmation of the Book of God, completion of obedience to God, and strength for the religion of God. No one has the right to change it, change it, or consider it. Whoever is guided by it will be guided, and whoever seeks victory by it will be victorious. And whoever fears it follows a path other than that of the believers, and God will appoint him as long as he undertakes, and He will send him to hell, and it is an evil destination . ” Malik said : “I liked Omar’s determination to do that.” According to this saying, the wording of the group is identical to the other narration in his saying, peace and blessings be upon him: “That is what I and my companions are upon.”It is as if it is due to what they said, what they enacted, and what they worked hard on as evidence at all, and the testimony of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, to them, especially in his saying: “So adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs.”And those like him, or because they are the imitators of the words of prophecy, those who are guided by the Sharia, who understood the command of God’s religion by receiving it from His Prophet orally, with knowledge and insight into the areas of legislation and evidence of circumstances, unlike others. Therefore, everything they have enacted is a Sunnah with no equal in it, unlike others, so there is room in it for the people of diligence. To consider the response and acceptance, then the people of innovations are definitely not included in the group according to this saying.

Fourth: The group is the group of the people of Islam. If they agree on a matter, it is obligatory for other people of the sect to follow them, and they are the ones whom God guaranteed to His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that he would not unite them in misguidance. If a disagreement occurs between them, it is obligatory to know what is correct in what they differed about. Al-Shafi’i said : « There is no negligence in the group about the meaning of the Book of God, nor about the Sunnah or analogy, but rather negligence results in division . It is as if this saying goes back to the second saying, which also implies what it requires, or goes back to the first saying, which is more apparent.

Fifth: What Al- Tabari , the imam, chose, that the group is a group of Muslims if they gather around a leader. So he, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded their adherence to him and forbade the separation of the nation regarding what they had agreed upon, such as taking precedence over them, because their separation does not exceed one of two situations, either to denounce them in obeying their prince and to criticize him for his satisfactory conduct. For no reason, but rather by interpretation to create heresy in the religion, such as the Haruriyya, which the nation was ordered to fight and which the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, called a deviant from the religion, or to seek leadership from concluding the pledge of allegiance to the leader of the group, in which case he broke a covenant and broke a covenant after it was obligatory. He, peace and blessings be upon him, said : “Whoever comes to my nation to disperse their group, behead him, whoever he may be.”. Al-Tabari said: This is the meaning of the command to adhere to the group. He said: As for the group that, if they come together to agree to the introduction of an emir, they will die the death of ignorance, then they are the group described by Abu Masoud Al-Ansari, and they are the majority of people and all of them are people of knowledge, religion, and others, and they are the greatest majority. He said: This was explained by Omar bin Al-Khattab May Allah be pleased with him, and it was narrated on the authority of Omar bin Maimun Al-Awdi that he said: Omar said when he stabbed Suhaib: “Pray with the people three times, and let Othman, Ali, Talha, Al-Zubayr, Saad, and Abd Al-Rahman enter, and let Ibn Omar enter at the side of the house, and he has nothing to do with the matter, so stand up.” O Suhaib, on their heads with the sword. If five pledged allegiance and one reneged, then flog his head with the sword. If four pledged allegiance and two men reneged, then flog their heads until they trust a man . And he ordered Suhayb to strike the head of the one who separated from them with the sword. They understood the meaning of the large number gathered to pledge allegiance to him and the small number of those who separated from them. He said: As for the report in which it was mentioned that the nation should not unite on misguidance, its meaning is: that he should not unite them in misleading the truth in what has befallen them regarding the matter of their religion until it is misled. All of them lack knowledge and make mistakes in it, and this does not happen in the nation. This is the entirety of his words, and they are conveyed in the meaning and in most of the wording. The bottom line is that the group is due to the gathering of the imam who agrees with the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and this is evident in the fact that gathering on a basis other than the Sunnah is outside the meaning of the group mentioned in the aforementioned hadiths, such as the Kharijites and those who followed their path.

The diligent imams

The Companions chose the caliph on the basis that he was a diligent imam, one of the most knowledgeable of them in the religion and the most knowledgeable of the Sharia, whom the people followed and the nation agreed upon. Their successors chose the governors on the basis that they were among the imams of the religion and scholars of the Sharia. This is because the meaning of the group, according to them, was not achieved except by the gathering of the diligent imams from the people of Sharia. Knowledge, and interpretations of the meaning of the group that the hadiths indicate came from the imams of the Sunnis from among the predecessors. Ibn Jarir al-Tabari mentioned their statements in interpreting the group, and the scholars of the Sunnis and the group quoted them from him, including al-Shatibi, and he said: “ The second: It is the group of imams of diligent scholars, so whoever departs from what Accordingly, the scholars of the nation died the death of ignorance, because God’s group of scholars, God made them a proof for the worlds, and they are concerned with his saying, peace and blessings be upon him: “God will not unite my nation upon misguidance.”This is because the common people take their religion from it, and are terrified of calamities, and they follow them. The meaning of his saying: My nation will not come together, the scholars of my nation will not come together on misguidance, and among those who said this were Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak , Ishaq bin Rahawayh , and a group of the predecessors, and this is the opinion of the fundamentalists, so it was said to Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak : Who is the group of people who should be emulated? He said: Abu Bakr and Omar – and he continued counting until he reached Muhammad bin Thabit and Al-Hussein bin Waqid – so it was said: These are dead, so who are the living? He said: Abu Hamza al-Sukkari, and on the authority of al-Musayyab ibn Rafi’, who said: Whenever something came to them regarding the judiciary that was not in the Book of God or the Sunnah of the Messenger of God, they called him “the narrators of the princes,” so they gathered the people of knowledge for him, and whatever their opinion agreed upon was the truth, and on the authority of Ishaq ibn Rahawayh, similar to what he said. Ibn Al-Mubarak. According to this saying, there is no entry into the question for someone who is not a diligent scholar, because he is included among the people of imitation, so whoever among them does something that contradicts them is the one who died of pre-Islamic times .

Everyone has agreed that the people of knowledge and ijtihad are considered, and that the consideration in the group interpreted by the great majority is only by the greatest majority of scholars whose ijtihad is taken into account, so whoever deviates from them and dies, his death is ignorance, and as for the group of common people, they follow their imams; Because they do not know the Sharia, they must return in their religion to the scholars. If they had gathered to differ from the scholars, they would have been the majority due to the scarcity of scholars and the large number of ignorant people. But the point is not the number, so the gathering of the common people is not an argument or a reference in the religion, even if they are the largest in number, then they have They gather on misguidance, so no one says: Following the group of the common people is what is required and that the scholars are the ones who separate from the group and those who are reprehensible in the hadith. Rather, the matter is the opposite, and that the scholars are the greatest majority, even if they are few, and the common people are the ones who separate from the group, if they disagree, and if they agree, then it is what is obligatory for them, so it cannot be said that The common people are the group that they are commanded to follow, and if the time is devoid of a mujtahid, then it is not possible for the common people to follow people like them. Rather, the transmission of the mujtahids descends to the status of the presence of the mujtahids. What binds the common people with the presence of the mujtahids is what binds the people of the imposed time that is devoid of a mujtahid. The imams who worked in advanced times on what they agreed upon are proof. On those after them. Ibn Al-Mubarak was asked about the group of people he emulates, and he answered by saying: Abu Bakr and Omar.. He said: He continued counting until he came to Muhammad bin Thabit and Al-Hussein bin Waqid. It was said: These are dead, so who is alive? He said: Abu Hamza al-Sukkari , and he is Muhammad bin Maimun al-Marwazi.

Al-Shatibi said: Following the opinion of one who has no insight and the ijtihad of one who has no ijtihad is pure misguidance and blindness, which is what is implied by the authentic hadith: “God does not take away knowledge by snatching it away…”the talk. Abu Nu`aym narrated on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Qasim al-Tusi, who said: I heard Ishaq ibn Rahwiyah mentioned in a hadith that he submitted to the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, who said: “God would not unite the nation of Muhammad upon misguidance, so if you see disagreement, then you should adhere to the greatest rule.”Then a man said, “O Abu Ya’qub, from Al-Sawad Al-Azam?” Muhammad bin Aslam and his companions and those who followed them said. Then he said: A man asked Ibn Al-Mubarak: Who is Al-Sawad Al-Azam? He said: Abu Hamza al-Sukkari. Then Ishaq said: In that time (meaning Abu Hamza), and in our time, Muhammad bin Aslam and those who followed him. Then Ishaq said: If you had asked the ignorant about the greatest mass, they would have said: The group of people, not knowing that the group is a scholar who adheres to the influence of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. And his path, whoever is with him and follows him, is the group.  It was narrated on the authority of Al-Bukhari and others that the group was interpreted as: a group of people of knowledge, who are the diligent imams and all the Sharia scholars who follow them in good faith, and Badr al-Din al-Ayni said in explaining what is meant by “the group” in what is mentioned in the hadith: “ The group that the lawgiver ordered to be adhered to is a group.” Scientists; Because God Almighty has made them a proof against His creation, and to them the common people fear in their religion, and they follow it, and they are concerned with His saying: “ God will not unite my nation upon misguidance.”».

It is proven in the authentic hadith that the Companions were told that whoever of them lives will realize a time in which there will be a lot of disagreement and things that they deny, so he advised them that whoever realizes any of that should follow the first guidance, that is, his way that he and his companions followed and the way of the Rightly Guided Caliphs after him, and this is coming together upon the truth and guidance in matters. The religion that was followed by the imams of the Companions and those who followed them in righteousness, and it is based on agreement in the principles of the religion. As for the difference in the branches of rulings, it occurred during the time of the Companions and after them among the diligent imams in matters related to which there is no text in the Sharia indicating it, according to conditions mentioned by the scholars in The science of the foundations of jurisprudence . This ijtihad, which was specific to the diligent imams, most often ended in consensus, and the consensus of the diligent imams of the Companions and those after them was evidence against the people of that era and those after them. The doctrines of the jurists of the Companions were transmitted to the jurists of the Successors and the imams of the jurisprudential schools after them, and they became famous among them . The Sunnis and the community are the doctrines of the jurists of the people of opinion and the jurists of the people of hadith. They took the doctrines of the Companions and the imams who followed them, and they worked hard on the issues that remained subject to disagreement, and in many of them they reached consensus. These doctrines were transmitted by their imams, and the adherents of each school of thought worked hard on the issues in which there was no text about the imam of his doctrine. The disagreement occurred in the branches of each school of thought, then the scholars of preference came from the adherents of each school of thought, and they gave preference to one of the opinions in which the disagreement occurred. The jurisprudential schools of thought that are considered by the Sunnis and the community upon which the work was settled for them in the era of the later scholars are the four schools of thought, and the work is based on one school of them . In education, fatwas, and judgment according to the scholars of each sect, according to what prevails in its sect, Ibn Khaldun mentioned that imitation stopped in the regions with these four, and people closed the door to disagreement and its paths when the terminology in the sciences became more complex, and when it hindered it from reaching the level of ijtihad, and when it was feared that it would be attributed to it. To someone other than his family and someone whose opinion or religion cannot be trusted, so they declared their inability and need. Each imitator worked according to the doctrine of those whom he imitated after correcting the principles and connecting their chain of transmission to the narration, not merely quoting from books. Ibn Khaldun said: “ The claimant of ijtihad for this covenant is rejected and his tradition abandoned. Today, the people of Islam have begun to imitate these four imams .

The necessity of the Muslim community

The obligation of the group of Muslims to the group of Muslims is required in all circumstances, except that it is specifically specified in the case of separation, and the obligation of the group has the meaning of following and imitating the imams in the religion, and listening and obedience to those in charge, and the hadith came in the command to adhere to the group of Muslims in what they have agreed upon of the truth in general. Ibn Jarir al-Tabari believed that what was meant was: adherence to the group of Muslims if they gathered around a leader. He said: “Then he, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded adherence to him and forbade the separation of the nation regarding what they had gathered about, such as prioritizing them over them . ” Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani said : Al-Tabari said: There was a difference of opinion regarding this matter and regarding the group. Some people said: It is the greatest importance for obligation and congregation. Then he quoted on the authority of Muhammad bin Sirin, on the authority of Abu Masoud, that he advised anyone who asked him about the killing of Uthman: “You must adhere to the congregation, for God would not gather the nation of Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, upon misguidance .” Some people said: What is meant by the group is the Companions, not those after them, and some people said: What is meant by them is the people of knowledge, because God made them a proof of creation and the people followed them in the matter of religion. Al-Tabari said: The correct view is that what is meant by the report is the adherence of the group who are in obedience to the one who has gathered to appoint him, so whoever breaks his pledge of allegiance leaves the group. He said: And in the hadith, when the people do not have an imam and the people split into parties, he should not follow anyone in the division and everyone should isolate himself if he is able to do so for fear of Falling into evil, and on this is what is stated in all the hadiths, and it combines what appears to be different from them, and is supported by the aforementioned narration of Abd al-Rahman bin Qart.

In the hadith, when the people do not have an imam and the people separate into parties, he should not follow anyone in the division, and everyone should isolate himself if he is able to do so for fear of falling into evil, which is indicated by: “On the authority of Hudhayfah bin Al-Yaman, who said: The people used to ask the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, about good, and I used to ask him about evil . Fearing that he would overtake me, I said, O Messenger of God, we were in ignorance and evil, and God brought us this good. Is there any evil after this good? He said: Yes, I said: Is there any good after that evil? He said: “Yes, and it contains smoke.” I said, “What is his smoke?” He said: “A people who are guided by other than my guidance. You will recognize them and reject them.” I said: “Is there any evil after that good?” He said: “Yes, they are preachers at the gates of Hell. Whoever answers them to it, they will throw him into it.” I said: O Messenger of God, describe them for us. He said: “They are from our skin and speak with our tongues.” I said: So what do you order me to do if that happens to me? He said, “You adhere to the group of Muslims and their imam.” I said, “If they do not have a group or an imam,” he said, “Then withdraw from all of these groups, even if you bite the root of a tree until death overtakes you while you are in that state.”  The best path is the guidance of Islam, which is the path followed by the imams of the Companions and the Rightly-Guided Caliphs and those who followed them with righteousness in guidance, knowledge, work, and belief. Those who oppose this path are those who are described as being guided by other than the guidance of prophecy, and it came from the Sunnis and the community’s interpretation of the preachers at the gates of Hell that they are the ones who went out. In seeking kingship, like the Kharijites and others, for they strayed from the path of guidance, so he advised him not to follow those sects that split from the group of Muslims, and to adhere to the group and their imam, who is the caliph. The commitment of the group is due to the meeting on a caliph, and if their meeting agrees with what the imams of the Companions and the Rightly Guided Caliphs agreed upon, then the commitment of the group It means following them, imitating them, listening and obeying their leader, and if the caliph is disobedient or a sinner or one of the followers of sects that differ from what the Sunnis and the community are upon, as was the case in the Mu’tazila’s victory in the time of al-Ma’mun and his two brothers after him, then he should not follow them in the desires they introduced, and despite that, the Sunnis at that time did not They will go out against the Caliph, and what is meant by preachers at the gates of Hell is someone who rises up in demand of kingship from the Kharijites and others, and this is indicated by his saying: “Adhere to the group of Muslims and their imam.”Meaning, even if it is a neighbor, and this is explained by Abu Al-Aswad’s narration: “Even if he hits your back and takes your money.”. Meaning: “Adhere to the community of Muslims and their imam.”That is: the ruler. He added in Abu Al-Aswad’s narration: “You listen and obey, even if he hits your back and takes your money.”Likewise, in the narration of Khalid bin Subay’ according to Al-Tabarani: “If you see a caliph, adhere to him, and if he strikes your back, if there is no caliph, then run away.”. And he said: “Even if you bite the root of a tree…”It is a metaphor for adhering to the community of Muslims and obeying their rulers even if they disobey, and in the narration of Abd al-Rahman ibn Qart on the authority of Hudhayfah according to Ibn Majah: “It is better for you to die while you are disobedient than to follow any of them.”That is: Do not follow any of the people of desires who are outside the community of Muslims and their imam. The joy is when the jimm is broken and the sukun of the ma`jamah is followed by the lam of a stick that is erected for the camels to rub against. Al-Baydawi said: The meaning is that if there is no caliph on earth, then you must isolate yourself and be patient to bear the hardship of time, and biting the root of the tree is a metaphor for enduring hardship, as they say: So-and-so bites stones out of intense pain, or what is meant is imposition, as in his saying in the other hadith: “Bite on it with the prongs. ”. The first is supported by his statement in another hadith: “If you die biting a group of people, it is better for you than following one of them.”. Ibn Battal said: There is evidence for the group of jurists in the necessity of adhering to the group of Muslims and avoiding rebelling against the imams of injustice, because he described the latter group as: “ preachers at the gates of Hell.”He did not say about them: recognize and disavow, as he said about the first two, and they cannot be like that unless they are not right. However, he ordered adherence to the group.

Sharia texts indicate the necessity of listening and obeying those in charge. Because it contains the combination of the word and in the hadith: “ On the authority of Ibn Abbas, on the authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, who said: “Whoever dislikes something from his ruler, let him be patient, for whoever is removed from the authority by a span of time will die a death of ignorance .” And in a narration: “Let him be patient with him.” And his saying: “For he is one who departs from the authority,” meaning: from obedience to the authority, and in the second narration, “he who separates from the group,” and his saying “an inch” is a metaphor for disobeying the authority and fighting him. Ibn Abi Jamra said: What is meant by paradox is seeking to undo the pledge of allegiance that occurred to that prince, even if it is for the slightest thing, so denote it as the amount of an inch, because taking that would lead to unjust bloodshed. And in the other narration: “He died but died a death of pre-Islamic times,” and in a narration by Muslim: “So his death was a death of pre-Islamic times.” According to him, in the hadith of Ibn Umar, he attributed it to him: “Whoever removes his hand out of obedience will meet God and has no proof, and whoever dies without a pledge of allegiance on his neck dies a death of pre-Islamic times.” That is: the state of death is like the death of people of pre-Islamic times following misguidance and not having an obeyed imam. Because they did not know that, and what is meant is not that he dies as an infidel, but rather that he dies as a disobedient, and what is meant is rebuke and repulsion, and it appears that it is not intended. Ibn Battal said: There is evidence in the hadith for refraining from rebelling against the Sultan, even if he is a tyrant, and the jurists have unanimously agreed on the obligation of obeying the conquering Sultan and jihad with him, and that obeying him is better. From rebelling against him because of the shedding of blood and calming down the mobs.

The evidence for the necessity of congregation is many, including: what Al-Tirmidhi narrated : “ On the authority of Abdul Rahman bin Abdullah bin Masoud, narrating on the authority of his father, on the authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, who said: May God bless a man who heard my words, understood them, memorized them, and communicated them. Perhaps there are three things that carry jurisprudence to someone who is more knowledgeable than him, and the heart of a Muslim should not be deceived by them . Devoting one’s work to God, advising the imams of Muslims, and adhering to their group, for the call surrounds them .  Narrated by Al-Shafi’i and Al-Bayhaqi in the introduction.

On the authority of Ibn Abi Malika, he said: Asmaa said: “On the authority of the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, he said: ‘ I am at my basin waiting for someone to respond to me, then people are taken away from me, so I say, ‘My nation,’ and it is said, ‘You don’t know. Walk backwards.’”Ibn Abi Mulaika said: Oh God, we seek refuge in You from turning back on our heels or being tempted.

The majority of the Sunnis and the community agreed on the necessity of obeying those in charge because of the unification of the word of the Muslims, for disagreement is a reason for the corruption of their conditions in their religion and world. According to the Almighty’s saying: “ Obey God and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you ” [ An- Nisa : 59] Al-Nawawi said: “ The scholars said: What is meant by those in authority is those whom God has made obligatory to obey, among the governors and princes. This is the opinion of the majority of the predecessors and successors, among the commentators, jurists and others, and it was said: They are the scholars, and it was said: They are the scholars, and it was said that : The princes and scholars, and as for whoever said: The Companions in particular only, he made a mistake . 

Muslim narrated in his Sahih: “On the authority of Abu Hurairah, on the authority of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, he said: “Whoever obeys me has obeyed God, and whoever disobeys me has disobeyed God, and whoever obeys the prince has obeyed me, and whoever disobeys the prince has disobeyed me.”. Al-Nawawi said: “ Because God Almighty commanded obedience to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and he, may God bless him and grant him peace, commanded obedience to the prince, so obedience went hand in hand .”

And in a narration by Muslim: “On the authority of Abu Hurairah, he said: The Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said: ‘You must listen and obey in your hardship and ease, in what makes you happy and in what you dislike, and in what is preferable to you.’””.

Al-Nawawi said: “ The meaning of the hadith is: Do not dispute with the rulers regarding their authority, and do not object to them unless you see a definite reprehensible act on their part that you know is one of the principles of Islam. If you see that, then denounce it to them, and speak the truth wherever you are. As for revolting against them and fighting them, it is forbidden according to the consensus of the Muslims, even if they are Immoral and unjust .”  He said: The hadiths have demonstrated the meaning of what I mentioned, and the Sunnis have unanimously agreed that the Sultan is not isolated by immorality. As for the aspect mentioned in the books of jurisprudence of some of our companions that he is isolated, and it was also reported from the Mu’tazilites, then the one who said it was wrong and contradicts the consensus.

He also said: “ The scholars said: The reason for his not being isolated and forbidding rebellion against him is the strife, bloodshed, and corruption between people that would result from that, so the spoilage would be greater in his isolation than in his survival .”

“ The majority of Sunnis, including jurists, hadith scholars, and theologians, said: He should not be isolated due to immorality, injustice, and obstruction of rights, and he should not be removed from office, and it is not permissible to rebel against him for that, but rather he should be exhorted and intimidated; For the hadiths mentioned in that .

The question of the imamate

A drawing of the name of Imam Ali bin Abi Talib on one of the giant frescoes in Hagia Sophia .

The issue of the Imamate is one of the most important issues used by the groups that dissented from the Muslim group, and the first of them was the strife of the Kharijites who split from the Muslim group and announced their departure from Ali bin Abi Talib , saying there is no judgment except for God. Ali bin Abi Talib responded to them by saying: “The word of truth is intended.” What lies behind it is falsehood.” They were the first to innovate rebellion against the rulers, then the Shiite sects appeared who believed that the Imamate was one of the foundations of the religion, and that it was hereditary, despite their differences in determining who deserved it. The Sunnis and the community considered the imamate a matter of unanimous interest and not one of the principles of the faith. The imam is the one whom people emulate in his words and deeds. The imams of the Muslims are religious scholars and they are the heirs of the prophets in carrying knowledge and performing religious tasks towards the general public. These tasks differ according to the scholarly ranks and the powers assigned to them. The imams of the Muslims are: the caliphs and those below them among the people of states and religious scholars.  The basic principle of imamate is that it is the imamate of the religion among the diligent imams of all levels of ijtihad , and the religious scholars are subordinate to them, considering that the imams in the religion who bear the law are the heirs of the prophets in conveying the religion and explaining it to the people. It was said to Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq: O Caliph of God, and he said: “ No, but I am the successor of the Messenger of God , peace and blessings of God be upon him.” The selection of the caliphs in the beginning was on the basis that they would be imams in the religion, and the Rightly-Guided Caliphs were like that, and each one of them was a diligent imam, and the companions did not choose for the position of caliphate except a diligent imam from among the best and most knowledgeable of them in the religion, until He is able to rule according to God’s law with the knowledge of Sharia law that he has, and he will be a reference for judging people in the developments of matters that confuse them. Many of the imams of the Companions and the Successors and those after them, like the four imams and other religious figures, had a scientific mission, and they did not seek to obtain authority with their knowledge. They choose for the caliphate the best and most knowledgeable of them in the religion, and they commit themselves to obeying him, and they do not use their knowledge as a ladder to reach political positions and oppose and dispute the rulers.

Succession

Islamic Caliphate, 622-750

  Expansion of the Islamic state under the rule of the Prophet, 622-632

  Expansion under the Rightly Guided Caliphs, 632-661

  Expansion under the Umayyad Caliphate, 661-750

Ottoman Islamic Caliphate.

The caliphate or the great imamate is a general mandate, and the greatest imam who succeeds the prophethood is in charge of guarding the religion and the politics of the world, and then he stipulated in it what was stipulated in the judge and in addition.  The caliph is called an imam; Because the selection of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs was based on the fact that the Caliph should be a diligent imam with the highest possible level of knowledge in religion. People would follow him in knowledge and religion, submit to his rule, pray behind him, and be obliged to obey him. Al-Mawardi said : “The imamate is established to succeed the Prophethood in guarding the religion and the politics of the world.”  Saad al-Din al-Taftazani said in al-Maqasid: “ Imamate: it is general leadership in the affairs of religion and the world as a succession from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him . ”  The Imam of the Two Holy Mosques said: “Imamate is complete leadership and general leadership, relating to the elite and the public, in religious and worldly tasks. Its mission is to preserve the estate, take care of the flock, establish advocacy with argument and sword, stop fear and injustice, seek redress for the oppressed by the oppressors, collect rights from those who abstain, and fulfill them to those who deserve them. On the authority of Abu Hurairah, on the authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, who said: The Imam is only a shield behind which he is fought . And he is protected by it. If he commands to fear God Almighty and be just, he will have a reward for that, and if he commands something else, he will be rewarded for it . Al-Nawawi said : “His saying , peace and blessings be upon him: ‘The Imam is a shield’, meaning: like a veil; Because it prevents the enemy from harming Muslims, protects people from one another, protects the foundation of Islam, and people fear it and fear its power. The meaning of: “He fights from behind him,” meaning: he fights with him the infidels, transgressors, Khawarij, and all other people of corruption and injustice in general. The ta’ in “pious” is substituted from the waw. Because its origin is prevention.

Ibn Khaldun said: “ Then appointing an imam is a duty whose obligation is known in the Sharia by the consensus of the Companions and Followers. Because the companions of the Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, upon his death, hastened to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr May Allah be pleased with him and hand over their matters to him, and this was the case in every era after that, and the people did not leave chaos in any era, and this established a consensus indicating the necessity of appointing an Imam . He said: If it is determined that this assignment is obligatory by consensus, then it is a sufficient obligation and is due to the choice of the people of the contract and the solution, then it is obligatory for them to appoint it, and all of creation must obey it, according to the Almighty’s saying: “ Obey God and obey the Messenger and those in charge of authority among you ” [ An- Nisa : 59] .  Saad al-Din al-Taftazani mentioned the public’s evidence on the necessity of appointing a caliph in the text of al-Maqasid, saying: “ We have reasons: The first: consensus, which is the basis until they presented it for the burial of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him. The second: that what is required of establishing borders, closing the gaps, and other such things cannot be completed without it. It relates to preserving the system. Third: It brings benefits and wards off countless harms, and that is obligatory according to consensus. Fourth: It is obligatory to obey it and know the Qur’an and Sunnah, and it necessitates that it must be achieved by its status . He finished briefly with Al-Saad’s words. The necessity of appointing an imam is proven by the authentic hadiths mentioned in the commitment of the Muslim community and their imam, such as the hadith: “Whoever dies without a pledge of allegiance on his neck dies a death of pre-Islamic times.” .  “ On the authority of Hudhayfah bin Al-Yaman, peace and blessings be upon him, he said to him: “You must adhere to the group of Muslims and their imam.”.

The consensus on the appointment of the Caliph is sufficient evidence, and accordingly the state of the nation has stabilized throughout Islamic history, and the Ottoman Caliphate was the last state of the Islamic Caliphate.

Provisions of succession

The Great Mosque of Banu Umayyad in Damascus , one of the most prominent examples of Umayyad architecture.

The Sunnis and the community, both predecessors and successors, and the majority of other sects, unanimously agreed that the appointment of the Imam, i.e. his appointment as ruler of the nation, is a duty for Muslims according to Islamic law, not just reason. Because the ruler is commanded to perform religious duties, just as the subjects are commanded religiously to obey the ruler. The majority of Sunnis and the community agreed that the ruling on appointing a caliph or ruler is a legal duty. To protect the interests of the people, and the statements of the Kharijites and those who agreed with them otherwise cannot oppose the consensus. The legal evidence has unanimously confirmed the obligation of obeying those in charge, based on the texts of the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and consensus. God Almighty said: “ Obey God and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. Then if you dispute over anything, refer it to God and the Messenger. ” ( An- Nisa : 59) , and in the hadith: “You must listen and obey,” meaning For the rulers of affairs, Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari said: “They agreed to listen and obey the imams of the Muslims, and that everyone who took charge of any of their affairs, willingly or by force, and whose obedience extends, whether righteous or immoral, is not obligated to revolt against them with the sword, whether righteous or just, and that they must fight with them the enemy and perform Hajj with them to the House, and the House must be defended.” They are given alms if they ask for them, and the Friday and Eid prayers are performed behind them.” 

Methods of convening the Imamate and installing rulers

The Imamate is concluded in one of the ways, one of which is: through the pledge of allegiance, that is: the pledge of allegiance to the scholars, leaders, and prominent figures of people whose meeting is possible in the case of the pledge of allegiance without customary cost. As for the pledge of allegiance to non-people of the solution and contract among the common people, it does not matter, and the second is: by appointing the imam as successor, one after him, or by appointing a chosen number as successors. The people of solution and contract are one of them. Al-Nawawi said: “The imamate is established by the pledge of allegiance, and the most correct is the pledge of allegiance of the people of solution and contract, among the scholars, leaders, and prominent people whom it is possible to meet, and by appointing the imam as successor. If the matter is made by consultation among a group, then it is considered as succession, and they agree to one of them, and with the control of the one who fulfills the conditions, as well as a sinner and an ignorant person, in the most correct way.” .

Imam’s conditions

The scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah have mentioned several conditions regarding whoever assumes the position of caliphate, some of which are agreed upon and some of which are disputed. These conditions are in the beginning, that is: at the beginning of the installation of the caliph. As for the continuity, there is detail. Al-Nawawi said: “The condition for the imam is that he is a Muslim, obligated, free, and male . ” A hard-working, courageous Qurayshi with an opinion, hearing, sight, speech, and justice .” The condition for the imam is that he is a Muslim in order to take into account the interests of Islam and its people, and this is in agreement with the majority of the Sunnis and the community. As for whoever is a non-Muslim, such as a Jew, a Christian, or someone else, he does not have guardianship over the Muslims, and he is accountable; Because someone else is his guardian, so he does not have the authority to command anyone else, and he must be free. Because the one who has slavery is not to be feared, and if he is a male, the woman does not have guardianship according to consensus. Because of her weakness and her lack of interaction with men, and in the hadith: “A people who appoint a woman as their leader will not succeed.”And to be a Quraysh; In the hadith: “The imams are from Quraysh.”It is not required that he be a Hashemite or an Alawite; Because the three caliphs were not like that, and they were Quraysh, and the Companions agreed on their succession. And that he should be a diligent person like a judge and more deserving, in fact, consensus was mentioned about him, and the Companions would not choose for the caliphate except a diligent imam from among the most knowledgeable and best among them in religion. If there were no diligent scholars or he was appointed as a successor and the matter was completed for him and he was not a diligent person, as is the case with some after the Rightly Guided Caliphs; It is obligatory to obey him, as he delegates matters of religion to the scholars in cases where he lacks diligence, and he must be brave to invade himself, deal with the armies, and be able to conquer the country and protect the country, and he considers his safety to be free from a deficiency that prevents complete movement and rapid advancement, just as he entered into courage, and he must have an opinion to guide the subjects and manage their religious and worldly interests. He said. Al-Harawi: The minimum is that he should know the fate of people, that he should have hearing, even if it is weak, and that he should have weak sight, even if it is weak to the point that it does not prevent him from distinguishing between people, or that he is one-eyed or blind, and that he should be a speaker whose speech is understood, even if he has lost taste and smell, so that matters can be resolved from him, and that he should be just. He was forced to appoint a sinner to be a guardian, and that is why Ibn Abd al-Salam said: If justice among the imams was not possible, we would give priority to the least immoral of them. Al-Adhra’i said, and he was appointed; There is no way to make people into chaos. If justice is not possible among the people of Qatar, the least immoral of them will prevail.

Ibn Khaldun said: As for the conditions for this position, they are four: knowledge, justice, competence, and the integrity of the senses and organs, which influences opinion and action. There was disagreement about a fifth condition, which is Qurayshi lineage.

Al-Qurtubi mentioned that the conditions for imamate are eleven,  Ibn Abidin said: The scholar Al-Biri mentioned at the end of his explanation of the ashbah that among the conditions for imamate are: that he be just, mature, trustworthy, pious, male, trustworthy in blood, livestock, and wealth, ascetic, humble, and compliant. In place of politics.

Schools of Jurisprudence

See also: Jurists of the Companions , Jurists of the Successors , Islamic jurisprudence , and the principles of jurisprudence

the date

An old view of Medina.

A picture of Mecca

In Islamic heritage books, such as Tabaqat al-Fuqaha’ by al-Shirazi , written in the fifth century AH, the author considers most of the Companions to be jurists by definition,  and al-Shirazi makes the Rightly Guided Caliphs and Aisha from the class of “ jurists of the Companions , ” and includes to them those who were appointed to give fatwa, or to teach jurisprudence, or He was sent to judge or rule during the time of the Messenger or among the Caliphs and Companions, and to cite for them the Messenger and the Companions and their sayings about each other. It mentions Abdullah bin Masoud , who was sent by Omar bin Al-Khattab to Kufa in Iraq as a judge and minister, and Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari , who was sent by the Prophet to teach the people of Yemen the Qur’an, and Omar put him in charge of Basra, and Ubayy bin Ka’b , about whom it was said “the most read of Muslims” and “the master of the people of Medina,” and Muadh bin Jabal , who It was said that the Companions used to approach him when they were faced with something and ask him, as well as Zaid ibn Thabit, about whom it was said that he was the most knowledgeable of Muslims regarding religious obligations, and Abu Darda , who advised Muadh ibn Jabal to seek knowledge from him.

Al-Shirazi classifies another class of Companion jurists and calls them the “jurisprudence of the Companions.” The jurisprudence of these people is divided into another class of Companions, and the most famous of them were the four Abdillahs (for their names beginning with “Abdullah”), and they are: Abdullah bin Al-Abbas, Abdullah bin Omar bin Al-Khattab, and Abdullah bin Al-Zubayr bin Al – Awwam . And Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-Aas , and the jurisprudence of the Abadla was passed on to the jurists of the Successors. Then Al-Shirazi classifies a class of jurists that he calls “ the jurists of the Successors ” and their followers, and they established the doctrines of Islamic jurisprudence , and everyone who came after them was a burden on them in taking from them, and the second and third centuries of the Prophet’s migration are considered as The golden age for formulating jurisprudential doctrines and codifying their principles and rules. After the death of the Abadlis, the jurisprudence of the Companions had passed to the followers in all countries,  and among the most famous of them, according to countries, were: the jurist of Mecca Ata’ , the jurist of Medina Saeed bin Al-Musayyab , the jurist of Yemen Taus , the jurist of Al-Yamamah Yahya bin Abi Katheer , and the jurist Al- Hasan of Basra , the jurist of Kufa Ibrahim Al-Nakha’i, the jurist of Syria Makhoul , and the jurist of Khorasan Ata Al-Khorasani .

The schools of jurisprudence of the Sunnis and the community were established by the jurists of the Companions who spread in various countries, and then their followers. Among them were the diligent imams, and all the jurists were narrators of the hadith. The school of jurisprudence of the people of the Hijaz in Medina became famous, and one of its notables was Zaid bin Thabit, and the most famous of those who took Ten of the city’s jurists were named from him: Saeed bin Al-Musayyab , Abu Salamah bin Abdul Rahman , Ubaid Allah bin Abdullah bin Utbah bin Masoud, Urwa bin Al-Zubayr, Abu Bakr bin Abdul Rahman, Kharga bin Zaid , Suleiman bin Yasar, Aban bin Othman, Qubaisa bin Dhu’ayb , and Al-Qasim bin Muhammad . The most famous person who took it from them is Muhammad bin Muslim Al-Zuhri, and from him he took Imam Malik bin Anas .

And the Hijaz School in Mecca, where the doctrine of Ibn Abbas was famous. Among his most famous students were the jurists: Ikrimah , Ata’ , Tawoos , and Saeed bin Jubayr . Then jurisprudence moved to a second class, including: Ibn Jurayj , then jurisprudence moved to a third class, including: Muslim bin Khaled Al-Zanji, from whom Al-Shafi’i took jurisprudence. Then jurisprudence moved to another class, from which it became famous: Muhammad bin Idris Al-Shafi’i, the founder of the Shafi’i school of thought .

Among the first class of Companions jurists in Yemen, he became famous: Ali bin Abi Talib , Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari , and Muadh bin Jabal , then the Tabi’een jurists in Yemen, among whom were famous: Tawus bin Kaysan Al-Yamani, Ata bin Markbouth ,  and Abu Al-Ash’ath Sharahil . Bin Sharhabeel Al-San’ani,  Hanash bin Abdullah Al-San’ani , and Wahb bin Munabbih .

