Praise belongs to God Who has made truth clearly distinct from error, who puts

down innovation
and innovators and raises high the Sunna of the Prophet, salallahu alaihi wa
sallam, and the
people who follow it. Praise belongs to God Who in every century inspires a
group of scholarly
people to defend the Way of the Prophet, salallahu alaihi wa sallam, from the
distortions of the
ignorant and the fabrications of the liars Included in this risala will have bi
ithnillah, the statements of reliable Imaams of sunnah, who’s
aqeedah is attested to be saleem upon which the relying of their way has more
right than those
who adopted stances contrary to the stances of the salafu-saalih and the true
fuqaha who
followed the madhaahibul arb’aa al-islamiyyah.

Islam in the understanding of Muslims from every generations from the prophet
on down is that
the only Islam is the Islam of ahlu-sunnah wal jama’ah, the jam’ah being the
jama’ah of the
salafu-saalih. Their Islam is Islam and the opposite of their Islam is the
representation of no
Islam, only the religion of the opinions of the one who formulated it. Their Islam
was Islam and
other than their Islam is not the correct Islam and Islam is only looked at from the
route of how
they viewed the Islamic etiquettes from manners all the way to fiqh and aqeedah
to be.
So the reality of salafiyyah is that anyone who follows the way laid
down by the salafu-saalih is
in reality sunni. The reason why is because our Imaam Ahmad Bin
Hanbal said “the Sunnah
with us is what the companions were upon”

This immense statement entails some fundamental realities. Some of

them are the fact that
Ahmad
•

did not begin with the Quraan

•

did not begin with the Sunnah of the prophet. Why, because
•

He started off with saying that this sunnah is the sunnah of what the
companions were
upon.
So to us there is no quraan except upon the way the companions understood it, there is
no sunnah
of the prophet except the way the companions understood that sunnah. So without being
upon the
way of the companions i.e. tariqa asalafiyyah, one will not, EVER, attain the quran nor
the
sunnah in any aspect. That reality is realized by Ahmad who was reported to have said
something to the effect of “the one who traverses upon kalaam and arrives at what is
right is in
error and the one who is upon sunnah and lands on something wrong is still correct”
while the
obvious application of it was to the ahlul-kalaam, it is understood to be generally
anything other
than the way of the companions, and since sunnah equals, at least to Ahmad, the way of
the
companions and anything other than their way cannot ever be as sunnah EVER.

ISLAM THE RELIGION

Islam is the religion of the Muslims. It is the youngest of the world's major religions. Its
roots are traceable to the same Abrahamic tradition of Judaism and Christianity.
However, Islam is not merely a religion, as in the Western sense. Islam is a unified way
of life, crossing both religion and secular life, from the percepts and principles of right
and wrong to the system of law, government and economic life.

Islam teaches that Allah is the Lawgiver and that His precepts and the laws or Shari'a
provides the path to Allah. The Shari'a also provides to Allah's people the directions for
the interpretation and expansion of the Law. The Pillars of Islam and The Pillars of Faith

Arkan al-Islam, Arkan al-Iman and Ihsaan

Sayyidina 'Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: One day when

we were with Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) a

man with very white clothing and very black hair came up to us. No mark of travel

was visible on him and none of us recognized him. Sitting down besides the Prophet

(may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him), leaning his knees against his, and
placing his hands on his thighs, he said, "Tell me, Muhammad, about Islam."

He replied, 'Islam means that you should testify that there is no god but Allah and

that Muhammad is Allah's Messenger, that you observe the prayer, pay the zakah,

fast during Ramadan, and make the pilgrimage to the House if you have the means

to go." He said, "You have spoken the truth". We were surprised at his questioning

him and then declaring that he spoke the truth.

He said, "Now tell me about Iman (faith)." He replied, "It means that you should

believe in Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted), His angels, His books, His

Messengers, and the last day, and that you should believe in the decreeing both of

good and evil."

Remarking that he had spoken the truth, he then said, "Now tell me about Ihsaan

(doing good)." He replied, "It means that you should worship Allah (The Glorified and

the Exalted) as though you saw Him, for He sees you though you do not see Him."

He said, "Now tell me about the Hour." He replied, "The one who is asked about it is

no better informed than the one who is asking." He said, "Then tell me about its

signs." He replied, "That a maidservant should beget her mistress, and that you

should see barefooted, naked, poor men and shepherds exalting themselves in

buildings."

