Bayan Aqidat Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jamaa wa Luzum Ittiba'iha fi Daw al-Kitab wa al-Sunna
- Author died
- 1440 AH
- Editions
- Safir Press
Bayan Aqidat Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jamaa wa Luzum Ittiba'iha fi Daw al-Kitab wa al-Sunna (Clarification of the Creed of Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama'ah and the Necessity of Following It in Light of the Quran and Sunnah) is a treatise on Islamic theology by the Saudi scholar Saeed bin Wahf al-Qahtani (d. 1440 AH / 2018 CE) .
Origin and Context
The work originated as a public lecture delivered after the Maghrib prayer on Thursday, 10 Jumada al-Ula 1418 AH, at the Grand Mosque (the Mosque of Imam Turki bin Abdullah) in Riyadh . Its title was selected and its preparation commissioned by Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd Allah Ibn Baz, who supervised its presentation, listened to it in its entirety, endorsed it, and offered concluding remarks . The author later incorporated the treatise as the second essay in his comprehensive compilation, Aqidat al-Muslim fi Daw al-Kitab wa al-Sunna (The Creed of the Muslim in Light of the Quran and Sunnah) .
Content and Structure
The treatise establishes that outward and inward deeds are only valid and acceptable before God when grounded in sound belief (aqidah), making the study of correct creed an essential obligation . It articulates the six core pillars of faith—belief in God, His angels, His revealed scriptures, His messengers, the Last Day, and divine decree (qadar), both good and bad—drawing upon textual proofs from the Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah .
In its conceptual discussions, the text provides:
- The linguistic and terminological definitions of aqidah, defining it technically as firm, decisive conviction free from doubt .
- The definitions of Sunnah (the path and guidance adhered to by the Prophet ﷺ and his companions in knowledge, belief, word, and deed) and Jama'ah (the early generations of Muslims and those who follow them in uniting upon the truth) .
- An analysis of the titles and distinguishing traits of Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jama'ah, noting their characterization as the Saved Sect (al-Firqa al-Najiya), the Victorious Group (al-Ta'ifa al-Mansura), the steadfast adherents to the Quran and Sunnah, righteous exemplars, opponents of religious innovation, and the "strangers" (al-Ghuraba') who remain upright when corruption spreads .
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