Minhaj Ahl al-Haqq wal-Ittiba fi Mukhalafat Ahl al-Jahl wal-Ibtida

Minhaj Ahl al-Haqq wal-Ittiba fi Mukhalafat Ahl al-Jahl wal-Ibtida (The Path of the People of Truth and Adherence in Opposing the People of Ignorance and Innovation) is a theological and polemical treatise by the Najdi Hanbali scholar Sulayman bin Sahman (1266–1349 AH / 1850–1930 CE) Tamyiz al-Sidq min al-May…+1. The work addresses religious extremism, delineating the boundaries of excommunication (takfir), religious boycotting (hajr), and the status of communal customs Minhaj Ahl al-Haqq wal-It…+1.

Background and Purpose

The treatise was written in response to questions posed to Ibn Sahman concerning the rise of hardline religious interpretations and extremism (ghuluw) among contemporary groups in the Arabian Peninsula Minhaj Ahl al-Haqq wal-It…+1. These tendencies manifested in hasty takfir of other Muslims, boycotting them, criticizing established scholars, and challenging the legitimacy of the ruler, King Abd al-Aziz Al Saud Minhaj Ahl al-Haqq wal-It…. Ibn Sahman expanded his answers into a structured book to refute the misconceptions promoted by zealots and ungrounded preachers operating in nomadic Bedouin communities Minhaj Ahl al-Haqq wal-It…+1.

Contents and Key Themes

The treatise is organized around answers to specific doctrinal and practical queries, addressing several major issues:

• Rules and Constraints of Takfir: Ibn Sahman warns against the danger of excommunicating Muslims without scholarly qualification, labeling hasty takfir as a hallmark of innovators akin to the historical Kharijites Minhaj Ahl al-Haqq wal-It…+1. He differentiates between explicit, foundational matters known necessarily by religion—such as the singular worship of God—and obscure or subtle matters (al-masa'il al-khafiyyah), in which an individual cannot be declared a disbeliever until clear scriptural proof (qiyam al-hujjah) has been established Minhaj Ahl al-Haqq wal-It…+1.
• Defense of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab: The author refutes the misapplication of statements by Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab used by extremists to declare entire Bedouin populations outside of Islam Minhaj Ahl al-Haqq wal-It…+1. Ibn Sahman clarifies that earlier strict judgments applied to their pre-Islamic state of ignorance and lawlessness prior to accepting the reform movement, not to contemporary communities adhering to Islamic practices Minhaj Ahl al-Haqq wal-It…+1.
• Boycotting and Emigration: The work discusses the jurisprudence of social boycotting (hajr) and emigration (hijrah), stating that they must be governed by an assessment of religious benefits and harms (al-masalih wal-mafasid) rather than arbitrary zealousness Minhaj Ahl al-Haqq wal-It….
• Signs of Innovation and Religious Extremism: Ibn Sahman defines the hallmarks of religious innovators as rigidity, unnecessary harshness, imposing hardship on Muslims, and declaring people disbelievers on account of sins Buhuth Nadwat Athar al-Qu….
• Customs and Everyday Dress: He tackles fringe disputes concerning permissible cultural habits, specifically refuting those who claimed wearing the traditional Arab headband (iqal) was a prohibited innovation simply because it was not part of early prophetic practice Mawqi al-Islam Su'al wa J….

Publication and Editions

The book was first printed at al-Manar Press in Cairo in 1340 AH, sponsored by King Abd al-Aziz Al Saud, with annotations by Rashid Rida Minhaj Ahl al-Haqq wal-It…. A later critical edition was prepared by Abd al-Salam ibn Barjis al-Abd al-Karim, who restored passages that had been excised in the earlier al-Manar edition using a manuscript from Ibn Sahman’s personal library, cross-referenced the textual quotations, and verified its hadith citations Minhaj Ahl al-Haqq wal-It…. Another edition was published in Cairo by Dar Marwan in 1401 AH al-Sifat al-Ilahiyya fi a….