> Who are Ahle al-Hadith and the saved Sect?

[salman]

Discussing the characteristics, the belief, and the 'aqeedah of the saved sect: Ahle Sunnah wal Jama'h/Ahle al-Hadith, the ashab al-Hadith (the people of hadith). Know by Allah, Mubarak (congratulation) to you if you belong to Ahle Sunnah wal Jama'h or you're Ahle al-Hadith because they adhere to the 'aqeedah of the Salaf (May Allah be pleased with them - explained here) and refer to the Qur'an and Sahih Sunnah. May Allah Ta'ala strengthen us to keep striving on the path of the saved sect, ameen.

wallahu a'lam (and Allah knows best)

Question: Who are ahle-hadith?

Answer: Praise be to Allah.

The phrase Ahl al-Hadeeth (people of hadeeth) refers to a group who venerate the Sunnah and seek to propagate it. They adhere to the 'aqeedah (beliefs) of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). In seeking to understand their religion, they refer to the Qur'an and Sunnah and the interpretation of the best generations, unlike others who adhere to beliefs other than the 'aqeedah of the righteous salaf and refer to human reasoning, tastes and what they see in dreams.

This group is the saved group, the victorious party, which many imams have stated is the group referred to in the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "A group of my ummah will continue to prevail, following the truth. They will not be harmed by those who humiliate them until the decree of Allah comes to pass when they are like that." (Narrated by Muslim, 1920).

The imams, in the past and more recently, have said a great deal describing this group. We may chose from among them the following:

1 – al-Haakim said:

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal did well when he commented on this report by saying that the victorious group who will prevail until the Hour begins is "ashaab al-hadeeth" (the people of hadeeth). Who is more deserving of this description than people who follow the way of the righteous and follow in the footsteps of the salaf who came before us, and exposed the falsehood of the people of bid'ah (innovation) by basing their arguments on the Sunnahs of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)?

Ma'rifat 'Uloom al-Hadeeth, by al-Haakim al-Nisaboori, p. 2, 3

2 – al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadi said:

Allah has made these people – Ahl al-Hadeeth – the pillars of sharee'ah, and He has destroyed through them all abhorrent innovations. They are the trustees of Allah among His creation, the intermediaries between the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his ummah. They are the ones who are striving hard to protect his religion; their light is shining, their virtues are well known, the signs of their sincerity are obvious, their way is prevailing, and their evidence is supreme. Every group has its own focal point which is based on whims and desires, apart from the people of hadeeth, whose reference point is the Qur'an, whose evidence is the Sunnah and whose leader is the Messenger to whom they belong; they do not pay any attention to whims and desires, and they do not care about personal opinions. They are content with what is narrated from the Messenger, and they are the ones who are entrusted with it and they take care of it. They are the guardians and keepers of the faith, the vessels and bearers of knowledge. If there is a difference of opinion concerning a hadeeth, people refer to them, and what they rule is what is accepted and listened to. Among them are prominent faqeehs, great imams, ascetics who are well-known among their tribes, men who are known for their virtue, skilled reciters of Qur'an and good speakers. They are the majority and their way is the right way. Every innovator pretends to be following their path, and cannot dare to claim any other way. Whoever opposes them, Allah will destroy him, and whoever goes against them, Allah will humiliate him. They are not harmed by those who forsake them, and those who stay away from them will not prosper. The one who cares for his religion needs their help, the one who looks down on them is a loser, and Allah is able to support them.

Sharf Ashaab al-Hadeeth, p. 15

3 – Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:

