Our aim is to provide many services to the local Sunni Muslim Community and especially the young people within the community, services that include: Religious Education Nasheed and Qasida classes Study circles for Young People Weekly Dhikr gathering Home visits to bless your home & family Events to promote Islam & Spirituality Outings and events for the community And much more. For details please contact us :
SuMA Publication -1434AH (July 2013) Second Edition Wales Email: info@wsuma.org.uk www.wsuma.org.uk England Email: info@suma.org.uk www.suma.org.uk Wales - Sunni Muslim Association SUNNI MUSLIM ASSOCIATION ENGLAND AND WALES 1
SUNNI MUSLIM ASSOCIATION 'In the period prior to the Day of Judgement, false and deceitful groups will emerge. They will say things to you, which neither you nor your forefathers will have heard before. Stay away from these deceitful people and do not let them come near you! Do not be misguided by them and do not let them cause strife amongst you!' (Muslim Shareef) Firqat An-Najiyya As As As As- -- -Sawad Al Sawad Al Sawad Al Sawad Al- -- -A'zam A'zam A'zam A'zam Ahle Sunnah Wal Jamaah ENGLAND AND WALES 2
As-Sawad Al-A'zam Firqat An-Najiyya The Majority Group - The Group of Salvation
Dedicated to the Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu ta'ala Alayhi wa Sallam), his Family, his Companions, the great Imams of Madhabs, the Awliya Allah, the rightful Ulama and all Muslims on the right Path. An eye opener to all those who wish to find the true path amongst the present day jungle of groups, each claiming its rightful position. With ever increasing fitna in the Muslim communities throughout the world, caused by the ever increasing and different Muslim groups, each claiming itself to be on the right path, we have made a sincere effort in this booklet to resolve two very important, yet, controversial issues. 1. Did the Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) make any reference to his Ummah dividing into groups? 2. If so, which group is on the right path? Hadith 1. The Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu alayhi wa Sallam) said "The Jews split into 71 groups; one will enter Paradise and 70 will enter Hell. The Christians split into 72 groups; 71 will enter Hell and one will enter Paradise. By Him in Whose Power is the life of Muhammad (saw), without doubt, my Ummah will be divided into 73 groups. Only one will enter Paradise and 72 will en- ter Hell." When asked which group will be on the right path, the Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu alayhi wa Sallam) replied, "The main (al-Jama'ah) body of the Muslims." [Ibne Majah Kitab al-Fitan] 9
Hell. Oh Muslims! Therefore, hold fast to the path of Ahl as-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah which is called 'Al-Firqat An-Najiyya'. The unique group re- ported by the Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam) to be saved from Hell! Because Allah's help, protection and taking to bliss are only for those who are on this path. Allah's wrath and torture are for those who dissent from this path. Today, this Firqat Najiyya has gathered in the four Madhabs, namely, Hanafi, Shafi, Maliki and Hanbali. One who does not belong to any of these four Madhabs is a man of Bid'a.
Imam Muhammad Ma'thum (Radi Allahu anhu) (1007AH-1079AH) in his book Mektubat states "O my noble and honourable sir! The essence of all preaching and the most valuable piece of advice is to meet the men of Al- lah and keep their company. And being a man of Allah, and adhering to Islam, in its turn, depends on holding fast to the right way guided by the Ahl as-Sunnat Wal Jama'ah, who, among various groups, are the only group blessed with the good news that they are the group of Salvation. Unless you follow the way guided by these great people, there cannot be Salvation. These statements of ours are confirmed by owners of wisdom, by scientists and by the kashfs of Awliya. There is no mistaking."
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Imam Rabbani Mujaddid Alf Thanni (Radi Allahu anhu) (971AH-1034AH) states in his famous book Maktubaat The way of Salvation is followance of the Ahl as-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah. May Almighty Allah bestow blessings upon the Ahl as-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah, in their speech, in their actions, laws, for this is the successful group. Besides this, all other groups have become victims of deception. Today, nobody realises how much these misled groups will be punished; however, on the Day of Judgement this secret will become apparent. Even though at that time this knowledge will be of no benefit to the misled."
"It is compulsory for the wise people to amend their beliefs to be in ac- cordance with the beliefs of the Ahl as-Sunnah Wa Jama'ah because this is the only group which will be saved from the fire of Hell."
