Characteristics of the Saved Sect in Islam: Understanding the Jama’ah and Deviations

What are the Key Characteristics of the Saved Sect and How to Identify Deviations from the Sunnah

In the Name of Allāh, the Entirely Gracious, the Exclusively Merciful

 Question:

What are the most prominent characteristics of the saved sect, and does a deficiency in these characteristics remove a person from the saved sect?

 Answer:

The answer to this is clarified by the saying of the Prophet (ﷺ):

(فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِسُنَّتِي، وَسُنَّةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ الْمَهْدِيِّينَ، عَضُّوا عَلَيْهَا بِالنَّوَاجِذِ، وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالْأُمُورَ الْمُحْدَثَاتِ؛ فَإِنَّ كُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ)

 “Adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly-guided caliphs who come after me. Hold on to it firmly with your molar teeth, and beware of newly-invented matters, for every heresy is misguidance.”

Also, Allah (جل وعلا) states:

{وَمَن يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَىٰ وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّىٰ وَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا}

“And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers’ way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell – what an evil destination!” [An-Nisaa: 155].

The saved sect adheres to the Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ) and his guidance. The creed and practices should be in accordance with those of the Prophet (ﷺ) and his companions. The path is the path of Allah and the straight way. As mentioned in the hadith regarding the doomed sects, the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

(وَسَتَفْتَرِقُ أمتي عَلَى ثِنْتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً، كُلُّهَا فِي النَّارِ إِلَّا وَاحِدَةً. قالوا: ومن وَهِيَ يا رسول الله قال: هي الْجَمَاعَةُ.)

 “My Ummah will split into seventy-three sects, all of which will be in the Fire except one.” They asked: “Which one is that, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “It is the Jama’ah.”

In a narration with a weak chain but conveying the same meaning:

(هي من كان على مثل ما كنت عليه وأصحابي)

 “It is those who are upon what I and my companions are upon.”

The Jama’ah is those who follow what our Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) was upon. The Jama’ah is what aligns with the truth. Deviations from this sect, if they are shortcomings in actions but the person adheres to the methodology and has merely fallen into some sins, do not remove him from the saved sect.

However, if there are differing creeds or practices not in line with what the Prophet (ﷺ) was upon, this constitutes heresy in religion and leads one away from the correct path. Therefore, Abdullah ibn Mas’ud said: 

خَطَّ لَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَوْمًا خَطًّا، ثُمَّ قَالَ: (هَذَا سَبِيلُ اللَّهِ). ثُمَّ خَطَّ خُطُوطًا عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَعَنْ شِمَالِهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: (هَذِهِ سُبُلٌ، عَلَى كُلِّ سَبِيلٍ مِنْهَا شَيْطَانٌ يَدْعُو إِلَيْهِ). 

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) drew a line for us one day, then said: ‘This is the path of Allah.’ Then he drew lines to its right and left, and said: ‘These are different paths, and on every path is a devil calling to it.’ 

Then he recited:

 ﴿وَأَنَّ هَـٰذَا صِرَاطِي مُسْتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمْ عَن سَبِيلِهِ﴾ 

“And verily, this (i.e. Allah’s Commandments) is My Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His Path.” [Al-An’am: 153].

It is called a path because it is a way followed that is not merely an error or a sin, but a way of worshiping Allah in a manner contrary to the truth and the straight path. This is what leads one away from the Sunnah. One may deviate from the Sunnah either by disbelief, which leads to a complete exit from Islam, or by heresy in religion, which removes one from the saved sect and the victorious group.

Thus, if one wishes to judge a person as having left the (saved) sect, it is necessary to specify the heresy they have adopted and the path they have taken that deviates from the way of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah. One must determine the exact heresy and the deviation from Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah.

It is not permissible for a person to hastily judge someone as having left the Jama’ah or joining the doomed sects without first specifying the heresy they have adopted and how they have deviated from the way of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah.

Fatawa of Sheikh Muhammad bin Hizam Al-Ba’dany:

#Fatwas_on_aqeedah_tawheed

#Fatwas_on_sahaba_companions_and_folliwing_the_sunnah

#Fatwas_on_bidah_heresy_and_heretics