Minhaj Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jamaa fi al-Aqida wa al-Amal
- Author died
- 1421 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Sharīʿah
Minhaj Ahl al-Sunna wa al-Jamaa fi al-Aqida wa al-Amal (The Methodology of the People of the Sunnah and the Community in Creed and Action) is a theological treatise and published lecture by the Saudi Hanbali scholar Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymin (d. 1421 AH / 2001 CE) defining the doctrinal and practical tenets of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah.
Origin and Scope
The work originated as a delivered lecture addressing Islamic creed and practical methodology, which was subsequently transcribed and published independently as well as compiled into the fifth volume of the author's collected works, Majmu' Fatawa wa Rasa'il al-Uthaymin. In the treatise, al-Uthaymin articulates the foundational principles governing both belief (aqidah) and deeds (amal), framing Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah as the single saved group (al-firqa al-najiya) that adheres to the path of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his Companions.
Content and Method
The treatise opens with the traditional introductory sermon (khutbat al-haja), citing verses from Surah al-Nisa and Surah al-Ahzab on piety, truthfulness, and obedience to God and His Messenger. Al-Uthaymin explains the designation Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah, noting that they are termed Ahl al-Sunnah because they adhere firmly to the prophetic Sunnah, and Ahl al-Jama'ah because they unite upon it without splintering into sectarian factions. He recounts the historical unity preserved during the era of the Prophet ﷺ and the Rightly Guided Caliphs, contrasting it with later schisms that gave rise to diverging sects, and emphasizes that safety from deviance lies strictly in maintaining the methodology established by the early generations of Islam.
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