Among the Tabi’in jurists in the Levant and the Peninsula were famous : Abu Idris Al-Khawlani and Shahr bin Hawshab Al-Ash’ari. Then jurisprudence moved to a second class, including: Abdullah bin Abi Zakaria , and Hani bin Kulthum .  Raja bin Haywa and Makhoul Al-Shami ,  Among them was Abu Ayyub Suleiman bin Musa Abu Al-Rabi’ Al-Ashdak,  Then the fatwa was transmitted in the Levant to: Al- Awza’i and Saeed bin Abdul Aziz Al-Tanukhi , and among them: Yazid bin Yazid bin Jaber , and Abd al-Rahman bin Yazid bin Jaber ,  Abu al-Hudhayl ​​Muhammad bin al-Walid bin Amer al-Zubaidi, and Yahya bin Yahya al-Ghassani , who was the mufti of the people of Damascus. The fatwas in the Levant were based on the doctrine of Al-Awza’i and Saeed bin Abdul Aziz . Among the Tabi’in jurists on the island: Maymun bin Mahran .

Among the Tabi’een jurists in Egypt, the most famous were: Al – Sanabihi and Al-Jishani , who were among the companions of Omar .  Then he moved to another class,  Among them: Abu al-Khair Marthad bin Abdullah al-Yazani ,  the judge of Alexandria , from whom Abu Raja Yazid bin Abi Habib learned . Among those to whom jurisprudence was transmitted were: Bukair bin Abdullah bin Al-Ashjaj and Abu Umayyah Amr bin Al-Harith , and then the knowledge of these people ended up with Abu Al-Harith Al-Layth bin Saad bin Abdul Rahman, the founder of a school of jurisprudence.

Jurists of Iraq and other countries

The Great Imam Mosque in Baghdad in 1960 AD

Mihrab of the Kufa Mosque

Kufa School in Iraq: It was famous for the jurisprudence of Ibn Masoud .  The jurists of Iraq and others took from him, and among the most famous followers who took his doctrine were: Alqamah bin Qays , Al-Aswad bin Yazid , Masruq bin Al-Ajda’ , Ubaidah bin Amr Al-Salmani , Shurayh Al-Qadi, and Al-Harith Al-Hamdani ,  and these six mentioned are the companions of Abd. Allah bin Masoud , including Amr bin Sharhabeel Al-Hamdani and others.  Then jurisprudence passed to another class of them: Al-Sha’bi , Saeed bin Jubair , and Ibrahim Al-Nakha’i , then jurisprudence passed after that to another class of them: Al-Hakam bin Utaiba ,  and Hammad bin Abi Suleiman taught jurisprudence with Ibrahim Al-Nakha’i, and Abu Hanifa took About jurisprudence. Habib bin Abi Thabit , Al-Harith bin Yazid Al-Akli ,  Al-Mughirah bin Muqasim Al-Dhabi , Abu Ma’shar Ziyad bin Kulayb bin Tamim Al-Hanthali,  Al-Qaqa’ bin Yazid, Al- A’mash , and Mansur bin Al-Mu’tamir , they took knowledge from Al -Sha’bi and Al-Nakha’i ,  and Ibn Shubramah. And Ibn Abi Laila, then he obtained jurisprudence and fatwas in: Sufyan Al-Thawri ,  the founder of a school of jurisprudence, among them: Al-Hasan bin Saleh bin Hayy bin Muslim bin Hayyan Al-Hamdani, Sharik bin Abdullah bin Abi Sharik Al-Nakha’i , and Abu Hanifa Al-Numan , the founder of the Hanafi school of thought .

Famous among the Tabi’in jurists in Basra were: Al-Hasan Al-Basri , Jabir bin Zaid Al-Azdi, Muhammad bin Sirin , Rafi’ bin Mahran , Hamid bin Abdul Rahman Al- Himyari , Muslim bin Yasar ,  Abu Qilabah , and others.

In the era of the earlier imams who were the owners of the schools of jurisprudence after Abu Hanifa, Malik and Al-Shafi’i, the jurists of Baghdad became famous, the most famous of whom were: Abu Abdullah Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hanbal bin Hilal Al-Shaybani,  He was one of the narrators of the Shafi’i school of thought, then he became independent by establishing another school of thought, which is considered the fourth school of thought. Major jurisprudence. Abu Thawr Ibrahim bin Khalid bin Abi Al-Yaman Al-Kalbi, who is one of the narrators of the Shafi’i school of thought, with the status of an absolute and affiliated mujtahid . And Abu Ubaid Al-Qasim bin Salam Al-Baghdadi. And Abu Suleiman Daoud bin Ali bin Khalaf Al-Isfahani .  Abu Jaafar Muhammad bin Jarir bin Yazid al-Tabari , one of the narrators of the Shafi’i school of thought as an absolute and affiliated mujtahid .

The most famous jurists of Khorasan: Ata bin Abi Muslim Al-Khorasani . And Abu Al-Qasim Al-Dahhak bin Muzahim Al-Hilali. And Abu Abdul Rahman Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak Al-Maruzi. And Abu Yaqoub Ishaq bin Ibrahim bin Mukhlid Al-Hanzali Al-Maruzi, known as Ibn Rahawayh .

After the spread of Islam in Africa, then Andalusia and Morocco,  Hijaz was closer to them than others, as Medina was famous for the jurisprudence of Imam Malik bin Anas, and most of the jurists in that country followed the jurisprudence of Malik, and after the codification of the jurisprudential schools of thought, Malik’s doctrine spread in Morocco and Andalusia .

Doctrinal schools of thought

A map showing the spread of Islamic sects around the world.

The jurisprudential schools of thought that became known as the schools of thought of the Sunnis and the community are the summary of the jurisprudence of the Companions, the Successors, and their followers. At the beginning of the history of the emergence of these schools of thought, there were two famous methods, one of which was: the method of the people of opinion and analogy, which is the method of the people of Iraq, and their imam Abu Hanifa and his companions after him, and the second: the method of the people of hadith, which is The way of the people of Hijaz, and their imam is Malik bin Anas . He was known as the Imam of Dar al-Hijrah. His jurisprudence was specialized in the work of the people of Medina, considering that they were followers of those before them as a necessity for their religion and their imitation.  Then after Malik bin Anas , Muhammad bin Idris Al-Shafi’i , he learned the jurisprudence of the people of Hijaz, then he moved to Iraq after Malik and took from the companions of Abu Hanifa and combined the way of the people of Hijaz with the way of the people of Iraq, and after them came Ahmad bin Hanbal and he was from Ulayya. The hadith scholars, and he took from Al-Shafi’i and narrated his doctrine from him, then he adopted another doctrine.  Ibn Khaldun mentions in his history : The famous schools of thought in advanced times were three: the doctrine of the people of opinion and analogy and their most famous imam Abu Hanifa and his companions after him, the doctrine of the people of hadith and their imams Malik and then al-Shafi’i, and the doctrine of Dawud al-Zahiri. The imam of this sect was Daoud Ibn Ali, his son, and their companions, and these three sects were the sects of the majority that were well-known among the nation.  The doctrine of Dhahiri became extinct and declined in later times, and all that remained of it were drawings in books, by transferring knowledge from books without the key of teachers, which may lead to dissent from the public. Ibn Khaldun said : “Then he studied the doctrine of the people of al-Zahir today with the lessons of his imams and the public’s denial of his plagiarists, and it remained only in bound books.”

The work of these four schools of thought was established, and imitation in the countries stopped with these four, and the imitators studied those other than them, and the people closed the door to disagreement and its methods when the terminology in the sciences became very diverse, and when it hindered people from reaching the level of ijtihad, and when they feared that this would be attributed to people other than those who are qualified and those whose opinion or opinion cannot be trusted. With his religion, they declared their inability and want, and they returned the people to imitating these people, each of the imitators who were specific to him, and they prohibited their imitation from being circulated due to the manipulation involved in it, and all that remained was the transmission of their doctrines, and each imitator acting according to the doctrine of those whom he imitated after correcting the principles and connecting its chain of transmission to the narration, not just transmission. From books. Ibn Khaldun said: “The claimant of ijtihad for this covenant has been rejected and his tradition abandoned, and the people of Islam today have begun to imitate these four imams.”  As for Ahmad ibn Hanbal, his doctrine was established in Baghdad , and most of his followers were in the Levant and Iraq , from Baghdad and its environs, and they were the people who memorized the Sunnah and the narration of hadith the most. Malik’s doctrine spread in Andalusia and Morocco, and Abu Hanifa’s doctrine spread in Iraq, Muslim India, China, Transoxiana, and Persian countries. The Hanafi books, their debates, and discussions with the Shafi’is were many, and they brought from them exceptional knowledge and strange views, while they were in the hands of people and in the West, a little of them was transmitted to him by Al-Qadi Ibn Al-Arabi and Abu Al-Walid Al-Baji in their journeys.  As for Al-Shafi’i, his imitators were more in Egypt than elsewhere, and his doctrine spread in Iraq, Khorasan, and beyond the river, and they shared the Hanafi school of thought in fatwas and teaching in all countries. The debate sessions between them were great, and their books were filled with the types of their reasoning. Then he studied all of that with the lessons of the East and its regions, and the Imam was Muhammad bin Idris Al-Shafi’i when it was revealed . Over the Banu Abd al-Hakam in Egypt, a group of Banu Abd al-Hakam, Ashhab , Ibn al-Qasim , Ibn al-Mawaz and others were taken from him, then al-Harith bin Miskin and his sons. Then the jurisprudence of the Sunnis became extinct in Egypt with the emergence of the Rafidah state, and the Ismaili jurisprudence was circulated in it, and everyone else vanished until the Ubaidite state of the Rafidites disappeared at the hands of Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, and the jurisprudence of al-Shafi’i and his companions from the people of Iraq and the Levant returned to them, so he returned to the best it had been, and his market perished, and among them Muhyi al-Din al-Nawawi became famous under the Ayyubid state in the Levant , and Izz al -Din ibn Abd al-Salam as well, then Ibn al-Rif’ah in Egypt, Taqi al-Din Ibn Daqiq al-Eid , then Taqi al-Din . Al-Subki followed them until it reached the Sheikh of Islam in Egypt for that era, who was Siraj al-Din al-Balqini. At that time, he was the greatest Shafi’i scholar in Egypt, the greatest scholar, or even the greatest scholar among the people of the era.

The four schools of thought according to the date of appearance are:

The Hanafi school of thought , named after Abu Hanifa al-Numan .

The Maliki school of thought , named after Malik bin Anas .

The Shafi’i school of thought , named after Al-Shafi’i .

The Hanbali school of thought , named after Ahmad ibn Hanbal .

Other schools of jurisprudence:

The doctrine of Hasan Al-Basri .

The apparent doctrine .

Al-Awza’i doctrine .

The doctrine of Al-Layth bin Saad .

The revolutionary doctrine of Sufyan .

Science of controversies

The imams of the schools of jurisprudence agreed in the principles of the general legal rulings and the principles of religion (creed), but the difference occurred in the branches of jurisprudence . There is no difference in belief between them . The disagreement did not occur between the imams of the ancestors in matters of belief (the principles of religion). Rather, their disagreement occurred in secondary rulings, either due to the lack of clear evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah , or a weak hadith such that it cannot be supported by evidence, or other reasons. With the spread and expansion of Islam and its exposure to many new issues that have no text from the Qur’an and Sunnah to indicate them regarding them, there was an urgent need to come up with interpretations for these new jurisprudential issues and meet the needs of the people and answer their questions. Hence, a group of religious jurisprudence scholars emerged who taught people in every region the affairs of Islam. Their religion and their world. The geographical expansion of Islam and the diversity of the environments in which it spread, as well as the ability of many Islamic legal texts to be based on ijtihad according to circumstances and situations, all of this led to the emergence of schools of jurisprudence that spread in various Islamic countries. The evidence of jurisprudence according to the Sunnis and the community is either auditory, which is: the Qur’an , Sunnah , and consensus , or rational, which is: analogy , in addition to other methods of reasoning mentioned in the books of the principles of jurisprudence .

As it was established, there is no difference between the imams in the generalities of Sharia law, nor in the branches of religion that have been agreed upon, such as: the obligation of prayer, zakat, and other things that are necessarily known from the religion. Rather, the difference occurred in the branches of jurisprudence that are the subject of ijtihad, and the weighting or determination of the ruling in the issue is according to the diligent scholar . The principles and rules of his doctrine on which he bases his reasoning. Since the four schools of thought are the ones that the majority of Sunnis and the community have settled upon; The fruit of the disagreement appeared in the emergence of the science of disputes, in which the Hanafis and Shafi’is wrote more than the Malikis. Ibn Khaldun mentioned it and then said about it: “For my life, it is a science of great benefit in knowing the opinions of the imams and their evidence and the practice of those who read it in drawing evidence from it, and the Hanafi and Shafi’is writings in it are more Written by Al-Malikiyya; Because analogy according to the Hanafis is the basis for many branches of their doctrine, as I have known, they are therefore people of theory and research, and as for the Malikis, the majority of scholars rely on them, and they are not people of theory.

Doctrine of the Sunnis and the community

The doctrine of the Sunnis and the community is the agreed upon foundations of the Islamic religion, based on the fact that Islam is the religion of God that He has chosen for all of His creation. The Almighty said: “Then We revealed to you that you should follow the religion of Abraham” [An-Nahl: 123]. And God Almighty said: “The religion of your father Abraham . ” And He called you Muslims “Before. ” [ Al-Hajj : 78] . The Sunnis and the community agree on the principles of belief represented in the monotheism of God, belief in Him, and worshiping Him alone with no partner, belief in everything that the Messenger brought from God, and belief in God, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and destiny, its good and its evil. Faith is belief in everything that is known to be essential from religion, and belief in God is knowledge and firm certainty that God alone is the God of the entire universe, and He is the God who is truly worshiped, there is no god other than Him, and worship is only to Him alone, with no partner, no similarity, no equal, no equal, no companion, no one. He was born, and sight does not perceive Him, and He perceives sight, and He is the Kind and All-Aware, and that He is the Lord of the Worlds and the Creator of all creation, and their Owner and Master of all their affairs, and that He is characterized by all the attributes of absolute perfection, and He is above all imperfection, and that He created creation and created all creatures from nothing, and everything else is lacking in Him. He is independent of anyone else. He admits whomever He wills into His mercy. He forgives whomever He wills by His grace and punishes whomever He wills with His justice. He is not asked about what he does and they are asked. He knows all things, apparent and hidden, whether they are hidden or subtle. He knows what is subtler and hidden, and He knows the secret and hidden. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, the Kind, the All-Aware. All creatures are subdued by His greatness, and that He is the Creator, the restorer, the life-giving, the deadly, the beneficial and the harmful. He has the most beautiful names and sublime attributes. Faith in God – “linked to the letter B” – is belief in the heart and acknowledgment, and faith in God – “linked to the L” – is good deeds. And belief in the messengers, the angels, and everything that is due to them. Belief in the Last Day and in destiny, its good and evil, and belief in the unseen, that is: in what is hidden from the eyes, as indicated by the legal texts, such as belief in Paradise and Hell, resurrection, resurrection, reward, reckoning, the path, the balance, and so on.  

Religion basics

The foundations of the religion or the foundations of the Islamic belief among the Sunnis and the community are all transmitted by reception from the imams of the righteous predecessors from the Companions and Followers, and all of them agreed, before and after them, on a single saying regarding the foundations of belief, and whatever disagreement occurred between them is a verbal or formal disagreement that does not require infidelity, innovation, or immorality of some of them. Some, and these principles are established in the books of their imams, it is reliable to adopt them, and it is sufficient to know them in an easy way without interfering with what God and His Messenger have forbidden from delving into. He explained the levels of religion in the hadith of Gabriel , which are Islam, faith, and charity. In language, faith is belief, and what is meant by it is acknowledgment and belief in God and His Messenger and in everything in which one must believe that it is part of the religion of Islam, and in the Qur’an: “The Bedouins said, ‘We have believed.’ Say, ‘You have not believed, but say, ‘We have submitted.’” The verse ( Al -Hujurat : 14) was revealed about a delegation that acknowledged Islam outwardly and knowingly. God is what is in their hearts, so He informed His Prophet of that, and the ruling on them was achieved through revelation. Faith in God is ratification and acknowledgment in the heart, and it is with the knowledge of God who is aware of the truths of hearts. God has called prayer faith; Because good deeds are part of faith for God in the sense of believing what is in the heart by action, so faith is speech and deed,  and the Sunnis and the community are unanimously agreed that faith increases by acts of obedience and decreases by acts of disobedience, and that the believer in God is not excluded from it by any act of disobedience, in contrast to the Kharijites and those who agree with them; Because the disobedient are not excluded from the letter of assignment, nor are they expelled from the religion due to sins, and it is not guaranteed that any of the disobedient people of the Qiblah will enter Hell, nor is it guaranteed that any of the obedient people will enter Paradise, except for someone who is proven by a clear and definitive text from the Qur’an or Sunnah. The Sunnis and the community are unanimously agreed that God Almighty has been described with everything He described Himself with and His Prophet described Him with, without objection or conditioning it, and that belief in Him is obligatory and abandoning conditioning for Him is necessary, and that He Almighty has no need of anything of what He has created, and that He Almighty guides whomever He wills astray. He punishes whomever He wants, bestows blessings on whomever He wants, honors whomever He wants, forgives whomever He wants, enriches whomever He wants, gives dominion to whomever He wants, and takes away dominion from whomever He wants, and that He is not asked in any of that what he does, and that He does what He wants as He wants, and He gives to whomever He wants what He wants. An objection to it is as he said: “ This is the bounty of God. He gives it to whomsoever He wills ” [ Al-Ma’idah : 54] and he said: “ My torment inflicts upon whomever I will. ” [ Al- A’raf : 156] He does not ask what he does and they are asked, and all of creation must be satisfied with the rulings of God which He has commanded them to be satisfied with. In all of this, submitting to His command, being patient with His decrees, and ending up obeying Him in what He calls them to do or not do, and that He is characterized by justice in all of His actions and rulings, whether that is bad or not, it benefits us or harms us. They unanimously agreed that God is the Creator of all events alone, and there is no creator of any of them except Him. He gives to whomever He wills, grants success to whomever He wills, guides whomever He wills, and misleads whomever He wills. He is the Most Benevolent and Most Gracious to His servants, and that no one of creation has any objection to God Almighty in any of His plan, and that whoever objects In his actions, he followed the opinion of Satan in that matter when he refrained from prostrating to Adam, peace be upon him, and claimed that this was a corruption of his plan and a departure from wisdom when he said, “I am better than him. You created me from fire, and you created him from clay.”   76﴾  [ p . 76] .

The Sunnis and the community are unanimously agreed that the servants have keepers who write down their deeds, and that God Almighty predestined all the deeds of creation, their deadlines, and their livelihoods before creating them, and recorded in the Preserved Tablet all that is to come from them until the day they are resurrected. This is indicated by His saying: “And everything they did, they did in the Book . ”52Everything, big and small, is underlined53(  Al -Qamar : 52-53) . And that the torment of the grave is real, and that Paradise is real, and that Hell is real, and that God raises those in the graves, and that the trumpet will be blown before the Day of Resurrection, and whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on earth will be struck by shock, except whom God wills, and then another blow will be blown into it, and they are standing and watching, and that God Almighty He will return them as He began them, and that God Almighty will set up scales to weigh the deeds of His servants, and that creation will be given on the Day of Resurrection with scrolls containing their deeds. Whoever is given his book in his right hand will be given an easy reckoning, and whoever is given his book in his left – those will pray in the Blazing Fire, and on the path, the intercession, and the basin, and that God Almighty will emerge from the Fire from There is some faith in his heart after taking revenge on him. They unanimously agreed that it is obligatory for them to enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong with their hands and with their tongues if they are able to do so, otherwise with their hearts. Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ashari said: “They unanimously agreed to listen and obey the imams of the Muslims, and that everyone who took charge of any of their affairs willingly or overpowering and whose obedience extends, whether righteous or immoral, is not obligated to revolt against them with the sword, whether righteous or just, and that they must fight with the enemy and perform Hajj with them to the House, and alms should be given to them if they ask for them.” The Friday and Eid prayers are performed behind them.

The virtue of the Companions

The majority of the Sunnis and the community agreed that the best of generations is the century of the Companions, then those who come after them, as indicated by the hadith: “The best of you is my generation,” and that the best of the Companions are the four Imams, the Caliphs, the first of whom were: Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, then Omar ibn al-Khattab , then Uthman ibn Affan , then Ali ibn Abi Talib . Then the rest of the ten who were promised Paradise, then the people of Badr, and that the choice after the ten among the people of Badr were the Muhajireen and Ansar according to the degree of migration and precedence in Islam, and that everyone who believed in God and His Messenger and had companionship, even if for an hour, or met with the Messenger of God, or saw him even once, despite his belief in him. And what he called for is better than the followers. And that the Imamate of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs was based on the consent of their group, and that God conditioned their hearts to that because He wanted to appoint them all as successors, saying: “God has promised those of you who have believed and done righteous deeds that He will appoint them as successors in the land, just as He appointed them as successors.” before them, and to establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them. (Surah An- Nur : 55 ) They unanimously agreed to refrain from mentioning the Companions, peace be upon them, except for the best of what they are remembered for, and that they are more deserving of having their virtues published and the best ways out of their actions sought, and to have the best opinion of them and the best of doctrines, complying in this with the words of the Messenger of God: “If my companions are mentioned, then they abstain.” The people of knowledge said the meaning of that: do not mention them. Except for the goodness of remembrance, and his saying: “Do not harm me regarding my companions, for by the One in whose hand is my soul, if one of you spent the equivalent of Uhud in gold, it would not amount to one mudd or half of it.” And for what God Almighty praised them with, saying: “Muhammad is the Messenger of God, and those with him are hard against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves. You see them.” They kneeled, prostrating , striving As a blessing from God and His pleasure, He has marked them on their faces as a result of prostration. That is their likeness in the Torah, and their likeness in the Gospel. ( Al- Fath : 29) …the verse. They agreed that what was among them was Worldly matters do not forfeit their rights, just as what was among the children of Jacob the Prophet, peace be upon him, is not forfeited Of their rights, and it is not permissible for anyone to deviate from the sayings of the predecessors regarding what they agreed upon and what they differed about or in its interpretation, because the truth is not permissible to deviate from their sayings. They agreed to advise the Muslims, to support their group, to befriend God, to pray for the imams of the Muslims, to disavow anyone who slandered any of the companions of the Messenger of God, his household, and his wives, to refrain from mingling with them, and to disavow them. These are the principles that the ancestors followed and followed the rulings of the Qur’an and Sunnah, and the righteous successors imitated them in their virtues.  

The concept of mediocrity

The concept of moderation in Islam is neither excess nor negligence, but rather a middle ground between that, with consistency and a valuable religion in which there is no exaggeration or negligence. Exaggeration in religion by exceeding the limit in it is forbidden in the Islamic religion, and moderation in it is a religious requirement that is not specific to one group of Muslims and not another, and it came from imams. Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah and their scholars consider mediation in religion to be a general religious approach regardless of the different paths of belief, practicality and morality, and they consider exaggeration or negligence in the foundations of belief to be characteristic of misguided sects such as the Khawarij and those who follow them. They mentioned in their description what al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih in the hadith with the wording: “One of you is despised. ” His prayer is with their prayer..the talk.  This is because they exaggerated in worship to the point that they described negligent and disobedient people as disbelievers, and this is contrary to the moderation of Islam. On the other hand, they exaggerated in saying that disobedience is disbelief, and they exaggerated in interpreting the warning verses to the point that they disbelieved everyone who commits a sin and said that the sinner will remain in Hell forever. In doing so, they prevented God’s mercy from people, and one of the foundations of the belief of the Sunnis and the community is that they do not declare any of the people of the Qiblah a disbeliever for a sin he commits, and that the afterlife reward is God’s will, and created beings have no business deciding that.

Examples of extremism in religion are what was mentioned in the Qur’an when Christians described Jesus, son of Mary, with the attributes of divinity. God Almighty said: “ And whoever venerates the rituals of God, they are from the piety of hearts.”32(  [ Al-Hajj : 32] The prophets, scholars, and righteous people have status and respect, and they are more deserving of glorification. What is forbidden in Islam is only flattery, meaning: exaggerating in glorifying a creature and describing it as something it does not deserve. Divinity belongs to God alone, with no partner.

The Qur’an confirms that God made the Muhammadan nation a moderate nation in His Almighty’s saying: “ And thus We have made you a moderate nation ” [ Al-Baqarah : 143] meaning: just and just choices,  meaning: We have made you below the prophets and above the nations. And the middle: justice, and the basis of this is that I praise things in the middle. Al-Tirmidhi narrated: “On the authority of Abu Saeed Al-Khudri, on the authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, in the Almighty’s saying: “ And thus We have made you a moderate nation ” [ Al-Baqarah : 143] He said: Just.  . This is a good talk properly said. And in the revelation : “ The middle of them said ” [ Al-Qalam : 28] , meaning: the most just and the best of them. 

Zuhair said:

They are among people who are satisfied with their rule                               If you stay one night at most…

Another said:

You are the middle class in the neighborhood                     In a small matter or a major matter

Another said:

Don’t go overboard with things

Don’t ask if you ask too much

And be among all people in the middle

The middle of the valley: the best place with the most grass and water. Since the middle distance is free from exaggeration and negligence, it is praiseworthy, that is, this nation did not exaggerate the exaggeration of the Christians in their prophets, nor did they neglect the negligence of the Jews in their prophets. In the hadith: “The best things are the middle ones.”In it, on the authority of Ali, may God be pleased with him: “Adhere to the middle type, for to it the high descends, and to it the descending rises.”

Al-Shatibi said about the meaning of the words of God Almighty: “ And this is My path, straight, so follow it and do not follow other paths, for lest He divert you from His path. This He has enjoined upon you that you may become righteous.”153(  [ Al-An’am : 153] : The straight path is the path of God to which He has called, and it is the Sunnah, and the paths are the paths of difference for those who deviate from the straight path and they are people of innovation, and what is meant is not the paths of sin; Because sins, insofar as they are sins, no one has established a path that always follows legislation in conformity with legislation, but rather this description is specific to newly invented innovations. On the authority of Mujahid, in his saying: “ And do not follow paths ” [ Al-An’am : 153] , he said: heresies and doubts. Malik was asked about the Sunnah? He said: It is what has no name other than the Sunnah, and he recited: “ And this is My path, straight, so follow it, and do not follow other paths, for they will separate you from His path ” [ Al-An’am : 153] . This interpretation indicates that the verse includes all methods of innovation, and is not specific to one innovation or another. Among the verses is the saying of God Almighty: “ And upon God is the intent of the path, and from it is unjust; and had He willed, He could have guided you all.”  9﴾  [ An-Nahl : 9] . The intended path is the path of truth, and anything other than it is unjust to the truth, meaning: just from it, and they are the paths of innovations and misguidance.

The straight path in which there is no deviation is the path of God to which He has called, and the mission of the prophets and messengers is to guide people to the straight path of God with guidance and guidance. And God guides whom He wills and misleads whom He wills. And whoever God misleads, he has no guide. Misguidance and misguidance: the opposite of guidance and guidance, which is going out. From the path, so the one who goes astray becomes confused because he has no guide to guide him, and He is the evidence. So the one who is an innovator, when his desires and ignorance of the path of the Sunnah prevail, imagine that what appeared to him in his mind is the straight path and not something else, so he proceeds on it, and because of it he deviates from the straight path, so he is lost, even if He was allegedly investigating her intent. The innovator from this nation only went astray in its evidence, as he took it as a source of desire and lust, not as a source of submission under the laws of God, and this is the difference between the innovator and others. Because the innovator made desire his first requirement, and took the evidence to follow.

The prohibition against asking too much and exaggerating in it came from the Almighty’s saying: “ O you who have believed, do not ask about things that, if they were made known to you, they would displease you ” [ Al-Ma’idah : 101] and in the hadith: “ On the authority of Abu Hurairah, on the authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: “Leave me what I have left you. But whoever he was perished He accepted you with their questions and their disagreement with their prophets, so if I forbid you something, avoid it, and if I command you to do something, then do as much of it as you can . ”  And Muslim used the wording: “Dharoni,” which means “leave me.” Muslim mentioned the reason for this hadith from the narration of Muhammad ibn Ziyad, and he said: “ On the authority of Abu Hurairah, the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, addressed us and said: O people, God has imposed Hajj on you, so they performed Hajj, and a man said: Eating in public, O.” Messenger of God? He was silent until he said it three times, then the Messenger of God said: If I had said yes, it would have been obligatory and you would not have been able to. Then he said, “Leave me alone as long as I leave you. ”  Ibn Hajar said: What is meant by this command is to refrain from asking about something that has not happened for fear that it will become obligatory or forbidden, and to forbid asking too much because it often involves stubbornness, and for fear that the answer will come with something that is difficult, as it may lead to abandoning compliance and thus a violation will occur. 

Ibn Faraj said: The meaning of his saying, “Leave me as I have left you, is not to inquire too much about places that will be useful for the purpose of what appears, even if they are good for other things,” and the prohibition of digging for that because it may lead to something like what happened to the Children of Israel, when they were commanded to slaughter a cow, and if they slaughtered any cow. They would have complied, but they were strict, so he toughened them.  This is evidence of the prohibition of asking too many questions and going to extremes in that. Al-Baghawi said in his explanation of the Sunnah: Questioning is of two types, one of which is: what is in the form of education for what is needed regarding the matter of religion. It is permissible, and even commanded, according to the Almighty’s saying: “So ask the people of the message” [ Al – Nahl ] . :43] …the verse, and based on that, the questions of the Companions about Anfal, Al-Kalala, and others are revealed. Secondly: It was not in the form of obstinacy and affectation, which is what is meant in this hadith, and God knows best, and is supported by the occurrence of rebuke in the hadith about that and the condemnation of the predecessors. According to Ahmad, from the hadith of Muawiyah, that the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, forbade mistakes. Al-Awza’i said: They are the most severe issues, and Al-Awza’i also said : « If God wants to deprive His servant of the blessing of knowledge, he casts fallacies on his tongue, for I have seen them as the least knowledgeable of people.” Ibn Wahb said: I heard Malik say: “Dissent in knowledge takes away the light of knowledge from a man’s heart.” [115] Ibn al-Arabi said: “The prohibition  on Asking during the Prophet’s era for fear that something would befall them that would be difficult for them. As for what came after, it was safe to do so, but most of the narrations from the predecessors stated that it was disliked to speak about issues that did not occur. Especially with the scholars going and learning lessons.” End quote. Summary.  And in the hadith: “Those before you were destroyed by their many questions and their differences over their prophets.” .

Al-Shatibi said: Among the texts of the Qur’an that indicate the condemnation of heresy: God Almighty’s saying: “ It is He who has revealed to you the Book, among which are decisive verses that are the mother of the Book, and others that are ambiguous. As for those in whose hearts is deviation, they follow what is ambiguous of it, seeking discord and seeking its interpretation… the verse” [ Al Imran :7] , The decisive ones are clear and clear in their meaning, with no ambiguity for any of the people,  and the similar ones bear in their meaning agreement with the decisive one, and they may bear something else in terms of the wording and structure, not in terms of the intent.  And in a narration by Al-Bukhari with the wording: “So if you see those who follow what is similar to it, then they are those whom God has named, so beware of them.” . And in a narration: “If you see those who follow what is similar to it, then they are those whom God has named, so beware of them.”. In a narration: “God has warned you, so if you see them, recognize them.”.  Ibn Katheer narrated on the authority of Imam Ahmad: In his saying: “ As for those in whose hearts there is deviation, they follow what is similar to it. ” He said: “They are the Kharijites,” and in his saying: “ The Day when faces will be white and faces will turn black . ”  He said: “ They are the Kharijites .”  Al-Tabari suggested that even though the revelation of the verse was among the Christians of Najran, it includes all types of innovators, whether they were Christians, Jews, Magians, or Sabaean, Harurian, Qadari, Jahmite, or others who dispute it.

This is in contrast to the use of reason as a means of contemplating creatures that leads to faith, as the texts of Sharia indicate the use of rational proof in proving beliefs.  Ibn Khaldun said: “ The most important beliefs of faith are justified by their rational evidence, and their evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah is many, and they are known and established, and what happened Most of the differences in beliefs come from following similarities .”

The following table presents the Sunni point of view from the point of view that Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah are people of moderation in beliefs.

Fate and destiny              Jabriyah : They went to extremes in proving destiny, denying the servant’s action at all, and making man coerced and forced and having no choices at all.      Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah: They interceded and made a choice for him, but his choice is tied to God’s will: And you do not will except that God wills. They said: Indeed, the servants are doers, and God is their Creator and the Creator of their actions, as the Qur’an mentioned: And God created you and what you do. This is their mediation in the matter of predestination.  Fatalism : They exaggerated in predestination and destiny, and said that man is the one who creates his actions, and God has no ability to guide the servant or lead him astray.

The issue of faith and religion     The Haruriyyah and the Mu’tazilites : The Haruriyyah call the one who commits a major sin an infidel and deem his blood and wealth permissible. As for the Mu’tazilites, they said: If the one who commits a major sin has departed from faith and has not entered into disbelief, then he is in a position between the two positions?                Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah: They make a person worthy of the name of faith and the name of Islam, even if he has some sins and some disobedience. According to them, the one who commits a major sin is deficient in faith. His faith has been diminished in proportion to the amount of disobedience he has committed, so they do not negate his faith at all and do not take him out of Islam completely, and they did not make The guilty person has complete faith. Rather, they make him a believer who lacks faith.               The Murji’ah and the Jahmiya : The Murji’ah said: The one who commits a major sin is a believer with complete faith and does not deserve to enter Hell. They said that sin does not harm with faith just as obedience does not benefit with disbelief. According to them, whoever believes in his heart, even if he does not act, is a believer with complete faith.

Ali bin Abi Talib  The Nawasib and Khawarij : The Nawasib said: Because of the immorality of Ali bin Abi Talib, and the Khawarij said: Because of the disbelief of Ali bin Abi Talib.            Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah: They said that Ali bin Abi Talib is a rightly guided caliph and that he is better than thousands of companions except three, namely Abu Bakr, Omar, and Uthman, all of whom are virtuous, but he is not infallible like the infallibility of the prophets.       The Shiites : The Twelvers said: He is infallible like the infallibility of the prophets and that he is better than all the prophets except the Prophet Muhammad.

the date

Naturally, many Sunnis today believe that Sunni Islam represents the nature of Islam that appeared in the period following the death of the Prophet, and that the rest of the sects are divisions from Sunni Islam. Likewise, the other sects, in contrast, naturally also see that they are the origin or representative of the original nature of Islam, and taking The Sunni perception is something that historians such as Aaron Howes refer to as a common fallacy because it is based on adopting late and ideological sources as if they represent a disciplined historical narrative. [124] This  is reinforced by the fact that the vast majority of all Muslims belong to the Sunnis, while the two major sects, Sunnis and Shiites, are attributed , and other sects, because they are the final product of ideological disputes that spanned centuries, in which each sect used the other to establish its identity and teachings.

The first heresy in Islam

The first heresy that occurred in Islam was the sedition of the Kharijites, and their departure from the truth was because of the world, which is what Ibn Katheer al-Dimashqi (d . 774 AH ) mentioned in his interpretation, where he said: “ The first heresy that occurred in Islam was the sedition of the Khawarij, and their inception was because of the world when the Messenger of God swore May God’s prayers and peace be upon him, as spoils of Hunayn. It was as if they saw in their corrupted minds that he had not been fair in the division, so they surprised him with this statement. Their speaker – who was Dhul-Khuwaysarah – God’s cows in his flanks – said: Be fair, for you have not been fair. So the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to him: “I have failed and lost if I am not fair. Will he trust me ? against the people of the earth and do not trust me.”When the man stood up, Omar ibn al-Khattab – according to a narration: Khalid ibn al-Walid – (and there is no more in the plural) – asked the Messenger of God for permission to kill him, so he said: “Leave him, for there will emerge from this group of people – i.e. from his kind – a people whose prayer and fasting will be despised by one of you along with their prayers and fasting.” With their fasting, and reciting it with their recitation, they will leave the religion as an arrow leaves its target, so wherever you meet them, kill them, for in killing them there is a reward for whoever killed them.”.. ».  This hadith is in the Two Sahihs and other authentic narrations, including in Sahih Muslim: “On the authority of Jabir bin Abdullah, he said: A man came to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, with Al-Jirana – he left Hunayn – and on Bilal’s garment : silver , and the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, took some of it and gave it to the people, so he said: Oh Muhammad is the most just. He said: “Woe to you! Who will be just if I am not just? I have failed and lost if I am not just.” Then Omar bin Al-Khattab , may God be pleased with him, said: O Messenger of God, let me kill this hypocrite. He said: “God forbid that people say that I kill my companions. This man and his companions recite the Qur’an, but it does not go beyond their throats. They escape from it as an arrow escapes from its target.”.