Hence it is clear that the people who most deserve to be called the victorious group are "Ahl al-Hadeeth wa'l-Sunnah", who have no leader to follow blindly apart from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). They are the most knowledgeable of people concerning his words and deeds, the most able to distinguish between what is sound and what is not [of hadeeth]. Their imams have deep knowledge of that, they are the ones who understand its meanings and are the most sincere in following it. They accept it and believe in it, and act upon it. They show love to those who adopt it and they show enmity to those who oppose it. They are the ones who measure any idea against that which is proven in the Qur'an and Sunnah, so they never adopt any idea and make it one of the basic principles of their religion unless it is proven in that which the Messenger brought. Rather they make that which the Messenger brought, the Qur'an and Sunnah, the foundation and basis of their beliefs. With regard to the issues concerning which people dispute, such as the attributes of Allah, the divine decree, the threat of Hell, the names of Allah and the principle of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, etc., they refer that to Allah and His Messenger. They examine the general ideas concerning which the different groups dispute, and whatever of these ideas is in accordance with the Qur'an and Sunnah, they approve of it, and whatever goes against the Qur'an and Sunnah, they reject it. They do not follow conjecture or whims and desires. For following conjecture is ignorance and following whims and desires without any guidance from Allah is wrongdoing.

Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 3/347, 348.

We should note that Ahl al-Hadeeth includes everyone who follows the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and gives it precedence over all else, whether he is a scholar or an ordinary Muslim.

Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] said:

We do not mean by Ahl al-Hadeeth only those who study it, write it down or narrate it, rather we mean anyone who takes care to memorize it, understand it and follow it, both inwardly and outwardly. The same may be said of "Ahl al-Qur'an" (the people of the Qur'an).

The basic quality of these people is their love of the Qur'an and hadeeth, referring to them and their meanings, and acting upon what they learn.

Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 4/95

The imams have said a great deal on this matter. You can learn more by referring to the sources quoted above, as well as volume 4 of Majmoo' Fataawa Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah.

And Allah knows best.

Source: Who are Ahl al-Hadeeth?

[salman]

Let's read another informative and beneficial article about the saved sect, the Ahle Sunnah wal Jama'h/Ahle al-Hadith.

Question:

Shaykh 'Alawi b. 'Abd al-Qadir al-Saqqaf:

We would love for you to define the term Ahl al-Hadith and what do Ahl al-Sunnah mean by it. Is it particular to the scholars of hadith or does it apply to all the scholars of the Ummah? We hope for a detailed answers with full references, and we ask Allah to bless you and to grant you the best reward.

Your Brothers in the Administration of Multaqa Ahl al-Hadith.

Response: Noble brothers of Multaqa Ahl al-Hadith, peace be upon you, and Allah's Mercy, and His Blessings.

You, may Allah bless you, asked for a clarification of the title Ahl al-Hadith and what Ahl al-Sunnah intend by it, and whether it is particular to the scholars of Hadith or encompasses all the scholars of the Ummah.

Thus, I say in response – and with Allah is the success:

The ahl (people) of something are the most familiar with it. For that reason, in the language, the ahl of a man are the closest people to him.

(1) Therefore, Ahl al-Hadith are the people most familiar with Hadith, the most strict in adherence to it, those who follow it in words and deeds in their manners, their conduct, their worship, their dealings, and in their beliefs both openly and in private. Those who are focused on the study, compilation, writing, and teaching of Hadith, transmitting them understanding them, and sorting the authentic from the weak are most worthy of being included in this group.

(2) Furthermore, the Ahl al-Hadith are Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah, for the Hadith is the Sunnah and the Jama'ah (Assembly) is nothing less than the truth. Anyone who follows Hadith is upon the truth.

(3) Ahl al-Hadith are the Saved Sect (al-Firqah al-Najiyah), for if one cannot be saved by following Hadith, how then can he be saved? "The people most worthy of being the saved sect are Ahl al-Hadith wa al-Sunnah who do not have partisanship for any leader save Allah's Messenger (sal-allahu 'alayhi wa salam)." [Majmu' al-Fatawa (3/347)]

(4) Ahl al-Hadith are the Victorious Group (al-Ta'ifah al-Mansurah). The one who does not find victory in Hadith, in what then will he find victory?! Imam Ahmad said about the Victorious Group, "If they are not the People of Hadith (Ashab al-Hadith), then I do not know who they are!" [Fath al-Bari (1/85)]

(5) It is they who shall be manifest upon the truth until the establishment of the Hour. It is by Hadith that they become manifest and receive victory, and it is because of it that they are saved. All of these words and titles are general in a sense and specific in another. Thus, when one of them is mentioned, the others are included such that each word by itself refers to all the parties of the Saved Sect (al-Firqah al-Najiyah). However, when the word Ahl al-Hadith is mentioned alongside another word, it indicates that what is meant is those who are preoccupied with the study of Hadith. This explains why many of the Salaf would use the word Ahl al-Hadith in particular for those who were preoccupied with its study.