"Opposing the Ahl as-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah will completely destroy you forever and make you liable for everlasting punishment. If there are shortcomings in your worship, then there is still hope of forgiveness. How- ever, if your beliefs are incorrect then there is no hope of forgiveness at all." Imam Rabbani states that Khwaja Ubaid-Ullah Al-Ahrar (Radi Allahu anhu) (895AH) stated "If I were given all the Kashfs (revelations) and all the Karamats (miracles), yet were deprived of the faith of Ahl as-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah, I would consider myself ruined. If I did not have any kashf or karamas but had lots of faults, and if (only) the faith of Ahl as-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah were bestowed on me, I would not feel sorry.
Imam Tahtawi Hanafi (Radi Allahu anhu) states in marginalia of the book Ad-Durr Al-Mukhtar One who departs from the path of the Ulama (scholars) of fiqh, from As-Sawad Al-A'zam, will have directed himself to 3
Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddith Dehlwi (Radi Allahu anhu) states in his book Fa- tawah Azeezi "The various parts of the Ahl as-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah in Aqaa'id (belief) such as the Ash'ariyah, the Maaturdi; in Fiqh (Law) such as the Hanafi, the Shaafi, the Hanbali, the Maaliki; in Tassawaf (Sufi Orders) such as the Qadiri, the Chisti, the Naqshabandi, the Suhrawardi; this servant considers all of them to be the truth." We could go on quoting many more luminaries of Islam, all in support of the Ahl as-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah. However, for the purposes of this humble effort to distinguish truth from falsehood, we have more than enough evidence to go by. To conclude, it should be more than clear to any fair minded person that: 1. The Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu alayhi wa Sallam) foretold the division of his Ummah into 73 groups. 2. The Ahl as-Sunnat Wal Jama'ah is the only group on the right path. The Sunni Muslims (i.e. the Ahl as-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah) have always been in majority throughout Islamic history, this fact cannot be denied by any- one. Some among groups of Bid'a have caught on to the above Hadiths and are actively trying to prove that they are Ahl as-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah. HALLMARK At this juncture you may well ask as to the hallmarks of a true Sunni Group belonging to the Ahl as-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah. Ahl as-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah Mosques always have gatherings in which they send Salaams to the Be- loved Prophet (Salla Allahu alayhi wa Sallam) by standing up with respect. All Sunni Mosques carry out this honourable practice after Jum'a prayers. If you don't find these practises in your mosque know that these are not Mosques belonging to the group of Salvation, the Ahl as-Sunnah Wal Ja- ma'ah! 4
We end with advice from Imam Rabbani (Radi Allahu anhu) who says in his book Maktubaat Primary duty of parents is to teach their little children... Parents who do not teach their children the knowledge written in the books of the scholars of Ahl as-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah will go to Hell together with their children. Escape from torture in the next world depends only upon learning and believing the knowledge which these great people deduced correctly. It is declared in a Hadith that one group will be saved from Hell, and they are those Muslims who follow in the foot-steps of these scholars (i.e. Ahl as-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah Scholars)." Shaykh Abd'al Haq (Radi Allahu anhu) writes in his famous book Ash'at-al- Lam'at' "The group of Muslims on the correct path, who will enter Para- dise, are the Ahl as-Sunnah-Wal-Jama'ah. It is a well known fact that to fully understand Islamic beliefs, intelligence alone is not sufficient. The sources through which we have received Islamic knowledge from the Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu alayhi wa Sallam) are the great pious scholars of Islam. Ahadith and statements of Sahaba clearly prove that the beliefs of the Ahl as-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah are exactly the same as the beliefs of the Sahaba and the Salaf-e-Saliheen. The new ideas and beliefs have all appeared after the time of our pious predecessor. None of the Sahaba, the Salaf-e-Saliheen or the pious scholars of Islam followed new ideas or beliefs. They strictly abstained from the groups who followed these deviated ideas and beliefs. Their beliefs and actions opposed these new ideas and beliefs. All the great scholars of Hadith and the great scholars of Fiqh of the four Sunni Schools of thought and their followers all held the belief of the Ahl as-Sunnah Wal Ja- ma'ah. In addition, all the great pious Muslims and the Sufi Saints of the past and present followed the way of the Ahl as-Sunnat Wal Jama'ah. Their great literary works stand witness to this fact. "If you want a clear proof that what I have said above is correct, then gather together all the authentic books ever to be written on Hadith, Tafsir, 'Ilm al-Kalam, Fiqh, Seerah of the Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu alayhi wa Sal- lam) and Islamic history. Compare these authentic books with the books 7
We shall now prove the authenticity of the afore-mentioned Hadiths and without doubt make clear which group the Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu alayhi wa Sallam) had indicated as being the group of 'Paradise', 'Majority Group' & the group of 'Salvation'.