In the words of Ibn Katheer that Dhu al-Khuwaysarah is the head of the Kharijites, he created the suspicion of departing from the truth, and this is indicated by his saying: “He will emerge from this young woman…”That is: from a kind, and similar to this was the creation of sedition in the time of Uthman ibn Affan and the revolt against him and his killing, except that their departure from the truth was not under the name of a sect except in the time of Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib when they announced their split from him after the Battle of Siffin, so they were the first sect to appear in Islam. In the beginning, they joined the side of Ali bin Abi Talib, and when he accepted the arbitration, they announced their exit and shouted, saying: “There is no judgment except for God.” Ali bin Abi Talib responded to them by saying: “A word of truth behind which falsehood is intended,” since their exit was for a worldly reason under the influence of A religious name. The Companions were consulted about them and Ibn Abbas and other Companions interviewed them. Then the Companions’ statements agreed on the necessity of fighting them according to the texts of the hadiths they had indicating their fight if they announced their departure, and Ali bin Abi Talib killed them in Nahrawan. Ibn Katheer said: “ Then their emergence took place during the days of Ali bin Abi Talib, and he killed them at Nahrawan, then peoples and tribes spread from them, and many widespread opinions, desires, articles, and solutions emerged. Then the Qadariyyah emerged, then the Mu’tazilites, then the Jahmiyyah, and other heresies that Al-Sadiq Al-Masduq reported about in his saying: “ This nation will split into seventy-three sects, all of whom will be in Hell except one.They said: Who are they, O Messenger of God? He said: “Whoever follows what I and my companions are upon.”.. ».  And in a narration on the authority of Hudhayfah: “In my nation there are people who recite the Qur’an, sprinkling it with a prose of nonsense, and interpreting it in a way other than its interpretation.”.  On the authority of Ibn al-Aas, on the authority of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, he said: “The Qur’an was not revealed in order for some of it to be false, so whatever of it you know, act upon it, and whatever of it is similar to it, believe in it.”.  Al-Nawawi said : “ His saying , peace and blessings be upon him : ‘They recite the Qur’an but it does not go beyond their throats.’”Al-Qadi said: There are two interpretations: One of them: It means: Their hearts do not understand it, and they do not benefit from what they recite from it, and they have no share except the recitation of the mouth, the throat, and the throat, since they cut off the letters. The second: It means: No action or recitation comes up for them and it will not be accepted . It was stated in the hadith: “They are devoid of religion.”In Muslim’s narration: “They will fall out of it just as an arrow leaves the target.”That is: from the religion, and what is meant here is: the religion of Islam, as in the other narration with the wording: “they are driven away from Islam.”As indicated by the words of God Almighty: “ Indeed, the religion with God is Islam ” [ Al Imran : 19] . The judge said: Its meaning is: They take it out like an arrow if the catch runs out from another side, and nothing of it is attached to it, and the shot is the thrown catch. Al-Khattabi said: It is obedience, meaning: from obedience to the imam. End with a summary of Al-Nawawi’s words. Many authentic hadiths have been proven in the Two Sahihs and elsewhere describing the Kharijites as: “They kill the people of Islam and call upon the people of idols.” A hadith described them: “They speak well and act badly.”. It was mentioned in the hadith of Dhul-Khuwaysarah in Sahih Muslim, with the wording: “Then the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said : From this person’s light, there will be people who recite the Qur’an but it does not go beyond their throats. They will kill the people of Islam and let the people of idols pass away from Islam just as an arrow passes through its target. If I overtake them, I will kill them like Aad. ”.

The Kharijites introduced the first heresy in Islam that included extreme and exaggerated statements, and they took the principle of takfir as a reason to rebel against the rulers of the Muslims, and since Ali bin Abi Talib was strict in dealing with them and with the jurisprudence he had in religion, he dialogued with them and tried to restore them to the right path, but some of them returned from their paths. He returned and some of them remained, and after the Battle of Nahrawan, only a small number of them remained, and they dispersed throughout the countries. Ibn Battal mentioned in a hadith on the authority of Ali bin Abi Talib that he said during his sermon: “ What prevents the most wretched of you from staining it with blood, ” and he pointed to his beard.  One of the Kharijites, Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam, went to kill Ali ibn Abi Talib, so he killed him in the mosque on Friday before the dawn prayer .

Discussion of attributes and issues of belief

After the emergence of the Kharijites and their split from the group of Companions, many sects branched out from them, and the Sunnis described them as people of misguided desires who, through their desires, introduced what had no basis in the Sharia and spoke about what God and His Messenger had forbidden from researching, so their desires differed, their opinions separated, and their suspicions turned into beliefs because of which they became separate groups. The imams of Ahl al-Sunnah from the early Salaf era were content with clarifying what needed clarification, and did not speak about what God and His Messenger had forbidden from delving into, and they abandoned disputes, arguments, and disputing about it. Ibn Khaldun said in his history written in the eighth century AH: “And the most important faith beliefs are justified by their rational evidence . There is much evidence for it from the Qur’an and Sunnah, and it is known and established. Most of the disagreements that have occurred in beliefs are from following what is similar .  It was stated in his speech that since it was obligatory to exalt God Almighty in describing Him as absolute perfection, and the texts indicated this, such as the Almighty’s saying: “ There is nothing like Him ” [ Al-Shura : 11] , then the Qadariyyah (Mu’tazilites) exaggerated in exaltation, which led to the introduction of the heresy of the statement denying the attributes of God. Fixed by the text, and on the other hand, in the era of the predecessors, innovators appeared who exaggerated in confirming the attributes. They followed the similarities from the texts and interpreted them according to the apparent meaning, so they fell into anthropomorphism that contradicts the verses of clear exaltation. Abu al-Fath al-Shahristani (479 AH / 548 AH) mentioned in his book: “ Al – Milal wal – Nihal ” that When the Mu’tazilites went to extremes in exaltation and denied attributes proven in the text, they called them muta’il, and that the predecessors, because they were among those who affirmed attributes, called them the Sufiites, and that some of the predecessors exaggerated in affirming attributes and fell into anthropomorphism, and among them was mentioned the heresy of Muhammad ibn Karam al-Sijistani, [130] in claiming anthropomorphism and  . The Karamiya came to him, and Mahmoud bin Sabuktekin, the Sultan, (who was from the Karamiya) supported them.  Ibn Khaldun said: “ Nothing remains in these phenomena except the beliefs and doctrines of the predecessors and belief in them as they are, lest the negation be based on their meanings by negating them even though they are correct and proven from the Qur’an .” 

The Sunnis and the community have agreed, both in advance and in succession, that texts that appear to suggest similarities to events are among the ambiguous matters that are not permissible to delve into, and God has forbidden delving into them. Because it is one of the characteristics of the people of deviation and misguidance, as they spoke about what God had not permitted, of which they had no knowledge, and they interpreted the ambiguous things according to their desires. This was mentioned in the Qur’an in the Almighty’s saying: “But as for those in whose hearts is deviation, they follow that which is ambiguous thereof, seeking temptation. seeking its interpretation, and its interpretation is not known Except Allah ( Al Imran : 7) .  Ibn Katheer narrated : “ On the authority of Ibn Abbas, he said: Interpretation has four parts: an interpretation that no one has an excuse for understanding, an interpretation that the Arabs know from their languages, an interpretation known to those who are firmly rooted in knowledge, and an interpretation that no one knows except God Almighty. This saying is narrated on the authority of Aisha, Urwa, Abu Al-Sha’atha, Abu Nahik and others . 

There are two doctrines narrated from the Companions that the commentators mentioned in the Almighty’s saying: “ And no one knows its interpretation except Allah ” [ Al Imran : 7] , and Ibn Jarir al-Tabari mentioned the saying regarding the interpretation of the verse: that no one knows its interpretation except Allah. He said: “ As for those who are firmly rooted in knowledge So they say: “ We believe in it, all of it is from our Lord ” [ Al Imran : 7] . They do not know that, but the superiority of their knowledge in this matter over others is the knowledge that God is the One who knows that, to the exclusion of anyone else from His creation .  Then he mentioned the difference of the people of interpretation regarding the interpretation of that, and do “ the established ones ” know the interpretation of the similar, or do they say: We believe in the similar and believe that the knowledge of that is known only to God? Some of them said: The meaning of that is: No one knows the interpretation of that except God alone, alone with His knowledge. As for those who are firmly rooted in knowledge, they believe in it but do not know its interpretation. On the authority of Aisha, she said: “Part of their firmness in knowledge was that they believed in what was clear and similar, and they did not know its interpretation . ” This was narrated on the authority of Ibn Abbas, Urwa, Abu Nahik Al-Asadi, Omar bin Abdul Aziz, and Malik. Others said: Rather, the meaning of that is: “ And none knows its interpretation except Allah and those who are firmly rooted in knowledge ” [ Al-Imran : 7] , and despite their knowledge of that and their firmness in knowledge, they say: “ We believe in it, it is all from our Lord ” [ Al-Umar]. Anne : 7] . It was narrated on the authority of Ibn Abbas that he said: “ I am one of those who know its interpretation .” On the authority of Mujahid: “ And those who are firmly rooted in knowledge ” [ Al Imran : 7] : They know its interpretation and say: “ We believe in it ” [ Al Imran : 7] . Abu Jaafar said: “ As for the meaning of interpretation in Arab speech, it is interpretation, reference, and destiny. Ibn Jarir al- Tabari (who is one of the imams of the predecessors ) favored the first opinion, which is: that no one knows its interpretation except God .      

These two doctrines narrated on the authority of the predecessors were narrated by Ibn Kathir (who was one of the scholars of the eighth century AH). The first of them is that no one knows the interpretation of the similar except God, and this is what Ibn Jarir narrated based on the reading of Ibn Abbas, Ibn Masoud, and Abu Ibn Ka’b, and Ibn Jarir also narrated it on the authority of Omar bin Abdul Aziz. And Malik bin Anas: They believe in it but do not know its interpretation, and Ibn Jarir chose this opinion. This is the doctrine of submission or delegation because they delegate the knowledge of that to God and do not interpret what is similar, but rather believe in it and say: No one knows its interpretation except God, and this saying was narrated from the imams of the predecessors.  And the second: He does not know the interpretation of the ambiguous one who wanted what he wanted ( except Allah and those firmly rooted in knowledge ) [ Al Imran : 7] They know its interpretation “ They say, ‘We believe in it’ ” [ Al Imran : 7] , then they rejected the interpretation of the ambiguous on what they knew of the interpretation of the decisive ones. In which there is no interpretation for anyone except one interpretation, so what they say is consistent with the Book, and some of it confirms others, so the argument is implemented and the excuse is made apparent, and falsehood is removed and disbelief is repelled by it. It is called the doctrine of interpretation, and it is narrated on the authority of some of the imams of the predecessors. Ibn Katheer said: “And many of the commentators and scholars of principles followed them and said Speech with something that is not understood is far-fetched, and Ibn Abi Najih narrated on the authority of Mujahid on the authority of Ibn Abbas that he said: “ I am one of the established ones who know its interpretation .” Ibn Abi Najih said on the authority of Mujahid: Those who are well-established in knowledge know its interpretation and say: We believe in it. This is what Al-Rabi’ bin Anas said. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said on the authority of Muhammad ibn Jaafar ibn al-Zubayr : “ And its interpretation is not known ” [ Al Imran : 7] who wanted what he wanted “ except Allah, and those who are firmly rooted in knowledge say, ‘We believe in it. ’” [ Al Imran : 7] Then they rejected the similar interpretation to what They knew who The interpretation of the court in which there is no interpretation for anyone except one interpretation, so their words were consistent with the book, and some of it confirmed the other, so the argument was implemented and the excuse appeared with it, and falsehood was removed with it and disbelief was repelled, and in the hadith: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, called for Ibn Abbas and said: “O God, give him understanding of religion. ” And he taught him interpretation.”    ».

There are texts from the Qur’an and Sunnah that indicate the use of rational inferences in proving issues of belief, and there is no disagreement about this among the Sunnis and the community, except that the discussion of the issues of belief that were introduced by the groups that broke away from the Sunnis and the community took another direction, as they spoke about what God and His Messenger forbade. Go into it. Al-Shahrastani said: “ Know that the predecessors among the hadith scholars, when they saw the Mu’tazila’s penetration into the science of theology and contradiction of the Sunnah that they had learned from the Rightly Guided Imams, and their support from a group of princes of the Umayyads for their belief in predestination, and a group of caliphs from the Abbasids for their belief in denying the attributes and the creation of the Qur’an, they were confused about establishing the doctrine of the Sunnis. And the group is in the similarities of the verses of the Wise Book and the narrations of the Faithful Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him .  He said: “ As for Ahmad bin Hanbal, Dawud bin Ali Al-Isfahani, and a group of the imams of the Salaf, they followed the method of the Salaf who preceded them among the hadith scholars, such as: Malik bin Anas and Muqatil bin Sulaiman, and they took the path of safety and said: We believe in what was stated in the Qur’an and Sunnah, and we are no longer subject to interpretation. That we know with certainty that God Almighty does not resemble any of the creatures and that everything that is represented in illusion is its Creator and Destiner. They were wary of resemblance to the point that they said that whoever moved his hand when reading the words of God Almighty: “I created with My own hands” [p. 75] or pointed with his two fingers . When he narrated: “The heart of the believer is between two of the fingers of the Most Merciful.” His hand must be cut off and his two fingers must be cut off .” The reason for their stopping in interpreting the verses and avoiding delving into similarities is because of the prohibition contained in the revelation in the Almighty’s saying: “But as for those in whose hearts is deviation, they follow that which is similar thereof, seeking temptation and seeking its interpretation.” And no one knows its interpretation except God, and those who are well-grounded in knowledge say, “We believe in it.” It is all from our Lord, and nothing is mentioned except People of understanding7(  [ Al Imran : 7] They said: So we guard against deviation, and they said: Interpretation is a matter that is presumed by agreement, and speaking about the attributes of the Creator by assumption is not permissible. Perhaps we interpreted the verse in a way other than what the Creator, Most High, intended, so we fell into deviation. Rather, we say as those who are firmly rooted in knowledge said) “Each is from Our Lord } [ Al Imran : 7] We believe in its apparent meaning and believe in its hidden meaning, and we have entrusted its knowledge to God Almighty, and we are not obligated to know that, since that is not one of the conditions or pillars of faith. This is the path to safety and is not similar to anything. However, a group of Ghali Shiites and a group of Hashwiyya hadith scholars declared the simile. 

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal had a prominent role in supporting and defending the Sunnah. He was patient in adversity and faced persecution from the Mu’tazilites.  He was followed in this by the Hanbali imams who followed his method in defending the Sunnah and followed his path. Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari worked to respond to the people of whims and desires and formulated An approach based on proving religious beliefs with auditory and rational evidence, and based on the approach of previous imams, on the basis that transmission is the basis and that reason is a servant of transmission and a means of proving it and proving its authenticity. He collected what was dispersed from the words of the scholars of the Sunnis and the community, supported the transmission with reason, and invalidated the fallacies and falsehoods of the Mu’tazilites and others. He compared this to the appearance of Abu Mansur al-Maturidi beyond the river, and he did work similar to the work of Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari. Al-Shahrastani said: “ As for the predecessors who were not subject to interpretation and did not aim for simile, they include: Malik ibn Anas, may God be pleased with them both, when he said: Istiwaa is known, the method is unknown, belief in it is obligatory, and asking about it is an innovation, and the likes of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may God have mercy on him, Sufyan al-Thawri, Dawud ibn Ali al-Isfahani, and those who followed them until The time ended with Abdullah bin Saeed Al-Kalabi, Abu Abbas Al-Qalanisi, and Al-Harith bin Asaad Al-Muhasibi. These were among the Salaf, except that they embarked on the science of theology and supported the beliefs of the Salaf with verbal arguments and fundamental proofs. Some of them classified and others studied until a debate took place between Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari and his teacher on one of the issues. The righteous and the righteous quarreled, and Al-Ash’ari sided with this sect and supported their opinion with theological methods, and this became the doctrine of the Sunnis and the community, and the character of Sufiism was transferred to the Ash’ari. »

Ibn Khaldun mentioned in his history: “ When the codification of the sciences increased and theologians became accustomed to exaltation, the heresy of the Mu’tazilites occurred, and they created the sedition of saying that the Qur’an is created, and it is an innovation that the predecessors declared contrary to it. The harm of this heresy was great, and some of the caliphs taught it on the authority of their imams, so the people were led to it, and the imams of the predecessors disagreed with them, so their disagreement was deemed permissible. The loss of many of them and their blood . Then he said: “ This was a reason for the Sunnis to rise up with rational evidence on these beliefs in order to ward off the issuance of these heresies. Sheikh Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari, the imam of theologians, did this and mediated between the paths, denied the analogy, affirmed the moral attributes, and limited purity to what the predecessors restricted it to, and the evidence specific to its generality attested to him, so he confirmed The four moral qualities, hearing, sight, and speech based on the soul through transmission and reason, and he responded to the innovators in all of that, and spoke to them about what they paved the way for these innovations, such as saying what is good, what is best, what is best, what is ugly, perfecting the beliefs in the mission, the conditions of Paradise and Hell, and reward and punishment .  And he said: “ And he added to that speech about the Imamate because of the Imami’s heresy that appeared at that time in their saying that it is one of the doctrines of faith and that it is obligatory for the Prophet to designate it and deviate from the covenant in that for whomever it is for, and also for the nation and the whole matter of the Imamate that it is a matter of unanimous interest and does not attach to the doctrines, so for that reason They attached it to the issues of this art and called it the collection of theology .  Ibn Khaldun said: “ The followers of Sheikh Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari increased, and his students followed his path after him, such as Ibn Mujahid and others. Judge Abu Bakr Al-Baqalani took from them, so he led the Imamate in their method, refined it, and set the rational premises on which the evidence and considerations depend. ”  He said: “ In summary, the subject of the science of theology according to its scholars is the faith beliefs after they have been imposed as correct from the Sharia insofar as they can be inferred with rational evidence, so heresies are removed and doubts and suspicions about those beliefs are removed. ”

Introducing the Sunnis and the community

Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah is a title that has been in circulation since previous periods in the history of Islam due to the sects, most of which appeared in the eras of the predecessors. Then this designation became a distinction for them from the sects that differed from them. The origin of the name among the imams of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah goes back to the meaning of following. The followed Sunnah is the path followed in Religion and community. The people of the followers are the rightly guided caliphs and the diligent imams from the Companions and the Successors, and the jurists from the people of opinion and the people of hadith, and those who followed their path, followed in their footsteps, and took from them their method through transmission and continuous chain of transmission. The jurisprudence of the Companions was transmitted to the followers and the imams after them, and they had their own jurisprudence in the branches, which resulted in From it, the emergence of jurisprudential schools of thought became famous, and two approaches to the jurisprudential approach became famous, mentioned by Ibn Khaldun in his history (which he wrote down in the eighth century AH). They are: the approach of the jurists of the people of opinion in Iraq and the leader of their group in whom the doctrine and its companions settled, Abu Hanifa , and the approach of the hadith jurists in the Hijaz, whose imam is Malik . Ibn Anas and Al-Shafi’i after him.  Ibn Khaldun and others mentioned that Imam Al-Shafi’i was the first to establish the science of the principles of jurisprudence , which he formulated in his book: “Al-Risalah,” thus combining the two methods of opinion and hadith, and the doctrine of the Sunnis at this stage was summarized in the doctrines of the three imams, namely: Abu Hanifa, Malik, and Al-Shafi’i. The jurisprudence of the Sunnis settled on these two methods in them and in their companions after them, and imams of other sects who agreed with them in the fundamentals of religion entered their group. The imams of jurists who followed these two methods followed them in the third century AH. Then jurisprudence settled in the imams of the four sects, and imams entered into their group . Other schools of jurisprudence who agreed with them regarding the principles.

After the spread of the Mu’tazilites, especially in the last periods of the Salaf era, and the emergence of the Mushabbah, al-Mujasimah, and other sects, most of which appeared in the Salaf era, and the occurrence of talk about attributes and other things, another stage began because of that in demonstrating the foundations of the belief of the Sunnis and supporting their statement with evidence and repelling suspicion about it, and through this a differentiation occurred. These sects, their descriptions, sayings, and names were revealed, and scholars of fundamentals wrote about them in “Books of Sects” (most of them in the fourth century AH), including: Abu Al-Muzaffar Al-Isfarayini in the book: “Insight into Religion.” He mentioned these sects and then said: “ Those whom we have mentioned are seventy-two sects .” The seventy-third group are Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah, who are people of hadith and opinion.  Among them: Abd al-Qahir al-Baghdadi , one of the jurists of the Shafi’i school of thought , in his book: “ The Difference Between the Sects, ” in which he explained the names of these sects, their characteristics, and their sayings due to which they separated from each other and their differences with the Sunnis, and that the Sunnis wal Jama’ah are the seventy-third sect and that they are one group of the Sunnis. Opinion and the people of hadith, and they all agree on one statement regarding the foundations of religion, and if they differ in the branches of rulings , then that does not cause immorality, heresy, or infidelity, and the name was given to the Sunnis and the community to distinguish them from the Kharijites, the Mu’tazilites, the Mujasimah, the Shiite sects, and other sects that differ from them.

The definition that distinguishes Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah from others who oppose them is based on agreement on one statement regarding the principles upon which the group of Ahl al-Sunnah has agreed, in the approach followed and the method followed. Abdul Qahir al-Baghdadi referred to this in another place in this book, where he said : “ The majority of the Sunnis and the community have agreed on the principles of the pillars of the religion, each of which must be known by every adult, rational person, and each of them has its people, and within its branches there are issues about which the Sunnis agreed on one opinion and misled those who disagreed with them.. », and he explained these principles and then said : “ These are principles whose principles the Sunnis agreed upon and misled those who disagreed with them. In every corner of them there are issues of principles and issues of branches. They agree on their principles, and perhaps they differed in some of their branches in a way that does not necessitate misleading or immorality. ”  The Sunnis are the owners of the recognized schools of jurisprudence, including the jurists of the people of opinion and the scholars of hadith, who followed the path of the imams of these two paths, and they all agree on one saying regarding the principles, and the foundations of the belief of the Sunnis were originally taken from the Companions, given that they were the ones who received the doctrine of Islam from its first source and received it. On the authority of those who came after them, and the foundations of the belief of the Sunnis at the end of the era of the Salaf and those after them were transmitted from their previous imams from the people of opinion and the scholars of hadith, who received it from those who preceded them by transmitting from the imams of the Companions and followers according to what was established in the books of their scholars. The difference only appears in the reason for establishing the rules of the science of monotheism and its method. His imams in reasoning. The method of the scholars of hadith depends in inferring on auditory evidence, that is: transmission from the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and consensus, in what constitutes evidence used as an argument to prove the ruling, and the method of the scholars of theorizing and theoretical industry relies in inferring on auditory and theoretical evidence, given that the auditory evidence is the origin, and the rational evidence is its servant. .

The emergence of those sects that differed from Ahl al-Sunnah in fundamentals, their distinction, and their separation from each other led, in fact, to describing Ahl al-Sunnah in this case as a sect among these sects, and describing Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah in this way is only in relation to their definition in contrast to the sects that differ from them in fundamentals. After the end of the era of the Salaf, the doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah was passed on to those who came after them, and the doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah became famous in the manner of Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari in Iraq, Khorasan, the Levant, Morocco, Andalusia, and elsewhere. The doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah became famous in the manner of Abu Mansur al-Maturidi in Transoxiana and elsewhere, and a group of Ahl al-Hadith by transmitting the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah in the manner of the Athariyya from Ahl al-Hadith. Then the title of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah came to be applied to the Ash’aris, Maturidiyya, and Athariyyah from Ahl al-Hadith, considering that Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’a are among the possessors of theoretical craftsmanship, namely the Ash’aris and Maturidiyya, as they decided upon the doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama’ah in the method of synthesis. Theory. As for the Athariyya, they were not the owners of theoretical industry. Rather, they were limited to determining the doctrine of the Sunnis and the community using the auditory method (the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and consensus), and perhaps some of them took the method of the theologians from the theorists. The Sunnis and the group, despite their different methods in determining the doctrine of the Sunnis and the community, are a component. They agreed on one statement regarding the fundamentals of religion, and perhaps they differed in some of its branches in a way that does not necessitate misleading or immorality.

There are multiple designations that scholars have mentioned to define Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah, and no matter how different their wording is in the uses of scholars from Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah, their meaning is the same, and the difference in their wording is merely a matter of formality and nothing more. After the emergence of Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari and Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, the title “Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah” became more common among the Ash’arites and the Maturidites. He said: Ibn Abidin in his report on the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah: What is obligatory for every accountable person to believe without imitating anyone is the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah, who are the Ash’aris and the Maturidites, and they agree except in simple issues that some of them attributed to verbal disagreement, as explained in the appropriate place.  Others mentioned something like this, and the reason for this was that the Ash’aris and Maturidis worked to prove the doctrine of the imams of the Sunnis through theological methods, but the popularity of this name was due to the fact that the theoretical craftsmen from the Sunnis and the community wrote down and achieved more than others, since the Atharis were not people of faith. A theoretical creation. The first to establish the foundations of the science of monotheism according to the doctrine of the Sunnis and the community was Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari and those who followed him after him, and Abu Mansur Al-Maturidi and those who followed him after him. If we say, for example: The majority of the Sunnis and the community agreed to give priority to Sharia over reason, and in return for this, the Mu’tazilites exaggerated in sanctifying reason, giving it precedence over the texts of Sharia, with evidence that some of the Mu’tazilites, like some Kharijites, denied the punishment of stoning on the pretext that it is reprehensible to the mind, and they denied the established texts of the Sunnah regarding stoning, and Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari used rational proofs and verbal arguments to prove the statement of the Sunnis and the community regarding the issue of prioritizing Sharia evidence over reason, and the Maturidiyya did likewise. In any case, the Ash’aris, Maturidiyahs, and Athariyya all agree on the view that Sharia precedence over reason.

They also mentioned the Islamic sects and made of them Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah one sect. However, the disagreement between Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah is only in the branches, and whatever their difference is in the branches of rulings, they do not judge each other as disbelievers or describe them as innovations, and whatever disagreement may occur in matters of doctrine is a formal disagreement. The common people may be confused, due to judging things without examining things, or exaggerating the ruling without knowledge, and whoever is affiliated with Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah and disagrees with their consensus, then his statement is attributed to him and is attributed to him alone and is rejected by him. Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah has one school of thought regarding the foundations of belief.

Taj al-Din al-Subki said in explaining the doctrine of Ibn al-Hajib: “Know that all of the Sunnis and the community have agreed on one belief in what is obligatory, permissible, and impossible, even if they differ in the methods and principles that lead to that, or in the meaning of what there is. In general, by induction, they are understood as three groups: the first: the people of hadith , and the principles relied upon are: auditory evidence, meaning: the Qur’an , the Sunnah , and consensus . Second: People of rational theory and intellectual craft, namely: Ash’arism and Hanafi . The Ash’arite sheikh: Abu Al-Hasan Al- Ash’ari, and the Hanafi sheikh: Abu Mansur Al-Maturidi . They agreed on rational principles in every demand on which hearing depends, and on auditory principles in what only the mind understands is permissible, and rational and auditory in other matters, and they agreed in all doctrinal demands except in the issue of formation and the issue of tradition. Third: People of conscience and revelation; They are Sufis , and their principles are those of the people of theorizing and hadith in the beginning, and revelation and inspiration in the end.

Imam Abd al-Qahir al-Baghdadi, in his book The Difference Between the Sects , enumerated the sects and sects opposing the doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah that appeared in the history of Muslims, and which he lived with. It includes seventy-two sects, including: the Rawafidites , the Kharijites , the Qadariyya , the Murji’ah , the Najjariyah , the Bakriyah , the Dirariyya , and the Jahmiyyah . And the Karamiya , then he said: “As for the seventy-third group, they are the people of the Sunnah and the community from the two groups of opinion and hadith, without those who buy the distraction of hadith, and the jurists of these two groups, their readers, hadith scholars, and the theologians of the people of hadith among them, all of them agree on one article regarding the monotheism of the Maker and his attributes, his justice and wisdom, and about his names. And its attributes, and in the chapters of prophecy and imamate , and in the rulings of Al-Uqabi, and in the rest of the principles of religion . Rather, they differ in what is permissible and what is forbidden in the branches of rulings, and there is no misguidance or immorality between them in what they differed from, and they are the saved group , and they are united by the acknowledgment of the monotheism of the Maker and the preeminence of His eternal attributes, and the permissibility of seeing Him without comparison or obstruction, while acknowledging the books of God and His messengers and supporting the law of Islam , and permitting what He has permissible. The Qur’an and the prohibition of what the Qur’an has forbidden, with the restrictions of what is authentic in the Sunnah of the Messenger of God, the belief in the resurrection, the questioning of the two angels in the grave, and the acknowledgment of the basin and the balance. Whoever believes in this direction that we mentioned and does not mix his faith with any of the heresies of the Kharijites , the Rafidites , the Qadariyyah , and the rest of the people of whims, then he is among the group of the saved sect – if God has sealed him with it – and included in this group is the majority of the nation and its greatest majority, including the companions of Malik, Al-Shafi’i, Abu Hanifa, Al-Awza’i, Al-Thawri , and the people of Al-Zahir.. »

Al-Safarini mentioned : “ Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah has three sects: Al-Athariyya: and their imam is Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and Al-Ash’ariyyah: and their imam is Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari. And the Maturidiyya: Their imam is Abu Mansur al-Maturidi. As for the misguided sects, they are very numerous .  He said in the book Al-Ayn wa Al-Athar: The Sunnis and the community are three sects: the Ash’aris, the Hanbalis, and the Maturidis.

The archaeological method in matters of belief

The athar method is that which is based on the hadith, and the athar in the language is the rest of the thing, and what is transmitted is what is transmitted by a successor from a predecessor,  and the athariya is among the people of hadith according to theologians. The scholars who rely in matters of faith on the hadith that is based on transmission and taking auditory evidence, that is: The Qur’an, the Sunnah, and consensus, and the hadith, in the sense of what is said, may be more general than the hadith, but what is meant does not differ, and the people of the Sunnah and the community, whether they are people of hadith or theory, are all people of hadith, but the difference in naming appears in the method of inference, and this difference is important in naming, and that Auditory evidence is essential in legal rulings, whether scientific or practical. However, practical rulings involve analogy when the text is missing, unlike scientific rulings (creed), which are taken by audio evidence through transmission and text, and there is no room for analogy in them. The imams of the Sunnis and the community were In the era of the Companions and Followers, they were interested in transmitting the knowledge of Sharia law, narrating it, and deducing secondary rulings. As for matters of belief, they received them orally and were not the subject of their research and diligence. Because they are matters that are established, established and agreed upon, but they used to clarify what was in need of clarification and clarification and when there was a need to ward off suspicion. The archaeologists among the scholars of hadith relied mainly on auditory evidence, while the scholars of theory and theoretical craftsmanship combined auditory and rational evidence together, and by them is meant the theologians among the jurists. People of opinion or jurists of hadith.

After the spread of the Mu’tazilites during the third century AH, and according to what Ibn Khaldun and others mentioned, the Mu’tazilites delved into the attributes, denying fixed attributes and using verbal methods to support what they had introduced. Among the predecessors were a group who were attached to the apparent meanings of similar texts and went to extremes in affirming the attributes, so they fell into explicit anthropomorphism that contradicted exaltation. As for the predecessors who They took the approach of those who preceded them among the hadith scholars and took the path of integrity. They said in the similar texts: We believe in them and do not succumb to their interpretation. Al-Shahrastani said: “ As for the predecessors who did not succumb to interpretation and did not aim for simile, among them is: Malik bin Anas, may God be pleased with them both, when he said: Istiwa is known, the manner is unknown, and faith is It is obligatory and asking about it is an innovation, and the likes of Ahmad ibn Hanbal , may God have mercy on him , Sufyan al- Thawri, Dawud ibn Ali al-Isfahani, and those who followed them until the end of time, including Abdullah ibn Sa`id al-Kalabi, Abu al-Abbas al-Qalanisi, and al-Harith ibn As`ad al-Muhasibi, and these were among the Salaf, except that they embarked on the science of theology and supported the doctrines of the Salaf with arguments. Verbal and fundamental proofs .”  And the predecessors were among the scholars of hadith, when they saw the Mu’tazila’s penetration into the science of theology and the violation of the Sunnah that they had known from the Rightly Guided Imams; They were confused about stating the doctrine of the Sunnis and the community in the ambiguous texts. Al-Shahrastani said: “ As for Ahmad ibn Hanbal , Dawud ibn Ali Al-Isfahani, and a group of the imams of the Salaf, they followed the method of the Salaf who preceded them among the hadith scholars, such as: Malik ibn Anas and Muqatil ibn Sulaiman , and they followed the path of safety and said: We believe in what is stated in the Qur’an and Sunnah, and we are not subject to interpretation after we know with certainty that God Almighty does not resemble any of the creatures, and that everything that is represented in illusion is its Creator and Destiner. They were wary of resemblance until they said: Whoever moves his hand when reading the Almighty’s saying: “ I created with My own hands ” [ p . 75] or he pointed with his two fingers when narrating: “The heart of the believer is between two of the fingers of the Most Merciful.” His hand must be cut off and his two fingers must be cut off. ”

The way of people of vision

The theoretical method means: rational reasoning and intellectual industry based on methodological foundations, and what is meant by that in particular is the method of Sunni theologians to prove religious beliefs with rational and transmission evidence, based on the fact that reason confirms transmission and there is no contradiction between them, and in many places in the Qur’an, contemplation, contemplation, and contemplation are mentioned. Reasoning, applying reason, and inferring with reason, and that contemplating creatures indicates the Creator. This includes the speech of idol worshipers, deniers of the resurrection, and others, with phrases that guide them to contemplate the invalidity of what they believed. The fact is that since they did not believe in the texts of the Sharia, rational evidence was mentioned to them in the context of the Sharia text, and Ibn Khaldoun in Lessons: The most important faith beliefs are justified by their rational evidence, and they are known and established by the imams of the predecessors, and the imams after them verified them. However, after that, a disagreement was presented in the details of these beliefs, most of them sparked by similar verses, so this called for disputes, consideration, and reasoning with reason, and in addition to transmission, and thus knowledge occurred. talk.

After the year two hundred AH, a group of predecessors appeared who went to extremes in affirming the attributes, so they fell into anthropomorphism, and they disagreed with the imams of the predecessors who preceded them, who believed in what was proven from the texts that inspired similes, and they did not address its meaning through research or interpretation, nor did they approach its interpretation or interpretation because it is permissible for it to be a test, so one must stop and submit to it. Ibn Khaldun described them as innovators who deviated from what they invented, followed similar verses, and delved into similes in accordance with apparent phenomena mentioned in that way, so they fell into explicit anthropomorphism and contradicted the meaning of absolute purity, which is most of the sources of the Sharia. Then, when sciences increased and theologians became accustomed to exaltation, the Mu’tazila heresy arose in generalizing this exaltation in the meaning of the meanings, so they ruled to deny the attributes of meanings.. He said: “ This was a reason for the Sunnis to rise up with rational evidence on these beliefs to ward off the issuance of these heresies, and Sheikh Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari, the imam, did this. The theologians, so he mediated between the paths, denied similes, affirmed the moral attributes, and restricted transcendence to what the predecessors restricted it to, and the evidence specific to its generality attested to him. He affirmed the four moral attributes, hearing, sight, and speech based on the soul by means of transmission and reason, and he responded to the innovators in all of that and spoke to them about what they prepared for these innovations, such as saying what is good and what is best. And improvement and ugliness, and perfection of the beliefs in the mission, and the conditions of Paradise and Hell, and reward and punishment… ” He mentioned that there were many followers of Sheikh Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari, and his path was followed by his students after him, such as Ibn Mujahid and others, and the judge Abu Bakr Al-Baqalani and others took from them.  Ibn Khaldun’s words included an explanation of the direct reason for the emergence of the science of theology according to the Sunni doctrine, as Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari formulated it and his companions followed it after him. It is a science based on proving religious beliefs with evidence of reason and transmission. Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari was one of the jurists of the hadith, and he built his method. According to the approach of reason and transmission, there is no contradiction between reason and transmission.