(Sayyidina 'Umar) said: He then went away, and after I had waited for a long time,

(the Prophet) said to me, "Do you know who the questioner was, 'Umar?" I replied,

"Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted) and His Messenger know best." He said, "He

was Jibril (peace be upon him) who came to teach you your religion." (Muslim)

there are three degrees of Islam, which are: Islam, eemaan and ihsaan.
Each of them has a meaning and certain pillars or essential parts

Islam, which in Arabic means submission. In sharee’ah terminology

varies according to usage, and it may mean one of two things:

(i) When the word is used on its own and is not accomp
word eemaan (faith, belief), it refers to the religion as a w
both major and minor issues of belief, words and deeds, a
where Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Truly, the religion with Allaah is Islam”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:19]

“and have chosen for you Islam as your religion”

[al-Maa’idah 5:3] “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam

accepted of him”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:85]

There are four classifications of sources of the Shari'a: the Qur'an, the Sunnah, the Ijma,
and the Qiyas. The Shari'a in these four sources aims to regulate the relationship of
man with His creator, and among men. They are the 4 sources a muslim must accept
and abide by

The second degree is eemaan (faith), which in Arabic means belief which is
committed to submission. In Islamic terminology its meaning varies according to
usage and it may mean one of two things:

(i) When the word is used on its own and is not accompanied by the
word Islam, it refers to the religion as a whole, as in the verses where
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Allaah is the Wali (Protector or Guardian) of those who believe. He

brings them out from darkness into light”

[al-Baqarah 2:257]

“and put your trust in Allaah if you are believers indeed”

 [al-Maa’idah 5:23]

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“No one will enter Paradise except the believers.” Narrated by
Muslim, 114.

Hence the salaf were unanimously agreed that eemaan means

“affirming in the heart – which includes actions of the heart – and
saying with the tongue and acting with one’s physical faculties. It
increases by doing acts of obedience and decreases by committing
sin.”

Hence Allaah limited the word eemaan to those who adhere to His
religion in full, inwardly and outwardly, when He said (interpretation
of the meaning):

“The believers are only those who, when Allaah is mentioned, feel a fear in
their hearts and when His Verses (this Qur’aan) are recited unto them, they
(i.e. the Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord
(Alone); The third degree is ihsaan, which in Arabic means doing something
well, perfectly and sincerely. In Islamic terminology its meanings vary according
to usage and it may mean one of two things:

(i) When it is used alone and is not mentioned in conjunction with

Islam or eemaan, it refers to the religion as a whole, as stated above
with regard to the words Islam and eemaan.

(ii) When it is used in conjunction with either or both of the words

Islam and eemaan, the meaning is perfecting one’s outward and
inward deeds. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) explained it in a manner that no other created being apart from
him (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) could have
explained it, because of the gift of concise speech that Allaah
bestowed upon him. He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “It means worshipping Allaah as if you can see Him, and
although you cannot see Him, He can see you.” This is the highest
degree of Islam. Those who attain this are the foremost in doing good,
the ones who will be closest to Allaah in the highest degrees of
Paradise.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has told us that
the degree of ihsaan is of two categories, one of which is higher than the
other.

The first position is the higher of the two: This means worshipping Allaah as
if you can see Him. This means that a person acts as if he can see Allaah in
his heart, so his heart is filled with light and the matters of the unseen
becomes almost like that which is visible (i.e., it becomes very real to him).
Whoever worships Allaah with awareness of His nearness and turning to
Him and acts as if he is before Allaah and looking at Him is bound to fear
Him and venerate Him.

The second position is that of sincerity and awareness that Allaah is always
watching. This means that a person acts with an awareness that Allaah can
see him and is close to him. If a person bears this in mind and acts
accordingly, then he will be sincere towards Allaah because this awareness
will prevent him from paying attention to anyone other than Allaah or doing
anything for the sake of anyone else. If a person achieves this position, it will
become easy for him to reach the position described above. Hence the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “and although
you cannot see Him, He can see you.” If a person truly understands when
worshipping Allaah that He can see him and knows all his deeds, hidden and
visible, inward and outward, and that nothing is hidden from Him, then it will
be easy for him to move from the lower position to the higher, which is the
constant awareness that Allaah is close to His slave and is with him,
because it is as if he can see Him. We ask Allaah of His great bounty.