For the benefit of any doubting individuals, let it be known, that, no great Imam or scholar of the golden age of Islam ever rejected the above Hadiths as being weak in narration or otherwise impaired in anyway, on the contrary the great Imams have whole heartedly accepted these Hadiths and further more commented on them. They have gone as far as to spell out, in no un- certain terms, the name of the 1 true group amongst the 73 groups of which 72 are the groups of Bid'a (False innovative groups).
We shall quote the sayings of the great illustrious Awliya and Imams of the Muslims as regards the above mentioned Hadiths. As-Sayyad Shaykh Abd'al-Qadir al-Jilani (Radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) (470AH) says in his famous book Ghuniyat-ut-Talibeen "There are 73 groups as fore- told by Sayyadina Rasulullah (Salla Allahu alayhi wa Sallam). The group which will be saved from the fire of Hell is the Ahl as-Sunnah Wal Ja- ma'ah."
Imam Ghazzali (Radi Allahu anhu) (450AH-505AH) in his book Mujarribaate states " The Ahl as-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah is the successful group and it is this group which weighs or determines its thoughts and its mind according to the scales of the Noble Quran."
Imam Sufyan Souri (Radi Allahu anhu) (95AH-161AH) in his book Al Mizaan al-Qubra states By Sawad-e-A'zam is meant those who are called the Ahl as-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah." 6
Hadith 3 The Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu alayhi wa Sallam) said "Without doubt my Ummah will never be gathered in misguidance. When- ever you see disagreement, then hold fast to the Sawad-e-A'zam (the great majority)" [Ibne Majah] Hadith 4 The Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu alayhi wa Sallam) said Follow the way of the largest group of Muslims! For, he who deviates from this group will be thrown into Hell!" [Ibne Majah] Hadith 5 The Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu alayhi wa Sallam) said "The devil continually pursues humans as a wolf pursues sheep. The wolf only dares to attack those sheep which have separated from the rest of the flock and are standing alone. And so, my followers save yourselves from being caught in the traps of misguidance and firmly remain with the largest and most well known group of Muslims!" [Imam Ahmad] Hadith 6. The Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu alayhi wa Sallam) said Allah will never allow my Ummah to unite upon misguidance and incorrect beliefs. Allah's mercy, blessings and protection are with the largest group of Mus- lims. And he who deviates from this largest group of Muslims will be thrown into Hell." [Tirmidhi] Hadith 7. The Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu alayhi wa Sallam) said "He who deviates from the largest group of Muslims, even as much as a hand span, has himself cut off his connection with Islam." [Abu Dawud, Imam Ahmed]. Having quoted no less than SEVEN Hadiths, from authentic sources, two things become clear: 1. The Muslims will divide into 73 Groups. 2. The largest group will be the right group. 5
of the other groups and then it will be obvious, that the largest group of Muslims is the Ahl as-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah." Imam 'Abd al-Ghani an-Nabulusi (Radi Allahu anhu)(d1143AH) wrote in his book Al-Hadiqat An-Nadiyya "The right path is the path of Sahabat al-Kiram. Those who follow this path are called the Ahl as-Sunnat Wal Jama'ah. It should not be confused with many heretical groups that appeared after the time of the Companions. Al-Imam al-Baihaki (Radi Allahu anhu) said, 'When Muslims go astray, you should not give up that path even if you are left alone on that path!' Najm ad-din al-Ghazzi (Radi Allahu anhu) wrote 'Ahl as- Sunnah Wal Jama'ah are those scholars who keep on the right path of Rasu- lullah (Salla Allahu alayhi wa Sallam) and his Companions, that is As-Sawad al-A'zam, majority of Islamic scholars have followed this path. The Firqat an- Najiyya which was defined to be the group of salvation among the 73 groups is this true Jama'ah'." Hadhrat Shah Wali'ullah Muhaddith Dehlwi (Radi Allahu anhu) states in his book Aqdul Jayyad "As the Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu alayhi wa Sallam) has stated, 'follow the Sawad-e-A'zam', and when the four Madhabs are within the Sawad-e-A'zam, then following of any one of them, is follow- ance of the Sawad-e-A'zam. Therefore, refuting any one of them is refuting Sawad-e-A'zam." Hadith 2. The Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu alayhi wa Sallam) said There was disagreement amongst Jews and they split into 72 groups. In exactly the same way, there will be disagreement and divisions in my Ummah. It will split into 73 groups. Apart from one of those groups, all the remaining 72 will be thrown into Hell." When asked which group will be on the right path, the Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam) replied, "The group on the right path, which will enter Paradise, will be the group which follows my Sunna and that of my Sahaba and this will be the largest group of Mus- lims." [Tirmidhi, Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Mishkat]