On the other hand, there was work similar to the work of Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari, carried out by Abu Mansur Al-Maturidi (who died in the year 333 AH ). He was one of the scholars of the Hanafi school of thought in Transoxiana , and this was due to the spread of the sayings of the Mu’tazilites, the Mushabbis, and others in the late era of the Salaf. Abu Mansur wrote works on articles, principles, and refutations of the Mu’tazila, Qarmatians, and Rafidites. He died in Samarkand in the year: thirty-three and three hundred AH .  What Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari (who died in the year 324 AH ) and Abu Mansur Al-Maturidi (who died in the year 333 AH ) did was to take the sayings of the Companions, the Successors, and the Imams after them regarding the foundations of religion, clarify them, support them with addition, explanation, and clarification, and establish the theoretical approach. And the rules of rational inference to prove religious beliefs by both auditory and theoretical methods, that is: by transmissional and rational evidence, and to reject suspicions about them, as they formulated this approach in the manner of the Sunnis and the community, they and their companions after them, and this approach became an independent science called the science of theology, and its purpose was to clarify the doctrine. The people of the Sunnah, which the Companions and the imams who followed them followed, and their support with evidence, due to the spread of the heresy of the Mu’tazilites, the anthropomorphists, and other sects contrary to the Sunnis, and the characteristic of the people of theorizing and theoretical industry among the Sunnis and the community came to be applied to the Ash’aris, in reference to their imam, Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari, and the Maturidiyya, in reference to their imam , Abu Mansour Al-Maturidi. Abdul Qadir bin Abi Al-Wafa Al-Qurashi (deceased: 775 AH ) said in his book: Al-Jawahir Al-Madiyya fi Tabaqat Al-Hanafiyyah: “ Imam Abu Mansour Al-Maturidi is the head of the Sunnis and his followers are mostly Hanifis, and Imam Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari and his followers are mostly Shafi’is .”

There is no dispute that the imams of the Salaf used rational proof, and examples of that are what Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Adhrami mentioned in the Council of al-Wathiq, until a group appeared in the era of the Salaf who supported the beliefs of the Sunnis and the community with verbal arguments and fundamental proofs and wrote down about that. Al-Shahrastani said in al-Milal al-Nihal: “Until it ended. ” Time goes back to Abdullah bin Saeed Al-Kalabi, Abu Abbas Al-Qalanisi, and Al-Harith bin Asaad Al-Muhasibi, and these were among the Salaf, except that they embarked on the science of theology and supported the beliefs of the Salaf with verbal arguments and fundamentalist proofs.. » .  The use of verbal methods according to Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah is not considered reprehensible in and of itself, since it is a method of reasoning. Rather, it may be reprehensible for other considerations. This is because what is preferred from the Salaf regarding the condemnation of speech regarding what the Companions were silent about, and what is used of it for argument and debate, so Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah is only They used it when the people of whims spread in order to invalidate their suspicions and clarify the truth, not to consider it a profession for controversy and confusion among the public. The historian Ibn Khaldun mentioned that the emergence of the science of theology was due to the occurrence of the heresy of the Mu’tazilites, the Mushabbah, and others, and he stated that it was not necessary for this era, that is: the period in which he lived in the century The eighth AH, and he mentioned that atheists and innovators have become extinct, and the Sunni imams have been content with what they wrote and recorded, and the rational evidence they only needed when they defended and supported, but now nothing remains of it except words that the innocent has eschewed from many of his insinuations and generalities.  These sects have become extinct, so there is no need to speak about what is absent from people’s minds, but the possibility of the emergence of people of desires requires that among the religious scholars in every era there be someone skilled in the science of theology if he has extensive knowledge of the sciences of Sharia, so the theologian who has no knowledge There is inevitably error in religion, and if we read the history of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah, we would find that among the theologians were scholars of religion who were scholars of hadith, jurisprudence, and knowledge of Sharia. Just as it is not necessary for every individual to learn the science of theology, rather it is limited to some individuals among the scholars of religion in every era to respond. Regarding the people of whims, Ibn Khaldun said: “ But its benefit to individual people and seekers of knowledge is significant, as it is not good for a bearer of the Sunnah to be ignorant of the theoretical arguments for its beliefs .” We also find that some of them are famous for their speech and some of them are not famous for it, and the reason for this is due to a rule they have that Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali explained by saying: The science of theology is like a dangerous medicine that needs a skilled doctor, and it is only used when necessary, meaning: the correct one does not need medicine. In fact, taking medicine may harm him, and he likened it elsewhere to a weapon, so it is only used when necessary.

The Ash’aris and Maturidis are issued to respond to misguided sects and deviant sects, and they and the people of the Athari order are considered one component, the majority of scholars of the Sunnis and the greatest community in the science of interpretation , the science of hadith , and in various disciplines of forensic science.

Badr al-Din al-Zarkashi said in his book “Al-Bahr al-Muhit”: “ And know that Sheikh Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari used to follow al-Shafi’i in the branches and principles, and perhaps he disagreed with him in the principles, such as his saying that the mujtahids are correct in the branches, and that is not the doctrine of al-Shafi’i, and like his saying: “There is no formula for generality.” Sheikh Abu Muhammad al-Juwayni said: “His opposition to the principles of al-Shafi’i and his texts was conveyed, and perhaps the innovators attribute to him what he is innocent of, just as they attributed to him that he says: There is no Qur’an in the Qur’an, nor in the graves a prophet. Likewise, the exception in faith and the denial of the Creator’s ability in eternity, the excommunication of the common people, and the obligation Know the evidence for them. I browsed through his books and studied his texts on these issues and found that they were all contrary to what was attributed to him. Ibn Fourak said in the book Sharh Kitab al-Maqalāl by al-Ash’ari regarding the issue of correcting the mujtahids: Know that our Sheikh Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari also follows the Shafi’i doctrine in jurisprudence, the issues of branches, and the principles of jurisprudence, and the text of his statement in the book of interpretation in the chapter on the obligation of reciting al-Fatihah for those who are prayed in prayer is contrary to the saying of Abu Hanifa, and reciting the basmalah out loud. : Contrary to Malik’s statement, and in proving the verse of the Basmala in every surah there is a verse of the Qur’an revealed in it, and for this reason he said in his book on the principles of jurisprudence in agreement with its principles .

Behavioral science

The science of behavior , or the science of Sufism, is one of the legal sciences. It is a method or path that the servant follows to reach knowledge of God and knowledge of Him, and achieve the status of benevolence, through diligence in acts of worship, avoiding forbidden things, educating the soul, purifying the heart of bad morals, adorning it with good morals, and asceticism in this world. Its origin is that this method has not ceased to be the path of truth and guidance among the great Companions, the Successors, and those after them. Its origin is devotion to worship, devotion to God Almighty, turning away from the trappings and adornments of the world, abstinence from the pleasures, money, and prestige that the majority accepts, and seclusion from creation in solitude for worship. This was common in Companions and predecessors, when the interest in the world became widespread in the second century and after and people tended to mix with the world, those who started to worship were designated as Sufis and Sufis.  The method of Sufism is the method of conduct, and the disciple is the one who follows the path, and in his knowledge of the path he needs the educator, who is the one who guides the pathologist and guides him to correct behavior so that he can follow the path, and advances in the ranks of servitude by increasing faith by doing obedience and abandoning what is forbidden, and advancing in the ranks of goodness by drawing near. To God with voluntary prayers after performing the obligations and duties, separating from creation, engaging in worship, holding oneself accountable, treating one’s shortcomings, and struggling with oneself, until a state arises in every struggle and worship in which one progresses from one state to another. The origin of all of them is obedience and sincerity, and faith precedes and accompanies them, and conditions and attributes produce results and fruits. Then another arises from it and another leads to the station of monotheism and knowledge, and the aspirant continues to rise from one station to another until he reaches monotheism and knowledge, which is the desired goal of happiness.  In addition, they have etiquettes specific to them and conventions in terms that circulate among them, and the knowledge of Sharia has become of two types: a type reserved for jurists and those who give fatwas, and a class reserved for the people of Sufism in carrying out this struggle and holding the soul accountable for it and speaking about the tastes and occurrences that occur on its way and how to advance from them in terms of taste. To taste and explain the conventions that pass between them in this regard.

Ibn Khaldun said: “ After codifying the sciences, men of this order wrote in their own way. Some of them wrote about piety and holding oneself accountable for following the example of taking and abandoning, as Al-Qushayri did in the book Al-Risala, and Al-Suhrawardi in the book Al-Awarif Al-Ma’arif and their likes, and Al-Ghazali, may God have mercy on him, combined the two matters in The Book of Revival of Religious Sciences , in which he recorded the rulings on piety and imitation, then he explained the etiquette and Sunnahs of the people and explained their terminology in their expressions. The science of Sufism in the religion became a written science after the method was only worship and its rulings were only received from the breasts of men, as happened in all the other sciences that were recorded in the book, such as interpretation, hadith, and jurisprudence. And assets and so on .

Some Sunni scholars have considered some of the methods of Sufism to be things that are contrary to the Sunnah, such as abstaining from food. Al-Qurtubi said : “ As for the method of Sufism: for a sheikh to be one of them day, night, and month, a thinker who does not cease, this is a far-fetched method.” away from what is right, not befitting humankind, and not consistent with the Sunnahs »,  As for dancing and clapping, it is attributed to the one who does it, not to this knowledge. Al-Izz ibn Abd al-Salam said : “ As for dancing and clapping, it is lightness and recklessness similar to the recklessness of women. It is not done by a fool or a pretender who is a liar. How can balanced dancing with the scales of singing be achieved by someone who is reckless? His core, and his heart was gone, and he, peace be upon him, said: “The best of generations is my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them,” and none of those whom he emulates did any of that. Rather, Satan took control of a people who thought that their joy upon hearing was related to In God Almighty, they have believed in what they said, and they have lied in what they claimed… And whoever fears God and realizes some of His glorification will not imagine dancing or clapping, and clapping and dancing only come from a stupid and ignorant person, and they do not come from a sane and virtuous person. ”  The people of Sufism, after the era of the righteous predecessors, in the fundamentals of belief, follow the doctrine of the Sunnis and the community in the manner of the Ash’arites and the Maturidites , and they follow one of the four Sunni schools of jurisprudence, and they take revelation and inspiration. The methods that educators take in raising their disciples have varied, and from them emerged what is known as “Sufi paths.” The most famous among the Sunnis are:

Desouki method .

Naqshbandi method .

The Shadili method .

The Qadiri method .

Tijaniya method .

The Rifa’i method .

Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah are the largest Islamic religious group of Muslims in most periods of the history of Islam , and the majority of Muslims are affiliated with them, and their scholars define them as being the ones who are united in following the approach of the Sunnah of the Prophet and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and the Imams of the religion from among the Companions and Followers and the owners of the recognized schools of jurisprudence among the jurists of opinion and people of opinion. Hadith, and those who followed in their footsteps and took their method from them through transmission and continuous chain of transmission. This designation was not a common term at the beginning of Islamic history , as there was no division or division. Rather, this designation appeared gradually due to the emergence of sects that broke away from the Muslim community under different names. The title “Ahl al-Sunnah” was given to the people of knowledge among the imams of the Companions and those who followed their path. In religion, as it was mentioned in the introduction to Sahih Muslim on the authority of Ibn Sirin that when the events of the killing of Caliph Uthman ibn Affan occurred , which he refers to as “sedition,” he said: “ They were not asking about the chain of transmission, so when the sedition occurred, they said, ‘Name your men for us,’ and the Sunnis would be looked at and taken into account.” Their hadiths, and the people of innovations should be looked at, and their hadiths should not be taken into account. ”  The imams in the religion are among the Companions and those who follow them in good faith are the people of the Sunnah, that is: the followers of the method followed in the religion, given that their method that they followed was based on following the method of the Prophet’s guidance, as they transmitted the knowledge of religion in its generality, and it was based on He must teach them what they have explained and what they have deduced according to the principles of Sharia.

Acquiring the knowledge of religion was restricted to the Companions who carried it. At the beginning of Islam, they were called reciters because of their reading of the Qur’an and their knowledge of religion. According to what Ibn Khaldun mentioned, after the jurisprudential deduction was possible and jurisprudence was perfected and became knowledge, they were replaced with the name of jurists and scholars instead of reciters, and the knowledge of the Companions was transferred to the followers and taken from them. The imams after them, then jurisprudence among them was divided into: the method of the people of opinion in Iraq and the leader of their group in whom the doctrine and its companions was established, Abu Hanifa , and the method of the people of hadith in the Hijaz and their imam Malik bin Anas and Al-Shafi’i after him.

After the second century AH, according to what Ibn Khaldun and others mentioned, a group of predecessors were attached to the apparent meanings of similar texts and exaggerated in affirming attributes, so they fell into anthropomorphism. In contrast, the Mu’tazilites exaggerated in exaltation and denied fixed attributes. As for the Sunnis at that time, they included a group such as: Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Dawud ibn Ali Al-Isfahani and others took the approach of those who came before them among the hadith scholars, such as Malik bin Anas and others, and they said regarding similar texts: We believe in them as they are and do not succumb to their interpretation. A group of Sunnis in the era of the Salaf supported the beliefs of the Salaf with verbal arguments and fundamentalist proofs. After the occurrence of the heresy of the Mu’tazila, the Mushhabi, and others, and the spread of their sayings at the end of the era of the Salaf, according to what Ibn Khaldun and others mentioned, Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari and Abu Mansur Al-Maturidi clarified the beliefs of the Salaf among the Sunnis, repelled suspicions about them, and supported them with rational and narrational evidence, with theological approaches, and wrote books on the articles of the sects,  This resulted in the differentiation of these sects, which scholars wrote about in the “Books of Sects,” most of them in the fourth century AH, including Abd al-Qahir al-Baghdadi, one of the jurists of the Shafi’i school of thought , in his book: “ The Difference Between the Sects ,” in which he mentioned that the Sunnis wal Jama’ah is the seventy-third sect and that they are one group. From the two groups of opinion and hadith, all of them agreed on one statement regarding the fundamentals of religion, and perhaps they differed in some of its branches in a way that does not necessitate misguidance or immorality. [  The name was given to the Sunnis and the community to distinguish them from the Kharijites, the Mu’tazila, the Mujasimah, the Shiite sects, and other sects.

The Sunnah is the language of the method and the biography,  and it means the path followed in the religion, or the example followed and the imam who is followed,  or the opposite of heresy,  and the meaning of the Sunnah differs among Sharia scholars according to what is meant by it.  Al-Shafi’i said : “ The generalization of the Sunnah refers to the Sunnah of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace .”  The Sunnah of the Messenger is a method for all Muslims, as he is the imam of the nation and the closest people to his nation and their first teacher. What is meant by the Sunnah whose necessity and obligation to be followed is indicated by the Sharia texts is the Prophetic method referred to in the texts as a specific reference, not a personal one. [14] Al-Aini said: The Sunnah: “a  . ” The Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him ”  and his Sunnah, his method in religion, his path to God, his knowledge, his approach, and his guidance that he and his companions followed. They took the knowledge of religion from him and were guided by his guidance, and after him they were role models for the nation. So the Sunnah is the path followed in the religion that he followed. He and his companions and the Rightly-Guided Caliphs after him in guidance, knowledge, work and belief, and this method according to the imams of the Sunnis and the community is the example followed in the religion, which was followed by the Rightly-Guided Caliphs and the imams of the religion among the Companions and Followers and those who followed them in righteousness, so it includes the Sunnah of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs and those who followed their path among the diligent Imams of Islam . In rulings, they are his successors after him, those who conveyed him and carried his guidance, and following their method in religion in the event of disagreement is following his method of referring to them in matters that are problematic, and following them in what they worked hard on and agreed upon after the era of prophecy, because it is following a Sunnah that was established with them and was not transmitted to us, or combined ijtihad. On them or their successors; Their consensus is consensus.  Everything that happened among them is included, such as compiling the Qur’an into one Qur’an, writing down collections, books of knowledge, and other matters because they are consistent with the principles of religion, even if they were created after the era of Prophethood.  God Almighty said: “ Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed God… Verse ”  [ An-Nisa : 80] And God Almighty said: “ O you who have believed, obey God and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you… Verse ” [ An- Nisa : 59] . 

According to the imams of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah, the Sunnah is this method that is commanded in Sharia to be followed on the basis that following these imams is based on following the guidance of the Prophethood, which is the path to being guided to the straight path.  Those who agree on this method are the group and they are the people of legal knowledge.  The group in this name refers to the group of the Sunnis and the community from the meaning of gathering in this way. The hadith contains the command to follow the Sunnah and avoid innovation, and the Sunnis and the community interpret innovation in its legal meaning as innovation in the religion that has no basis in the Sharia, and it is the one that is condemned in the Sharia and its perpetrator described as misguidance and promised hellfire, [20] and according to them it includes the types of  that It was introduced by the sects that appeared in the advanced eras of Islamic history, such as: the heresies of the Kharijites and those who followed them, the Qadariyah, the anthropomorphism, and others. The first heresy to appear in Islam was the strife of the Kharijites, who split from the group of Muslims and announced their departure from Ali bin Abi Talib , and they exaggerated in their threat, saying that the disobedient should be declared apostasy and immortalized in the world. Hellfire, and they used the infidelity of Muslims as a justification for rebellion against the rulers, thus unlawfully denouncing the blood, honor, and wealth of Muslims. They restricted faith to their group, and many sects branched out from them.

Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah are the greatest majority of people of legal knowledge, holders of jurisprudential schools of thought, diligent imams, and Sharia scholars throughout Islamic history, and among them are included others who followed them and agreed with them among the Muslims .  Their jurisprudence settled in the eras of the later ones on the imitation of the four schools of thought in the regions , and the work of each imitator with a school of thought. Those who imitated him, and their earlier imams, agreed on one statement regarding the foundations of belief, and on the validity of the succession of the first four caliphs: Abu Bakr , Omar, Uthman , and Ali . They believed in the justice of all the Companions , and in the obligation to remain silent about what happened between the Companions, and that the reward of diligence was proven to them, and they did not deem any of the people of the Qiblah a disbeliever. For a sin committed by him, they agreed on the necessity of listening and obeying the rulers and that it is not permissible to rebel against them.  And if they are disobedient, Al-Nawawi said: “ As for revolting against them and fighting them, it is forbidden according to the consensus of the Muslims, even if they are immoral and unjust .”

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Drawing the word majesty

Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah is a title that has been used since advanced periods of the history of Islam to refer to those who follow the method followed in religion followed by the Rightly Guided Caliphs and Imams among the Companions and Followers and those who followed them from among the jurists of opinion and the people of hadith and whoever followed them and followed their path. The title of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah was not a recognized term. Accordingly, at the beginning of Islamic history , when there was no division or division among Muslims, they did not need to name their distinction, as they were neither divided nor different in the principles of religion and its universals. And if a difference occurred between the diligent imams in other secondary issues, it is a matter approved by Sharia, and in most cases It did not end with consensus, and they were all united in the guidance of the Prophet, and the general believers in the religion of Islam were called: “ Muslims ” or people of Islam, and the imams among them were called “people of knowledge” or readers, that is: the educated or jurists in the sense of religious scholars, but the name began to appear gradually. Because of the emergence of sects that broke away from the Muslim community under different names, the Islamic nation has been one nation since its inception, and this is what God has confirmed in the Qur’an by saying: “And indeed, this nation of yours is one nation, and I am your Lord, so fear Me.”52[  Al-Mu’minun : 52] ,  And the Almighty says: “ And this is My path, straight, so follow it, and do not follow other paths, for lest He separate you from His path. This He has enjoined upon you, perhaps. How much you fear153( Al  – An’am : 153) . The straight path of God is the path of the religion of Islam in which there is no deviation, and the divided paths are paths of misguidance.

The origin of the name, before it was a recognized title, was used by the imams of the Sunnis in the era of the Salaf, where they used the phrase: “Ahl al-Sunnah” meaning: the owners of the method followed in the religion, and they are the imams who have legal knowledge that is carried by every successor, and they used the word: “Sunnah.” In the sense of knowledge in religion in general, they say, for example: So-and-so is the most knowledgeable of the Sunnah, and what is meant by this is knowledge of the Sharia, and when the sedition occurred, the events of which occurred with the revolt against Caliph Uthman bin Affan, the third of the caliphs, and led to his killing, the use of the name “Ahl al-Sunnah” began to appear in that period, and according to what was stated On the authority of Ibn Sirin , the title “Ahl al-Sunnah” means the imams of religious scholars and bearers of the Sharia, to distinguish them from those who oppose them. The reason for this was that the occurrence of the aforementioned sedition brought about strange phenomena, represented by those who were affiliated with the knowledge of the Sharia from other than its people. This was denounced and certain conditions were set for the transfer. The narration of the hadith is among the most important of its chain of transmission and justice. In Sahih Muslim: On the authority of Muhammad ibn Sirin, he said: “ This knowledge is a religion, so look from whom you take your religion. ” On the authority of Ibn Sirin , he said: “ They were not asking about the chain of transmission, so when the sedition occurred, they said: Name your men for us, so it is looked at. The Sunnis and their hadith are taken, and the people of innovations are looked at and their hadith is not taken .”  And in a narration by Al-Tirmidhi in Al-Ilal: On the authority of Ibn Sirin, he said: “ In the first time, they were not asked about the chain of transmission, but when the sedition occurred, they asked about the chain of transmission, in order to take the hadith of the Sunnis, and call it the hadith of the people of innovations .”  Muslim narrated in his Sahih on the authority of Abu Hurairah, who said: “The Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said: ‘ At the end of time, there will be liars and impostors who will bring you hadiths that you and your fathers have not heard. So beware of you and them, that they will not mislead you nor tempt you.’” The Sunnah that came in his words means the method followed in the religion that was followed by the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, the Imams among the Companions, and those who followed them with righteousness in guidance, knowledge, action, and belief. The Sunnis are the people of knowledge in religion, narration and knowledge. Narration is the transmission of the texts of the Qur’an, the Hadith, and the sayings of the Imams . Knowledge is knowledge in religion, so Ahl al-Sunnah means people of knowledge that include both narration and knowledge, and Ibn Sirin mentioned Ahl al-Sunnah in contrast to the people of heresy, and Ahl al-Sunnah at that time interpreted the people of heresy to include all the people of deviation and whims who invented in the religion what was not of it. It has no basis in Sharia law, like the Kharijites, the Qadariyya, and other sects that appeared in previous eras, for they spoke about religion according to their own whims. Al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih, commenting on the description of the Kharijites, the text of which is: “Ibn Umar saw them as the evilest of God’s creation, and he said: They turned to verses that were revealed in The disbelievers, so they imposed it on the believers .

It is very important to know the terms used by the imams of the Salaf. In the phrase of Ibn Sirin when he said: “ Hadith of the Sunnis ,” it indicates that the narration of the hadith was not limited to the Sunnis. Rather, those who described them as heresy also narrated the hadith, and that the hadith is part of the definition of the Sunnis. What is meant by them is the people of legal knowledge, and this is what is indicated by the texts of the imams of the predecessors, that by “Ahl al-Sunnah” they do not mean the narrators of the hadith, but rather by that they mean the people of knowledge that includes the narration of the hadith.

The imams of the Companions and those who followed them and those who followed them in good faith were a reference for Muslims after the era of prophethood in matters of religion, in that they transmitted the religion and knowledge of Sharia in its generality. Their knowledge is not limited to transmission only, but rather includes everything they transmitted and learned and the knowledge they specialized in interpreting religion, understanding Sharia, and deriving jurisprudential rulings. Because of their qualifications for ijtihad and knowledge of the abrogated and abrogated, and so on, and because they are more knowledgeable than others about Sharia law, it has been reported from the imams of Ahl al-Sunnah in the era of the Salaf that they used to call these imams “Ahl al-Sunnah,” that is: those with the path followed in the religion that they followed of guidance, knowledge, work, and belief, and these are Their method is based on following the method of prophecy in that they transmitted the knowledge of religion, understood it, and deduced from it. The Companions were not all competent to issue fatwas. Rather, it was specialized in Sharia scholars among them who had specialized since the era of prophecy for knowledge of religion, and in the early days of Islam they were called the readers, meaning: Learners, and the learner among them was called a reader, and after the spread of education, they became called: jurists, that is: imams of religion and scholars of Sharia. According to what Ibn Khaldun mentioned, the title of readers was given at the beginning of Islam to specialists in the knowledge of Sharia, and after the expansion of education and the ability of jurisprudential deduction among the imams. The mujtahids, as jurisprudence became an industry and a science, changed the title: reciters to the name: jurists and scholars.  The jurisprudence of the diligent imams was transferred from the companions and followers to the diligent imams after them, and the jurist became a title for the imams of the jurisprudential schools of thought. Then two approaches to the jurisprudential approach became famous, according to what Ibn Khaldun mentioned: the approach of the jurists of opinion and analogy in Iraq and the origin of their group in which the doctrine was established . Among his companions is Abu Hanifa , and the approach of the hadith jurists in the Hijaz and their imam is Malik bin Anas and Al-Shafi’i after him.  Then, Imam Al-Shafi’i laid out the science of the principles of jurisprudence in his book: Al-Risalah and combined the two methods, and the difference between them is that the method of the people of opinion expanded the analogy more, and these two methods are the ones that became famous after that among the Sunni jurists, considering that it is a jurisprudential approach.

After distinguishing the sects that appeared in the history of Islam and revealing their sayings in the era of the ancients, the scholars collected the violations of these sects and clarified their names and sayings. They limited the number of these sects and recorded their dates and collected them in the books of the sects. It was mentioned in the book “The Difference between the Sects” that Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah are the seventy-third sect of the two groups of opinion . And the hadith ,  Among them were the imams of reciters, hadith scholars, jurists, and theorists, and they all agreed on one statement regarding the principles of religion, and their earlier imams agreed on these principles, explained them, wrote them down, and the later ones took them from them, and the difference of the diligent imams in the branches of rulings does not enter into this division by agreement . And no immorality, innovation, or infidelity is attributed to it. According to what was stated in his words, this name was given to the Sunnis and the community to distinguish them from the Kharijites, the Mu’tazilites, the Mujasimah, the Shiite sects, and other sects that differed from them in the fundamentals of religion.

The concept of the word Sunnah

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Sunni beliefs

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Linguistic definition

The Sunnah in language is the method that is followed, the example that is followed, the behavior that is followed, and the continuous and permanent habit, and Ibn Jarir Al-Tabari defined it as: “ the example that is followed and the imam who is followed .” Lapid said:

From a group whose fathers taught them                            Every people has a sunnah and its imam.

God’s Sunnah: His rulings, commands, and prohibitions, and God’s laws for people: He explained them. And God established a Sunnah, meaning: He showed a straight path,  and Sunnah also means: the conduct, whether good or bad, and it is said: its Sunnah is a Sunnah, and its Sunnah means: its pleasure, and the Sunnah of the ancients is their conduct, and it is said: I have established a Sunnah for you, so follow it, meaning: follow it, and in the Hadith “ Whoever establishes a good Sunnah will have its reward and the reward of whoever acts upon it, and whoever establishes a bad Sunnah will have its reward.”He wants those who do it to be emulated in it, and everyone who initiates a matter will be followed by people after him. It is said: He is the one who initiated it. Nasib said:

As if I had enacted love as the first lover                               Of the people, as I loved among them alone

The word “Sunnah” and what is taken from it were repeatedly mentioned in the hadith , and the basic principle is that it means: method and biography, and Ibn Manzur said : “ If it is used in the Sharia, what is meant by it is what the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him , commanded , forbade, and recommended in word and deed, which he did not utter. Dear book ; That is why it is said: In the evidence of Sharia: the Qur’an and the Sunnah, that is: the Qur’an and the Hadith .  Evidence of this is the hadith: “I only forget to forget,” meaning: I am only pushed into forgetfulness in order to guide people to the straight path, and explain to them what they need to do if forgetfulness occurs to them. He said: It is possible that it is from the habits of camels if they herd and stand well . On it, and in the hadith: “Al-Muhasab revealed it but did not make it Sunnah,” meaning: he did not make it a Sunnah to be followed. He said in Al-Tahtheeb: The Sunnah is the praiseworthy and straight path, and therefore it was said: So-and-so is from the people of the Sunnah, meaning: from the people of the straight and praiseworthy way, and it is taken from Al-Sunan, which is the way. Abu Ubaid said: “ The laws of the path and its laws are its proof, and it departs from the laws of the mountain, that is, from its face. Al-Jawhari said: The laws of the method. It is said: So-and-so remained upright according to one law .”

Al-Amidi said: The Sunnah in language means the method, so the Sunnah of every person is what you are entrusted with preserving and increasing in abundance, whether that is a good thing or something else.  He said in Sharh Al-Kawkab Al-Munir: “ And among them is his saying , peace and blessings of God be upon him : “Whoever establishes a good sunnah will have its reward and the reward of whoever acts upon it..”Hadith . It is also called: habit and biography. He said in Al-Badr Al-Munir: “ The Sunnah of biography is good or reprehensible ,” and he said in the dictionary: “ The Sunnah of biography, and from God Almighty is His wisdom, commands, and prohibitions .”

In the legal sense

The word: “Sunnah” and what is interpreted from it in the legal sense are used in multiple meanings by scholars of Islamic Sharia in different fields of Sharia sciences, according to what is meant by it in each science. Al-Shafi’i said: “The definition of the Sunnah refers to the Sunnah of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace . ”

According to jurisprudence scholars, the Sunnah refers to: “whatever was a voluntary act of worship transmitted from the Prophet, peace be upon him,” and it is sometimes applied to the recommended or desirable act that corresponds to the obligatory act and the other five rulings.

The Sunnah according to the hadith scholars is: “ Whatever was narrated on the authority of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, whether a statement, action, report, or moral or ethical characteristic, whether it was before or after the mission .”  It means: transmitting and narrating what influenced him from words, deeds, acknowledgment, and narration as a fact or a ruling, and it includes his biography, his moral and ethical characteristics, his movements and his stillness in wakefulness and in a dream before and after the mission.

The Sunnah, according to the scholars of the principles of jurisprudence , is: “ The words, actions, and approval of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him.” Taqi al-Din al-Futuhi said in defining the Sunnah, in the terminology of the scholars of the foundations of jurisprudence, it is: “ The words of the Prophet , peace and blessings be upon him, other than revelation, that is: other than the Qur’an .”  Or: “ Whatever was issued by the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, of legal evidence that is not recited, nor is it miraculous, nor is it included in the miraculous ,” and this type is what is meant by clarification in the science of the principles of jurisprudence . Saif al-Din al-Amidi said: “ This includes the sayings of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his actions and reports .” The sayings include commands , prohibitions , choices, news, and their meanings within the transmitted legal evidence.

Taqi al-Din al-Futuhi said: “ The Sunnah, both in law and in terminology, is: ‘the saying of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, and his action and approval of a thing.’ It is said or done, so if the Prophet , peace and blessings be upon him, heard a person say something, or saw him doing something and approved of it, then it is definitely from the Sunnah .” He also said: “ What is meant by The sayings and actions of the Prophet , peace and blessings of God be upon him, unless they are miraculous .

According to religious scholars, the Sunnah refers to “ the guidance of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, regarding the foundations of religion and the knowledge, work, and guidance he had .”

In general Sharia custom, the Sunnah applies to everything that is transmitted from the Sunnah of the Prophet or from the Companions and Followers. Taqi al-Din al-Futuhi said: “Be careful when saying: ‘conventionally’ from the Sunnah in general Sharia custom, as it applies to what is more general than what is transmitted from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and from Companions and followers; Because, in the terminology of scholars of jurisprudence: “ The words of the Prophet , peace and blessings be upon him, other than revelation, that is: other than the Qur’an .”

The word “Sunnah” is used in general legal custom to mean the method. Ibn Hajar said : “ His saying ‘this Sunnah’ refers to the method of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, as a specific reference, not a personal one .”  This is a definition of the Sunnah in its general sense, which is not limited to the Prophetic hadith. It means: the Prophetic method and the Prophetic guidance in its generality, and what falls within that from the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and diligent Imams. It may be used in general legal custom to mean the entire religion, given that he is the conveyor of the religion from God, and everything that came by way of revelation is known only from him, so his Sunnah is his guidance, his way, and his way to God, and it is his call to which he was called, and the way he followed in calling for the Oneness of God and devotion to worshiping Him without Gods and idols, and ending with obeying Him and abandoning disobedience to Him.

The Sunnah according to the imams of the righteous predecessors is knowledge in religion. Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani said: Al-Awza’i said: “ Knowledge is what came from the companions of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and what did not come from them is not knowledge .” Abu Ubaid and Yaqoob bin Shaybah narrated on the authority of Ibn Masoud that he said: “ People continue to be included in the goodness of knowledge that has come to them from the companions of Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, and their elders. But if knowledge comes to them from the youngest of them and their desires are dispersed, they will perish .” Abu Ubaidah said that what it means is that everything that came from the Companions and their senior followers in good faith is inherited knowledge, and what was introduced by those who came after them is reprehensible, and the predecessors used to differentiate between knowledge and opinion, so they said that the Sunnah has knowledge and everything other than it is opinion. On the authority of Ahmad: “ Knowledge is taken from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and then from the Companions. If it is not, then the Followers have a choice.” And on his authority: “What came from the Rightly Guided Caliphs is from the Sunnah, and what came from other companions who said it is Sunnah, I do not reject it .” On the authority of Ibn al-Mubarak : “ Let the one relied upon be the one who relies on it, and take from the opinion what explains the news to you .” Ibn Hajar said: “ The bottom line is that if an opinion is based on transmission from the Qur’an or the Sunnah, then it is praiseworthy, but if it is devoid of knowledge, then it is reprehensible, and this is evidenced by the aforementioned hadith of Abdullah bin Amr, as he mentioned after losing knowledge that ignorant people issue fatwas based on their opinion. ”

The Sunnah that one is commanded to follow

The Sunnah that the Sharia texts indicate is the command to follow it is the prophetic path in its most general sense according to the scholars of the Sunnis and the community, so the Sunnah of the imams of the religion among the Companions and those who followed them in goodness is included in it, and the imams of the Sunnis from the early predecessors interpreted it to mean: the knowledge of religion and Sharia transmitted from the imams of the Companions and their scholars and the imams of those who followed them with goodness. They interpreted the Sunnah, which the Sharia texts indicated that it was necessary to follow, as: “ the way of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace .”  That is: his guidance, his method, and what he and his companions followed in terms of guidance, knowledge, work, and belief, meaning: the path followed in the religion that he, his companions, and his rightly-guided caliphs after him and the imams of religion who followed them followed, and it is an interpretation of the Sunnah in its complete and comprehensive meaning, and many Some of the later scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah interpret the Sunnah, the obligation of which the texts indicate, as being specific to beliefs in the sense that innovation that contradicts it poses a great danger.  Their earlier imams meant by it the knowledge of religion that was transmitted in general terms from the imams of the Companions and their scholars, for they were the ones who carried the knowledge of religion and Sharia and learned it and explained it to the people. He is their imam and their first teacher and the most worthy of people to his nation, and his Sunnah is his way of religion, his approach, his knowledge, his guidance, his clarification to the people, and his ruling among them in what was mixed among them. They were responsible for matters, and the Companions were not all of them who issued fatwas. Rather, those who learned from him were singled out, and among them were the imams of religion and scholars of Sharia. They took knowledge from him about religion and the matters that he taught them and understood them from him through sitting with him, companionship, and experiencing the events, and all of this is what is meant by the word “Sunnah that is not It is limited to transmitting texts, and their knowledge includes what they learned and what is added to that from the rulings that they understood, explained, derived, or agreed upon. The Sunnis in the era of the ancient predecessors interpreted the Sunnah that the texts of Sharia indicated the command to follow in the sense of jurisprudence in religion, which is the knowledge of Sharia in its generality. It is taken from the imams of the religion among the Companions and those who followed them with goodness, and they make the Sunnah in this sense in contrast to the heresy that violates the principles of religion and its rules, such as the heresy of the Khawarij, the Qadariyyah, and the sects branching from them, and they call the sayings of these sects misguided desires, and by that they mean those who spoke about the religion without knowledge and interpreted the religion according to their desires and spoke about what was forbidden. God and His Messenger refrained from delving into it, and they did not take knowledge from the imams of the religion who carry the Sharia.

Their interpretation of the Sunnah in its integrated sense means the knowledge of the Sharia in its generality taken from the imams of the Companions and those who followed them in good faith, given that the imams of the Companions were united in guidance, and their Sunnah was implicitly included in the Sunnah of the Prophet, and their knowledge of the Sunnah included the characteristics of knowledge of the Sharia in all aspects, so they were the most knowledgeable people in the Arabic language that interprets it. They have the texts of the Sharia, so they were not asked about the interpretation of much of the Qur’an. Because it was revealed in their language, they did not need someone to explain to them the meanings of the words of the texts of the Qur’an and the Hadith. Because they originally mastered the language, and the imams of the Companions did not need to know the rules of interpretation of the Qur’an and the Hadith, the principles of interpretation, the methods of jurisprudential reasoning, the principles of jurisprudence, and other things. Because these matters were clear and well-established in their minds, and the scholars who established the science of interpretation, the science of jurisprudence, the principles of jurisprudence, and other sciences of Sharia law only developed them as a result of taking the knowledge of the Companions, and the doctrines of jurisprudence are the result of the doctrines of the jurists of the Companions, and the imams of religion after them are all dependent on them in the transmitted knowledge. About them.