See Ma’aarij al-Qubool by Shaykh Haafiz al-Hakami, 2/20-33, 326-328; al-

Majmoo’ al-Thameen, 1/49, 53.’ Jaami’ al-‘Uloom wa’l-Hukam, 1.106.

THE NOBLE QUR'AN

The Noble Qur'an contains the revelations of Allah. It is the Book of Allah sent through
the last of the Prophets, Muhammad. The Qur'an:

• Contains the knowledge imparted by Allah and the guidance for all righteous
men (2:145)
• Is the declaration of the truth and the light to show the right path (2: 138, 4:4)
• Is the wise (10:1), the complete exhortation (10:57), and the clear message
(14:52)
• Is a rope to Allah, and by holding unto it, individuals and nations are saved
(3:108)
• Is the remedy for all the spiritual aliments of men (17:82)
• Is the constant reminder for all that Prophets will not come anymore for our
guidance (21 :50)
• Acts as criterion to choose between the truth and the falsehood (25:1)
• Is an embodiment of the fairest statements and Divine words of wisdom (54:5,
 65:6)
• Provides a code of conduct for every believer (69:48)
• Is the commandment and a warrant for believers (43:1-2)
• Its injunctions are manifest (43:4), sublime (85:21) and blessed (21:50)

"The process of revelation of various injunctions (Ahkam) of the Qur'an shows that the
revelation came down when some social, moral or religious necessity arose, or when
some Companions consulted the Prophet concerning some significant problems which
had wide repercussions on the lives of Muslims" (Doi:1984). Tafsir or the exegesis of
the Qur'an was made therefore to make the injunctions of the Qur'an clearer to the
people of Allah. Sahaba or the companions of the Prophet Mohammad provided
commentaries on the Qur'an and these are included in the Tafsirs. Tafsir is called a
science that deals with studying and understanding the Book of Allah. There are a few
scholars of Tafsir. They have in each of their own ways provided injunctions and passed
them to their Tabi'un or successors or followers. With these, three main schools of the
Qur'anic Commentary developed:

• The Makka that learned from 'Abdallah lbn 'Abbas (considered the rabbi of the
community, the interpreter of the Qur'an and the Sea during his time, as well as
most knowledgeable in the Qur'an and its messages among the companions of
the Prophet);
• That of Iraq which recognized Ibn Mas'ud as its main authority, and duly
considered the rest of the companions ('Adballah bin Mas'ud was considered
one of the most knowledgeable companions, given his constant pursuit and
study of the Word);
• The Madina, the first capital of the Islamic Caliphate.

Tafsir writing has gone on up to this date around the world, and in different languages.

There are two kinds of Tafsir: AI Tafsir Bil Ma'thur, which are the first books of this class
and the AI Tafsir Bil Ma'qul Wa Bil Darayah wherein commentators rely much on their
own intellectual reasoning and initiative to interpret the verses of the Qur'an. The latter
takes into several forms as well, due to the sheer number and differences of leanings of
its writers: (a) The Linguistic Tafsir; (b) The Sufi or Philosophical Interpretations; (c) AI-
Israiliyyat, which is based on the explanations and narrations received from Jews
converted to Islam on the stories of the Qur'an; (d) Commentaries on the Verses of
Injunctions; and (e) Commentary through narration or proof.

Nonetheless, the Qur'an serves as the best Tafsir of itself. It has two elements, those
which are fundamental or have established meaning and allegories. Parts of the Qur'an
specify and define commandments of Allah while parts of it explain or help explain
Allah's guidelines. Those of allegorical meaning are provided but not understood by just
anyone, and is known to Allah alone. Much interpretation is provided on these meanings
and may be incfuded in the Tafsirs that follow.

The Qur'an therefore as Tafsir and body of legal injunctions or Ahkam, forms the source
of Shari'a. The verses of the Qur'an are generally classified accordingly:

• Those, which teach mankind through the remembrance of the gifts of Allah.
• Those, which teach mankind through the remembrance of various happenings,
incidents, etc.
• Those, which teach mankind through the remembrance of death and
 Eschatology.

Those, which teach mankind the injunctions of the Qur'an.

What is the Qur`an?