Shaykh al-Islam, may Allah have mercy on him, states, "We do not mean by Ahl al-Hadith, merely those who are devoted to hearing them, writing them, or narrating them. Rather we mean by them all of those who are most deserving of having memorized them, knowing them, and understanding them apparently and in reality, and following them privately and publicly." [Majmū' al-Fatawa (4/95)]

From this, we come to know the reason for the disagreement between the adherents of Ahl al-Hadith in our time as to whether or not there is a distinction between these titles.

(6) "Ahl al-Hadith are the Salaf from the (first) three generations and those who tread their path from the Khalaf." [Majmu' al-Fatawa (6/355)]

(7) The People of Hadith are the People of the Prophet, For Even If
They Did Not Accompany His Person, They Have Accompanied His Every Breath

(8) Ahl al-Hadith are those who "seek the truth from its source, and they seek it out where it can be expected to be found. They seek nearness to Allah (Ta'ala) by following the Sunan of Allah's Messenger (sala-allahu 'alayhi wa salam) and by seeking out his narrations over land and sea from the East to the West." [Ibn Qutaybah, Ta'wil Mukhtalif al-Hadith (p. 80)]

(9) Amongst the Ahl al-Hadith, there is the scholar, the jurist (faqih), and the preacher (khatib) who commands good and forbids evil. Allah has made them "Pillars of the Shari'ah, and by them, He destroys every reprehensible innovation. Thus, they are Allah's Trustees amongst His Creation, the medium between the Prophet and his Ummah, and the ones who strive to preserve his religion. Their light is radiant, their virtues are well known, their signs are apparent, their views are predominant, and their proofs are indisputable. Every faction is devoted to a certain desire that it refers to and an opinion that pleases it and so to it is devoted, except for the People of Hadith (Ashab al-Hadith), for the Book is their provision, the Sunnah is their proof, and the Messenger is their faction. It is to him that they ascribe. They are not concerned with the desires and opinions. What they narrate from the Messenger is accepted and they are the ones trusted in that. They are the caretakers and guardians of the religion, and they are the receptacles and bearers of knowledge. When there is a dispute concerning Hadith, they are referred to, and their judgment is accepted. From them comes every erudite jurist, every noble Imam, every ascetic amongst his scribe, and every righteous preacher. They are the great majority, and it is their path which is upright. Every innovator pretends to share their creed and does not dare to express a view other than theirs. Anyone who plots against them, Allah breaks him. Whoever stubbornly opposes them, Allah forsakes him. They are not harmed by those who forsake, nor is there prosperity for those who separate from them. The one who cares for his religion is in need of their direction, the one whose sight is engaged by evil does not see them, and indeed Allah is Able to assist them." [Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, Sharaf Ashab al-Hadith, p. 4]

10) Ahl Al-Hadith are the boarder guards of Muslim states. Abu Mansour Al-Baghdadi said: "Those who guarded the boarders between Muslim states and Roman, Arab land, Al-Sham, Atherbijan, Africa, Yemen and Andalusia were following the Madhab of Ahl Al-Hadith. [Osool Al-Deen: 1/317 quoted from the history of Ahl Alhaith book by Al-Hashmi, page 59]

11) Some of Ahl Alhadith had put all their effort to collect Hadiths so they traveled lands and seas from east to west such like: scholars who appeared in the first 500 Hijri years i.e. Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmithi, Abu Dawd, Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal and etc. However, not every person who works with examining and classifying Hadiths to authentic and weak are looked at -or even considered- from Ahl Al-Hadith. We have seen some of those new recent so called scholars not only refute Ahl Al-Hadith but also became their enemy. We even saw some of them who are nothing but misguided innovator or Sufi with myths and superstitions.