God Almighty said: “ Indeed there has been for you in the Messenger of God a good example…the verse ” [ Al-Ahzab : 21] . That is, to emulate him and be with him wherever he is, and do not lag behind him. Ibn Jarir said: “ This is a reproach from God for those who remain behind the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, and his army in Medina from those who believe in him. For whoever hopes for God’s reward and mercy in the Hereafter does not desire himself or the place he is in, but he will have an example for him in being with him wherever he is. ” . 

Omar bin Abdul Aziz said when he was asked about fate: “ You must adhere to the Sunnah, for it is your protection, God willing .”

Sunnah versus heresy

The Sunnah may be used in Sharia law to refer to what is equivalent to innovation, and the texts of Sharia law include the command to follow the Sunnah and adhere to it in exchange for prohibiting innovation and warning against innovations, and the followed Sunnah in opposition to newly introduced innovations, and guidance in opposition to misguidance. The imams of the Sunnah from among the early predecessors used to interpret the Sunnah in its integrated meaning . They put it in contrast to heresy in its legal meaning, which is: a new innovation in the religion that opposes the Sunnah and is contrary to the Sharia, which violates the principles and rules of the religion and has no basis in the Sharia and is not part of the religion at all, and its owner is described as straying from the straight path for which punishment is promised in the afterlife. According to the Sunnis and the community, it includes all types. The heresies and misguided desires introduced by the sects that appeared in the advanced eras of the history of Islam, the first of which were the heresies of the Kharijites and the sects branching from them, such as the Qadariyyah and others. They rely in this on the transmitted legal texts regarding the dispersion of the nation, the characteristics of the Kharijites, and the occurrence of temptations.

Al-Tirmidhi narrated in his Sunan: “ On the authority of Al-Irbad bin Sariyah, he said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace , preached to us one day after the morning prayer a eloquent sermon that made our eyes shed tears and our hearts feared. A man said: This is a farewell sermon, so what did you entrust to us, O Messenger of God? He said: “I advise you to fear God, listen and obey, and if an Abyssinian slave is among you, then he is the one who lives among you. He sees a lot of disagreement, and beware of newly invented matters, for they are misguidance. Whoever among you realizes that should follow my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs , biting on it with your molars.”».  Al-Hakim narrated it: “You should adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs after me..”.  This hadith is an indication of the characteristics of prophecy, including the comprehensiveness of words, and it contains a miracle that indicates the truthfulness of prophecy in informing about what will be innovations in the religion that will lead to disagreement, conflict, and division, and informing the Companions that whoever of them lives will live; He will see a lot of difference in religion with the emergence of new innovations that contradict the principles and rules of religion and have no basis in Sharia law.

The imams of the Sunnis in the era of the ancient predecessors meant by this innovation, which was condemned by the texts of Sharia law, that it was all that was introduced by the sects that appeared in the early Islamic eras, such as delving into similarities that caused enmity between Muslims, division from the group of Muslims, rebellion against the rulers, and tyranny of opinion in opposition to the text. And monopolizing following one’s desires and different misguided desires, due to which people form separate sects that are not united by Islam. Al-Hasan referred to it and said: “ Beware of these desires, for their source is misguidance, and their destination is Hell .”  The hadith included a number of religious teachings, including: the commandment to fear God, to listen and obey those in charge, and not to rebel against them. In the two Sahih books, on the authority of Ibn Masoud , he said: “The Messenger of God , peace and blessings of God be upon him, used to give us the right to admonish us about the hatred of being bored with us.”.

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said : It contains a warning to the nation against following newly invented and innovated matters, and he confirmed that by saying: Every innovation is a misguidance, and what is meant by heresy is something new that has no basis in the Sharia that indicates it, and as for what has a basis in the Sharia that indicates it, it is not an innovation in Sharia, even if it is an innovation in language. . What occurred in the words of the predecessors regarding the approval of some innovations; This is only about linguistic innovations, not legality. Among that is the saying of Omar, may God be pleased with him, in Tarawih: What a wonderful innovation this is. It was narrated from him that he said: If this is an innovation, then what a wonderful innovation. Among that is the first Friday call to prayer. Uthman added it to the people’s need for it, and Ali approved it, and the Muslims’ work on it continued . It was narrated on the authority of Ibn Omar that he said: It is an innovation, and perhaps he wanted what his father wanted in Tarawih. End summary. The meaning of the hadith: Who among you realizes the time of great disagreement? So he must adhere to my Sunnah, that is: let him adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, for they did not act except by my Sunnah, so adding the Sunnah to them is because they are more knowledgeable about it and because they derived it from it and chose it. The hadith included the command to follow the path followed by the Messenger of God and the Companions, and to follow it and adopt it in word, deed, and belief, and this is indicated by the hadith: “ You should adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs after me…”.  In the hadith: “You must adhere to the group of Muslims and their imam.”  In the hadith: “Whoever lives among you will see much difference,” and in a narration: “There will be things that you deny,”

Al-Shawkani said : “ The Sunnah is the method. It is as if he said: Adhere to my method and the method of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. Their method was the same as his method. They were the people who were most keen on it and applied it in everything. In any case, they were keen to differ from him in the smallest matters as well as the largest ones, and when they lacked The evidence is from the Book of God and the Sunnah of His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him . They acted on the opinion that appeared to them after examination, research, consultation and contemplation, and this opinion in the absence of evidence is also from his Sunnah, as indicated by the hadith of Muadh when the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said to him : What do you decide? He said: By the Book of God. He said: If you do not find it, he said: Then by the Sunnah of the Messenger of God. He said: If you do not find it, he said: I will work hard on my opinion. He said: Praise be to God who has guided the Messenger of His Messenger, or as he said.. » .  What they acted upon based on opinion is from his Sunnah, and he urged us to follow them. As a confirmation for those who came after them, so that no one would imagine that they were violating his guidance, and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs is the same as the Sunnah of the Prophet and does not deviate from it.

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani said : “Innovated matters” with fatha al-dāl are the plural of “innovated” and what is meant by them is what is innovated, and it has no basis in the Sharia, and it is called in Sharia custom: “innovation.” And whatever has a basis that is indicated by Sharia is not an innovation, for innovation in Sharia custom is reprehensible, unlike the language, for everything that is newer according to the law is not an innovation. Other than this, it is called an innovation, whether it is praiseworthy or reprehensible, and the same applies to the saying regarding the newly invented matter and the newly invented matter that was mentioned in the hadith of Aisha: “Whoever introduces into this matter of ours something that is not part of it will have it rejected.”.  ​​The hadith of Al-Irbad is close in meaning to the aforementioned hadith of Aisha , and it is one of the comprehensive words. It indicates that the innovator is called an innovation, and what is meant by his saying: “Every innovation is a misguidance” is something new and for which there is no evidence from the Sharia in a specific or general way.  ​​Ibn Hajar also said: Some scholars divided innovation into five rulings, and it is clear, and it is proven on the authority of Ibn Masoud that he said: “ You have become on the Fitrah, and you will introduce something new and it will happen to you, so if you see something new, then you should follow the first guidance .”  ​​Al-Shafi’i said: “ Innovation is two innovations: praiseworthy and reprehensible. Whatever agrees with the Sunnah is praiseworthy, and whatever contradicts it is reprehensible .”  Al-Shafi’i also said: “ Innovated matters are of two types: whatever is innovated that contradicts the Qur’an, Sunnah, tradition, or consensus, then this is an innovation of misguidance, and whatever good is innovated that does not contradict any of these, then this is innovated and not reprehensible. ”  Among the things that happened were the recording of the hadith, then the interpretation of the Qur’an, then the recording of jurisprudential issues generated from pure opinion, then the recording of what relates to the actions of the hearts. Among the things that happened was delving into similarities and fallacies in matters of belief, and the predecessors’ denial of this was severe. Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani said : “ It is proven on the authority of Malik: that during the era of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, Abu Bakr, and Umar, there was nothing of whims – meaning the heresies of the Kharijites, the Shiites, and the Qadariyyah – ,” and he said. Also: “ The denial of this was intensified by the predecessors, such as Abu Hanifa, Abu Yusuf, and Al-Shafi’i, and their words in denouncing the people of theology are well-known, and the reason for this is that they spoke about what the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, and his companions remained silent about .”  ​​Al-Izz bin Abdul Salam divided innovation into five categories: obligatory, forbidden, recommended, permissible, and disliked.

The innovation that is described as misguidance according to the scholars of the Sunnis and the community is that which occurs in the religion by introducing something that is not from it, such as: the innovation of the Kharijites to say that people of sin are infidels, and such as: the innovation of anthropomorphism , the temptation of anthropomorphism, and other innovations that are promised to the one who innovated them with fire, even if his innovation does not take him out of the religion, since what is intended is punishment for Heresy. As for what has its origin in religion or what is part of the good Sunnah; It is not one of the innovations that is forbidden, as it was stated in the hadith: “Whoever establishes a good tradition in Islam and acts upon it after him, will be credited with the reward of the one who acted upon it, and nothing will be detracted from their rewards. Whoever initiates a bad tradition in Islam and acts upon it after him, the same burden as the one who acted upon it will be recorded for him, and no “Something will be reduced from their burdens.”.  And in another narration by Muslim, with the wording: “Whoever calls to guidance..” and “Whoever calls to misguidance..” Al-Nawawi said: These two hadiths are clear in urging the desirability of doing good things, and prohibiting doing bad things. Al-Nawawi said : “ His saying, peace and blessings be upon him : ‘So he implemented it after him.’”It means: He enacted it whether the work was done during his lifetime or after his death. And God knows best .

Follow the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs

The names of the four caliphs are written on the ceiling of Yeni Mosque in Istanbul.

The Rightly Guided Caliphs, in the general sense, are the imams of the Muslims in the religion, the people of guidance and guidance, or whoever among them was a caliph of the Muslims. According to the Sunnis, they are the four caliphs in agreement, and many imams stated that Omar bin Abdul Aziz was the fifth Rightly Guided Caliphs, [39] because they combined the leadership of the  . And the world, and they had a guardianship based on the method of prophecy, and the Sunnis and the community agree that it is obligatory to follow the Sunnah of the Caliphs, and that it is from the Sunnah that the Sharia commanded us to follow, and that they were united in guidance, and they support this with evidence, including the hadith: “You must adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs after me. ”It means adhere to my way, that is: the one he and his companions followed in terms of knowledge, work, belief, and guidance, and adhere to the way of the Rightly Guided Caliphs who are known for their guidance and guidance, and they are those who follow his example and follow his Sunnah and are guided by his guidance. This is because when he was a messenger to the worlds and the seal of the prophets and messengers, the imams in religion were the successors after him. Those who carry his law, those who communicate his message to him, those who call upon his call, those who follow his guidance, those who command what is right and forbid what is wrong, who inherit the knowledge of prophecy after him in taking knowledge from them, and in the hadith: “The children of Israel used to be governed by prophets. Whenever a prophet died, a prophet rose after him, and there will be no prophet after me, and there will be successors and they will multiply.”.

What is meant by the caliphs in this hadith is the diligent imams and jurists in the religion, who specialized in knowledge of the Qur’an and the Sunnah, narration and knowledge. They are the first four caliphs: Abu Bakr al-Siddiq , Omar ibn al-Khattab , Uthman ibn Affan, and Ali ibn Abi Talib . The command to follow the Sunnah of the caliphs includes following the imams of the jurists in the religion, the scholars of Sharia from The Companions and those who followed them in good faith are the heirs of the knowledge of prophecy.

“On the authority of Yahya bin Abi Al-Mut’a, he said, I heard Al-Irbad bin Sariyah say: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, rose among us one day and preached to us a eloquent sermon that made our hearts tremble and our eyes shed tears. It was said, ‘O Messenger of God, you gave us a farewell sermon, so entrust us with a covenant.’ He said: ‘You must fear God, listen, and obey, even if you are a servant. Abyssinians, and after me you will see severe disagreement, so adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and bite on it with your molars, and beware of newly invented matters, for every innovation is a misguidance.”In the hadith: The command to listen and obey the rulers of affairs, even if the one in charge of them is an Ethiopian slave, is an exaggeration of the obligation of obedience, and the impermissibility of rebellion against the rulers unless they command you to commit clear disbelief for which you have proof from God. And he said: “And you will see a difference after me.”In the same way as the justification for the commandment in this way, i.e. hearing and obedience, which eliminates severe disagreement, is good, and in that case: “You should adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs after me.”It was said that they are the four caliphs, and it was said that they are the people of knowledge of the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and what is evidenced by the hadith: “ And on the authority of Ibrahim bin Abdul Rahman Al-Adhari, he said: The Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said: “ Every successor of his will carries this knowledge, refuting from it the distortion of the extremists, the impersonation of the false, and the interpretation of the ignorant. »». Narrated by Al-Bayhaqi.  Al-Sindhi said: His saying: “And the Sunnah of the Caliphs, etc.”It was said: They are the four, may God be pleased with them. It was said: Rather, they are the imams of Islam who are diligent in rulings, and they are the successors of the Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, in upholding the truth, reviving the religion, and guiding people to the straight path. And he said: “Bite on it with your molars.”By the embossed ones, which are the molars, it was said: He meant seriousness in adhering to the Sunnah, such as the action of one who holds something between his molars and bites on it to prevent it from being pulled out, or patience with the fatigue that befalls God’s essence, as one who suffers from pain does when he says: “And new matters. ”It was said: I mean by it what has no basis in the religion. Al-Sindhi said: “ As for matters that are consistent with the principles of the religion, they are not included in it, and if they were introduced after him, peace and blessings be upon him , I said: It is consistent with his saying: “And the Sunnah of the Caliphs.”Let him meditate .

Al-Rashidun is the plural of Rashidun, who is the one who knew the truth and acted upon it. Rather, the caliphs were described as the Rashidun because they knew the truth and ruled by it. Righteousness is the opposite of deception, and the deviant is one who knew the truth and acted contrary to it. In the novel: “The Mahdis”It means: God guides them to the truth and does not lead them astray from it. There are three categories: the rightly guided, the misguided, and the misguided. The rightly guided person knew the truth and followed it, the misguided: he knew it but did not follow it, and the misguided: he did not know it completely. So every adult is guided, and every person who is fully guided is an adult, because guidance is only accomplished by knowing the truth and working. It also has it.

« On the authority of Abd al-Rahman bin Amr al-Sulami that he heard al-Irbad bin Sariyah saying: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, preached to us a sermon from which the eyes shed tears and the hearts tremble from it. We said, O Messenger of God, this is a farewell sermon. So what did you entrust to us? He said: «I have left you on the white plain, the night of which is like its day. No one will deviate from it after me except one who perishes. Whoever among you lives will see a lot of disagreement, so you must adhere to what you know of my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, bite on it with your mohawks, and you must obey it, even if an Abyssinian slave is a believer, for the believer is like a camel’s nose wherever he is restrained and submissive.”».

Al-Sindi said: His saying: “on the white one”That is: the religion and the clear argument that does not accept suspicion at all, so the moment a suspicion is introduced to it is the same as the case when the suspicion is revealed and repelled from it, and the reference to it is His saying: “ Her night is like its day.”His saying: “The believer is the believer.”That is: the matter of the believer is to abandon arrogance and adhere to humility, so he will be like a camel with a nose like a kanaf, meaning without a stretch, and like a companion, meaning: with a stretch and the first is more correct and eloquent, meaning: the one who places the reins in his nose, so he drags whomever he wants, young and old, to wherever he wants, wherever he is tied, that is, a harness, and God knows best.

In it, he informed his companions of the great differences that would occur after him, that is, after the spread of Islam, the merging of the cultures of different peoples, and the occurrence of new phenomena and problems. He explained to them that whoever realized the time of this difference must return to what they had learned from his Sunnah and the Sunnah of his caliphs after him. The Sunnah that the imams of the Sunnah are commanded to follow is The early predecessors are the knowledge of religion in general terms from the imams of the Companions and their scholars, “and the Sunnah of the Caliphs…”It is included in the general meaning of the Sunnah, but he singled them out with the Sunnah added to them because they have a followed Sunnah, which must be followed and referred to when there is disagreement, and the Sunnahs of the Caliphs upon which the people agreed, such as compiling the Qur’an, gathering the people under one imam in Tarawih prayers, compiling collections of poetry, and so on.

Abu Naim narrated from the hadith of Arzab Al-Kindi: “The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: ‘Indeed, things will happen after me, so I like them so that you adhere to what Omar did.’”“.

Malik said: Omar bin Abdul Aziz said: “ The Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, and the rulers after him enacted our laws, which are to be adhered to the Book of God and strength to the religion of God, and no one has the right to change them or alter them or consider a matter that contradicts them. Whoever is guided by them is guided.” And whoever seeks victory through it will be victorious, and whoever abandons it and follows other than the path of the believers, God will protect him from what he has taken, and He will cast him into Hell, and it is an evil destination .”

Khalaf bin Khalifa said: I witnessed Omar bin Abdul Aziz delivering a sermon to the people while he was a caliph, and he said in his sermon: “ But what the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and his two companions enacted is a duty of religion, we take it and end with it .”

The Sunnah of the Caliphs, upon which the meeting took place, includes the rulings issued by them regarding new developments for which there is no legal text indicating them regarding them, such as the ruling of Umar, which the Companions unanimously agreed upon in the matter of dependency and in the two issues of Al-Gharawayn, and similar to what the people agreed upon in the triple divorce, and in the prohibition of mut’ah with women, and other things.  Everything that was decided by the imams of the Companions or their successors, and upon which there was a consensus, is considered by the Sunnis and the community to be a valid proof, and their consensus is a consensus. As for the branches of rulings that they did not agree on, they are not proof, but rather are jurisprudential schools of thought.

Waki` said: “ If Omar and Ali agree on something, then it is the matter .”

On the authority of Ibn Masoud , he used to swear to God: The straight path is the one on which Omar remained steadfast until he entered Paradise.

Ali used to follow his rulings and issues, and he said: “ Omar was wise in matters .”

Ash’ath narrated on the authority of Al-Sha’bi, who said: “ If people disagree about something, then see how Omar decided on it, for Omar would not decide on a matter that he had not decided on before until he consulted .”

Mujahid said: “ If people disagree about something, look at what Omar did and accept it .”

Ayoub said on the authority of Al-Sha’bi: “ Look at what the nation of Muhammad agreed upon, for God would not have united them on misguidance. If they disagree, then look at what Omar Ibn Al-Khattab did and accept it .”

Ikrimah was asked about the child’s mother, and he said: She will be freed upon the death of her master. He was asked: What do you say? He said: By the Qur’an. He said: By what Qur’an? He said: “ Obey God and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you ” [ An-Nisa : 59] , and Omar was one of those in authority. 

The concept of the word group

identification

The group in the language is those who come together over something, and the plural of something from separation,  and the origin of the word is to benefit the meaning of coming together as opposed to separation, and it has been mentioned in the texts of the Qur’an and the Hadith that the word “group” is used against division and coming together against separation, so the word “group” is not limited to one group as opposed to another, so Muslims They are all like one body, their Lord is one, their Prophet is one, and their religion is one, and all Muslims are one nation and one group united by the word of Islam, and the people of Islam coming together as one group and not being divided is what is required in Islamic law, and God has commanded all Muslims to be one group, united and not divided, [55  And God Almighty said: “ And hold fast to the rope of God all together and do not become divided… Verse ” [ Al Imran : 103] . Ibn Abbas said : It means hold fast to the religion of God, and Ibn Masoud said: It means the group, and he said: “ You should adhere to the group, for it is the rope of God that God has commanded.” “And what you dislike in congregation and obedience is better than what you like in division .” Mujahid and Ataa said: By the covenant of God, and Qatada and Al-Suddi said: It is the Qur’an, and Muqatil bin Hayyan said : By the rope of God: that is, by God’s command and obedience to Him. Al-Aini said: The Book and the Sunnah.  “ And do not become divided ” Al-Baghawi said: That is, do not separate as the Jews and Christians did.  And God Almighty said: “ And obey God and His Messenger, and do not dispute, lest you lose heart and your strength will depart, and be patient. Indeed, God is with those who are patient . ”  Conflict leads to disappointment and the loss of power, and the division that is forbidden in Islamic law is that which is opposed to the group by disobeying the group of people of Islam in what they have agreed upon, which turns the nation into sects, separate parties, and multiple groups, and it is different from the disagreement considered in issues of branches, so it does not enter into the meaning of Division in religion. The ijtihad of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, the imams of the Companions, and those who followed them among the people of considered ijtihad is not included in this according to consensus, as it does not lead to conflict and division of religion, but rather it is one that is merciful and does not spoil a cause of friendship. 

The group, as it is in Islamic law, is the group of Muslims in general, and the group of Muslims in general includes the common people and their special ones, except that the group that Sharia forbids to separate from is not represented by a large number, but rather in the specific, which is the group of imams and princes. Imams, that is: in religion, and princes are governors. Things, and the division that is forbidden, means separation from the group of imams and princes, and it also means division in opinions and religions, and this detail was mentioned by Abu Suleiman Al-Khattabi in the book: “Isolation” in the fourth century AH, and he said: “ Division is two groups, the group of opinions and religions, and the group of people and bodies, and the group is two groups.” “A group is the imams and princes , and a group is the common people and the demagogues,” and in his words he clarifies what is meant by this division, which is that the group that is forbidden to separate from is the group of imams and princes, but the group of common people is not what is intended by this prohibition, just as the division of bodies and persons is not what is intended by This is also a prohibition, but what is meant is the division of opinions and religions.

He stated in his speech: The division that is forbidden in Sharia is the division in opinions and religions, and he explained that by saying: “ As for the division in opinions and religions, it is forbidden in minds and forbidden in issues of fundamentals because it invites misguidance and causes obstruction and neglect. If people were left divided, opinions and disputes would disperse and multiply.” Religions and sects were of no use in sending messengers, and this is what God Almighty criticized for the division in His Book and condemned it in the verses mentioned above . He said: “ At this same pace, we also conduct the matter in parting with the imams and princes, because parting with them involves the separation of familiarity, the disappearance of infallibility, and the departure from the confines of obedience and the shadow of trustworthiness, which is what the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, forbade and intended when he said: “Whoever separates from the group and dies, his death is ignorance,” and that is because The people of pre-Islamic times did not have an imam who would unite them in a religion and unite them with one opinion. Rather, they were various sects and sects with different opinions and different religions. This is what called many of them to worship idols and obey their rulers, based on a corrupt opinion that they believed that they had good and that they would benefit them or ward off harm from them .

Interpretation of the meaning of community

The group as it is in the legal sense generally refers to the group of Muslims, but the group that is forbidden in Sharia to separate from is the group of imams and princes, and the group in that it gives the meaning of the meeting refers to those who gathered in a matter in which others disagreed with them, and explanations of the meaning of the group have come from the imams of the Sunnis and the community. What is mentioned in the hadiths mentioned in sayings transmitted from their imams from among the predecessors, and they are explanations for defining the group for specific considerations in the group and the characteristics of those gathered and what they agreed upon. Ibn Jarir al-Tabari (d. 318 AH) collected the sayings of the imams and the scholars after him quoted them, and the difference between these sayings is due to To the different characteristics of the meeting according to what is meant by it in the meaning of dissent, and these sayings were quoted by Al-Shatibi in the book: Al-I’tisam, and he mentioned them in five that I say in brief: “ The great majority, the diligent imams, the Companions, the people of Islam if they gather on a matter, the group of Muslims if they gather on a prince.” ».

The first saying: The group is the greatest majority of the people of Islam, so whatever they adhere to regarding the matter of their religion is the truth, and whoever disagrees with them dies the death of ignorance, whether he disagrees with them in any part of the Sharia or in their imam and authority, then he is in conflict with the truth, and they are the ones who, if they come together to agree to present a prince The people who separated from them were dead in ignorance, and they were most of the people and all of them from the people of knowledge and religion and others, who gathered together according to what the people of the first guidance were upon, so the nation’s diligent scholars and scholars and the people of the Sharia who work in it, and everyone else, are included in their rule, because they follow them and follow their example, so what They were upon him regarding the matter of their religion, for it is the truth, and among those who said this were Abu Masoud Al-Ansari and Ibn Masoud , and this is the group that Abu Masoud Al-Ansari described in what Al-Tabari narrated that when Caliph Uthman bin Affan was killed , Abu Masoud Al-Ansari was asked about sedition, so he recommended the group and said: The nation should not unite on Misguidance, and he described the sect as misguidance, so everyone who departed from their group are those who deviated, and all the people of heresy are included in these because they differed from those who came before from the nation. They did not enter into their group under any circumstances, whether the one who differed from them in a matter of religion or differed from them in their leader.

One of them: It is the vast majority of the people of Islam, so whatever they adhere to in terms of their religion is the truth, and whoever disagrees with them dies a death of ignorance, whether he disagrees with them in any part of the Sharia or in their imam and authority, then he is in disagreement with the truth, and among those who said this were Abu Masoud Al-Ansari and Ibn Masoud, so he narrated that When Uthman was killed, Abu Masoud Al-Ansari was asked about sedition, and he said: “ You must adhere to the group, for God would not unite the nation of Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, on misguidance, but be patient until you are relieved or relieved from the ungodly. ” And he said: “ Beware of division, for division is misguidance .” Ibn Masoud said: “ You must listen and obey, for it is the rope of God that He has commanded. ” Then he held his hand and said: “ Indeed, the one you hate in the group is better than the ones you love in the group. ” On the authority of Al-Hussein, it was said to him: Abu Bakr, the successor of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace? He said: “ That is, by Him there is no god but Him, God would not have united the nation of Muhammad upon misguidance .” According to this saying, the nation’s diligent scholars, scholars, and people of the Sharia who work within it are included in the group, and everyone else is included in their rule, because they follow them and follow their example. Everyone who departs from their group are those who have deviant and are the prey of Satan, and all the people of heresy are included in these because they are different from those who came before from the nation. They did not enter into their darkness in any way.

Second: The group is the group of the imams of the diligent scholars. Whoever deviates from what the scholars of the nation are upon dies the death of ignorance, and among those who say this are Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak , Ishaq bin Rahawayh , and a group of the predecessors, and this is the opinion of the fundamentalists, so the diligent imams are the reference of the nation.

Third: The group is the Companions in particular, because their group is the basis, as they united on guidance, and the meeting on guidance is not achieved except by following them in what they agreed upon of the truth, and among those who said this saying is Omar bin Abdul Aziz . The third: The group is the Companions in particular, for they are the ones who established the pillar of religion and established its stakes, and they are the ones who do not unite on misguidance at all, and this may be possible among others, and among those who said this saying was Omar bin Abdul Aziz, and Ibn Wahb narrated on the authority of Malik, who said: Omar bin Abdul Aziz says: “ The Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, and the rulers after him enacted our traditions, adopting them is confirmation of the Book of God, completion of obedience to God, and strength for the religion of God. No one has the right to change it, change it, or consider it. Whoever is guided by it will be guided, and whoever seeks victory by it will be victorious. And whoever fears it follows a path other than that of the believers, and God will appoint him as long as he undertakes, and He will send him to hell, and it is an evil destination . ” Malik said : “I liked Omar’s determination to do that.” According to this saying, the wording of the group is identical to the other narration in his saying, peace and blessings be upon him: “That is what I and my companions are upon.”It is as if it is due to what they said, what they enacted, and what they worked hard on as evidence at all, and the testimony of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, to them, especially in his saying: “So adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs.”And those like him, or because they are the imitators of the words of prophecy, those who are guided by the Sharia, who understood the command of God’s religion by receiving it from His Prophet orally, with knowledge and insight into the areas of legislation and evidence of circumstances, unlike others. Therefore, everything they have enacted is a Sunnah with no equal in it, unlike others, so there is room in it for the people of diligence. To consider the response and acceptance, then the people of innovations are definitely not included in the group according to this saying.

Fourth: The group is the group of the people of Islam. If they agree on a matter, it is obligatory for other people of the sect to follow them, and they are the ones whom God guaranteed to His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that he would not unite them in misguidance. If a disagreement occurs between them, it is obligatory to know what is correct in what they differed about. Al-Shafi’i said : « There is no negligence in the group about the meaning of the Book of God, nor about the Sunnah or analogy, but rather negligence results in division . It is as if this saying goes back to the second saying, which also implies what it requires, or goes back to the first saying, which is more apparent.

Fifth: What Al- Tabari , the imam, chose, that the group is a group of Muslims if they gather around a leader. So he, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded their adherence to him and forbade the separation of the nation regarding what they had agreed upon, such as taking precedence over them, because their separation does not exceed one of two situations, either to denounce them in obeying their prince and to criticize him for his satisfactory conduct. For no reason, but rather by interpretation to create heresy in the religion, such as the Haruriyya, which the nation was ordered to fight and which the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, called a deviant from the religion, or to seek leadership from concluding the pledge of allegiance to the leader of the group, in which case he broke a covenant and broke a covenant after it was obligatory. He, peace and blessings be upon him, said : “Whoever comes to my nation to disperse their group, behead him, whoever he may be.”. Al-Tabari said: This is the meaning of the command to adhere to the group. He said: As for the group that, if they come together to agree to the introduction of an emir, they will die the death of ignorance, then they are the group described by Abu Masoud Al-Ansari, and they are the majority of people and all of them are people of knowledge, religion, and others, and they are the greatest majority. He said: This was explained by Omar bin Al-Khattab May Allah be pleased with him, and it was narrated on the authority of Omar bin Maimun Al-Awdi that he said: Omar said when he stabbed Suhaib: “Pray with the people three times, and let Othman, Ali, Talha, Al-Zubayr, Saad, and Abd Al-Rahman enter, and let Ibn Omar enter at the side of the house, and he has nothing to do with the matter, so stand up.” O Suhaib, on their heads with the sword. If five pledged allegiance and one reneged, then flog his head with the sword. If four pledged allegiance and two men reneged, then flog their heads until they trust a man . And he ordered Suhayb to strike the head of the one who separated from them with the sword. They understood the meaning of the large number gathered to pledge allegiance to him and the small number of those who separated from them. He said: As for the report in which it was mentioned that the nation should not unite on misguidance, its meaning is: that he should not unite them in misleading the truth in what has befallen them regarding the matter of their religion until it is misled. All of them lack knowledge and make mistakes in it, and this does not happen in the nation. This is the entirety of his words, and they are conveyed in the meaning and in most of the wording. The bottom line is that the group is due to the gathering of the imam who agrees with the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and this is evident in the fact that gathering on a basis other than the Sunnah is outside the meaning of the group mentioned in the aforementioned hadiths, such as the Kharijites and those who followed their path.

The diligent imams

The Companions chose the caliph on the basis that he was a diligent imam, one of the most knowledgeable of them in the religion and the most knowledgeable of the Sharia, whom the people followed and the nation agreed upon. Their successors chose the governors on the basis that they were among the imams of the religion and scholars of the Sharia. This is because the meaning of the group, according to them, was not achieved except by the gathering of the diligent imams from the people of Sharia. Knowledge, and interpretations of the meaning of the group that the hadiths indicate came from the imams of the Sunnis from among the predecessors. Ibn Jarir al-Tabari mentioned their statements in interpreting the group, and the scholars of the Sunnis and the group quoted them from him, including al-Shatibi, and he said: “ The second: It is the group of imams of diligent scholars, so whoever departs from what Accordingly, the scholars of the nation died the death of ignorance, because God’s group of scholars, God made them a proof for the worlds, and they are concerned with his saying, peace and blessings be upon him: “God will not unite my nation upon misguidance.”This is because the common people take their religion from it, and are terrified of calamities, and they follow them. The meaning of his saying: My nation will not come together, the scholars of my nation will not come together on misguidance, and among those who said this were Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak , Ishaq bin Rahawayh , and a group of the predecessors, and this is the opinion of the fundamentalists, so it was said to Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak : Who is the group of people who should be emulated? He said: Abu Bakr and Omar – and he continued counting until he reached Muhammad bin Thabit and Al-Hussein bin Waqid – so it was said: These are dead, so who are the living? He said: Abu Hamza al-Sukkari, and on the authority of al-Musayyab ibn Rafi’, who said: Whenever something came to them regarding the judiciary that was not in the Book of God or the Sunnah of the Messenger of God, they called him “the narrators of the princes,” so they gathered the people of knowledge for him, and whatever their opinion agreed upon was the truth, and on the authority of Ishaq ibn Rahawayh, similar to what he said. Ibn Al-Mubarak. According to this saying, there is no entry into the question for someone who is not a diligent scholar, because he is included among the people of imitation, so whoever among them does something that contradicts them is the one who died of pre-Islamic times .

Everyone has agreed that the people of knowledge and ijtihad are considered, and that the consideration in the group interpreted by the great majority is only by the greatest majority of scholars whose ijtihad is taken into account, so whoever deviates from them and dies, his death is ignorance, and as for the group of common people, they follow their imams; Because they do not know the Sharia, they must return in their religion to the scholars. If they had gathered to differ from the scholars, they would have been the majority due to the scarcity of scholars and the large number of ignorant people. But the point is not the number, so the gathering of the common people is not an argument or a reference in the religion, even if they are the largest in number, then they have They gather on misguidance, so no one says: Following the group of the common people is what is required and that the scholars are the ones who separate from the group and those who are reprehensible in the hadith. Rather, the matter is the opposite, and that the scholars are the greatest majority, even if they are few, and the common people are the ones who separate from the group, if they disagree, and if they agree, then it is what is obligatory for them, so it cannot be said that The common people are the group that they are commanded to follow, and if the time is devoid of a mujtahid, then it is not possible for the common people to follow people like them. Rather, the transmission of the mujtahids descends to the status of the presence of the mujtahids. What binds the common people with the presence of the mujtahids is what binds the people of the imposed time that is devoid of a mujtahid. The imams who worked in advanced times on what they agreed upon are proof. On those after them. Ibn Al-Mubarak was asked about the group of people he emulates, and he answered by saying: Abu Bakr and Omar.. He said: He continued counting until he came to Muhammad bin Thabit and Al-Hussein bin Waqid. It was said: These are dead, so who is alive? He said: Abu Hamza al-Sukkari , and he is Muhammad bin Maimun al-Marwazi.

Al-Shatibi said: Following the opinion of one who has no insight and the ijtihad of one who has no ijtihad is pure misguidance and blindness, which is what is implied by the authentic hadith: “God does not take away knowledge by snatching it away…”the talk. Abu Nu`aym narrated on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Qasim al-Tusi, who said: I heard Ishaq ibn Rahwiyah mentioned in a hadith that he submitted to the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, who said: “God would not unite the nation of Muhammad upon misguidance, so if you see disagreement, then you should adhere to the greatest rule.”Then a man said, “O Abu Ya’qub, from Al-Sawad Al-Azam?” Muhammad bin Aslam and his companions and those who followed them said. Then he said: A man asked Ibn Al-Mubarak: Who is Al-Sawad Al-Azam? He said: Abu Hamza al-Sukkari. Then Ishaq said: In that time (meaning Abu Hamza), and in our time, Muhammad bin Aslam and those who followed him. Then Ishaq said: If you had asked the ignorant about the greatest mass, they would have said: The group of people, not knowing that the group is a scholar who adheres to the influence of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace. And his path, whoever is with him and follows him, is the group.  It was narrated on the authority of Al-Bukhari and others that the group was interpreted as: a group of people of knowledge, who are the diligent imams and all the Sharia scholars who follow them in good faith, and Badr al-Din al-Ayni said in explaining what is meant by “the group” in what is mentioned in the hadith: “ The group that the lawgiver ordered to be adhered to is a group.” Scientists; Because God Almighty has made them a proof against His creation, and to them the common people fear in their religion, and they follow it, and they are concerned with His saying: “ God will not unite my nation upon misguidance.”».

It is proven in the authentic hadith that the Companions were told that whoever of them lives will realize a time in which there will be a lot of disagreement and things that they deny, so he advised them that whoever realizes any of that should follow the first guidance, that is, his way that he and his companions followed and the way of the Rightly Guided Caliphs after him, and this is coming together upon the truth and guidance in matters. The religion that was followed by the imams of the Companions and those who followed them in righteousness, and it is based on agreement in the principles of the religion. As for the difference in the branches of rulings, it occurred during the time of the Companions and after them among the diligent imams in matters related to which there is no text in the Sharia indicating it, according to conditions mentioned by the scholars in The science of the foundations of jurisprudence . This ijtihad, which was specific to the diligent imams, most often ended in consensus, and the consensus of the diligent imams of the Companions and those after them was evidence against the people of that era and those after them. The doctrines of the jurists of the Companions were transmitted to the jurists of the Successors and the imams of the jurisprudential schools after them, and they became famous among them . The Sunnis and the community are the doctrines of the jurists of the people of opinion and the jurists of the people of hadith. They took the doctrines of the Companions and the imams who followed them, and they worked hard on the issues that remained subject to disagreement, and in many of them they reached consensus. These doctrines were transmitted by their imams, and the adherents of each school of thought worked hard on the issues in which there was no text about the imam of his doctrine. The disagreement occurred in the branches of each school of thought, then the scholars of preference came from the adherents of each school of thought, and they gave preference to one of the opinions in which the disagreement occurred. The jurisprudential schools of thought that are considered by the Sunnis and the community upon which the work was settled for them in the era of the later scholars are the four schools of thought, and the work is based on one school of them . In education, fatwas, and judgment according to the scholars of each sect, according to what prevails in its sect, Ibn Khaldun mentioned that imitation stopped in the regions with these four, and people closed the door to disagreement and its paths when the terminology in the sciences became more complex, and when it hindered it from reaching the level of ijtihad, and when it was feared that it would be attributed to it. To someone other than his family and someone whose opinion or religion cannot be trusted, so they declared their inability and need. Each imitator worked according to the doctrine of those whom he imitated after correcting the principles and connecting their chain of transmission to the narration, not merely quoting from books. Ibn Khaldun said: “ The claimant of ijtihad for this covenant is rejected and his tradition abandoned. Today, the people of Islam have begun to imitate these four imams .