The Quran is a record of the exact words revealed by God through the Angel
Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad. It was memorized by Muhammad and
then dictated to his Companions, and written down by scribes, who cross-
checked it during his lifetime. Not one word of its 114 chapters, Suras, has
been changed over the centuries, so that the Quran is in every detail the
unique and miraculous text which was revealed to Muhammad fourteen
centuries ago. 43:40 Canst thou then make the deaf to hear or give direction to
the blind or to such as (wander) in manifest error?
41 Even if We take thee away We shall be sure to exact retribution from them.
42 Or We shall show thee that (accomplished) which We have promised them:
for verily We shall prevail over them.
43 So hold thou fast to the Revelation sent down to thee: verily thou art on
Straight Way.
44 The (Qur'an) is indeed the Message for thee and for thy people; and soon shall
ye (all) be brought to account.

Character
Sahih Muslim Hadith 1623 Narrated by Sa'd ibn Hisham ibn Amir
I went to the Hadrat Aisha (r.a.) after the death of the Messenger of
Allah (saws) and said: “Mother of the Faithful, tell me about the
character of the Messenger of Allah (saws).” She said: “Don't you read
the Qur'an?” I said: “Yes.” Upon this she said: “The character of the
Messenger of Allah (saws) was the Qur'an.”

•
THE SUNNAH AND HADITH

The Qur'anic injunctions from which the Shari'a is derived, is further explained and
translated into practice by the Sunnah. Sunnah literally means a way, practice, rule of
life; and refers to the exemplary conduct of the model behavior of the Prophet in what he
said, did and approved. Thus the Sunnah is second in authority to the Holy Qur'an. The
Hadith is called the "store room" of the Sunnah of the Prophet, for all the events, actions
and teachings are taken together as a Tafsir of the Qur'an. The Hadith literature
therefore, is the apostolic precept and example on the duty of man, the basis for the
system of law, theology and customs which is Islam (Doi:1 984).

Thus the Shari'a clearly comes from the Sunnah or the Book called Hadith. Shari'a
herein described means "Islamic Theology". Hadith is derived from "Hadatha" which
means a tale or verbal communication of any kind, in its broadest sense.

The Qur'an especially provides guidance from Allah for man to live a decent and refined
life. It is full of life and details; however, Fatawa (religious decision or legal opinion) and
Traditions and the Hadith, Ijma and Qiyas are developed to supply what is not specified
under the Qur'an.

The life of Muhammad, which is contained in the Hadith, is imitated and Muslims
followed his examples. A record of all his decisions, his answers to formal inquiries, and
all that he said, did, and what he kept silent about are compiled in Hadith. These were
passed on through text and through Isnad or transmitters who passed Traditions by
mouth. The Isnads were recorded in the Asma al-Rijal, which contains the name of men
who passed on traditions. One of, if not, the earliest collections of traditions is the
Musnad.

Traditions of Hadith were recorded according to their subject matter under the heading
of law books. The Isnad and the text are of equal importance for Muslims. Thus they
have set principles for criticizing Isnads and texts. There are Hadith that were rejected
for non-compliance with principles set.

It is necessary that these principles be appreciated in order that the different schools
and different sects of Muslims can be understood. The Hadith is extremely important to
Muslims because the Traditions of the Prophet lay down the precepts and laws to be
followed, second to the Qu'ran. In fact, there is a very lengthy list of Hadith scholars that
helped in the growth of Islamic jurisprudence and, as such, formed the basis of Shari'a
throughout the world.

Book 40, Number 4587:Sunan Abu-Dawud,

Narrated Al-Miqdam ibn Ma'dikarib:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: Beware!
I have been given the Qur'an and something like
it, yet the time is coming when a man replete on
his couch will say: Keep to the Qur'an; what you
find in it to be permissible treat as permissible,
and what you find in it to be prohibited treat as
prohibited. Beware! The domestic ass, beasts of
prey with fangs, a find belonging to confederate,
unless its owner does not want it, are not
permissible to you If anyone comes to some
people, they must entertain him, but if they do
not, he has a right to mulct them to an amount
equivalent to his entertainment.

