We hear this phrase thrown around a lot these days–“ahlul sunnah wal jam’aah” (literally, “the people of the sunnah and the jam’ah/group”). But what does it really mean, and who are the people who are TRULY ahlul sunnah wal jam’aah?
To find out the answer, we must ask those who defined those terms. Not your friendly neighborhood shaykh or imam; not your mom, your dad, your grandfather, or his grandfather; not even the tabi’oon, or the companions. Rather, Rasulullah (صلي الله عليه وسلم) was the first person to define this term.
In one hadith, the Messenger of Allah (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said: “After my death, you will see many differences (in Islam); so I command you to follow my sunnah and the sunnah of the khulafa rashideen (Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, and ‘Ali, (رضالله عنهم)) [Abu Dawud]
So, that defines ahlul sunnah, the people of the sunnah; what about the people of the jam’aah?
In one hadith, the Messenger of Allah (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said: “My ummah will split into 73 groups, and all will guide to Hellfire, EXCEPT one.” The companions asked, who is that one group? He (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said: “The Jam’aah.” [Ibn Majah]
So put it together–sunnah + jam’aah = ahlul sunnah wal jam’aah!
Because the first group to deviate, deviated after the death of the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم)–the ones who killed ‘Uthman (رضالله عنه). The companions, the BEST generation of humankind, called that group the Khawarij, and called themselves Ahlul Sunnah.
May Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) make us among that ONE group of Muslims that enters Jannah, ameen ya rabbal ‘alameen!
Yasir Qadhi. Lecture. AlMaghrib. Light Upon Light: Fundamentals of Faith 102. Metro Toronto Convention Center, July 2007.