Definition
Those who hold to the Qur'an and Sunnah as understood by the Companions — the saved sect. They are united upon the truth, opposing innovation and division.
Pronunciation: AHL us-SUN-nah wa al-ja-MĀ-‘ah
Etymology & Root
Ahl = 'people of'; Sunnah = 'the prophetic way'; Jamā‘ah = 'the united body upon truth' — defined by Ibn Mas‘ūd as 'whatever agrees with the truth, even if you are alone.'
Usage in the Sunnah
'My Ummah will split into seventy-three sects — all of them in the Fire except one.' They asked: 'Who are they?' He said: 'That which I and my Companions are upon today.' (Tirmidhī 2641 — ḥasan)
Scholarly Notes
The defining marks: holding to revelation, following the Salaf, opposing bid‘ah, withholding from cursing the Companions, praying behind righteous and sinful imams, obeying the rulers in goodness.
Practical Application
Stick with the Jamā‘ah — the body of Muslims upon the Sunnah — and avoid splinter groups, no matter how zealous they appear.
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Related Terms
More from Aqeedah Terms
Submission to Allah with Tawheed.
Loyalty to Islam and disassociation from disbelief.
The pious predecessors — first three generations.
The intermediate realm between death and resurrection.
Stripping Allah of His attributes.
Hypocrisy — concealing disbelief while showing Islam.