I have indeed been given the Qur'an and

something similar to it besides it. Yet, the time
will come when a man leaning on his couch will
say, "Follow the Qur'an only; what you find in it
as halal, take it as halal, and what you find in it
as haram, take it as haram." But what the
 Messenger of Allah has forbidden is like what
Allah has forbidden.
(Hadith from the collections of Abu Dawud and
Darimi. Narrated by AlMiqdam bin Ma'di Karib)

The Qur'an as it exists today in book form was compiled by Muhammad's

companions (Sahaba) in approximately 650 CE, and is accepted by all Muslim
denominations. However, there were many matters of belief and daily life that
were not directly prescribed in the Qur'an, but were actions that were observed
by Muhammad and the early Muslim community. Later generations sought out
oral traditions regarding the early history of Islam, and the practices of
Muhammad and his first followers, and wrote them down so that they might be
preserved. These recorded oral traditions are called hadith. Muslim scholars have
through the ages sifted through the hadith and evaluated the chain of narrations
of each tradition, scrutinizing the trustworthiness of the narrators and judging the
strength of each hadith accordingly.

Most Sunni Muslims accept the hadith collections of Bukhari and Muslim as the
most authentic (sahih, or correct), and while accepting all hadiths verified as
authentic, grant a slightly lesser status to the collections of other recorders. There
are, however, four other collections of hadith that are also held in particular
reverence by Sunni Muslims, making a total of six:

• Sahih al-Bukhari
• Sahih Muslim
• Sunan an-Nasa'ii
• Sunan Abu Dawud
• Sunan at-Tirmidhi
• Sunan ibn Majah

There are also other collections of hadith which also contain many authentic
hadith and are frequently used by scholars and specialists. Examples of these
collections include:

• Musannaf of Abd al-Razzaq

• Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal
• Mustadrak of Al Haakim
• Muwatta of Imam Malik
• Sahih Ibn Hibbaan

Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah

OTHER SOURCES OF ISLAMIC LAW

 The ijma is the consensus of the opinions of the learned men and the jurists. To arrive
at an ijma Juristic reasoning or the ljtihad is normally conducted. Ijma is the consensus
of the Ulama based on the Book of Allah, the instructions of the Prophet, and the
actions, demonstrations and preaching as well as speeches of the prophet. There are
three broad categories of the Ijma: the verbal consensus of opinion, the consensus of
opinion on an action, and the silent consensus. Another subdivision of Ijma is that of
regular (Jurist does something and the rest of the Jurists does not challenge him) and
irregular (wherein one or more Jurists question the action of a Jurist) consensus of
opinions.

The qualifications of the Jurists who can sanction the Ijma are a point of contention.
According to some Jurists, only the Companions of the Prophet can sanction the Ijma.
The Shi'ites on the other hand believe that Ijma can only be sanctioned by the
descendants of Ali (son-in-law and cousin of Muhammad) and Fatimah (daughter of the
Prophet). Imam Malik argues on the other hand that the Ijma can only be sanctioned by
the Jurists of Madinah. Hanifah school argues lastly that the Ijma can be sanctioned by
any qualified Jurist regardless of where he lives, or the sect where he belongs.

The Qiyas or analogical deductions give an instrument to cope with the growing needs
and requirements of society, while the Isitihsan or juristic preferences or equity of a
jurist as against Qiyas, helps in providing elasticity and adaptability to the entire Islamic
legal system. There are many contentions as well on the Qiyas. There are Muslims, like
the mu'tazilites, who are anti-Qiyas, stating that Qur'an is provided as guidance, that the
Qur'an is the only source and that Qiyas is not acceptable. Pro Qiyas Muslims on the
other hand argue that according also to the Hadith of the Prophet and the Qur'an,
individual judgment on matters not mentioned in the Qur'an and Sunnah can be
rendered. The Shi'ites, as in other sects apply Qiyas but have a different name for it (aql
and ra'y).

Ijtihad is the use of human reason to arrive at an elaboration or exploration of the Shari'a Law.
Ijithad however cannot be made on the existence of Allah, the truism or Prophethood of
Muhammad and other prophets, and on the authenticity of the Qu'ran. Ijtihad starts with the
principles of the Qur'an, Sunnah, or Ijma and cannot be used to achieve that which contradicts a
rule established therein. Qiyas and Ijtihad are accepted by most Muslims especially the four
schools of Sunni to determine the Juristic basis for reasoning on issues that have original
subjects; with an object of the analogy, being a new subject; where there exists effective cause
common to both subjects; and where there is a rule arrived at by Qiyas.