12) Ahl Al-Hadith are the most familiar with Hadith because it is known that if you are completely familiar with the words, circumstances, situation of the one you follow, then it is normal to be the first to deserve such closeness. Thus, it is no doubt, that Ahl Al-Hadith are the most knowledgeable of what concerns the prophet, may allah exalt his mention amongst his angles and his companions i.e. the four well guided caliphs. [Majmoo Al-fatawa/: 4/91)

13) Ahl Alhadith follow the steps of the companions because they "follow what the Hadith of the Prophet – May Allah exalts his mentioning above his angles- as well as what is added to his companions because they are the most familiar with the path, which the companions were on. Furthermore, they are the most knowledgeable people in Qur'an and Sunnah in every time and every place; therefore, they are with no doubt the best of creation (after prophets, angles, etc..) [Al'Aqeeadh Al-Asfahanyaa : 1/156]

14) Ahl Alhadith never follow blindly or stick to all what is said by anyone but the Prophet – May Allah exalt his mentioning amongst his angles- as they are so familiar with Hadith since theu are the most knowledgeable people of what the prophet said, did and how he lived which enable them to distinguish between what is authentic and what is not. Thus, their scholars are scholars in Fiqh of the Hadith, have the knowledge of what Hadiths mean and how to apply them on themselves.
They love and support who love Hadith while on the other hand they reject and stand against whoever reject Hadiths. Ahl Al-Hadith base their deen only on what is authentic from what was narrated from the prophet. They even consider Qur'an and Sunnah as the base where they base their deen upon. Accordingly they refer any matter that people disagree about amongst each other to Qur'an and Sunnah and upon they make their judgment. So if what they have is according to Qur'an and Sunnah then accept it otherwise they reject it completely while knowing the fact self-desires have no place at all in their heart. Furthermore, their judgment are never based or built upon guessing or doubts are ignorance and contain the evilness of the world. [Majmoo'e alfatwa 3/347]

15) One of the main criteria that distinguish alh alhadith from others is being firm on what they believe and stand firm on the principle they have at the time o9f trials and hardship. It is not known that any of them ever compromised what they belief because of hardship that is why you find them having great patience. The firmness of ahlua lsunnah on what to believe is double sand doubles of what you find with ahl al-kalam and those who use philosophy. [majmoo alfatywa 4/50-51]

16) Ahl Alhadith loves unity the most as much as they dislike disunity. "Unity happens only when people follow the Athar of prophets from the Qur'an, Hadith and what is related to it. On the other hand, disunity only occurs amongst those who left such valuable principles and adopted other sources. Allah says :{ yet they cease not differing, Save him on whom thy Lord hath mercy; and for that He did create them} Hud, 118-119. as can be noticed, Allah tells us that the people of mercy do not disagree and disunited since they are the followers of prophets by tongue, heart and acts and they are the people of Qur'an and Hadith from this nation. Thus, who disagree with them miss part of the mercy according to how much they disagree with [majmoo al;fatwa 4/50-51].

17) Ahl alhadith have the uniqueness of the unity of their Manhaj and rarely you ever find them disagree. "an obvious evidence that ahl alhadith are on the right path, that if you read their books from the beginning to the end, the old and the new regardless the times they lived and the places where they are located or even the languages they spoke, you will find they have the same statements of creed and belief and rarely to find a thing they disagree on. Even if you collect all what they said you will feel as if it came out of one heart, uttered by one tongue . So tell what more evidence you need to know they are on the right guided path!!! [Al-Intesar li ashab al-hadith: Alsan'ani, page 45]

