Who are the saved group?
- Categories: Misguided & Deviant Sects -
Q:
Please clarify how to differentiate between the groups that claim
they are following the right path. We know that Ahlul Sunnah wal
jama'ah is the group that follows the straight path. But there are
many Muslims do not know the ruling on the other groups, which
started to be widely spread these days as the prophet (PBUH) said.
As he said what means that there will be many groups 73 sects,
Allah knows best how many, and that only one is following the
straight path.
How can we differentiate between all these groups? How to refute
them? Shall we avoid them and their behaviours?
I wish you provide evidences from Quran and Hadeeth for the great
importance of the matter, as the majority do not know, and we fear
for the new converts to get lost amongst all these groups.
I found a related question on the site but I need more
clarification.
A: Praise be to
Allaah.
Firstly:
Division and differences among this ummah is something inevitable,
to which history bears witness, as do the texts of the Sunnah of
our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him).
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: «Whoever among you lives after I am gone
will see a great deal of dissent» [Narrated by Abu Dawood
(4067); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi
Dawood].
Dissent has occurred in the political field, as well as in the
fields of thought and 'aqeedah, which is represented in the
appearance of different sects at the end of the era of the
Rightly-Guided Caliphs, such as the Murji'is, Shi'ah and
Khawaarij.
But by His mercy, Allaah decreed that this division should happen
when some groups drifted away from the way of the main body of the
Muslims and developed their own different approach, and they were
distinguished by their own names and character. So the 'aqeedah of
Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah, and the 'aqeedah of the majority of
Muslims, was not confused even for a day with that of the other,
misguided sects, so that those sects would not dare to call
themselves Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah, rather they are called
after the bid'ah (innovation) that they introduced, or the person
who founded the sect. You can see that when you examine the names
of all the sects.
The famous hadeeth about the ummah splitting into seventy-three
sects bears witness to that.
It was narrated from Mu'aawiyah ibn Abi Sufyaan (may Allaah be
pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) stood among us and said: «Those who came before you of the people of
the Book split into seventy-two sects, and this ummah will split
into seventy-three: seventy-two in Hell and one in Paradise, and
that is the jamaa'ah (main body of Muslims)».
Narrated by Abu Dawood (4597) and others; classed as saheeh by
al-Haakim (1/128), who said: it is an important hadeeth that
represents a basic principle. It was classed as hasan by Ibn Hajar
in Takhreej al-Kashshaaf (63). It was classed as saheeh by Ibn
Taymiyah in Majmoo' al-Fataawa (3/345), al-Shaatibi in al-I'tisaam
(1/430), and al-'Iraaqi in Takhreej al-Ihya' (9/133). It is
mentioned frequently and often quoted as evidence by the scholars
in the books of Sunnah, and it was narrated from a number of the
Sahaabah via many isnaads, most of the soundest of which specify
the number of sects as being seventy-three.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) described
the saved group as the jamaa'ah, i.e., the consensus of the Muslim
scholars. In other reports he also described them as "the vast
multitude", as in the hadeeth of Abu Umaamah and others which is
recorded by Ibn Abi 'Aasim in al-Sunnah (1/34) and al-Tabaraani in
al-Mu'jam al-Kabeer (8/321), with an isnaad that is hasan li
ghayrihi (hasan because of corroborating evidence).
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also
described them in the following terms: «My ummah will split into seventy-three
sects, all of whom will be in Hell except one group», They
said: "Who are they, O Messenger of Allaah?", He said: «(Those who follow) that which I and my
companions follow» [This is mentioned in the hadeeth of
'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Amr which was recorded and classed as hasan by
al-Tirmidhi (2641). It was also classed as hasan by al-'Iraaqi in
Ahkaam al-Qur'aan (3/432), al-'Iraaqi in Takhreej al-Ihya' (3/284)
and al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi].
This is the clearest sign that the Muslim can use to determine what
is the saved group, so he should follow the way of the majority of
scholars, those whom all the people testify are trustworthy and
religiously-committed, and he should follow the way of the earlier
scholars among the Sahaabah, Taabi'een and the four Imams and other
scholars, and he should beware of every sect that differs from the
main body of Muslims (jamaa'ah) by following innovation
(bid'ah).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said:
"The sign of the people of bid'ah is that they do not follow the
salaf". End quote from Majmoo'
al-Fataawa (4/155).
