AHL AS-SUNNAT

SERENITY FOUNTAIN (HUZUR PINARI)

www.serenityfountain.org For your questions about Islamic knowledge: serenity.fountain@gmail.com   AHL AS-SUNNAT    It is first necessary for someone who becomes a Muslim, or for Muslims’ children who reach the age of maturity called ’aqil-baligh, to say the Kalima-i shahadat [1], learn its meaning and believe in it. Then, they have to learn and believe in the knowledge written in the books of the Ahl as-sunnat [2] savants regarding i’tiqad [3], that is, the tenets of belief. Then, they have to learn fiqh knowledge from the books of any one of the four Madhhabs [4], that is, the five commandments of Islam, and they must observe these commandments.    Those who deny that it is necessary to learn and obey these things and those who do not pay due attention to these points become murtads [5]. That is, after they become Muslims upon saying the Kalima-i shahadat, they become kafirs again. The knowledge of i’tiqad in the four Madhhabs is the same. Someone who follows the knowledge of iman and fiqh of any of the four Madhhabs is called Ahl as-sunnat or Sunni.    Belief of those who do not follow one of these four Madhhabs is wrong. They are either Ahl-i bid’at [6] -bid’at holders- or murtads. In both cases, they will certainly go to Hell to be punished in the fire, if they die without repentance.    While doing something, due to certain excuses, a person coming across difficulties in doing that thing according to his own Madhhab’s rules can do it according to the rules of one of the other three. Then, he has to follow all the rules related to this thing in this second Madhhab. If it is difficult to obey one of these rules, but this rule is easier in his own Madhhab, then he can do it. In this case two Madhhabs are joined on an obligatory basis. If it is also difficult in his own Madhhab, then it is jaiz for him to forgo the first rule of his own Madhhab. A better way, however, is to consider a permission likely to exist in the ijtihad [7] of one of the As-hab-i-kiram [8]. GLOSSARY [1] kalimat ash-shahada: the phrase beginning with “Ashhadu...” The first of the five fundamentals of Islam; declaring one’s belief in Islam. [2] Ahl as-Sunna (wa’l-Jama’a): the true pious Muslims who follow as-Sahabat al-kiram. These are called Sunni Muslims. A Sunni Muslim adapts himself to one of the four Madhhabs. These madhhabs are Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali. [3] i’tiqad: faith, iman. [4] madhhab: all of what a profound ‘alim of (especially) Fiqh (usually one of the four-Hanafi, Shafi’i, Maliki, Hanbali) or iman (one of the two, namely Ash-ari, Maturidi) communicated. [5] Murtad: apostate. [6] bid’at: (pl. bida’) heresy; false, disliked belief or practice that did not exist in the four sources of Islam but which has been introduced later as an Islamic belief or ‘ibada in expectation of thawab (blessings) ; heresy. [7] ijtihad: (meaning or conclusion drawn by a mujtahid by) endeavouring to understand the hidden meaning in an ayat or a hadith. [8] As’hab-i kiram: (as-Sahabat al-kiram); the Companions of Rasulullah.   Anybody who makes ghusl and goes to the mosque early on Friday will gain a reward of giving a camel as charity. Hadith-i-sharif 'One should carefully choose whom to love, and share the love accordingly' 'What is important is whom you are with, not who you are.' 'Kalam-i kibar, kibar-i kalamast.' (The words of the superiors are the superior words.) www.serenityfountain.org www.huzurpinari.com www.cocukpinari.com www.islamvetoplum.com (Our websites are updated daily.)