18) Ahl alhadith are not infiatlable , so hey may commit sins and even to fall in the trap of some innovations that ahl alkaam have like alasha'ri, ibn hazm, imam nawawi and ibn hajr who are considered some of leaders of ahl alhadith . Yet they always get back to what is right if they were advised about a matter they were wrong at. Ibn taymmay said about Abu Alhasan al'shari: "therefore, he was considered as many like him from ahl alhadith who uses I'lm al-kalam and some philosophy. They were the best of these groups and the closest to Qur'an and Sunnah. however, due to his general knowledge in Sunnah while his knowledge in I'lm Al-kalam or philosophy was much more detailed, some of the dust of Mu'tazila which was the same case with many who are part of ahlu alsunnah and considered as ahl alhadith i.e. some of the friends malik, ahmad,m sha'fie and abu haniaf " [dar ta'rod al'aqil ma' al naql: 7/426].it even happens that some adopt the concept of Irjaa ( faith is only in the heart even if it is not implemented by tongue and actions) but they still considered from ahl alhadith in general as long as they do not believ so out of evil intention and insisting on the wrong. Ibn taymmay said in another place as well: "This type is chosen by some of who adopted the concept of Irjaa like Al-Asha'ari and others who calls for exceptions in Imaan and claim that Imaan does not include actions so they consider exceptions related to intentions only" [ Al-Isteqama 1/150]

19) Ahlalhadith is not one party. On the contrary, you would find them every where, " amongst them you will find the brave fighters, scholars, Hadith colecters, pious and righteous people and others who join the right and disjoin the wrong, etc… it si not necessarily to find them gathered in one place as you may find them everywhere" [ Sharh Muslim by Imam Nawawi 13/67]

As seen above, these are the features and criteria of ahl alahdith , and I ask Allah that your forum to be the first who have such criteria and features.

And may Allah exalt the mention of his prophet amongst his angles.

Your brother,

A'lawai bin abd alqader Al-Saqqaf

Shaykh Haitham Hamdan (May Allah preserve him) responded:

Originally Posted by Haitham Hamdan

Jazakumallahu khairan. And may Allah SWT bless shaikh Alawi al-Saqqaf and increase him in knowledge.

A common misconception is to think that Ahl al-Hadeeth are students of Hadeeth only.

In fact many people think that the Multaqa is only for sciences of Hadeeth. We faced this with the Arabic section.

Ahl al-Hadeeth concern themselves with all aspects of Islamic knowledge and practice, taking the Qur'an and Sunnah as the sources for doing so.

Wallahu A'lam.

Source: Who are Ahle al-Hadeeth?

[salman]

Characteristics of the saved group

Question: What are the most prominent characteristics of the saved group? If a person is lacking in any of these characteristics does that mean that he is not one of the saved group?

Answer: Praise be to Allah.

The most prominent characteristic of the saved group is adherence to the way of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in 'aqeedah (belief), 'ibaadah (worship), manners and attitude, and dealings with others. The saved group has distinct characteristics in these four areas.

In matters of 'aqeedah you will find that they adhere to that which is indicated by the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), i.e., absolute Oneness (Tawheed) of the Divinity and Lordship of Allah, and of His Names and Attributes.

In matters of worship, you will find that this group is distinguished by its total adherence to and application of that which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to do with regard to different kinds of acts of worship, how they are done, to what extent, where and when, and for what reasons. You will not find them introducing innovations into the religion of Allah, rather they show the utmost respect towards Allah and His Messenger, so they do not put themselves forward before Allah and His Messenger (cf. al-Hujuraat 49:1) by suggesting any innovated act of worship for which He has not granted permission.

In matters of manners and attitude, you will also find that they differ from others by virtue of their good attitudes such as wishing the Muslims well, being content, having a cheerful countenance, speaking well, being generous, being courageous, and other noble and good characteristics.

In matters of dealings with others, you will find that they deal with others in an open and sincere manner. They are the ones to whom the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) referred when he said: "The two parties (to a transaction) have the choice (of proceeding with the transaction or cancelling it) until they separate. If they are sincere and open, their transaction will be blessed for them, and if they are lying or deceitful, the blessing will be lost."

If a person is lacking in any of these characteristics, then does not mean that he is not one of the saved group, but for all, there will be degrees according to that which they did (cf. al-Ahqaaf 46:19). Falling short in matters of Tawheed may put a person outside the saved group, such as lacking in ikhlaas (sincerity or purity of intention). The same applies to bid'ah, as a person may do acts of bid'ah which put him outside the saved group.

In matters of morals and dealings with others, defects in such matters do not put a person outside this group, although they may reduce him in status.