The necessity of the Muslim community

The obligation of the group of Muslims to the group of Muslims is required in all circumstances, except that it is specifically specified in the case of separation, and the obligation of the group has the meaning of following and imitating the imams in the religion, and listening and obedience to those in charge, and the hadith came in the command to adhere to the group of Muslims in what they have agreed upon of the truth in general. Ibn Jarir al-Tabari believed that what was meant was: adherence to the group of Muslims if they gathered around a leader. He said: “Then he, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded adherence to him and forbade the separation of the nation regarding what they had gathered about, such as prioritizing them over them . ” Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani said : Al-Tabari said: There was a difference of opinion regarding this matter and regarding the group. Some people said: It is the greatest importance for obligation and congregation. Then he quoted on the authority of Muhammad bin Sirin, on the authority of Abu Masoud, that he advised anyone who asked him about the killing of Uthman: “You must adhere to the congregation, for God would not gather the nation of Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, upon misguidance .” Some people said: What is meant by the group is the Companions, not those after them, and some people said: What is meant by them is the people of knowledge, because God made them a proof of creation and the people followed them in the matter of religion. Al-Tabari said: The correct view is that what is meant by the report is the adherence of the group who are in obedience to the one who has gathered to appoint him, so whoever breaks his pledge of allegiance leaves the group. He said: And in the hadith, when the people do not have an imam and the people split into parties, he should not follow anyone in the division and everyone should isolate himself if he is able to do so for fear of Falling into evil, and on this is what is stated in all the hadiths, and it combines what appears to be different from them, and is supported by the aforementioned narration of Abd al-Rahman bin Qart.

In the hadith, when the people do not have an imam and the people separate into parties, he should not follow anyone in the division, and everyone should isolate himself if he is able to do so for fear of falling into evil, which is indicated by: “On the authority of Hudhayfah bin Al-Yaman, who said: The people used to ask the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, about good, and I used to ask him about evil . Fearing that he would overtake me, I said, O Messenger of God, we were in ignorance and evil, and God brought us this good. Is there any evil after this good? He said: Yes, I said: Is there any good after that evil? He said: “Yes, and it contains smoke.” I said, “What is his smoke?” He said: “A people who are guided by other than my guidance. You will recognize them and reject them.” I said: “Is there any evil after that good?” He said: “Yes, they are preachers at the gates of Hell. Whoever answers them to it, they will throw him into it.” I said: O Messenger of God, describe them for us. He said: “They are from our skin and speak with our tongues.” I said: So what do you order me to do if that happens to me? He said, “You adhere to the group of Muslims and their imam.” I said, “If they do not have a group or an imam,” he said, “Then withdraw from all of these groups, even if you bite the root of a tree until death overtakes you while you are in that state.”  The best path is the guidance of Islam, which is the path followed by the imams of the Companions and the Rightly-Guided Caliphs and those who followed them with righteousness in guidance, knowledge, work, and belief. Those who oppose this path are those who are described as being guided by other than the guidance of prophecy, and it came from the Sunnis and the community’s interpretation of the preachers at the gates of Hell that they are the ones who went out. In seeking kingship, like the Kharijites and others, for they strayed from the path of guidance, so he advised him not to follow those sects that split from the group of Muslims, and to adhere to the group and their imam, who is the caliph. The commitment of the group is due to the meeting on a caliph, and if their meeting agrees with what the imams of the Companions and the Rightly Guided Caliphs agreed upon, then the commitment of the group It means following them, imitating them, listening and obeying their leader, and if the caliph is disobedient or a sinner or one of the followers of sects that differ from what the Sunnis and the community are upon, as was the case in the Mu’tazila’s victory in the time of al-Ma’mun and his two brothers after him, then he should not follow them in the desires they introduced, and despite that, the Sunnis at that time did not They will go out against the Caliph, and what is meant by preachers at the gates of Hell is someone who rises up in demand of kingship from the Kharijites and others, and this is indicated by his saying: “Adhere to the group of Muslims and their imam.”Meaning, even if it is a neighbor, and this is explained by Abu Al-Aswad’s narration: “Even if he hits your back and takes your money.”. Meaning: “Adhere to the community of Muslims and their imam.”That is: the ruler. He added in Abu Al-Aswad’s narration: “You listen and obey, even if he hits your back and takes your money.”Likewise, in the narration of Khalid bin Subay’ according to Al-Tabarani: “If you see a caliph, adhere to him, and if he strikes your back, if there is no caliph, then run away.”. And he said: “Even if you bite the root of a tree…”It is a metaphor for adhering to the community of Muslims and obeying their rulers even if they disobey, and in the narration of Abd al-Rahman ibn Qart on the authority of Hudhayfah according to Ibn Majah: “It is better for you to die while you are disobedient than to follow any of them.”That is: Do not follow any of the people of desires who are outside the community of Muslims and their imam. The joy is when the jimm is broken and the sukun of the ma`jamah is followed by the lam of a stick that is erected for the camels to rub against. Al-Baydawi said: The meaning is that if there is no caliph on earth, then you must isolate yourself and be patient to bear the hardship of time, and biting the root of the tree is a metaphor for enduring hardship, as they say: So-and-so bites stones out of intense pain, or what is meant is imposition, as in his saying in the other hadith: “Bite on it with the prongs. ”. The first is supported by his statement in another hadith: “If you die biting a group of people, it is better for you than following one of them.”. Ibn Battal said: There is evidence for the group of jurists in the necessity of adhering to the group of Muslims and avoiding rebelling against the imams of injustice, because he described the latter group as: “ preachers at the gates of Hell.”He did not say about them: recognize and disavow, as he said about the first two, and they cannot be like that unless they are not right. However, he ordered adherence to the group.

Sharia texts indicate the necessity of listening and obeying those in charge. Because it contains the combination of the word and in the hadith: “ On the authority of Ibn Abbas, on the authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, who said: “Whoever dislikes something from his ruler, let him be patient, for whoever is removed from the authority by a span of time will die a death of ignorance .” And in a narration: “Let him be patient with him.” And his saying: “For he is one who departs from the authority,” meaning: from obedience to the authority, and in the second narration, “he who separates from the group,” and his saying “an inch” is a metaphor for disobeying the authority and fighting him. Ibn Abi Jamra said: What is meant by paradox is seeking to undo the pledge of allegiance that occurred to that prince, even if it is for the slightest thing, so denote it as the amount of an inch, because taking that would lead to unjust bloodshed. And in the other narration: “He died but died a death of pre-Islamic times,” and in a narration by Muslim: “So his death was a death of pre-Islamic times.” According to him, in the hadith of Ibn Umar, he attributed it to him: “Whoever removes his hand out of obedience will meet God and has no proof, and whoever dies without a pledge of allegiance on his neck dies a death of pre-Islamic times.” That is: the state of death is like the death of people of pre-Islamic times following misguidance and not having an obeyed imam. Because they did not know that, and what is meant is not that he dies as an infidel, but rather that he dies as a disobedient, and what is meant is rebuke and repulsion, and it appears that it is not intended. Ibn Battal said: There is evidence in the hadith for refraining from rebelling against the Sultan, even if he is a tyrant, and the jurists have unanimously agreed on the obligation of obeying the conquering Sultan and jihad with him, and that obeying him is better. From rebelling against him because of the shedding of blood and calming down the mobs.

The evidence for the necessity of congregation is many, including: what Al-Tirmidhi narrated : “ On the authority of Abdul Rahman bin Abdullah bin Masoud, narrating on the authority of his father, on the authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, who said: May God bless a man who heard my words, understood them, memorized them, and communicated them. Perhaps there are three things that carry jurisprudence to someone who is more knowledgeable than him, and the heart of a Muslim should not be deceived by them . Devoting one’s work to God, advising the imams of Muslims, and adhering to their group, for the call surrounds them .  Narrated by Al-Shafi’i and Al-Bayhaqi in the introduction.

On the authority of Ibn Abi Malika, he said: Asmaa said: “On the authority of the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, he said: ‘ I am at my basin waiting for someone to respond to me, then people are taken away from me, so I say, ‘My nation,’ and it is said, ‘You don’t know. Walk backwards.’”Ibn Abi Mulaika said: Oh God, we seek refuge in You from turning back on our heels or being tempted.

The majority of the Sunnis and the community agreed on the necessity of obeying those in charge because of the unification of the word of the Muslims, for disagreement is a reason for the corruption of their conditions in their religion and world. According to the Almighty’s saying: “ Obey God and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you ” [ An- Nisa : 59] Al-Nawawi said: “ The scholars said: What is meant by those in authority is those whom God has made obligatory to obey, among the governors and princes. This is the opinion of the majority of the predecessors and successors, among the commentators, jurists and others, and it was said: They are the scholars, and it was said: They are the scholars, and it was said that : The princes and scholars, and as for whoever said: The Companions in particular only, he made a mistake . 

Muslim narrated in his Sahih: “On the authority of Abu Hurairah, on the authority of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, he said: “Whoever obeys me has obeyed God, and whoever disobeys me has disobeyed God, and whoever obeys the prince has obeyed me, and whoever disobeys the prince has disobeyed me.”. Al-Nawawi said: “ Because God Almighty commanded obedience to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, and he, may God bless him and grant him peace, commanded obedience to the prince, so obedience went hand in hand .”

And in a narration by Muslim: “On the authority of Abu Hurairah, he said: The Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said: ‘You must listen and obey in your hardship and ease, in what makes you happy and in what you dislike, and in what is preferable to you.’””.

Al-Nawawi said: “ The meaning of the hadith is: Do not dispute with the rulers regarding their authority, and do not object to them unless you see a definite reprehensible act on their part that you know is one of the principles of Islam. If you see that, then denounce it to them, and speak the truth wherever you are. As for revolting against them and fighting them, it is forbidden according to the consensus of the Muslims, even if they are Immoral and unjust .”  He said: The hadiths have demonstrated the meaning of what I mentioned, and the Sunnis have unanimously agreed that the Sultan is not isolated by immorality. As for the aspect mentioned in the books of jurisprudence of some of our companions that he is isolated, and it was also reported from the Mu’tazilites, then the one who said it was wrong and contradicts the consensus.

He also said: “ The scholars said: The reason for his not being isolated and forbidding rebellion against him is the strife, bloodshed, and corruption between people that would result from that, so the spoilage would be greater in his isolation than in his survival .”

“ The majority of Sunnis, including jurists, hadith scholars, and theologians, said: He should not be isolated due to immorality, injustice, and obstruction of rights, and he should not be removed from office, and it is not permissible to rebel against him for that, but rather he should be exhorted and intimidated; For the hadiths mentioned in that .

The question of the imamate

A drawing of the name of Imam Ali bin Abi Talib on one of the giant frescoes in Hagia Sophia .

The issue of the Imamate is one of the most important issues used by the groups that dissented from the Muslim group, and the first of them was the strife of the Kharijites who split from the Muslim group and announced their departure from Ali bin Abi Talib , saying there is no judgment except for God. Ali bin Abi Talib responded to them by saying: “The word of truth is intended.” What lies behind it is falsehood.” They were the first to innovate rebellion against the rulers, then the Shiite sects appeared who believed that the Imamate was one of the foundations of the religion, and that it was hereditary, despite their differences in determining who deserved it. The Sunnis and the community considered the imamate a matter of unanimous interest and not one of the principles of the faith. The imam is the one whom people emulate in his words and deeds. The imams of the Muslims are religious scholars and they are the heirs of the prophets in carrying knowledge and performing religious tasks towards the general public. These tasks differ according to the scholarly ranks and the powers assigned to them. The imams of the Muslims are: the caliphs and those below them among the people of states and religious scholars.  The basic principle of imamate is that it is the imamate of the religion among the diligent imams of all levels of ijtihad , and the religious scholars are subordinate to them, considering that the imams in the religion who bear the law are the heirs of the prophets in conveying the religion and explaining it to the people. It was said to Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq: O Caliph of God, and he said: “ No, but I am the successor of the Messenger of God , peace and blessings of God be upon him.” The selection of the caliphs in the beginning was on the basis that they would be imams in the religion, and the Rightly-Guided Caliphs were like that, and each one of them was a diligent imam, and the companions did not choose for the position of caliphate except a diligent imam from among the best and most knowledgeable of them in the religion, until He is able to rule according to God’s law with the knowledge of Sharia law that he has, and he will be a reference for judging people in the developments of matters that confuse them. Many of the imams of the Companions and the Successors and those after them, like the four imams and other religious figures, had a scientific mission, and they did not seek to obtain authority with their knowledge. They choose for the caliphate the best and most knowledgeable of them in the religion, and they commit themselves to obeying him, and they do not use their knowledge as a ladder to reach political positions and oppose and dispute the rulers.

Succession

Islamic Caliphate, 622-750

  Expansion of the Islamic state under the rule of the Prophet, 622-632

  Expansion under the Rightly Guided Caliphs, 632-661

  Expansion under the Umayyad Caliphate, 661-750

Ottoman Islamic Caliphate.

The caliphate or the great imamate is a general mandate, and the greatest imam who succeeds the prophethood is in charge of guarding the religion and the politics of the world, and then he stipulated in it what was stipulated in the judge and in addition.  The caliph is called an imam; Because the selection of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs was based on the fact that the Caliph should be a diligent imam with the highest possible level of knowledge in religion. People would follow him in knowledge and religion, submit to his rule, pray behind him, and be obliged to obey him. Al-Mawardi said : “The imamate is established to succeed the Prophethood in guarding the religion and the politics of the world.”  Saad al-Din al-Taftazani said in al-Maqasid: “ Imamate: it is general leadership in the affairs of religion and the world as a succession from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him . ”  The Imam of the Two Holy Mosques said: “Imamate is complete leadership and general leadership, relating to the elite and the public, in religious and worldly tasks. Its mission is to preserve the estate, take care of the flock, establish advocacy with argument and sword, stop fear and injustice, seek redress for the oppressed by the oppressors, collect rights from those who abstain, and fulfill them to those who deserve them. On the authority of Abu Hurairah, on the authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, who said: The Imam is only a shield behind which he is fought . And he is protected by it. If he commands to fear God Almighty and be just, he will have a reward for that, and if he commands something else, he will be rewarded for it . Al-Nawawi said : “His saying , peace and blessings be upon him: ‘The Imam is a shield’, meaning: like a veil; Because it prevents the enemy from harming Muslims, protects people from one another, protects the foundation of Islam, and people fear it and fear its power. The meaning of: “He fights from behind him,” meaning: he fights with him the infidels, transgressors, Khawarij, and all other people of corruption and injustice in general. The ta’ in “pious” is substituted from the waw. Because its origin is prevention.

Ibn Khaldun said: “ Then appointing an imam is a duty whose obligation is known in the Sharia by the consensus of the Companions and Followers. Because the companions of the Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, upon his death, hastened to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr May Allah be pleased with him and hand over their matters to him, and this was the case in every era after that, and the people did not leave chaos in any era, and this established a consensus indicating the necessity of appointing an Imam . He said: If it is determined that this assignment is obligatory by consensus, then it is a sufficient obligation and is due to the choice of the people of the contract and the solution, then it is obligatory for them to appoint it, and all of creation must obey it, according to the Almighty’s saying: “ Obey God and obey the Messenger and those in charge of authority among you ” [ An- Nisa : 59] .  Saad al-Din al-Taftazani mentioned the public’s evidence on the necessity of appointing a caliph in the text of al-Maqasid, saying: “ We have reasons: The first: consensus, which is the basis until they presented it for the burial of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him. The second: that what is required of establishing borders, closing the gaps, and other such things cannot be completed without it. It relates to preserving the system. Third: It brings benefits and wards off countless harms, and that is obligatory according to consensus. Fourth: It is obligatory to obey it and know the Qur’an and Sunnah, and it necessitates that it must be achieved by its status . He finished briefly with Al-Saad’s words. The necessity of appointing an imam is proven by the authentic hadiths mentioned in the commitment of the Muslim community and their imam, such as the hadith: “Whoever dies without a pledge of allegiance on his neck dies a death of pre-Islamic times.” .  “ On the authority of Hudhayfah bin Al-Yaman, peace and blessings be upon him, he said to him: “You must adhere to the group of Muslims and their imam.”.

The consensus on the appointment of the Caliph is sufficient evidence, and accordingly the state of the nation has stabilized throughout Islamic history, and the Ottoman Caliphate was the last state of the Islamic Caliphate.

Provisions of succession

The Great Mosque of Banu Umayyad in Damascus , one of the most prominent examples of Umayyad architecture.

The Sunnis and the community, both predecessors and successors, and the majority of other sects, unanimously agreed that the appointment of the Imam, i.e. his appointment as ruler of the nation, is a duty for Muslims according to Islamic law, not just reason. Because the ruler is commanded to perform religious duties, just as the subjects are commanded religiously to obey the ruler. The majority of Sunnis and the community agreed that the ruling on appointing a caliph or ruler is a legal duty. To protect the interests of the people, and the statements of the Kharijites and those who agreed with them otherwise cannot oppose the consensus. The legal evidence has unanimously confirmed the obligation of obeying those in charge, based on the texts of the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and consensus. God Almighty said: “ Obey God and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. Then if you dispute over anything, refer it to God and the Messenger. ” ( An- Nisa : 59) , and in the hadith: “You must listen and obey,” meaning For the rulers of affairs, Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari said: “They agreed to listen and obey the imams of the Muslims, and that everyone who took charge of any of their affairs, willingly or by force, and whose obedience extends, whether righteous or immoral, is not obligated to revolt against them with the sword, whether righteous or just, and that they must fight with them the enemy and perform Hajj with them to the House, and the House must be defended.” They are given alms if they ask for them, and the Friday and Eid prayers are performed behind them.” 

Methods of convening the Imamate and installing rulers

The Imamate is concluded in one of the ways, one of which is: through the pledge of allegiance, that is: the pledge of allegiance to the scholars, leaders, and prominent figures of people whose meeting is possible in the case of the pledge of allegiance without customary cost. As for the pledge of allegiance to non-people of the solution and contract among the common people, it does not matter, and the second is: by appointing the imam as successor, one after him, or by appointing a chosen number as successors. The people of solution and contract are one of them. Al-Nawawi said: “The imamate is established by the pledge of allegiance, and the most correct is the pledge of allegiance of the people of solution and contract, among the scholars, leaders, and prominent people whom it is possible to meet, and by appointing the imam as successor. If the matter is made by consultation among a group, then it is considered as succession, and they agree to one of them, and with the control of the one who fulfills the conditions, as well as a sinner and an ignorant person, in the most correct way.” .

Imam’s conditions

The scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah have mentioned several conditions regarding whoever assumes the position of caliphate, some of which are agreed upon and some of which are disputed. These conditions are in the beginning, that is: at the beginning of the installation of the caliph. As for the continuity, there is detail. Al-Nawawi said: “The condition for the imam is that he is a Muslim, obligated, free, and male . ” A hard-working, courageous Qurayshi with an opinion, hearing, sight, speech, and justice .” The condition for the imam is that he is a Muslim in order to take into account the interests of Islam and its people, and this is in agreement with the majority of the Sunnis and the community. As for whoever is a non-Muslim, such as a Jew, a Christian, or someone else, he does not have guardianship over the Muslims, and he is accountable; Because someone else is his guardian, so he does not have the authority to command anyone else, and he must be free. Because the one who has slavery is not to be feared, and if he is a male, the woman does not have guardianship according to consensus. Because of her weakness and her lack of interaction with men, and in the hadith: “A people who appoint a woman as their leader will not succeed.”And to be a Quraysh; In the hadith: “The imams are from Quraysh.”It is not required that he be a Hashemite or an Alawite; Because the three caliphs were not like that, and they were Quraysh, and the Companions agreed on their succession. And that he should be a diligent person like a judge and more deserving, in fact, consensus was mentioned about him, and the Companions would not choose for the caliphate except a diligent imam from among the most knowledgeable and best among them in religion. If there were no diligent scholars or he was appointed as a successor and the matter was completed for him and he was not a diligent person, as is the case with some after the Rightly Guided Caliphs; It is obligatory to obey him, as he delegates matters of religion to the scholars in cases where he lacks diligence, and he must be brave to invade himself, deal with the armies, and be able to conquer the country and protect the country, and he considers his safety to be free from a deficiency that prevents complete movement and rapid advancement, just as he entered into courage, and he must have an opinion to guide the subjects and manage their religious and worldly interests. He said. Al-Harawi: The minimum is that he should know the fate of people, that he should have hearing, even if it is weak, and that he should have weak sight, even if it is weak to the point that it does not prevent him from distinguishing between people, or that he is one-eyed or blind, and that he should be a speaker whose speech is understood, even if he has lost taste and smell, so that matters can be resolved from him, and that he should be just. He was forced to appoint a sinner to be a guardian, and that is why Ibn Abd al-Salam said: If justice among the imams was not possible, we would give priority to the least immoral of them. Al-Adhra’i said, and he was appointed; There is no way to make people into chaos. If justice is not possible among the people of Qatar, the least immoral of them will prevail.

Ibn Khaldun said: As for the conditions for this position, they are four: knowledge, justice, competence, and the integrity of the senses and organs, which influences opinion and action. There was disagreement about a fifth condition, which is Qurayshi lineage.

Al-Qurtubi mentioned that the conditions for imamate are eleven,  Ibn Abidin said: The scholar Al-Biri mentioned at the end of his explanation of the ashbah that among the conditions for imamate are: that he be just, mature, trustworthy, pious, male, trustworthy in blood, livestock, and wealth, ascetic, humble, and compliant. In place of politics.

Schools of Jurisprudence

See also: Jurists of the Companions , Jurists of the Successors , Islamic jurisprudence , and the principles of jurisprudence

the date

An old view of Medina.

A picture of Mecca

In Islamic heritage books, such as Tabaqat al-Fuqaha’ by al-Shirazi , written in the fifth century AH, the author considers most of the Companions to be jurists by definition,  and al-Shirazi makes the Rightly Guided Caliphs and Aisha from the class of “ jurists of the Companions , ” and includes to them those who were appointed to give fatwa, or to teach jurisprudence, or He was sent to judge or rule during the time of the Messenger or among the Caliphs and Companions, and to cite for them the Messenger and the Companions and their sayings about each other. It mentions Abdullah bin Masoud , who was sent by Omar bin Al-Khattab to Kufa in Iraq as a judge and minister, and Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari , who was sent by the Prophet to teach the people of Yemen the Qur’an, and Omar put him in charge of Basra, and Ubayy bin Ka’b , about whom it was said “the most read of Muslims” and “the master of the people of Medina,” and Muadh bin Jabal , who It was said that the Companions used to approach him when they were faced with something and ask him, as well as Zaid ibn Thabit, about whom it was said that he was the most knowledgeable of Muslims regarding religious obligations, and Abu Darda , who advised Muadh ibn Jabal to seek knowledge from him.

Al-Shirazi classifies another class of Companion jurists and calls them the “jurisprudence of the Companions.” The jurisprudence of these people is divided into another class of Companions, and the most famous of them were the four Abdillahs (for their names beginning with “Abdullah”), and they are: Abdullah bin Al-Abbas, Abdullah bin Omar bin Al-Khattab, and Abdullah bin Al-Zubayr bin Al – Awwam . And Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-Aas , and the jurisprudence of the Abadla was passed on to the jurists of the Successors. Then Al-Shirazi classifies a class of jurists that he calls “ the jurists of the Successors ” and their followers, and they established the doctrines of Islamic jurisprudence , and everyone who came after them was a burden on them in taking from them, and the second and third centuries of the Prophet’s migration are considered as The golden age for formulating jurisprudential doctrines and codifying their principles and rules. After the death of the Abadlis, the jurisprudence of the Companions had passed to the followers in all countries,  and among the most famous of them, according to countries, were: the jurist of Mecca Ata’ , the jurist of Medina Saeed bin Al-Musayyab , the jurist of Yemen Taus , the jurist of Al-Yamamah Yahya bin Abi Katheer , and the jurist Al- Hasan of Basra , the jurist of Kufa Ibrahim Al-Nakha’i, the jurist of Syria Makhoul , and the jurist of Khorasan Ata Al-Khorasani .

The schools of jurisprudence of the Sunnis and the community were established by the jurists of the Companions who spread in various countries, and then their followers. Among them were the diligent imams, and all the jurists were narrators of the hadith. The school of jurisprudence of the people of the Hijaz in Medina became famous, and one of its notables was Zaid bin Thabit, and the most famous of those who took Ten of the city’s jurists were named from him: Saeed bin Al-Musayyab , Abu Salamah bin Abdul Rahman , Ubaid Allah bin Abdullah bin Utbah bin Masoud, Urwa bin Al-Zubayr, Abu Bakr bin Abdul Rahman, Kharga bin Zaid , Suleiman bin Yasar, Aban bin Othman, Qubaisa bin Dhu’ayb , and Al-Qasim bin Muhammad . The most famous person who took it from them is Muhammad bin Muslim Al-Zuhri, and from him he took Imam Malik bin Anas .

And the Hijaz School in Mecca, where the doctrine of Ibn Abbas was famous. Among his most famous students were the jurists: Ikrimah , Ata’ , Tawoos , and Saeed bin Jubayr . Then jurisprudence moved to a second class, including: Ibn Jurayj , then jurisprudence moved to a third class, including: Muslim bin Khaled Al-Zanji, from whom Al-Shafi’i took jurisprudence. Then jurisprudence moved to another class, from which it became famous: Muhammad bin Idris Al-Shafi’i, the founder of the Shafi’i school of thought .

Among the first class of Companions jurists in Yemen, he became famous: Ali bin Abi Talib , Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari , and Muadh bin Jabal , then the Tabi’een jurists in Yemen, among whom were famous: Tawus bin Kaysan Al-Yamani, Ata bin Markbouth ,  and Abu Al-Ash’ath Sharahil . Bin Sharhabeel Al-San’ani,  Hanash bin Abdullah Al-San’ani , and Wahb bin Munabbih .

Among the Tabi’in jurists in the Levant and the Peninsula were famous : Abu Idris Al-Khawlani and Shahr bin Hawshab Al-Ash’ari. Then jurisprudence moved to a second class, including: Abdullah bin Abi Zakaria , and Hani bin Kulthum .  Raja bin Haywa and Makhoul Al-Shami ,  Among them was Abu Ayyub Suleiman bin Musa Abu Al-Rabi’ Al-Ashdak,  Then the fatwa was transmitted in the Levant to: Al- Awza’i and Saeed bin Abdul Aziz Al-Tanukhi , and among them: Yazid bin Yazid bin Jaber , and Abd al-Rahman bin Yazid bin Jaber ,  Abu al-Hudhayl ​​Muhammad bin al-Walid bin Amer al-Zubaidi, and Yahya bin Yahya al-Ghassani , who was the mufti of the people of Damascus. The fatwas in the Levant were based on the doctrine of Al-Awza’i and Saeed bin Abdul Aziz . Among the Tabi’in jurists on the island: Maymun bin Mahran .

Among the Tabi’een jurists in Egypt, the most famous were: Al – Sanabihi and Al-Jishani , who were among the companions of Omar .  Then he moved to another class,  Among them: Abu al-Khair Marthad bin Abdullah al-Yazani ,  the judge of Alexandria , from whom Abu Raja Yazid bin Abi Habib learned . Among those to whom jurisprudence was transmitted were: Bukair bin Abdullah bin Al-Ashjaj and Abu Umayyah Amr bin Al-Harith , and then the knowledge of these people ended up with Abu Al-Harith Al-Layth bin Saad bin Abdul Rahman, the founder of a school of jurisprudence.

Jurists of Iraq and other countries

The Great Imam Mosque in Baghdad in 1960 AD

Mihrab of the Kufa Mosque

Kufa School in Iraq: It was famous for the jurisprudence of Ibn Masoud .  The jurists of Iraq and others took from him, and among the most famous followers who took his doctrine were: Alqamah bin Qays , Al-Aswad bin Yazid , Masruq bin Al-Ajda’ , Ubaidah bin Amr Al-Salmani , Shurayh Al-Qadi, and Al-Harith Al-Hamdani ,  and these six mentioned are the companions of Abd. Allah bin Masoud , including Amr bin Sharhabeel Al-Hamdani and others.  Then jurisprudence passed to another class of them: Al-Sha’bi , Saeed bin Jubair , and Ibrahim Al-Nakha’i , then jurisprudence passed after that to another class of them: Al-Hakam bin Utaiba ,  and Hammad bin Abi Suleiman taught jurisprudence with Ibrahim Al-Nakha’i, and Abu Hanifa took About jurisprudence. Habib bin Abi Thabit , Al-Harith bin Yazid Al-Akli ,  Al-Mughirah bin Muqasim Al-Dhabi , Abu Ma’shar Ziyad bin Kulayb bin Tamim Al-Hanthali,  Al-Qaqa’ bin Yazid, Al- A’mash , and Mansur bin Al-Mu’tamir , they took knowledge from Al -Sha’bi and Al-Nakha’i ,  and Ibn Shubramah. And Ibn Abi Laila, then he obtained jurisprudence and fatwas in: Sufyan Al-Thawri ,  the founder of a school of jurisprudence, among them: Al-Hasan bin Saleh bin Hayy bin Muslim bin Hayyan Al-Hamdani, Sharik bin Abdullah bin Abi Sharik Al-Nakha’i , and Abu Hanifa Al-Numan , the founder of the Hanafi school of thought .

Famous among the Tabi’in jurists in Basra were: Al-Hasan Al-Basri , Jabir bin Zaid Al-Azdi, Muhammad bin Sirin , Rafi’ bin Mahran , Hamid bin Abdul Rahman Al- Himyari , Muslim bin Yasar ,  Abu Qilabah , and others.

In the era of the earlier imams who were the owners of the schools of jurisprudence after Abu Hanifa, Malik and Al-Shafi’i, the jurists of Baghdad became famous, the most famous of whom were: Abu Abdullah Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Hanbal bin Hilal Al-Shaybani,  He was one of the narrators of the Shafi’i school of thought, then he became independent by establishing another school of thought, which is considered the fourth school of thought. Major jurisprudence. Abu Thawr Ibrahim bin Khalid bin Abi Al-Yaman Al-Kalbi, who is one of the narrators of the Shafi’i school of thought, with the status of an absolute and affiliated mujtahid . And Abu Ubaid Al-Qasim bin Salam Al-Baghdadi. And Abu Suleiman Daoud bin Ali bin Khalaf Al-Isfahani .  Abu Jaafar Muhammad bin Jarir bin Yazid al-Tabari , one of the narrators of the Shafi’i school of thought as an absolute and affiliated mujtahid .

The most famous jurists of Khorasan: Ata bin Abi Muslim Al-Khorasani . And Abu Al-Qasim Al-Dahhak bin Muzahim Al-Hilali. And Abu Abdul Rahman Abdullah bin Al-Mubarak Al-Maruzi. And Abu Yaqoub Ishaq bin Ibrahim bin Mukhlid Al-Hanzali Al-Maruzi, known as Ibn Rahawayh .

After the spread of Islam in Africa, then Andalusia and Morocco,  Hijaz was closer to them than others, as Medina was famous for the jurisprudence of Imam Malik bin Anas, and most of the jurists in that country followed the jurisprudence of Malik, and after the codification of the jurisprudential schools of thought, Malik’s doctrine spread in Morocco and Andalusia .

Doctrinal schools of thought

A map showing the spread of Islamic sects around the world.

The jurisprudential schools of thought that became known as the schools of thought of the Sunnis and the community are the summary of the jurisprudence of the Companions, the Successors, and their followers. At the beginning of the history of the emergence of these schools of thought, there were two famous methods, one of which was: the method of the people of opinion and analogy, which is the method of the people of Iraq, and their imam Abu Hanifa and his companions after him, and the second: the method of the people of hadith, which is The way of the people of Hijaz, and their imam is Malik bin Anas . He was known as the Imam of Dar al-Hijrah. His jurisprudence was specialized in the work of the people of Medina, considering that they were followers of those before them as a necessity for their religion and their imitation.  Then after Malik bin Anas , Muhammad bin Idris Al-Shafi’i , he learned the jurisprudence of the people of Hijaz, then he moved to Iraq after Malik and took from the companions of Abu Hanifa and combined the way of the people of Hijaz with the way of the people of Iraq, and after them came Ahmad bin Hanbal and he was from Ulayya. The hadith scholars, and he took from Al-Shafi’i and narrated his doctrine from him, then he adopted another doctrine.  Ibn Khaldun mentions in his history : The famous schools of thought in advanced times were three: the doctrine of the people of opinion and analogy and their most famous imam Abu Hanifa and his companions after him, the doctrine of the people of hadith and their imams Malik and then al-Shafi’i, and the doctrine of Dawud al-Zahiri. The imam of this sect was Daoud Ibn Ali, his son, and their companions, and these three sects were the sects of the majority that were well-known among the nation.  The doctrine of Dhahiri became extinct and declined in later times, and all that remained of it were drawings in books, by transferring knowledge from books without the key of teachers, which may lead to dissent from the public. Ibn Khaldun said : “Then he studied the doctrine of the people of al-Zahir today with the lessons of his imams and the public’s denial of his plagiarists, and it remained only in bound books.”

The work of these four schools of thought was established, and imitation in the countries stopped with these four, and the imitators studied those other than them, and the people closed the door to disagreement and its methods when the terminology in the sciences became very diverse, and when it hindered people from reaching the level of ijtihad, and when they feared that this would be attributed to people other than those who are qualified and those whose opinion or opinion cannot be trusted. With his religion, they declared their inability and want, and they returned the people to imitating these people, each of the imitators who were specific to him, and they prohibited their imitation from being circulated due to the manipulation involved in it, and all that remained was the transmission of their doctrines, and each imitator acting according to the doctrine of those whom he imitated after correcting the principles and connecting its chain of transmission to the narration, not just transmission. From books. Ibn Khaldun said: “The claimant of ijtihad for this covenant has been rejected and his tradition abandoned, and the people of Islam today have begun to imitate these four imams.”  As for Ahmad ibn Hanbal, his doctrine was established in Baghdad , and most of his followers were in the Levant and Iraq , from Baghdad and its environs, and they were the people who memorized the Sunnah and the narration of hadith the most. Malik’s doctrine spread in Andalusia and Morocco, and Abu Hanifa’s doctrine spread in Iraq, Muslim India, China, Transoxiana, and Persian countries. The Hanafi books, their debates, and discussions with the Shafi’is were many, and they brought from them exceptional knowledge and strange views, while they were in the hands of people and in the West, a little of them was transmitted to him by Al-Qadi Ibn Al-Arabi and Abu Al-Walid Al-Baji in their journeys.  As for Al-Shafi’i, his imitators were more in Egypt than elsewhere, and his doctrine spread in Iraq, Khorasan, and beyond the river, and they shared the Hanafi school of thought in fatwas and teaching in all countries. The debate sessions between them were great, and their books were filled with the types of their reasoning. Then he studied all of that with the lessons of the East and its regions, and the Imam was Muhammad bin Idris Al-Shafi’i when it was revealed . Over the Banu Abd al-Hakam in Egypt, a group of Banu Abd al-Hakam, Ashhab , Ibn al-Qasim , Ibn al-Mawaz and others were taken from him, then al-Harith bin Miskin and his sons. Then the jurisprudence of the Sunnis became extinct in Egypt with the emergence of the Rafidah state, and the Ismaili jurisprudence was circulated in it, and everyone else vanished until the Ubaidite state of the Rafidites disappeared at the hands of Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, and the jurisprudence of al-Shafi’i and his companions from the people of Iraq and the Levant returned to them, so he returned to the best it had been, and his market perished, and among them Muhyi al-Din al-Nawawi became famous under the Ayyubid state in the Levant , and Izz al -Din ibn Abd al-Salam as well, then Ibn al-Rif’ah in Egypt, Taqi al-Din Ibn Daqiq al-Eid , then Taqi al-Din . Al-Subki followed them until it reached the Sheikh of Islam in Egypt for that era, who was Siraj al-Din al-Balqini. At that time, he was the greatest Shafi’i scholar in Egypt, the greatest scholar, or even the greatest scholar among the people of the era.