He also said (3/346): "The sign
of these groups - i.e., the seventy-two groups that go against Ahl
al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah - is that they forsake the Qur'aan, Sunnah
and scholarly consensus. The one who follows the Qur'aan, Sunnah
and scholarly consensus is one of Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah". End
quote.
It is not permissible for anyone to imagine after this that the
Shi'ah, for example, are the saved group, or that the deviant
Sufis, Khawaarij or Habashis are the saved group. Rather these are
innovated groups which only follow invented ideas, that are
denounced by the scholars and the majority of Muslims, who feel
repulsion in their hearts towards them. Their ideas were never
believed in for a day by Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthmaan or 'Ali (may
Allaah be pleased with them), or by Imam Abu Haneefah, Maalik,
al-Shaafa'i or Ahmad ibn Hanbal. Would any wise person think that a
belief that these imams were unaware of could be correct?
Think about it. There is the greatest and most obvious difference
between Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah (the saved group) and other,
misguided groups.
Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on
him) says:
"Hence the saved group is described as Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah,
and they are the greater majority and the vast multitude. As for
the other groups, they are followers of weird ideas, division,
innovation and whims and desires, and none of these groups reached
anywhere close to the size of the saved group, let alone being
equal to them, rather some of these groups are very small in
number. The sign of these groups is that they go against the
Qur'aan, Sunnah and scholarly consensus. The one who follows the
Qur'aan, Sunnah and scholarly consensus is one of Ahl al-Sunnah
wa'l-Jamaa'ah". Majmoo' al-Fataawa
(3/346).
Al-Shaatibi has mentioned many names of the doomed groups in al-I'tisaam (1/453-460).
Secondly:
The scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah have stated in their
books that the other sects are among the misguided and doomed
innovated groups, and that they deserve to enter Hell because of
the reprehensible ideas and grave innovations that they have
introduced into the religion of Allaah. But in most cases they are
not regarded as kaafirs, rather they are regarded as Muslim
sects.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Similarly, with the other seventy-two groups, those that are
hypocrites are inwardly kaafirs, and those that are not hypocrites
but rather believe inwardly in Allaah and His Messenger are not
inwardly kaafirs, even though they are mistaken in their
interpretations, regardless of what that mistake may be. Some of
them may have some of the branches of hypocrisy, or they may not
have the kind of hypocrisy that dooms a man to the lowest depths of
Hell.
The one who says that each of the seventy-two sects is guilty of
kufr that puts one beyond the pale of Islam is going against the
Qur'aan and Sunnah and the consensus of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be
pleased with them all), and the consensus of the four imams and
others. None of them regarded any of the seventy-two sects as
kaafirs, rather they regard one another as kaafirs". Majmoo' al-Fataawa (7/218).
This does not mean that every sect that calls itself Muslim is
actually Muslim, rather they may be kaafirs and apostates, such as
the extreme Raafidis, the extreme Sufis and the baatini sects such
as the Druze, Nusayris and others. These are all beyond the pale of
Islam and are not regarded as being among the sects mentioned in
the hadeeth.
Thirdly:
The cause of difference and division among these groups mentioned
in the hadeeth has to do with fundamental matters of religion and
basic issues of 'aqeedah, not differences of opinion regarding
fiqh.
Al-Shaatibi (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said:
These are regarded as sects because they differ from the saved
group with regard to some fundamental issues of religion and basic
rules of sharee'ah, not with regard to minor issues, because
differences with regard to minor issues does not lead to division
and factionalism, rather factionalism occurs when there are
differences concerning fundamental issues of Islam. Al-I'tisaam (1/439).
If some Muslim groups stand out from others because of a specific
method of da'wah and working for Islam, but they do not go against
Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah in their 'aqeedah, then they are not to
be regarded as doomed groups, rather they are among the saved group
in sha Allaah, if they follow the way of the Sahaabah and Taabi'een
in 'aqeedah and action.
There are a number of questions on our site that offer more
information and details about this issue. Please see questions no.
206, 1393, 10121, 10554, 10777, 12761 and 21065.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A