We need to look in more detail at the matter of attitude and manners. One of the most important matters of attitude and manners is unity and uniting upon the truth. This is what Allah urges us to do in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

"He (Allah) has ordained for you the same religion (Islamic Monotheism) which He ordained for Nooh (Noah), and that which We have revealed to you (O Muhammad), and that which We ordained for Ibraaheem (Abraham), Moosa (Moses) and 'Eesa (Jesus) saying you should establish religion (i.e. to do what it orders you to do practically) and make no divisions in it (religion) (i.e. various sects in religion)" [al-Shoora 42:13]

Allah tells us that those who divide their religion and break up into sects, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has nothing to do with them. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): "Verily, those who divide their religion and break up into sects (all kinds of religious sects), you (O Muhammad) have no concern in them in the least" [al-An'aam 6:159]

Unity and harmony are among the most prominent characteristics of the saved sect – Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah. If any dispute arises among them, stemming from ijtihaad in matters where ijtihaad is permitted – they do not bear ill-will, enmity or grudges against one another. Rather they regard one another as brothers even though these differences arise between them. One of them will pray behind another even if he thinks that he does not have wudoo' whilst the imaam thinks that he does have wudoo'. For example, one of them may pray behind another who has eaten camel meat, and this imaam thinks that this does not break wudoo' whereas the person praying behind him thinks that it does break wudoo'. So he believes that his prayer behind this imaam is valid, but if he himself were to pray in that state on his own he would think that his prayer is not valid. All this is because they believe that differences which arise from ijtihaad in cases where ijtihaad is allowed, are not really differences, because each of them has followed evidence (daleel) as he is obliged to do, and which should not be ignored. So they believe that if their brother differs from them with regard to some action because he is following the evidence (daleel), then in effect he is agreeing with them, because they advocate following the evidence wherever it is. So although he differs from them, he is still following evidence from the Book of Allah or the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

The scholars are not unaware of the differences of this nature that arose among the Sahaabah even during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), but he did not rebuke them. When he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came back from the campaign of al-Ahzaab, and Jibreel came to him and told him to go out to Bani Qurayzah, who had broken the treaty, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told his companions, "None of you should pray 'Asr until he reaches Bani Qurayzah." They set out from Madeenah to Bani Qurayzah, and they were worried about missing the 'Asr prayer. Some of them delayed the 'Asr prayer until they reached Bani Qurayzah, and they prayed it after the time for the prayer had passed, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had said, "None of you should pray 'Asr until he reaches Bani Qurayzah." Others prayed 'Asr on time, saying that all the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had meant was that they should hasten to go out (to Bani Qurayzah); he did not mean that they should delay the prayer. These are the ones who were correct, but the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not rebuke either of the two groups, and neither expressed enmity towards the other. The Muslims who claim to follow the Sunnah should be one ummah and not divide into groups, fighting one another verbally and arguing and hating one another for a matter in which it is allowed to have different opinions. There is no need to mention every group by name; the smart person will understand what I mean.

I think that Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah should unite even though they differ in the ways in which they understand those texts which may be interpreted in different ways. That is a matter in which there is room for differences, may Allah be praised. What matters is harmony and unity. No doubt the enemies of Islam want the Muslims to be divided, whether they are enemies who express their enmity openly or they are enemies who make an outward display of friendliness towards Muslims and Islam, but that is not real. We must be distinguished by this characteristic which is the characteristic of the saved group, i.e., being united.

Source: Characteristics of the saved group

[salman]

Characteristics of the Victorious Group: Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah

Question: This question abouh fiqh : harakah. Can you tell me the characteristic of jamaah Islam that we must follow?

Answer: Praise be to Allah.

It is the Muslim's duty to follow the truth and to join the victorious group, the people of Sunnah and Jamaa'ah (Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah) who are followers of the pious predecessors (al-salaf al-saalih), loving them for the sake of Allah whether they are in his own country or elsewhere, and cooperating with them in righteousness.

The attributes of the victorious group are related in a number of saheeh ahaadeeth, for example:

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "My ummah is an ummah which carries out the commands of Allah; those who let them down or differ from them do not harm them and they will keep adhering to this path until the Day of Judgement."