A Mujtahid or jurist is one who is well versed in the Qur'an and the reasons why the verses and
chapters were revealed; well versed in the study of traditions of the Prophet Muhammad;
knowledgeable on the principles of Ijma and on the injunctions of the Qiyas and conditions
surrounding it. A Mujtahid is also required to possess certain good character such as being a
practicing Muslim, pious and law-abiding, not influenced by the hereticals, and just, reliable,
trustworthy and pure of iniquitous practices. A Mujtahids is therefore one who is able or allowed
to Ijitihad. Mujtahids are classified as those who were the companions of the Prophet, who did
Ijtihad and later founded schools of jurisprudence, and following the two former Mujtahids of the
present day who give Fatawa or Juristic opinions on religious matters. The Shi'ites however
believe the Ijtihad is a prerogative of their Imams alone.
The concept of Istislah, Istihsan or al-Masalih al Mursalah (the matters which are in public
interest and which are not specifically defined in the Shari'a) was enunciated by Malik bin Anas
and other school of thought has also become a part of the Shari'a system. Only one school of the
four Sunni schools does not recognize the Istislah as a source. However, it is argued that the
principle of public welfare and general interest in the decision made by the Jurists is considered in
the Qiyas, even in the analogical reasoning employed by the Shams.

Islamic law is known as the Sharī'ah. The Sharī'ah is based on the Qur'an and the
Sunnah.and ijma and qiyas The Madh'hab translates to "way", and different Madhaheb
(plural of Madh'hab) reflect different opinions on some laws and obligations of the
sharia, for example when one Madh'hab sees a certain act as an obligation, while the
other does not. It has to be clear that each one of these schools consider the others to be
fully valid and accepted.

Below are the most famous four:

Malik ibn Anas (died 795) Student of the imam Abu Hanifah's eldest student,
Muhammad, Malik ibn Anas developed his ideas in Medina. His doctrine is recorded in
the Muwatta which has been adopted by most North African and West African countries
like Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Nigeria and others except Egypt, Horn of Africa
and Sudan. Also, the Maliki madhab is the official state madhhab of Kuwait, Bahrain and
the United Arab Emirates. He was one of the teachers of Imam al-Shafi'i. One of greatest
historical centers of Maliki teaching, especially during the ninth, tenth and eleventh
centuries, is the Mosque of Uqba also known as the Great Mosque of Kairouan (in
Tunisia).[1][9]

Abu Hanifah (died 767), was the founder of the Hanafi school and student of Ja'far al-
Sadiq. He was born in the year 702 CE in Kufa, Iraq.[7][8] Muslims of Bangladesh,
Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Central Asia, the Muslim areas of Southern Russia, the
Caucasus, most of the Muslim areas of the Balkans and Turkey and parts of Iraq, all
follow this school of jurisprudence. It is also the dominant school of Muslims in the
United Kingdom and Germany.

Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi`i (died 820 A.D.) was a student of Malik. He taught in
Iraq and then in Egypt. Muslims in Indonesia, Lower Egypt, Malaysia, Brunei,
Singapore, Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Coastal
Maharashtra/Konkan and Kerala in India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Palestine, Yemen and
Kurds in the Kurdish regions follow the Shafi'i school. Al-Shafi'i placed great emphasis
on the Sunnah of Muhammad, as embodied in the Hadith, as a source of the Shari'ah.

Ahmad bin Hanbal (died 855), the namesake of the Hanbali school, was born
in Baghdad. He learned extensively from al-Shafi'i. This school of
jurisprudence is followed predominantly in the Arabian Peninsula
With the above facts in view, it is established that the followers of
Imams of Fiqh who are known as Hanafi, Maaliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali
are not different Groups. Rather they follow different teachers / jurists
within the Group of Ahle Sunnah wal Jama'a. We are positive that
this fact cannot be disputed by anyone in the world.

The followers of these four schools follow the same basic belief system but differ from
one another in terms of practice and execution of rituals, and in juristic interpretation of
"divine principles" (or Shariah) as envisaged in Quran and Hadith. However Sunni
Muslims consider them all equally valid.

There are other Sunni schools of law. However, many are followed by only small
numbers of people and are relatively unknown due to the popularity of the four major
schools; also, many have died out or were not sufficiently recorded by their followers to
survive.