The four schools of thought according to the date of appearance are:

The Hanafi school of thought , named after Abu Hanifa al-Numan .

The Maliki school of thought , named after Malik bin Anas .

The Shafi’i school of thought , named after Al-Shafi’i .

The Hanbali school of thought , named after Ahmad ibn Hanbal .

Other schools of jurisprudence:

The doctrine of Hasan Al-Basri .

The apparent doctrine .

Al-Awza’i doctrine .

The doctrine of Al-Layth bin Saad .

The revolutionary doctrine of Sufyan .

Science of controversies

The imams of the schools of jurisprudence agreed in the principles of the general legal rulings and the principles of religion (creed), but the difference occurred in the branches of jurisprudence . There is no difference in belief between them . The disagreement did not occur between the imams of the ancestors in matters of belief (the principles of religion). Rather, their disagreement occurred in secondary rulings, either due to the lack of clear evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah , or a weak hadith such that it cannot be supported by evidence, or other reasons. With the spread and expansion of Islam and its exposure to many new issues that have no text from the Qur’an and Sunnah to indicate them regarding them, there was an urgent need to come up with interpretations for these new jurisprudential issues and meet the needs of the people and answer their questions. Hence, a group of religious jurisprudence scholars emerged who taught people in every region the affairs of Islam. Their religion and their world. The geographical expansion of Islam and the diversity of the environments in which it spread, as well as the ability of many Islamic legal texts to be based on ijtihad according to circumstances and situations, all of this led to the emergence of schools of jurisprudence that spread in various Islamic countries. The evidence of jurisprudence according to the Sunnis and the community is either auditory, which is: the Qur’an , Sunnah , and consensus , or rational, which is: analogy , in addition to other methods of reasoning mentioned in the books of the principles of jurisprudence .

As it was established, there is no difference between the imams in the generalities of Sharia law, nor in the branches of religion that have been agreed upon, such as: the obligation of prayer, zakat, and other things that are necessarily known from the religion. Rather, the difference occurred in the branches of jurisprudence that are the subject of ijtihad, and the weighting or determination of the ruling in the issue is according to the diligent scholar . The principles and rules of his doctrine on which he bases his reasoning. Since the four schools of thought are the ones that the majority of Sunnis and the community have settled upon; The fruit of the disagreement appeared in the emergence of the science of disputes, in which the Hanafis and Shafi’is wrote more than the Malikis. Ibn Khaldun mentioned it and then said about it: “For my life, it is a science of great benefit in knowing the opinions of the imams and their evidence and the practice of those who read it in drawing evidence from it, and the Hanafi and Shafi’is writings in it are more Written by Al-Malikiyya; Because analogy according to the Hanafis is the basis for many branches of their doctrine, as I have known, they are therefore people of theory and research, and as for the Malikis, the majority of scholars rely on them, and they are not people of theory.

Doctrine of the Sunnis and the community

The doctrine of the Sunnis and the community is the agreed upon foundations of the Islamic religion, based on the fact that Islam is the religion of God that He has chosen for all of His creation. The Almighty said: “Then We revealed to you that you should follow the religion of Abraham” [An-Nahl: 123]. And God Almighty said: “The religion of your father Abraham . ” And He called you Muslims “Before. ” [ Al-Hajj : 78] . The Sunnis and the community agree on the principles of belief represented in the monotheism of God, belief in Him, and worshiping Him alone with no partner, belief in everything that the Messenger brought from God, and belief in God, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and destiny, its good and its evil. Faith is belief in everything that is known to be essential from religion, and belief in God is knowledge and firm certainty that God alone is the God of the entire universe, and He is the God who is truly worshiped, there is no god other than Him, and worship is only to Him alone, with no partner, no similarity, no equal, no equal, no companion, no one. He was born, and sight does not perceive Him, and He perceives sight, and He is the Kind and All-Aware, and that He is the Lord of the Worlds and the Creator of all creation, and their Owner and Master of all their affairs, and that He is characterized by all the attributes of absolute perfection, and He is above all imperfection, and that He created creation and created all creatures from nothing, and everything else is lacking in Him. He is independent of anyone else. He admits whomever He wills into His mercy. He forgives whomever He wills by His grace and punishes whomever He wills with His justice. He is not asked about what he does and they are asked. He knows all things, apparent and hidden, whether they are hidden or subtle. He knows what is subtler and hidden, and He knows the secret and hidden. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, the Kind, the All-Aware. All creatures are subdued by His greatness, and that He is the Creator, the restorer, the life-giving, the deadly, the beneficial and the harmful. He has the most beautiful names and sublime attributes. Faith in God – “linked to the letter B” – is belief in the heart and acknowledgment, and faith in God – “linked to the L” – is good deeds. And belief in the messengers, the angels, and everything that is due to them. Belief in the Last Day and in destiny, its good and evil, and belief in the unseen, that is: in what is hidden from the eyes, as indicated by the legal texts, such as belief in Paradise and Hell, resurrection, resurrection, reward, reckoning, the path, the balance, and so on.  

Religion basics

The foundations of the religion or the foundations of the Islamic belief among the Sunnis and the community are all transmitted by reception from the imams of the righteous predecessors from the Companions and Followers, and all of them agreed, before and after them, on a single saying regarding the foundations of belief, and whatever disagreement occurred between them is a verbal or formal disagreement that does not require infidelity, innovation, or immorality of some of them. Some, and these principles are established in the books of their imams, it is reliable to adopt them, and it is sufficient to know them in an easy way without interfering with what God and His Messenger have forbidden from delving into. He explained the levels of religion in the hadith of Gabriel , which are Islam, faith, and charity. In language, faith is belief, and what is meant by it is acknowledgment and belief in God and His Messenger and in everything in which one must believe that it is part of the religion of Islam, and in the Qur’an: “The Bedouins said, ‘We have believed.’ Say, ‘You have not believed, but say, ‘We have submitted.’” The verse ( Al -Hujurat : 14) was revealed about a delegation that acknowledged Islam outwardly and knowingly. God is what is in their hearts, so He informed His Prophet of that, and the ruling on them was achieved through revelation. Faith in God is ratification and acknowledgment in the heart, and it is with the knowledge of God who is aware of the truths of hearts. God has called prayer faith; Because good deeds are part of faith for God in the sense of believing what is in the heart by action, so faith is speech and deed,  and the Sunnis and the community are unanimously agreed that faith increases by acts of obedience and decreases by acts of disobedience, and that the believer in God is not excluded from it by any act of disobedience, in contrast to the Kharijites and those who agree with them; Because the disobedient are not excluded from the letter of assignment, nor are they expelled from the religion due to sins, and it is not guaranteed that any of the disobedient people of the Qiblah will enter Hell, nor is it guaranteed that any of the obedient people will enter Paradise, except for someone who is proven by a clear and definitive text from the Qur’an or Sunnah. The Sunnis and the community are unanimously agreed that God Almighty has been described with everything He described Himself with and His Prophet described Him with, without objection or conditioning it, and that belief in Him is obligatory and abandoning conditioning for Him is necessary, and that He Almighty has no need of anything of what He has created, and that He Almighty guides whomever He wills astray. He punishes whomever He wants, bestows blessings on whomever He wants, honors whomever He wants, forgives whomever He wants, enriches whomever He wants, gives dominion to whomever He wants, and takes away dominion from whomever He wants, and that He is not asked in any of that what he does, and that He does what He wants as He wants, and He gives to whomever He wants what He wants. An objection to it is as he said: “ This is the bounty of God. He gives it to whomsoever He wills ” [ Al-Ma’idah : 54] and he said: “ My torment inflicts upon whomever I will. ” [ Al- A’raf : 156] He does not ask what he does and they are asked, and all of creation must be satisfied with the rulings of God which He has commanded them to be satisfied with. In all of this, submitting to His command, being patient with His decrees, and ending up obeying Him in what He calls them to do or not do, and that He is characterized by justice in all of His actions and rulings, whether that is bad or not, it benefits us or harms us. They unanimously agreed that God is the Creator of all events alone, and there is no creator of any of them except Him. He gives to whomever He wills, grants success to whomever He wills, guides whomever He wills, and misleads whomever He wills. He is the Most Benevolent and Most Gracious to His servants, and that no one of creation has any objection to God Almighty in any of His plan, and that whoever objects In his actions, he followed the opinion of Satan in that matter when he refrained from prostrating to Adam, peace be upon him, and claimed that this was a corruption of his plan and a departure from wisdom when he said, “I am better than him. You created me from fire, and you created him from clay.”   76﴾  [ p . 76] .

The Sunnis and the community are unanimously agreed that the servants have keepers who write down their deeds, and that God Almighty predestined all the deeds of creation, their deadlines, and their livelihoods before creating them, and recorded in the Preserved Tablet all that is to come from them until the day they are resurrected. This is indicated by His saying: “And everything they did, they did in the Book . ”52Everything, big and small, is underlined53(  Al -Qamar : 52-53) . And that the torment of the grave is real, and that Paradise is real, and that Hell is real, and that God raises those in the graves, and that the trumpet will be blown before the Day of Resurrection, and whoever is in the heavens and whoever is on earth will be struck by shock, except whom God wills, and then another blow will be blown into it, and they are standing and watching, and that God Almighty He will return them as He began them, and that God Almighty will set up scales to weigh the deeds of His servants, and that creation will be given on the Day of Resurrection with scrolls containing their deeds. Whoever is given his book in his right hand will be given an easy reckoning, and whoever is given his book in his left – those will pray in the Blazing Fire, and on the path, the intercession, and the basin, and that God Almighty will emerge from the Fire from There is some faith in his heart after taking revenge on him. They unanimously agreed that it is obligatory for them to enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong with their hands and with their tongues if they are able to do so, otherwise with their hearts. Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ashari said: “They unanimously agreed to listen and obey the imams of the Muslims, and that everyone who took charge of any of their affairs willingly or overpowering and whose obedience extends, whether righteous or immoral, is not obligated to revolt against them with the sword, whether righteous or just, and that they must fight with the enemy and perform Hajj with them to the House, and alms should be given to them if they ask for them.” The Friday and Eid prayers are performed behind them.

The virtue of the Companions

The majority of the Sunnis and the community agreed that the best of generations is the century of the Companions, then those who come after them, as indicated by the hadith: “The best of you is my generation,” and that the best of the Companions are the four Imams, the Caliphs, the first of whom were: Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, then Omar ibn al-Khattab , then Uthman ibn Affan , then Ali ibn Abi Talib . Then the rest of the ten who were promised Paradise, then the people of Badr, and that the choice after the ten among the people of Badr were the Muhajireen and Ansar according to the degree of migration and precedence in Islam, and that everyone who believed in God and His Messenger and had companionship, even if for an hour, or met with the Messenger of God, or saw him even once, despite his belief in him. And what he called for is better than the followers. And that the Imamate of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs was based on the consent of their group, and that God conditioned their hearts to that because He wanted to appoint them all as successors, saying: “God has promised those of you who have believed and done righteous deeds that He will appoint them as successors in the land, just as He appointed them as successors.” before them, and to establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them. (Surah An- Nur : 55 ) They unanimously agreed to refrain from mentioning the Companions, peace be upon them, except for the best of what they are remembered for, and that they are more deserving of having their virtues published and the best ways out of their actions sought, and to have the best opinion of them and the best of doctrines, complying in this with the words of the Messenger of God: “If my companions are mentioned, then they abstain.” The people of knowledge said the meaning of that: do not mention them. Except for the goodness of remembrance, and his saying: “Do not harm me regarding my companions, for by the One in whose hand is my soul, if one of you spent the equivalent of Uhud in gold, it would not amount to one mudd or half of it.” And for what God Almighty praised them with, saying: “Muhammad is the Messenger of God, and those with him are hard against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves. You see them.” They kneeled, prostrating , striving As a blessing from God and His pleasure, He has marked them on their faces as a result of prostration. That is their likeness in the Torah, and their likeness in the Gospel. ( Al- Fath : 29) …the verse. They agreed that what was among them was Worldly matters do not forfeit their rights, just as what was among the children of Jacob the Prophet, peace be upon him, is not forfeited Of their rights, and it is not permissible for anyone to deviate from the sayings of the predecessors regarding what they agreed upon and what they differed about or in its interpretation, because the truth is not permissible to deviate from their sayings. They agreed to advise the Muslims, to support their group, to befriend God, to pray for the imams of the Muslims, to disavow anyone who slandered any of the companions of the Messenger of God, his household, and his wives, to refrain from mingling with them, and to disavow them. These are the principles that the ancestors followed and followed the rulings of the Qur’an and Sunnah, and the righteous successors imitated them in their virtues.  

The concept of mediocrity

The concept of moderation in Islam is neither excess nor negligence, but rather a middle ground between that, with consistency and a valuable religion in which there is no exaggeration or negligence. Exaggeration in religion by exceeding the limit in it is forbidden in the Islamic religion, and moderation in it is a religious requirement that is not specific to one group of Muslims and not another, and it came from imams. Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah and their scholars consider mediation in religion to be a general religious approach regardless of the different paths of belief, practicality and morality, and they consider exaggeration or negligence in the foundations of belief to be characteristic of misguided sects such as the Khawarij and those who follow them. They mentioned in their description what al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih in the hadith with the wording: “One of you is despised. ” His prayer is with their prayer..the talk.  This is because they exaggerated in worship to the point that they described negligent and disobedient people as disbelievers, and this is contrary to the moderation of Islam. On the other hand, they exaggerated in saying that disobedience is disbelief, and they exaggerated in interpreting the warning verses to the point that they disbelieved everyone who commits a sin and said that the sinner will remain in Hell forever. In doing so, they prevented God’s mercy from people, and one of the foundations of the belief of the Sunnis and the community is that they do not declare any of the people of the Qiblah a disbeliever for a sin he commits, and that the afterlife reward is God’s will, and created beings have no business deciding that.

Examples of extremism in religion are what was mentioned in the Qur’an when Christians described Jesus, son of Mary, with the attributes of divinity. God Almighty said: “ And whoever venerates the rituals of God, they are from the piety of hearts.”32(  [ Al-Hajj : 32] The prophets, scholars, and righteous people have status and respect, and they are more deserving of glorification. What is forbidden in Islam is only flattery, meaning: exaggerating in glorifying a creature and describing it as something it does not deserve. Divinity belongs to God alone, with no partner.

The Qur’an confirms that God made the Muhammadan nation a moderate nation in His Almighty’s saying: “ And thus We have made you a moderate nation ” [ Al-Baqarah : 143] meaning: just and just choices,  meaning: We have made you below the prophets and above the nations. And the middle: justice, and the basis of this is that I praise things in the middle. Al-Tirmidhi narrated: “On the authority of Abu Saeed Al-Khudri, on the authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, in the Almighty’s saying: “ And thus We have made you a moderate nation ” [ Al-Baqarah : 143] He said: Just.  . This is a good talk properly said. And in the revelation : “ The middle of them said ” [ Al-Qalam : 28] , meaning: the most just and the best of them. 

Zuhair said:

They are among people who are satisfied with their rule                               If you stay one night at most…

Another said:

You are the middle class in the neighborhood                     In a small matter or a major matter

Another said:

Don’t go overboard with things

Don’t ask if you ask too much

And be among all people in the middle

The middle of the valley: the best place with the most grass and water. Since the middle distance is free from exaggeration and negligence, it is praiseworthy, that is, this nation did not exaggerate the exaggeration of the Christians in their prophets, nor did they neglect the negligence of the Jews in their prophets. In the hadith: “The best things are the middle ones.”In it, on the authority of Ali, may God be pleased with him: “Adhere to the middle type, for to it the high descends, and to it the descending rises.”

Al-Shatibi said about the meaning of the words of God Almighty: “ And this is My path, straight, so follow it and do not follow other paths, for lest He divert you from His path. This He has enjoined upon you that you may become righteous.”153(  [ Al-An’am : 153] : The straight path is the path of God to which He has called, and it is the Sunnah, and the paths are the paths of difference for those who deviate from the straight path and they are people of innovation, and what is meant is not the paths of sin; Because sins, insofar as they are sins, no one has established a path that always follows legislation in conformity with legislation, but rather this description is specific to newly invented innovations. On the authority of Mujahid, in his saying: “ And do not follow paths ” [ Al-An’am : 153] , he said: heresies and doubts. Malik was asked about the Sunnah? He said: It is what has no name other than the Sunnah, and he recited: “ And this is My path, straight, so follow it, and do not follow other paths, for they will separate you from His path ” [ Al-An’am : 153] . This interpretation indicates that the verse includes all methods of innovation, and is not specific to one innovation or another. Among the verses is the saying of God Almighty: “ And upon God is the intent of the path, and from it is unjust; and had He willed, He could have guided you all.”  9﴾  [ An-Nahl : 9] . The intended path is the path of truth, and anything other than it is unjust to the truth, meaning: just from it, and they are the paths of innovations and misguidance.

The straight path in which there is no deviation is the path of God to which He has called, and the mission of the prophets and messengers is to guide people to the straight path of God with guidance and guidance. And God guides whom He wills and misleads whom He wills. And whoever God misleads, he has no guide. Misguidance and misguidance: the opposite of guidance and guidance, which is going out. From the path, so the one who goes astray becomes confused because he has no guide to guide him, and He is the evidence. So the one who is an innovator, when his desires and ignorance of the path of the Sunnah prevail, imagine that what appeared to him in his mind is the straight path and not something else, so he proceeds on it, and because of it he deviates from the straight path, so he is lost, even if He was allegedly investigating her intent. The innovator from this nation only went astray in its evidence, as he took it as a source of desire and lust, not as a source of submission under the laws of God, and this is the difference between the innovator and others. Because the innovator made desire his first requirement, and took the evidence to follow.

The prohibition against asking too much and exaggerating in it came from the Almighty’s saying: “ O you who have believed, do not ask about things that, if they were made known to you, they would displease you ” [ Al-Ma’idah : 101] and in the hadith: “ On the authority of Abu Hurairah, on the authority of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said: “Leave me what I have left you. But whoever he was perished He accepted you with their questions and their disagreement with their prophets, so if I forbid you something, avoid it, and if I command you to do something, then do as much of it as you can . ”  And Muslim used the wording: “Dharoni,” which means “leave me.” Muslim mentioned the reason for this hadith from the narration of Muhammad ibn Ziyad, and he said: “ On the authority of Abu Hurairah, the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, addressed us and said: O people, God has imposed Hajj on you, so they performed Hajj, and a man said: Eating in public, O.” Messenger of God? He was silent until he said it three times, then the Messenger of God said: If I had said yes, it would have been obligatory and you would not have been able to. Then he said, “Leave me alone as long as I leave you. ”  Ibn Hajar said: What is meant by this command is to refrain from asking about something that has not happened for fear that it will become obligatory or forbidden, and to forbid asking too much because it often involves stubbornness, and for fear that the answer will come with something that is difficult, as it may lead to abandoning compliance and thus a violation will occur. 

Ibn Faraj said: The meaning of his saying, “Leave me as I have left you, is not to inquire too much about places that will be useful for the purpose of what appears, even if they are good for other things,” and the prohibition of digging for that because it may lead to something like what happened to the Children of Israel, when they were commanded to slaughter a cow, and if they slaughtered any cow. They would have complied, but they were strict, so he toughened them.  This is evidence of the prohibition of asking too many questions and going to extremes in that. Al-Baghawi said in his explanation of the Sunnah: Questioning is of two types, one of which is: what is in the form of education for what is needed regarding the matter of religion. It is permissible, and even commanded, according to the Almighty’s saying: “So ask the people of the message” [ Al – Nahl ] . :43] …the verse, and based on that, the questions of the Companions about Anfal, Al-Kalala, and others are revealed. Secondly: It was not in the form of obstinacy and affectation, which is what is meant in this hadith, and God knows best, and is supported by the occurrence of rebuke in the hadith about that and the condemnation of the predecessors. According to Ahmad, from the hadith of Muawiyah, that the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, forbade mistakes. Al-Awza’i said: They are the most severe issues, and Al-Awza’i also said : « If God wants to deprive His servant of the blessing of knowledge, he casts fallacies on his tongue, for I have seen them as the least knowledgeable of people.” Ibn Wahb said: I heard Malik say: “Dissent in knowledge takes away the light of knowledge from a man’s heart.” [115] Ibn al-Arabi said: “The prohibition  on Asking during the Prophet’s era for fear that something would befall them that would be difficult for them. As for what came after, it was safe to do so, but most of the narrations from the predecessors stated that it was disliked to speak about issues that did not occur. Especially with the scholars going and learning lessons.” End quote. Summary.  And in the hadith: “Those before you were destroyed by their many questions and their differences over their prophets.” .

Al-Shatibi said: Among the texts of the Qur’an that indicate the condemnation of heresy: God Almighty’s saying: “ It is He who has revealed to you the Book, among which are decisive verses that are the mother of the Book, and others that are ambiguous. As for those in whose hearts is deviation, they follow what is ambiguous of it, seeking discord and seeking its interpretation… the verse” [ Al Imran :7] , The decisive ones are clear and clear in their meaning, with no ambiguity for any of the people,  and the similar ones bear in their meaning agreement with the decisive one, and they may bear something else in terms of the wording and structure, not in terms of the intent.  And in a narration by Al-Bukhari with the wording: “So if you see those who follow what is similar to it, then they are those whom God has named, so beware of them.” . And in a narration: “If you see those who follow what is similar to it, then they are those whom God has named, so beware of them.”. In a narration: “God has warned you, so if you see them, recognize them.”.  Ibn Katheer narrated on the authority of Imam Ahmad: In his saying: “ As for those in whose hearts there is deviation, they follow what is similar to it. ” He said: “They are the Kharijites,” and in his saying: “ The Day when faces will be white and faces will turn black . ”  He said: “ They are the Kharijites .”  Al-Tabari suggested that even though the revelation of the verse was among the Christians of Najran, it includes all types of innovators, whether they were Christians, Jews, Magians, or Sabaean, Harurian, Qadari, Jahmite, or others who dispute it.

This is in contrast to the use of reason as a means of contemplating creatures that leads to faith, as the texts of Sharia indicate the use of rational proof in proving beliefs.  Ibn Khaldun said: “ The most important beliefs of faith are justified by their rational evidence, and their evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah is many, and they are known and established, and what happened Most of the differences in beliefs come from following similarities .”

The following table presents the Sunni point of view from the point of view that Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah are people of moderation in beliefs.

Fate and destiny              Jabriyah : They went to extremes in proving destiny, denying the servant’s action at all, and making man coerced and forced and having no choices at all.      Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah: They interceded and made a choice for him, but his choice is tied to God’s will: And you do not will except that God wills. They said: Indeed, the servants are doers, and God is their Creator and the Creator of their actions, as the Qur’an mentioned: And God created you and what you do. This is their mediation in the matter of predestination.  Fatalism : They exaggerated in predestination and destiny, and said that man is the one who creates his actions, and God has no ability to guide the servant or lead him astray.

The issue of faith and religion     The Haruriyyah and the Mu’tazilites : The Haruriyyah call the one who commits a major sin an infidel and deem his blood and wealth permissible. As for the Mu’tazilites, they said: If the one who commits a major sin has departed from faith and has not entered into disbelief, then he is in a position between the two positions?                Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah: They make a person worthy of the name of faith and the name of Islam, even if he has some sins and some disobedience. According to them, the one who commits a major sin is deficient in faith. His faith has been diminished in proportion to the amount of disobedience he has committed, so they do not negate his faith at all and do not take him out of Islam completely, and they did not make The guilty person has complete faith. Rather, they make him a believer who lacks faith.               The Murji’ah and the Jahmiya : The Murji’ah said: The one who commits a major sin is a believer with complete faith and does not deserve to enter Hell. They said that sin does not harm with faith just as obedience does not benefit with disbelief. According to them, whoever believes in his heart, even if he does not act, is a believer with complete faith.

Ali bin Abi Talib  The Nawasib and Khawarij : The Nawasib said: Because of the immorality of Ali bin Abi Talib, and the Khawarij said: Because of the disbelief of Ali bin Abi Talib.            Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah: They said that Ali bin Abi Talib is a rightly guided caliph and that he is better than thousands of companions except three, namely Abu Bakr, Omar, and Uthman, all of whom are virtuous, but he is not infallible like the infallibility of the prophets.       The Shiites : The Twelvers said: He is infallible like the infallibility of the prophets and that he is better than all the prophets except the Prophet Muhammad.

the date

Naturally, many Sunnis today believe that Sunni Islam represents the nature of Islam that appeared in the period following the death of the Prophet, and that the rest of the sects are divisions from Sunni Islam. Likewise, the other sects, in contrast, naturally also see that they are the origin or representative of the original nature of Islam, and taking The Sunni perception is something that historians such as Aaron Howes refer to as a common fallacy because it is based on adopting late and ideological sources as if they represent a disciplined historical narrative. [124] This  is reinforced by the fact that the vast majority of all Muslims belong to the Sunnis, while the two major sects, Sunnis and Shiites, are attributed , and other sects, because they are the final product of ideological disputes that spanned centuries, in which each sect used the other to establish its identity and teachings.

The first heresy in Islam

The first heresy that occurred in Islam was the sedition of the Kharijites, and their departure from the truth was because of the world, which is what Ibn Katheer al-Dimashqi (d . 774 AH ) mentioned in his interpretation, where he said: “ The first heresy that occurred in Islam was the sedition of the Khawarij, and their inception was because of the world when the Messenger of God swore May God’s prayers and peace be upon him, as spoils of Hunayn. It was as if they saw in their corrupted minds that he had not been fair in the division, so they surprised him with this statement. Their speaker – who was Dhul-Khuwaysarah – God’s cows in his flanks – said: Be fair, for you have not been fair. So the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said to him: “I have failed and lost if I am not fair. Will he trust me ? against the people of the earth and do not trust me.”When the man stood up, Omar ibn al-Khattab – according to a narration: Khalid ibn al-Walid – (and there is no more in the plural) – asked the Messenger of God for permission to kill him, so he said: “Leave him, for there will emerge from this group of people – i.e. from his kind – a people whose prayer and fasting will be despised by one of you along with their prayers and fasting.” With their fasting, and reciting it with their recitation, they will leave the religion as an arrow leaves its target, so wherever you meet them, kill them, for in killing them there is a reward for whoever killed them.”.. ».  This hadith is in the Two Sahihs and other authentic narrations, including in Sahih Muslim: “On the authority of Jabir bin Abdullah, he said: A man came to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, with Al-Jirana – he left Hunayn – and on Bilal’s garment : silver , and the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, took some of it and gave it to the people, so he said: Oh Muhammad is the most just. He said: “Woe to you! Who will be just if I am not just? I have failed and lost if I am not just.” Then Omar bin Al-Khattab , may God be pleased with him, said: O Messenger of God, let me kill this hypocrite. He said: “God forbid that people say that I kill my companions. This man and his companions recite the Qur’an, but it does not go beyond their throats. They escape from it as an arrow escapes from its target.”.

In the words of Ibn Katheer that Dhu al-Khuwaysarah is the head of the Kharijites, he created the suspicion of departing from the truth, and this is indicated by his saying: “He will emerge from this young woman…”That is: from a kind, and similar to this was the creation of sedition in the time of Uthman ibn Affan and the revolt against him and his killing, except that their departure from the truth was not under the name of a sect except in the time of Caliph Ali ibn Abi Talib when they announced their split from him after the Battle of Siffin, so they were the first sect to appear in Islam. In the beginning, they joined the side of Ali bin Abi Talib, and when he accepted the arbitration, they announced their exit and shouted, saying: “There is no judgment except for God.” Ali bin Abi Talib responded to them by saying: “A word of truth behind which falsehood is intended,” since their exit was for a worldly reason under the influence of A religious name. The Companions were consulted about them and Ibn Abbas and other Companions interviewed them. Then the Companions’ statements agreed on the necessity of fighting them according to the texts of the hadiths they had indicating their fight if they announced their departure, and Ali bin Abi Talib killed them in Nahrawan. Ibn Katheer said: “ Then their emergence took place during the days of Ali bin Abi Talib, and he killed them at Nahrawan, then peoples and tribes spread from them, and many widespread opinions, desires, articles, and solutions emerged. Then the Qadariyyah emerged, then the Mu’tazilites, then the Jahmiyyah, and other heresies that Al-Sadiq Al-Masduq reported about in his saying: “ This nation will split into seventy-three sects, all of whom will be in Hell except one.They said: Who are they, O Messenger of God? He said: “Whoever follows what I and my companions are upon.”.. ».  And in a narration on the authority of Hudhayfah: “In my nation there are people who recite the Qur’an, sprinkling it with a prose of nonsense, and interpreting it in a way other than its interpretation.”.  On the authority of Ibn al-Aas, on the authority of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, he said: “The Qur’an was not revealed in order for some of it to be false, so whatever of it you know, act upon it, and whatever of it is similar to it, believe in it.”.  Al-Nawawi said : “ His saying , peace and blessings be upon him : ‘They recite the Qur’an but it does not go beyond their throats.’”Al-Qadi said: There are two interpretations: One of them: It means: Their hearts do not understand it, and they do not benefit from what they recite from it, and they have no share except the recitation of the mouth, the throat, and the throat, since they cut off the letters. The second: It means: No action or recitation comes up for them and it will not be accepted . It was stated in the hadith: “They are devoid of religion.”In Muslim’s narration: “They will fall out of it just as an arrow leaves the target.”That is: from the religion, and what is meant here is: the religion of Islam, as in the other narration with the wording: “they are driven away from Islam.”As indicated by the words of God Almighty: “ Indeed, the religion with God is Islam ” [ Al Imran : 19] . The judge said: Its meaning is: They take it out like an arrow if the catch runs out from another side, and nothing of it is attached to it, and the shot is the thrown catch. Al-Khattabi said: It is obedience, meaning: from obedience to the imam. End with a summary of Al-Nawawi’s words. Many authentic hadiths have been proven in the Two Sahihs and elsewhere describing the Kharijites as: “They kill the people of Islam and call upon the people of idols.” A hadith described them: “They speak well and act badly.”. It was mentioned in the hadith of Dhul-Khuwaysarah in Sahih Muslim, with the wording: “Then the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said : From this person’s light, there will be people who recite the Qur’an but it does not go beyond their throats. They will kill the people of Islam and let the people of idols pass away from Islam just as an arrow passes through its target. If I overtake them, I will kill them like Aad. ”.

The Kharijites introduced the first heresy in Islam that included extreme and exaggerated statements, and they took the principle of takfir as a reason to rebel against the rulers of the Muslims, and since Ali bin Abi Talib was strict in dealing with them and with the jurisprudence he had in religion, he dialogued with them and tried to restore them to the right path, but some of them returned from their paths. He returned and some of them remained, and after the Battle of Nahrawan, only a small number of them remained, and they dispersed throughout the countries. Ibn Battal mentioned in a hadith on the authority of Ali bin Abi Talib that he said during his sermon: “ What prevents the most wretched of you from staining it with blood, ” and he pointed to his beard.  One of the Kharijites, Abd al-Rahman ibn Muljam, went to kill Ali ibn Abi Talib, so he killed him in the mosque on Friday before the dawn prayer .

Discussion of attributes and issues of belief

After the emergence of the Kharijites and their split from the group of Companions, many sects branched out from them, and the Sunnis described them as people of misguided desires who, through their desires, introduced what had no basis in the Sharia and spoke about what God and His Messenger had forbidden from researching, so their desires differed, their opinions separated, and their suspicions turned into beliefs because of which they became separate groups. The imams of Ahl al-Sunnah from the early Salaf era were content with clarifying what needed clarification, and did not speak about what God and His Messenger had forbidden from delving into, and they abandoned disputes, arguments, and disputing about it. Ibn Khaldun said in his history written in the eighth century AH: “And the most important faith beliefs are justified by their rational evidence . There is much evidence for it from the Qur’an and Sunnah, and it is known and established. Most of the disagreements that have occurred in beliefs are from following what is similar .  It was stated in his speech that since it was obligatory to exalt God Almighty in describing Him as absolute perfection, and the texts indicated this, such as the Almighty’s saying: “ There is nothing like Him ” [ Al-Shura : 11] , then the Qadariyyah (Mu’tazilites) exaggerated in exaltation, which led to the introduction of the heresy of the statement denying the attributes of God. Fixed by the text, and on the other hand, in the era of the predecessors, innovators appeared who exaggerated in confirming the attributes. They followed the similarities from the texts and interpreted them according to the apparent meaning, so they fell into anthropomorphism that contradicts the verses of clear exaltation. Abu al-Fath al-Shahristani (479 AH / 548 AH) mentioned in his book: “ Al – Milal wal – Nihal ” that When the Mu’tazilites went to extremes in exaltation and denied attributes proven in the text, they called them muta’il, and that the predecessors, because they were among those who affirmed attributes, called them the Sufiites, and that some of the predecessors exaggerated in affirming attributes and fell into anthropomorphism, and among them was mentioned the heresy of Muhammad ibn Karam al-Sijistani, [130] in claiming anthropomorphism and  . The Karamiya came to him, and Mahmoud bin Sabuktekin, the Sultan, (who was from the Karamiya) supported them.  Ibn Khaldun said: “ Nothing remains in these phenomena except the beliefs and doctrines of the predecessors and belief in them as they are, lest the negation be based on their meanings by negating them even though they are correct and proven from the Qur’an .” 

The Sunnis and the community have agreed, both in advance and in succession, that texts that appear to suggest similarities to events are among the ambiguous matters that are not permissible to delve into, and God has forbidden delving into them. Because it is one of the characteristics of the people of deviation and misguidance, as they spoke about what God had not permitted, of which they had no knowledge, and they interpreted the ambiguous things according to their desires. This was mentioned in the Qur’an in the Almighty’s saying: “But as for those in whose hearts is deviation, they follow that which is ambiguous thereof, seeking temptation. seeking its interpretation, and its interpretation is not known Except Allah ( Al Imran : 7) .  Ibn Katheer narrated : “ On the authority of Ibn Abbas, he said: Interpretation has four parts: an interpretation that no one has an excuse for understanding, an interpretation that the Arabs know from their languages, an interpretation known to those who are firmly rooted in knowledge, and an interpretation that no one knows except God Almighty. This saying is narrated on the authority of Aisha, Urwa, Abu Al-Sha’atha, Abu Nahik and others . 

There are two doctrines narrated from the Companions that the commentators mentioned in the Almighty’s saying: “ And no one knows its interpretation except Allah ” [ Al Imran : 7] , and Ibn Jarir al-Tabari mentioned the saying regarding the interpretation of the verse: that no one knows its interpretation except Allah. He said: “ As for those who are firmly rooted in knowledge So they say: “ We believe in it, all of it is from our Lord ” [ Al Imran : 7] . They do not know that, but the superiority of their knowledge in this matter over others is the knowledge that God is the One who knows that, to the exclusion of anyone else from His creation .  Then he mentioned the difference of the people of interpretation regarding the interpretation of that, and do “ the established ones ” know the interpretation of the similar, or do they say: We believe in the similar and believe that the knowledge of that is known only to God? Some of them said: The meaning of that is: No one knows the interpretation of that except God alone, alone with His knowledge. As for those who are firmly rooted in knowledge, they believe in it but do not know its interpretation. On the authority of Aisha, she said: “Part of their firmness in knowledge was that they believed in what was clear and similar, and they did not know its interpretation . ” This was narrated on the authority of Ibn Abbas, Urwa, Abu Nahik Al-Asadi, Omar bin Abdul Aziz, and Malik. Others said: Rather, the meaning of that is: “ And none knows its interpretation except Allah and those who are firmly rooted in knowledge ” [ Al-Imran : 7] , and despite their knowledge of that and their firmness in knowledge, they say: “ We believe in it, it is all from our Lord ” [ Al-Umar]. Anne : 7] . It was narrated on the authority of Ibn Abbas that he said: “ I am one of those who know its interpretation .” On the authority of Mujahid: “ And those who are firmly rooted in knowledge ” [ Al Imran : 7] : They know its interpretation and say: “ We believe in it ” [ Al Imran : 7] . Abu Jaafar said: “ As for the meaning of interpretation in Arab speech, it is interpretation, reference, and destiny. Ibn Jarir al- Tabari (who is one of the imams of the predecessors ) favored the first opinion, which is: that no one knows its interpretation except God .      