Mu'aawiyah and 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with them) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'A group of my ummah will continue victoriously adhering to the truth until the Last Hour begins.'"

Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu'bah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: "Some people of my ummah will remain victorious over the people until the decree of Allah reaches them."

'Imraan ibn Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "A group of my ummah will continue fighting for the truth, and will prevail over those who oppose them, until the last of them will kill al-Maseekh al-Dajjaal (the Liar or Anti-Christ)."

From these ahaadeeth we may understand the following:

(1) The Prophet's words "A group of my ummah will continue . . ." indicate that this is a section of the ummah, not the entire ummah. This also indicates that there will be other groups and sects.

(2) His words "those who oppose them will not harm them" indicate that there will be other groups who oppose the victorious group in the way they practice the religion. This also concurs with the hadeeth which describes the ummah being divided into seventy-two groups or sects who oppose the one group that is following the truth.

(3) Both ahaadeeth offer glad tidings to the people who are following the truth. The hadeeth that speaks of the victorious group speaks of their victory in this world.

(4) The words "until the decree of Allah reaches them" refer to the wind or breeze that will come and take the soul of every believing man and woman. This does not contradict the hadeeth "A group of my ummah will remain victoriously supporting the truth until the Day of Resurrection," because that hadeeth means that they will continue to follow the truth until that gentle breeze takes their souls just before the Day of Resurrection, when many other Signs of the Last Hour have already manifested themselves.

The characteristics of the victorious group

From the ahaadeeth quoted above, and other reports, we can derive the following characteristics of the victorious group:

(1) They follow the truth. They are described variously as "following the truth," "following the commandments of Allah," "following the true religion," etc.

All of these phrases indicate that they are adhering to the true religion with which Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent.

(2) They obey the commandments of Allah, which means:

(a) They are distinguished from the rest of mankind by carrying the banner of Da'wah towards Allah.

(b) They undertake the mission of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil.

(3) They will be victorious until the Last Hour.

The ahaadeeth say that "they will be victorious until the decree of Allah comes," "they victoriously support the truth," or "they will be victorious over those who oppose them."

This victory includes:

Being open and not hiding: they are well-known and prominent and have the upper hand.

Adherence to true religion, righteousness, following Allah's commands and fighting against His enemies in jihaad

Victory by defeating others

(4) They are patient and resist others with patience.

Abu Tha'labah al-Khashani (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "After you there will come days of patience, in which the patience required will be like having to hold a burning coal in one's hand."

Who are the people of the victorious sect?

Al-Bukhaari said: "They are the people of knowledge (the scholars)."

Many scholars said that the victorious group is the scholars of hadeeth.

Al-Nawawi said: "It is possible that this group is scattered among all types of believers. Some may be brave fighters, or fuqahaa', or scholars of hadeeth, or ascetics, or people who enjoin good and forbid evil, and other types of good people."

Al-Nawawi also said: "It could be a group of different types of believers, including those who are brave and skilled in warfare, faqeehs, scholars of hadeeth, Qur'anic commentators (mufassireen), those who enjoin good and forbid evil, ascetics and devoted worshippers."

Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, explained the matter as follows: "They do not have to all be in one city; they could be gathered in one country or dispersed across the world. They may be gathered in one city or in a part of it. It is possible that one group may exist, then disappear, then be replaced by another group, and so on, until the Day of Judgement, when all will disappear except for one group in one city, who will disappear when the breeze decreed by Allah comes."

The scholars' discussion of this group does not specify one type of people, or one city or country, except for the last group, which will be in al-Shaam (the territory comprising modern-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine) and will fight the Dajjaal, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said.

No doubt those who are involved with the sciences of sharee'ah – 'aqeedah, fiqh, hadeeth and tafseer, studying and teaching – are the people who are most qualified to be called the Victorious Group, and they should be at the forefront of da'wah and jihaad, and enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, and refuting the people of bid'ah, all of which must be accompanied with sound knowledge based on the Wahy (Revelation).

We ask Allah to make us among them. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

Source: Characteristics of the Victorious Group