Interpreting the Shari'ah to derive specific rulings (such as how to pray) is known as fiqh,
which literally means understanding. A madh'hab is a particular tradition of interpreting
fiqh. These schools focus on specific evidence (Shafi'i and Hanbali) or general principles
(Hanafi and Maliki) derived from specific evidences. The schools were started by
eminent Muslim scholars in the first four centuries of Islam. As these schools represent
clearly spelled out methodologies for interpreting the Shari'aa, there has been little
change in the methodology per se. However, as the social and economic environment
changes, new fiqh rulings are being made. For example, when tobacco appeared it was
declared as 'disliked' because of its smell. When medical information showed that
smoking was dangerous, that ruling was changed to 'forbidden'. Current fiqh issues
include things like downloading pirated software and cloning. The consensus is that the
Shari'ah does not change but fiqh rulings change all the time.

A madh'hab is not to be confused with a religious sect. There may be scholars

representing all four madh'habs living in larger Muslim communities, and it is up to those
who consult them to decide which school they prefer.

Ahle Sunnah Wal Jama'at, are real Muslims and true followers of
Prophet Mohammad (‫( )صلى ال عليه و آله وسلم‬meaning - Ahle Sunnah),
and 4 Khulafa-e-Rashideen (‫( )رضئ اللھ تعالی عنہم اجمعين‬meaning -
Jama'at). This is the reason they are known as Ahle Sunnah Wal
Jama'a. Their distinctive features are as follows. (1) In the issues of
fiqh, they follow the interpretations of 4 Imams of Islamic
Jurisprudence, Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Maalik, Imam
Shaffi'i and Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, as most authentic.
No sect or individual in the Islamic history so far has questioned the
Islamic faith of the above 4 Imams of Fiqh. Meaning, all 4 Imams are
authentic teachers of Islam.

Therefore, the Muslim Ummah is united that whoever

follows any of the Imams of fiqh, is on the right path of
Islam.

(2) The basic Islamic creed (Iman) is the essential part of Islamic fiqh.
Ahle Sunnah Wal Jama'a believe in the teachings of the above 4 Imams
of Fiqh in Islamic faith. As a matter of fact, the famous
Imams of theology; Imam Ash'ari, Imam Mathuridhi and
Imam Tahawi essentially were the followers of the
above Imams of Fiqh.

Ash'ari

Ash'ari is a school of early Islamic philosophy founded in the 10th century by Abu al-
Hasan al-Ash'ari. It was instrumental in drastically changing the direction of Islam and
laid the groundwork to "shut the door of ijtihad" centuries later in the Ottoman Empire.
[citation needed]
The Asharite view was that comprehension of the Unique Nature and
Characteristics of God were beyond human capability.

Maturidi

A Maturidi is one who follows Abu Mansur Al Maturidi's theology, which is a close
variant of the Ash'ari school. Points which differ are the nature of belief and the place of
human reason. The Maturidis state that belief (iman) does not increase nor decrease but
remains static; it is piety (taqwa) which increases and decreases. The Ash'aris say that
belief does in fact increase and decrease. The Maturidis say that the unaided human mind
is able to find out that some of the more major sins such as alcohol or murder are evil
without the help of revelation. The Ash'aris say that the unaided human mind is unable to
know if something is good or evil, lawful or unlawful, without divine revelation

• Ash'ari, founded by Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari (873–935). This theological

system of Aqidah was embraced by plenty of Muslim scholars such as
Imam al-Ghazali.[13]
o Ash'ari theology stresses divine revelation over human reason.
Contrary to the Mu'tazilites, they say that ethics cannot be
derived from human reason, but that God's commands, as
revealed in the Qur'an and the the Sunnah (the practices of
Muhammad and his companions as recorded in the traditions, or
hadith), are the sole source of all morality and ethics.
 • "There is not much [doctrinal] difference between Ash`aris and Maturidis, hence
both groups are now called Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama`a."2
• Al-Maturidi surpasses Imam al-Tahawi as a transmitter and commentator of Imam
Abu Hanifa's legacy in kalâm. Both al-Maturidi and al-Tahawi followed Abu
Hanifa and his companions in the position that belief (al-îmân) consists in
"conviction in the heart and affirmation by the tongue," without adding, as do
Malik, al-Shafi`i, Ahmad ibn Hanbal and their schools, "practice with the limbs."
Al-Maturidi, as also related from Abu Hanifa, went so far as to declare that the
foundation of belief consisted only in conviction in the heart, the tongue's
affirmation being a supplementary integral or pillar (rukn zâ'id).3

