Who are the people of the Sunnah?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you, O Shaykh, may Allah preserve you, O Shaykh: It is possible that some of the general public, and perhaps some students of knowledge who have been confused about the difference between the scholars of the Sunnah, the scholars of truth, and the scholars of falsehood, might be confused?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : So one of the distinguished men informed me, meaning that there are characteristics in the common person or the one who is confused, that he must be sincere in his seeking of knowledge and his action thereafter, and that he must exert his utmost effort and obedience, and that he should ask about what concerns him. And there are three characteristics in the scholar: that he be upon the truth, that he be pleased with the Salaf (may Allah be pleased with them), and that he refute those who have erred. And he told me about an incident that happened to him between him and one of those afflicted with declaring people disbelievers outside the Kingdom. He said to him, "If you say that the ruler of your country is a disbeliever, then bite, meaning, hold onto the leg of a tree, as in the hadith of Hudhayfah, that he should isolate himself from the people." So, O Shaykh, may Allah preserve you, is this understanding correct, and these details? We would like to benefit from you, may Allah preserve you?
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you, the people of the Sunnah are those who hold fast to it, clearly. For this reason, they are called the people of the Sunnah. If it is said "the people of the Sunnah" in contrast to the Rafidah (the Twelver Shi'ah), then the Asha'irah and others who claim affiliation with the Sunnah are included in this. For this reason, it is said "Sunnah and Shi'ah." Yes. And if what is meant by the people of the Sunnah are those who hold fast to it, then here is excluded whoever has deviated from the Sunnah by not holding fast to it. For example, the Asha'irah in the chapter of attributes are not from the people of the Sunnah in this chapter only, not in everything. Because the people of the Sunnah are those who hold fast to it in creed, speech, and action, and they are the Companions, the Tabi'un (the generation after the Companions) who followed them with excellence, and the imams of the Muslims after them. For this reason, you will find some authors who divide the people of the Sunnah into three categories: Asha'irah, Maturidiyyah, and Salaf. This is an error, unless it is meant in contrast to the Rafidah, in which case there is no harm; they are Sunnah. But the correct view is that the people of the Sunnah are those who hold fast to it. For this reason, it is said "the people of the Sunnah and the community" (Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah), where "community" means gathering, meaning that they hold fast to the Sunnah and are gathered upon it. As for these conditions mentioned in the question, they have no basis. It is said: whoever holds fast to the Sunnah in creed, speech, and action, he is from the people of the Sunnah. Yasar.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : So one of the distinguished men informed me, meaning that there are characteristics in the common person or the one who is confused, that he must be sincere in his seeking of knowledge and his action thereafter, and that he must exert his utmost effort and obedience, and that he should ask about what concerns him. And there are three characteristics in the scholar: that he be upon the truth, that he be pleased with the Salaf (may Allah be pleased with them), and that he refute those who have erred. And he told me about an incident that happened to him between him and one of those afflicted with declaring people disbelievers outside the Kingdom. He said to him, "If you say that the ruler of your country is a disbeliever, then bite, meaning, hold onto the leg of a tree, as in the hadith of Hudhayfah, that he should isolate himself from the people." So, O Shaykh, may Allah preserve you, is this understanding correct, and these details? We would like to benefit from you, may Allah preserve you?
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you, the people of the Sunnah are those who hold fast to it, clearly. For this reason, they are called the people of the Sunnah. If it is said "the people of the Sunnah" in contrast to the Rafidah (the Twelver Shi'ah), then the Asha'irah and others who claim affiliation with the Sunnah are included in this. For this reason, it is said "Sunnah and Shi'ah." Yes. And if what is meant by the people of the Sunnah are those who hold fast to it, then here is excluded whoever has deviated from the Sunnah by not holding fast to it. For example, the Asha'irah in the chapter of attributes are not from the people of the Sunnah in this chapter only, not in everything. Because the people of the Sunnah are those who hold fast to it in creed, speech, and action, and they are the Companions, the Tabi'un (the generation after the Companions) who followed them with excellence, and the imams of the Muslims after them. For this reason, you will find some authors who divide the people of the Sunnah into three categories: Asha'irah, Maturidiyyah, and Salaf. This is an error, unless it is meant in contrast to the Rafidah, in which case there is no harm; they are Sunnah. But the correct view is that the people of the Sunnah are those who hold fast to it. For this reason, it is said "the people of the Sunnah and the community" (Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah), where "community" means gathering, meaning that they hold fast to the Sunnah and are gathered upon it. As for these conditions mentioned in the question, they have no basis. It is said: whoever holds fast to the Sunnah in creed, speech, and action, he is from the people of the Sunnah. Yasar.