These two doctrines narrated on the authority of the predecessors were narrated by Ibn Kathir (who was one of the scholars of the eighth century AH). The first of them is that no one knows the interpretation of the similar except God, and this is what Ibn Jarir narrated based on the reading of Ibn Abbas, Ibn Masoud, and Abu Ibn Ka’b, and Ibn Jarir also narrated it on the authority of Omar bin Abdul Aziz. And Malik bin Anas: They believe in it but do not know its interpretation, and Ibn Jarir chose this opinion. This is the doctrine of submission or delegation because they delegate the knowledge of that to God and do not interpret what is similar, but rather believe in it and say: No one knows its interpretation except God, and this saying was narrated from the imams of the predecessors.  And the second: He does not know the interpretation of the ambiguous one who wanted what he wanted ( except Allah and those firmly rooted in knowledge ) [ Al Imran : 7] They know its interpretation “ They say, ‘We believe in it’ ” [ Al Imran : 7] , then they rejected the interpretation of the ambiguous on what they knew of the interpretation of the decisive ones. In which there is no interpretation for anyone except one interpretation, so what they say is consistent with the Book, and some of it confirms others, so the argument is implemented and the excuse is made apparent, and falsehood is removed and disbelief is repelled by it. It is called the doctrine of interpretation, and it is narrated on the authority of some of the imams of the predecessors. Ibn Katheer said: “And many of the commentators and scholars of principles followed them and said Speech with something that is not understood is far-fetched, and Ibn Abi Najih narrated on the authority of Mujahid on the authority of Ibn Abbas that he said: “ I am one of the established ones who know its interpretation .” Ibn Abi Najih said on the authority of Mujahid: Those who are well-established in knowledge know its interpretation and say: We believe in it. This is what Al-Rabi’ bin Anas said. Muhammad ibn Ishaq said on the authority of Muhammad ibn Jaafar ibn al-Zubayr : “ And its interpretation is not known ” [ Al Imran : 7] who wanted what he wanted “ except Allah, and those who are firmly rooted in knowledge say, ‘We believe in it. ’” [ Al Imran : 7] Then they rejected the similar interpretation to what They knew who The interpretation of the court in which there is no interpretation for anyone except one interpretation, so their words were consistent with the book, and some of it confirmed the other, so the argument was implemented and the excuse appeared with it, and falsehood was removed with it and disbelief was repelled, and in the hadith: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, called for Ibn Abbas and said: “O God, give him understanding of religion. ” And he taught him interpretation.”    ».

There are texts from the Qur’an and Sunnah that indicate the use of rational inferences in proving issues of belief, and there is no disagreement about this among the Sunnis and the community, except that the discussion of the issues of belief that were introduced by the groups that broke away from the Sunnis and the community took another direction, as they spoke about what God and His Messenger forbade. Go into it. Al-Shahrastani said: “ Know that the predecessors among the hadith scholars, when they saw the Mu’tazila’s penetration into the science of theology and contradiction of the Sunnah that they had learned from the Rightly Guided Imams, and their support from a group of princes of the Umayyads for their belief in predestination, and a group of caliphs from the Abbasids for their belief in denying the attributes and the creation of the Qur’an, they were confused about establishing the doctrine of the Sunnis. And the group is in the similarities of the verses of the Wise Book and the narrations of the Faithful Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him .  He said: “ As for Ahmad bin Hanbal, Dawud bin Ali Al-Isfahani, and a group of the imams of the Salaf, they followed the method of the Salaf who preceded them among the hadith scholars, such as: Malik bin Anas and Muqatil bin Sulaiman, and they took the path of safety and said: We believe in what was stated in the Qur’an and Sunnah, and we are no longer subject to interpretation. That we know with certainty that God Almighty does not resemble any of the creatures and that everything that is represented in illusion is its Creator and Destiner. They were wary of resemblance to the point that they said that whoever moved his hand when reading the words of God Almighty: “I created with My own hands” [p. 75] or pointed with his two fingers . When he narrated: “The heart of the believer is between two of the fingers of the Most Merciful.” His hand must be cut off and his two fingers must be cut off .” The reason for their stopping in interpreting the verses and avoiding delving into similarities is because of the prohibition contained in the revelation in the Almighty’s saying: “But as for those in whose hearts is deviation, they follow that which is similar thereof, seeking temptation and seeking its interpretation.” And no one knows its interpretation except God, and those who are well-grounded in knowledge say, “We believe in it.” It is all from our Lord, and nothing is mentioned except People of understanding7(  [ Al Imran : 7] They said: So we guard against deviation, and they said: Interpretation is a matter that is presumed by agreement, and speaking about the attributes of the Creator by assumption is not permissible. Perhaps we interpreted the verse in a way other than what the Creator, Most High, intended, so we fell into deviation. Rather, we say as those who are firmly rooted in knowledge said) “Each is from Our Lord } [ Al Imran : 7] We believe in its apparent meaning and believe in its hidden meaning, and we have entrusted its knowledge to God Almighty, and we are not obligated to know that, since that is not one of the conditions or pillars of faith. This is the path to safety and is not similar to anything. However, a group of Ghali Shiites and a group of Hashwiyya hadith scholars declared the simile. 

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal had a prominent role in supporting and defending the Sunnah. He was patient in adversity and faced persecution from the Mu’tazilites.  He was followed in this by the Hanbali imams who followed his method in defending the Sunnah and followed his path. Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari worked to respond to the people of whims and desires and formulated An approach based on proving religious beliefs with auditory and rational evidence, and based on the approach of previous imams, on the basis that transmission is the basis and that reason is a servant of transmission and a means of proving it and proving its authenticity. He collected what was dispersed from the words of the scholars of the Sunnis and the community, supported the transmission with reason, and invalidated the fallacies and falsehoods of the Mu’tazilites and others. He compared this to the appearance of Abu Mansur al-Maturidi beyond the river, and he did work similar to the work of Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari. Al-Shahrastani said: “ As for the predecessors who were not subject to interpretation and did not aim for simile, they include: Malik ibn Anas, may God be pleased with them both, when he said: Istiwaa is known, the method is unknown, belief in it is obligatory, and asking about it is an innovation, and the likes of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, may God have mercy on him, Sufyan al-Thawri, Dawud ibn Ali al-Isfahani, and those who followed them until The time ended with Abdullah bin Saeed Al-Kalabi, Abu Abbas Al-Qalanisi, and Al-Harith bin Asaad Al-Muhasibi. These were among the Salaf, except that they embarked on the science of theology and supported the beliefs of the Salaf with verbal arguments and fundamental proofs. Some of them classified and others studied until a debate took place between Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari and his teacher on one of the issues. The righteous and the righteous quarreled, and Al-Ash’ari sided with this sect and supported their opinion with theological methods, and this became the doctrine of the Sunnis and the community, and the character of Sufiism was transferred to the Ash’ari. »

Ibn Khaldun mentioned in his history: “ When the codification of the sciences increased and theologians became accustomed to exaltation, the heresy of the Mu’tazilites occurred, and they created the sedition of saying that the Qur’an is created, and it is an innovation that the predecessors declared contrary to it. The harm of this heresy was great, and some of the caliphs taught it on the authority of their imams, so the people were led to it, and the imams of the predecessors disagreed with them, so their disagreement was deemed permissible. The loss of many of them and their blood . Then he said: “ This was a reason for the Sunnis to rise up with rational evidence on these beliefs in order to ward off the issuance of these heresies. Sheikh Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari, the imam of theologians, did this and mediated between the paths, denied the analogy, affirmed the moral attributes, and limited purity to what the predecessors restricted it to, and the evidence specific to its generality attested to him, so he confirmed The four moral qualities, hearing, sight, and speech based on the soul through transmission and reason, and he responded to the innovators in all of that, and spoke to them about what they paved the way for these innovations, such as saying what is good, what is best, what is best, what is ugly, perfecting the beliefs in the mission, the conditions of Paradise and Hell, and reward and punishment .  And he said: “ And he added to that speech about the Imamate because of the Imami’s heresy that appeared at that time in their saying that it is one of the doctrines of faith and that it is obligatory for the Prophet to designate it and deviate from the covenant in that for whomever it is for, and also for the nation and the whole matter of the Imamate that it is a matter of unanimous interest and does not attach to the doctrines, so for that reason They attached it to the issues of this art and called it the collection of theology .  Ibn Khaldun said: “ The followers of Sheikh Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari increased, and his students followed his path after him, such as Ibn Mujahid and others. Judge Abu Bakr Al-Baqalani took from them, so he led the Imamate in their method, refined it, and set the rational premises on which the evidence and considerations depend. ”  He said: “ In summary, the subject of the science of theology according to its scholars is the faith beliefs after they have been imposed as correct from the Sharia insofar as they can be inferred with rational evidence, so heresies are removed and doubts and suspicions about those beliefs are removed. ”

Introducing the Sunnis and the community

Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah is a title that has been in circulation since previous periods in the history of Islam due to the sects, most of which appeared in the eras of the predecessors. Then this designation became a distinction for them from the sects that differed from them. The origin of the name among the imams of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah goes back to the meaning of following. The followed Sunnah is the path followed in Religion and community. The people of the followers are the rightly guided caliphs and the diligent imams from the Companions and the Successors, and the jurists from the people of opinion and the people of hadith, and those who followed their path, followed in their footsteps, and took from them their method through transmission and continuous chain of transmission. The jurisprudence of the Companions was transmitted to the followers and the imams after them, and they had their own jurisprudence in the branches, which resulted in From it, the emergence of jurisprudential schools of thought became famous, and two approaches to the jurisprudential approach became famous, mentioned by Ibn Khaldun in his history (which he wrote down in the eighth century AH). They are: the approach of the jurists of the people of opinion in Iraq and the leader of their group in whom the doctrine and its companions settled, Abu Hanifa , and the approach of the hadith jurists in the Hijaz, whose imam is Malik . Ibn Anas and Al-Shafi’i after him.  Ibn Khaldun and others mentioned that Imam Al-Shafi’i was the first to establish the science of the principles of jurisprudence , which he formulated in his book: “Al-Risalah,” thus combining the two methods of opinion and hadith, and the doctrine of the Sunnis at this stage was summarized in the doctrines of the three imams, namely: Abu Hanifa, Malik, and Al-Shafi’i. The jurisprudence of the Sunnis settled on these two methods in them and in their companions after them, and imams of other sects who agreed with them in the fundamentals of religion entered their group. The imams of jurists who followed these two methods followed them in the third century AH. Then jurisprudence settled in the imams of the four sects, and imams entered into their group . Other schools of jurisprudence who agreed with them regarding the principles.

After the spread of the Mu’tazilites, especially in the last periods of the Salaf era, and the emergence of the Mushabbah, al-Mujasimah, and other sects, most of which appeared in the Salaf era, and the occurrence of talk about attributes and other things, another stage began because of that in demonstrating the foundations of the belief of the Sunnis and supporting their statement with evidence and repelling suspicion about it, and through this a differentiation occurred. These sects, their descriptions, sayings, and names were revealed, and scholars of fundamentals wrote about them in “Books of Sects” (most of them in the fourth century AH), including: Abu Al-Muzaffar Al-Isfarayini in the book: “Insight into Religion.” He mentioned these sects and then said: “ Those whom we have mentioned are seventy-two sects .” The seventy-third group are Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah, who are people of hadith and opinion.  Among them: Abd al-Qahir al-Baghdadi , one of the jurists of the Shafi’i school of thought , in his book: “ The Difference Between the Sects, ” in which he explained the names of these sects, their characteristics, and their sayings due to which they separated from each other and their differences with the Sunnis, and that the Sunnis wal Jama’ah are the seventy-third sect and that they are one group of the Sunnis. Opinion and the people of hadith, and they all agree on one statement regarding the foundations of religion, and if they differ in the branches of rulings , then that does not cause immorality, heresy, or infidelity, and the name was given to the Sunnis and the community to distinguish them from the Kharijites, the Mu’tazilites, the Mujasimah, the Shiite sects, and other sects that differ from them.

The definition that distinguishes Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah from others who oppose them is based on agreement on one statement regarding the principles upon which the group of Ahl al-Sunnah has agreed, in the approach followed and the method followed. Abdul Qahir al-Baghdadi referred to this in another place in this book, where he said : “ The majority of the Sunnis and the community have agreed on the principles of the pillars of the religion, each of which must be known by every adult, rational person, and each of them has its people, and within its branches there are issues about which the Sunnis agreed on one opinion and misled those who disagreed with them.. », and he explained these principles and then said : “ These are principles whose principles the Sunnis agreed upon and misled those who disagreed with them. In every corner of them there are issues of principles and issues of branches. They agree on their principles, and perhaps they differed in some of their branches in a way that does not necessitate misleading or immorality. ”  The Sunnis are the owners of the recognized schools of jurisprudence, including the jurists of the people of opinion and the scholars of hadith, who followed the path of the imams of these two paths, and they all agree on one saying regarding the principles, and the foundations of the belief of the Sunnis were originally taken from the Companions, given that they were the ones who received the doctrine of Islam from its first source and received it. On the authority of those who came after them, and the foundations of the belief of the Sunnis at the end of the era of the Salaf and those after them were transmitted from their previous imams from the people of opinion and the scholars of hadith, who received it from those who preceded them by transmitting from the imams of the Companions and followers according to what was established in the books of their scholars. The difference only appears in the reason for establishing the rules of the science of monotheism and its method. His imams in reasoning. The method of the scholars of hadith depends in inferring on auditory evidence, that is: transmission from the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and consensus, in what constitutes evidence used as an argument to prove the ruling, and the method of the scholars of theorizing and theoretical industry relies in inferring on auditory and theoretical evidence, given that the auditory evidence is the origin, and the rational evidence is its servant. .

The emergence of those sects that differed from Ahl al-Sunnah in fundamentals, their distinction, and their separation from each other led, in fact, to describing Ahl al-Sunnah in this case as a sect among these sects, and describing Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah in this way is only in relation to their definition in contrast to the sects that differ from them in fundamentals. After the end of the era of the Salaf, the doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah was passed on to those who came after them, and the doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah became famous in the manner of Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari in Iraq, Khorasan, the Levant, Morocco, Andalusia, and elsewhere. The doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah became famous in the manner of Abu Mansur al-Maturidi in Transoxiana and elsewhere, and a group of Ahl al-Hadith by transmitting the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah in the manner of the Athariyya from Ahl al-Hadith. Then the title of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah came to be applied to the Ash’aris, Maturidiyya, and Athariyyah from Ahl al-Hadith, considering that Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’a are among the possessors of theoretical craftsmanship, namely the Ash’aris and Maturidiyya, as they decided upon the doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama’ah in the method of synthesis. Theory. As for the Athariyya, they were not the owners of theoretical industry. Rather, they were limited to determining the doctrine of the Sunnis and the community using the auditory method (the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and consensus), and perhaps some of them took the method of the theologians from the theorists. The Sunnis and the group, despite their different methods in determining the doctrine of the Sunnis and the community, are a component. They agreed on one statement regarding the fundamentals of religion, and perhaps they differed in some of its branches in a way that does not necessitate misleading or immorality.

There are multiple designations that scholars have mentioned to define Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah, and no matter how different their wording is in the uses of scholars from Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah, their meaning is the same, and the difference in their wording is merely a matter of formality and nothing more. After the emergence of Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari and Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, the title “Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah” became more common among the Ash’arites and the Maturidites. He said: Ibn Abidin in his report on the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah: What is obligatory for every accountable person to believe without imitating anyone is the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah, who are the Ash’aris and the Maturidites, and they agree except in simple issues that some of them attributed to verbal disagreement, as explained in the appropriate place.  Others mentioned something like this, and the reason for this was that the Ash’aris and Maturidis worked to prove the doctrine of the imams of the Sunnis through theological methods, but the popularity of this name was due to the fact that the theoretical craftsmen from the Sunnis and the community wrote down and achieved more than others, since the Atharis were not people of faith. A theoretical creation. The first to establish the foundations of the science of monotheism according to the doctrine of the Sunnis and the community was Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari and those who followed him after him, and Abu Mansur Al-Maturidi and those who followed him after him. If we say, for example: The majority of the Sunnis and the community agreed to give priority to Sharia over reason, and in return for this, the Mu’tazilites exaggerated in sanctifying reason, giving it precedence over the texts of Sharia, with evidence that some of the Mu’tazilites, like some Kharijites, denied the punishment of stoning on the pretext that it is reprehensible to the mind, and they denied the established texts of the Sunnah regarding stoning, and Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari used rational proofs and verbal arguments to prove the statement of the Sunnis and the community regarding the issue of prioritizing Sharia evidence over reason, and the Maturidiyya did likewise. In any case, the Ash’aris, Maturidiyahs, and Athariyya all agree on the view that Sharia precedence over reason.

They also mentioned the Islamic sects and made of them Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah one sect. However, the disagreement between Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah is only in the branches, and whatever their difference is in the branches of rulings, they do not judge each other as disbelievers or describe them as innovations, and whatever disagreement may occur in matters of doctrine is a formal disagreement. The common people may be confused, due to judging things without examining things, or exaggerating the ruling without knowledge, and whoever is affiliated with Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah and disagrees with their consensus, then his statement is attributed to him and is attributed to him alone and is rejected by him. Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah has one school of thought regarding the foundations of belief.

Taj al-Din al-Subki said in explaining the doctrine of Ibn al-Hajib: “Know that all of the Sunnis and the community have agreed on one belief in what is obligatory, permissible, and impossible, even if they differ in the methods and principles that lead to that, or in the meaning of what there is. In general, by induction, they are understood as three groups: the first: the people of hadith , and the principles relied upon are: auditory evidence, meaning: the Qur’an , the Sunnah , and consensus . Second: People of rational theory and intellectual craft, namely: Ash’arism and Hanafi . The Ash’arite sheikh: Abu Al-Hasan Al- Ash’ari, and the Hanafi sheikh: Abu Mansur Al-Maturidi . They agreed on rational principles in every demand on which hearing depends, and on auditory principles in what only the mind understands is permissible, and rational and auditory in other matters, and they agreed in all doctrinal demands except in the issue of formation and the issue of tradition. Third: People of conscience and revelation; They are Sufis , and their principles are those of the people of theorizing and hadith in the beginning, and revelation and inspiration in the end.

Imam Abd al-Qahir al-Baghdadi, in his book The Difference Between the Sects , enumerated the sects and sects opposing the doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah that appeared in the history of Muslims, and which he lived with. It includes seventy-two sects, including: the Rawafidites , the Kharijites , the Qadariyya , the Murji’ah , the Najjariyah , the Bakriyah , the Dirariyya , and the Jahmiyyah . And the Karamiya , then he said: “As for the seventy-third group, they are the people of the Sunnah and the community from the two groups of opinion and hadith, without those who buy the distraction of hadith, and the jurists of these two groups, their readers, hadith scholars, and the theologians of the people of hadith among them, all of them agree on one article regarding the monotheism of the Maker and his attributes, his justice and wisdom, and about his names. And its attributes, and in the chapters of prophecy and imamate , and in the rulings of Al-Uqabi, and in the rest of the principles of religion . Rather, they differ in what is permissible and what is forbidden in the branches of rulings, and there is no misguidance or immorality between them in what they differed from, and they are the saved group , and they are united by the acknowledgment of the monotheism of the Maker and the preeminence of His eternal attributes, and the permissibility of seeing Him without comparison or obstruction, while acknowledging the books of God and His messengers and supporting the law of Islam , and permitting what He has permissible. The Qur’an and the prohibition of what the Qur’an has forbidden, with the restrictions of what is authentic in the Sunnah of the Messenger of God, the belief in the resurrection, the questioning of the two angels in the grave, and the acknowledgment of the basin and the balance. Whoever believes in this direction that we mentioned and does not mix his faith with any of the heresies of the Kharijites , the Rafidites , the Qadariyyah , and the rest of the people of whims, then he is among the group of the saved sect – if God has sealed him with it – and included in this group is the majority of the nation and its greatest majority, including the companions of Malik, Al-Shafi’i, Abu Hanifa, Al-Awza’i, Al-Thawri , and the people of Al-Zahir.. »

Al-Safarini mentioned : “ Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah has three sects: Al-Athariyya: and their imam is Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and Al-Ash’ariyyah: and their imam is Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari. And the Maturidiyya: Their imam is Abu Mansur al-Maturidi. As for the misguided sects, they are very numerous .  He said in the book Al-Ayn wa Al-Athar: The Sunnis and the community are three sects: the Ash’aris, the Hanbalis, and the Maturidis.

The archaeological method in matters of belief

The athar method is that which is based on the hadith, and the athar in the language is the rest of the thing, and what is transmitted is what is transmitted by a successor from a predecessor,  and the athariya is among the people of hadith according to theologians. The scholars who rely in matters of faith on the hadith that is based on transmission and taking auditory evidence, that is: The Qur’an, the Sunnah, and consensus, and the hadith, in the sense of what is said, may be more general than the hadith, but what is meant does not differ, and the people of the Sunnah and the community, whether they are people of hadith or theory, are all people of hadith, but the difference in naming appears in the method of inference, and this difference is important in naming, and that Auditory evidence is essential in legal rulings, whether scientific or practical. However, practical rulings involve analogy when the text is missing, unlike scientific rulings (creed), which are taken by audio evidence through transmission and text, and there is no room for analogy in them. The imams of the Sunnis and the community were In the era of the Companions and Followers, they were interested in transmitting the knowledge of Sharia law, narrating it, and deducing secondary rulings. As for matters of belief, they received them orally and were not the subject of their research and diligence. Because they are matters that are established, established and agreed upon, but they used to clarify what was in need of clarification and clarification and when there was a need to ward off suspicion. The archaeologists among the scholars of hadith relied mainly on auditory evidence, while the scholars of theory and theoretical craftsmanship combined auditory and rational evidence together, and by them is meant the theologians among the jurists. People of opinion or jurists of hadith.

After the spread of the Mu’tazilites during the third century AH, and according to what Ibn Khaldun and others mentioned, the Mu’tazilites delved into the attributes, denying fixed attributes and using verbal methods to support what they had introduced. Among the predecessors were a group who were attached to the apparent meanings of similar texts and went to extremes in affirming the attributes, so they fell into explicit anthropomorphism that contradicted exaltation. As for the predecessors who They took the approach of those who preceded them among the hadith scholars and took the path of integrity. They said in the similar texts: We believe in them and do not succumb to their interpretation. Al-Shahrastani said: “ As for the predecessors who did not succumb to interpretation and did not aim for simile, among them is: Malik bin Anas, may God be pleased with them both, when he said: Istiwa is known, the manner is unknown, and faith is It is obligatory and asking about it is an innovation, and the likes of Ahmad ibn Hanbal , may God have mercy on him , Sufyan al- Thawri, Dawud ibn Ali al-Isfahani, and those who followed them until the end of time, including Abdullah ibn Sa`id al-Kalabi, Abu al-Abbas al-Qalanisi, and al-Harith ibn As`ad al-Muhasibi, and these were among the Salaf, except that they embarked on the science of theology and supported the doctrines of the Salaf with arguments. Verbal and fundamental proofs .”  And the predecessors were among the scholars of hadith, when they saw the Mu’tazila’s penetration into the science of theology and the violation of the Sunnah that they had known from the Rightly Guided Imams; They were confused about stating the doctrine of the Sunnis and the community in the ambiguous texts. Al-Shahrastani said: “ As for Ahmad ibn Hanbal , Dawud ibn Ali Al-Isfahani, and a group of the imams of the Salaf, they followed the method of the Salaf who preceded them among the hadith scholars, such as: Malik ibn Anas and Muqatil ibn Sulaiman , and they followed the path of safety and said: We believe in what is stated in the Qur’an and Sunnah, and we are not subject to interpretation after we know with certainty that God Almighty does not resemble any of the creatures, and that everything that is represented in illusion is its Creator and Destiner. They were wary of resemblance until they said: Whoever moves his hand when reading the Almighty’s saying: “ I created with My own hands ” [ p . 75] or he pointed with his two fingers when narrating: “The heart of the believer is between two of the fingers of the Most Merciful.” His hand must be cut off and his two fingers must be cut off. ”

The way of people of vision

The theoretical method means: rational reasoning and intellectual industry based on methodological foundations, and what is meant by that in particular is the method of Sunni theologians to prove religious beliefs with rational and transmission evidence, based on the fact that reason confirms transmission and there is no contradiction between them, and in many places in the Qur’an, contemplation, contemplation, and contemplation are mentioned. Reasoning, applying reason, and inferring with reason, and that contemplating creatures indicates the Creator. This includes the speech of idol worshipers, deniers of the resurrection, and others, with phrases that guide them to contemplate the invalidity of what they believed. The fact is that since they did not believe in the texts of the Sharia, rational evidence was mentioned to them in the context of the Sharia text, and Ibn Khaldoun in Lessons: The most important faith beliefs are justified by their rational evidence, and they are known and established by the imams of the predecessors, and the imams after them verified them. However, after that, a disagreement was presented in the details of these beliefs, most of them sparked by similar verses, so this called for disputes, consideration, and reasoning with reason, and in addition to transmission, and thus knowledge occurred. talk.

After the year two hundred AH, a group of predecessors appeared who went to extremes in affirming the attributes, so they fell into anthropomorphism, and they disagreed with the imams of the predecessors who preceded them, who believed in what was proven from the texts that inspired similes, and they did not address its meaning through research or interpretation, nor did they approach its interpretation or interpretation because it is permissible for it to be a test, so one must stop and submit to it. Ibn Khaldun described them as innovators who deviated from what they invented, followed similar verses, and delved into similes in accordance with apparent phenomena mentioned in that way, so they fell into explicit anthropomorphism and contradicted the meaning of absolute purity, which is most of the sources of the Sharia. Then, when sciences increased and theologians became accustomed to exaltation, the Mu’tazila heresy arose in generalizing this exaltation in the meaning of the meanings, so they ruled to deny the attributes of meanings.. He said: “ This was a reason for the Sunnis to rise up with rational evidence on these beliefs to ward off the issuance of these heresies, and Sheikh Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari, the imam, did this. The theologians, so he mediated between the paths, denied similes, affirmed the moral attributes, and restricted transcendence to what the predecessors restricted it to, and the evidence specific to its generality attested to him. He affirmed the four moral attributes, hearing, sight, and speech based on the soul by means of transmission and reason, and he responded to the innovators in all of that and spoke to them about what they prepared for these innovations, such as saying what is good and what is best. And improvement and ugliness, and perfection of the beliefs in the mission, and the conditions of Paradise and Hell, and reward and punishment… ” He mentioned that there were many followers of Sheikh Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari, and his path was followed by his students after him, such as Ibn Mujahid and others, and the judge Abu Bakr Al-Baqalani and others took from them.  Ibn Khaldun’s words included an explanation of the direct reason for the emergence of the science of theology according to the Sunni doctrine, as Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari formulated it and his companions followed it after him. It is a science based on proving religious beliefs with evidence of reason and transmission. Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari was one of the jurists of the hadith, and he built his method. According to the approach of reason and transmission, there is no contradiction between reason and transmission.

On the other hand, there was work similar to the work of Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari, carried out by Abu Mansur Al-Maturidi (who died in the year 333 AH ). He was one of the scholars of the Hanafi school of thought in Transoxiana , and this was due to the spread of the sayings of the Mu’tazilites, the Mushabbis, and others in the late era of the Salaf. Abu Mansur wrote works on articles, principles, and refutations of the Mu’tazila, Qarmatians, and Rafidites. He died in Samarkand in the year: thirty-three and three hundred AH .  What Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari (who died in the year 324 AH ) and Abu Mansur Al-Maturidi (who died in the year 333 AH ) did was to take the sayings of the Companions, the Successors, and the Imams after them regarding the foundations of religion, clarify them, support them with addition, explanation, and clarification, and establish the theoretical approach. And the rules of rational inference to prove religious beliefs by both auditory and theoretical methods, that is: by transmissional and rational evidence, and to reject suspicions about them, as they formulated this approach in the manner of the Sunnis and the community, they and their companions after them, and this approach became an independent science called the science of theology, and its purpose was to clarify the doctrine. The people of the Sunnah, which the Companions and the imams who followed them followed, and their support with evidence, due to the spread of the heresy of the Mu’tazilites, the anthropomorphists, and other sects contrary to the Sunnis, and the characteristic of the people of theorizing and theoretical industry among the Sunnis and the community came to be applied to the Ash’aris, in reference to their imam, Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari, and the Maturidiyya, in reference to their imam , Abu Mansour Al-Maturidi. Abdul Qadir bin Abi Al-Wafa Al-Qurashi (deceased: 775 AH ) said in his book: Al-Jawahir Al-Madiyya fi Tabaqat Al-Hanafiyyah: “ Imam Abu Mansour Al-Maturidi is the head of the Sunnis and his followers are mostly Hanifis, and Imam Abu Al-Hasan Al-Ash’ari and his followers are mostly Shafi’is .”

There is no dispute that the imams of the Salaf used rational proof, and examples of that are what Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Adhrami mentioned in the Council of al-Wathiq, until a group appeared in the era of the Salaf who supported the beliefs of the Sunnis and the community with verbal arguments and fundamental proofs and wrote down about that. Al-Shahrastani said in al-Milal al-Nihal: “Until it ended. ” Time goes back to Abdullah bin Saeed Al-Kalabi, Abu Abbas Al-Qalanisi, and Al-Harith bin Asaad Al-Muhasibi, and these were among the Salaf, except that they embarked on the science of theology and supported the beliefs of the Salaf with verbal arguments and fundamentalist proofs.. » .  The use of verbal methods according to Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah is not considered reprehensible in and of itself, since it is a method of reasoning. Rather, it may be reprehensible for other considerations. This is because what is preferred from the Salaf regarding the condemnation of speech regarding what the Companions were silent about, and what is used of it for argument and debate, so Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah is only They used it when the people of whims spread in order to invalidate their suspicions and clarify the truth, not to consider it a profession for controversy and confusion among the public. The historian Ibn Khaldun mentioned that the emergence of the science of theology was due to the occurrence of the heresy of the Mu’tazilites, the Mushabbah, and others, and he stated that it was not necessary for this era, that is: the period in which he lived in the century The eighth AH, and he mentioned that atheists and innovators have become extinct, and the Sunni imams have been content with what they wrote and recorded, and the rational evidence they only needed when they defended and supported, but now nothing remains of it except words that the innocent has eschewed from many of his insinuations and generalities.  These sects have become extinct, so there is no need to speak about what is absent from people’s minds, but the possibility of the emergence of people of desires requires that among the religious scholars in every era there be someone skilled in the science of theology if he has extensive knowledge of the sciences of Sharia, so the theologian who has no knowledge There is inevitably error in religion, and if we read the history of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama`ah, we would find that among the theologians were scholars of religion who were scholars of hadith, jurisprudence, and knowledge of Sharia. Just as it is not necessary for every individual to learn the science of theology, rather it is limited to some individuals among the scholars of religion in every era to respond. Regarding the people of whims, Ibn Khaldun said: “ But its benefit to individual people and seekers of knowledge is significant, as it is not good for a bearer of the Sunnah to be ignorant of the theoretical arguments for its beliefs .” We also find that some of them are famous for their speech and some of them are not famous for it, and the reason for this is due to a rule they have that Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali explained by saying: The science of theology is like a dangerous medicine that needs a skilled doctor, and it is only used when necessary, meaning: the correct one does not need medicine. In fact, taking medicine may harm him, and he likened it elsewhere to a weapon, so it is only used when necessary.

The Ash’aris and Maturidis are issued to respond to misguided sects and deviant sects, and they and the people of the Athari order are considered one component, the majority of scholars of the Sunnis and the greatest community in the science of interpretation , the science of hadith , and in various disciplines of forensic science.

Badr al-Din al-Zarkashi said in his book “Al-Bahr al-Muhit”: “ And know that Sheikh Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari used to follow al-Shafi’i in the branches and principles, and perhaps he disagreed with him in the principles, such as his saying that the mujtahids are correct in the branches, and that is not the doctrine of al-Shafi’i, and like his saying: “There is no formula for generality.” Sheikh Abu Muhammad al-Juwayni said: “His opposition to the principles of al-Shafi’i and his texts was conveyed, and perhaps the innovators attribute to him what he is innocent of, just as they attributed to him that he says: There is no Qur’an in the Qur’an, nor in the graves a prophet. Likewise, the exception in faith and the denial of the Creator’s ability in eternity, the excommunication of the common people, and the obligation Know the evidence for them. I browsed through his books and studied his texts on these issues and found that they were all contrary to what was attributed to him. Ibn Fourak said in the book Sharh Kitab al-Maqalāl by al-Ash’ari regarding the issue of correcting the mujtahids: Know that our Sheikh Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari also follows the Shafi’i doctrine in jurisprudence, the issues of branches, and the principles of jurisprudence, and the text of his statement in the book of interpretation in the chapter on the obligation of reciting al-Fatihah for those who are prayed in prayer is contrary to the saying of Abu Hanifa, and reciting the basmalah out loud. : Contrary to Malik’s statement, and in proving the verse of the Basmala in every surah there is a verse of the Qur’an revealed in it, and for this reason he said in his book on the principles of jurisprudence in agreement with its principles .

Behavioral science

The science of behavior , or the science of Sufism, is one of the legal sciences. It is a method or path that the servant follows to reach knowledge of God and knowledge of Him, and achieve the status of benevolence, through diligence in acts of worship, avoiding forbidden things, educating the soul, purifying the heart of bad morals, adorning it with good morals, and asceticism in this world. Its origin is that this method has not ceased to be the path of truth and guidance among the great Companions, the Successors, and those after them. Its origin is devotion to worship, devotion to God Almighty, turning away from the trappings and adornments of the world, abstinence from the pleasures, money, and prestige that the majority accepts, and seclusion from creation in solitude for worship. This was common in Companions and predecessors, when the interest in the world became widespread in the second century and after and people tended to mix with the world, those who started to worship were designated as Sufis and Sufis.  The method of Sufism is the method of conduct, and the disciple is the one who follows the path, and in his knowledge of the path he needs the educator, who is the one who guides the pathologist and guides him to correct behavior so that he can follow the path, and advances in the ranks of servitude by increasing faith by doing obedience and abandoning what is forbidden, and advancing in the ranks of goodness by drawing near. To God with voluntary prayers after performing the obligations and duties, separating from creation, engaging in worship, holding oneself accountable, treating one’s shortcomings, and struggling with oneself, until a state arises in every struggle and worship in which one progresses from one state to another. The origin of all of them is obedience and sincerity, and faith precedes and accompanies them, and conditions and attributes produce results and fruits. Then another arises from it and another leads to the station of monotheism and knowledge, and the aspirant continues to rise from one station to another until he reaches monotheism and knowledge, which is the desired goal of happiness.  In addition, they have etiquettes specific to them and conventions in terms that circulate among them, and the knowledge of Sharia has become of two types: a type reserved for jurists and those who give fatwas, and a class reserved for the people of Sufism in carrying out this struggle and holding the soul accountable for it and speaking about the tastes and occurrences that occur on its way and how to advance from them in terms of taste. To taste and explain the conventions that pass between them in this regard.

Ibn Khaldun said: “ After codifying the sciences, men of this order wrote in their own way. Some of them wrote about piety and holding oneself accountable for following the example of taking and abandoning, as Al-Qushayri did in the book Al-Risala, and Al-Suhrawardi in the book Al-Awarif Al-Ma’arif and their likes, and Al-Ghazali, may God have mercy on him, combined the two matters in The Book of Revival of Religious Sciences , in which he recorded the rulings on piety and imitation, then he explained the etiquette and Sunnahs of the people and explained their terminology in their expressions. The science of Sufism in the religion became a written science after the method was only worship and its rulings were only received from the breasts of men, as happened in all the other sciences that were recorded in the book, such as interpretation, hadith, and jurisprudence. And assets and so on .

Some Sunni scholars have considered some of the methods of Sufism to be things that are contrary to the Sunnah, such as abstaining from food. Al-Qurtubi said : “ As for the method of Sufism: for a sheikh to be one of them day, night, and month, a thinker who does not cease, this is a far-fetched method.” away from what is right, not befitting humankind, and not consistent with the Sunnahs »,  As for dancing and clapping, it is attributed to the one who does it, not to this knowledge. Al-Izz ibn Abd al-Salam said : “ As for dancing and clapping, it is lightness and recklessness similar to the recklessness of women. It is not done by a fool or a pretender who is a liar. How can balanced dancing with the scales of singing be achieved by someone who is reckless? His core, and his heart was gone, and he, peace be upon him, said: “The best of generations is my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them,” and none of those whom he emulates did any of that. Rather, Satan took control of a people who thought that their joy upon hearing was related to In God Almighty, they have believed in what they said, and they have lied in what they claimed… And whoever fears God and realizes some of His glorification will not imagine dancing or clapping, and clapping and dancing only come from a stupid and ignorant person, and they do not come from a sane and virtuous person. ”  The people of Sufism, after the era of the righteous predecessors, in the fundamentals of belief, follow the doctrine of the Sunnis and the community in the manner of the Ash’arites and the Maturidites , and they follow one of the four Sunni schools of jurisprudence, and they take revelation and inspiration. The methods that educators take in raising their disciples have varied, and from them emerged what is known as “Sufi paths.” The most famous among the Sunnis are:

Desouki method .

Naqshbandi method .

The Shadili method .

The Qadiri method .

Tijaniya method .

The Rifa’i method .