Salafis and their like minded groups criticize that certain practices of
Ahle Sunnah Wal Jama'a; like visiting the graves of Muslims,
Celebrating Milad-un-Nabi, etc., are wrong. We have provided more
than 100 Ahadith and Quranic verses in this context and have proved in
the light of Quran and Ahadith that what Salafis say is wrong and
concocted notions which have nothing to do with Islam. Read this
information on the following locations on our Website. Salafis and their
like minded groups confuse innocent Muslims by imposing Quranic
verses and Ahadith on Prophet Mohammad (‫)صلى ال عليه و آله وسلم‬,
Sahabah (‫ ) رضئ اللھ تعالی عنہم اجمعين‬and Awliya Allah which were actually
meant for non believer Makkan Pagans and hypocrites Ibn Taymiyya
(1263-1328 ), the number one in command of Salafis wrote -

QUOTE - Some people came to the pious grave of our Prophet

Mohammad ( ‫ ) صلى ال عليه و آله وسلم‬and requested something and their
needs were fulfilled. In the same way, the pious people can also fulfill
the needs of the people and we do not deny this. (Iqtida as-Sarat
al-Mustaqim-page 373 by Ibn Taymiyya). UNQUOTE.
Read similar statements of other Salafi scholars

With the above facts in view, it is proved beyond doubt that Ahle
Sunnah wal Jama'a is the only group who are on the right path of Islam.
Their Islamic Faith is correct and they stand a good chance of salvation
in Hereafter. The Sunni Students' Federation (SSF) is a youth movement of the A.
P. Sunni faction of the Muslims of Kerala. Currently, the SSF is active across India with
offices in Kerala, Hyderabad, Banglore, Tamil Nadu, Mumbai, New Delhi, and U.P. The
present kerala state general secretary is K.Abdul Kalam Mavoor ,president is N. M.
Sadique. The SSF is registered under the Societies Registration Act and is affiliated with
the Samastha Kerala Sunni Jammeeyathul Ulema.
Aims

The SSF aims to promote a peaceful view of Islam and promotes the coexistence of
different kinds of people and the creation of a society of believers with strong social and
moral commitments. In addition, the Kerala SSF works for the educational and social
development of the territory

The SSF has established computer labs to provide computer literacy education and
training for Indian residents. In addition, it sponsors a nursery school impartig LKG and
UKG education, and is active in anti-alcohol and anti-tobacco initiative.

The SSF offers recitals of the Quran, Dikir Halka, and sermons. For these, they are
assisted by various scholars and literary personalities.

SSF gives th The Sunni Students' Federation (SSF) is a youth movement which originated
in Kerala in 1973 under the patronage of Kamarul Ulama Sheikh Aboobacker Ahmad

(Kanthapuram). Currently, the SSF is active across India with offices in Kerala, Hyderabad,

Banglore, Tamil Nadu, Mumbai, New Delhi, and U.P. The present kerala state general secretary

is R. P. Hussain and president is NM SADIQUE SAQAFI . The SSF is registered under the

Societies Registration Act and is affiliated with the Samastha Kerala Sunni Jammeeyathul

Ulema.

e interest free scholarship for professional degree students all over India.

Through the right path,With the right leadership,

To the right destination."

In an age which witnesses the horrific form of satanic diversions and

disastrous worldiness corrupting the minds of man,a concerted
effort on the part of the students to bring about spiritual
rejuvenation is the terrible need of the hour.Spirituality is the only
boat for the man to save himself from getting drowned in the
devilish sees. kerala state Sunni Students Federation is the largest
islamic organization in kerala working under Samastha Kerala Sunni
Jamiyathul Ulama.It was formed in 1973 and has been working for
the moral reconstruction of the society for the last three
decades.SSF is very particular that in this world of
complexity,students community must have such qualities to lead
society and to control themselves. Bringing both islamic and
academic students under one roof.To create a new generation which
we mean spiritually enlighted,intellectually cultivated,morally
enriched and culturally uplifted.