Wasatiyyat Ahl al-Sunna bayn al-Firaq

Wasatiyyat Ahl al-Sunna bayn al-Firaq (The Moderation of Ahl al-Sunna Among the Sects) is a contemporary study of Islamic creed by Muhammad Ba Karim Muhammad Ba Abdullah, examining the theological balance and middle path (wasatiyya) of Ahl al-Sunna wa-l-Jama'a in comparison with various Islamic sects al-Istinbat inda al-Khati…+1.

Composition and Publication

The work was originally submitted as a doctoral dissertation under the academic supervision of Prof. Dr. Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Nasir Faqihi and was completed in Medina in Rabi' al-Thani 1414 AH (1993 CE) al-Istinbat inda al-Khati…+1. It was first published by Dar al-Rayah in Riyadh in 1415 AH / 1994 CE, and later issued in a separate edition by Maktabat al-Ulum wa-l-Hikam in 1429 AH / 2008 CE al-Istinbat inda al-Khati…+1.

Scope and Purpose

The author composed the study as a comparative investigation into the principle of theological moderation, highlighting the balanced stance of the Muslim community as a whole and of Ahl al-Sunna in particular amid competing factions and divergent doctrines Wasatiyyat Ahl al-Sunna b…. The work frames the theological positions of Ahl al-Sunna as avoiding both excess (ifrat or ghuluww) and negligence (tafrit or jafa') across key credal debates Wasatiyyat Ahl al-Sunna b…+1.

Structure and Contents

The book is organized into a preliminary section (tamhid), two main parts (abwab), a conclusion, and reference indices Wasatiyyat Ahl al-Sunna b…+1:

• Preliminary Section: Covers the linguistic and scriptural definitions of wasatiyya, the concept of Sunna, the definition of Ahl al-Sunna, and the various titles applied to them by themselves and by doctrinal opponents (such as Hashwiyya, Nabita, and Nawasib) Wasatiyyat Ahl al-Sunna b…+1.
• Part One (The Moderation of the Muslim Umma Among Nations): Details the justice ('adala), excellence (khayriyya), and intermediate position of the Muslim community in matters of divine oneness, divine names and attributes, and belief in God's prophets and messengers relative to other religious communities Wasatiyyat Ahl al-Sunna b….
• Part Two (The Moderation of Ahl al-Sunna Among the Sects): Opens with an analysis of the internal and foreign causes behind sectarian schisms, followed by five thematic chapters Wasatiyyat Ahl al-Sunna b…+1:
  1. Divine Names and Attributes: Contrasting the middle stance of Ahl al-Sunna with both the negation (ta'til) of divine attributes and anthropomorphism (tashbih or tamthil) Wasatiyyat Ahl al-Sunna b….
  2. Faith, Designation, and Retribution (al-Asma' wa-l-Ahkam wa-l-Wa'd wa-l-Wa'id): Comparing the Sunni position on faith and the status of the perpetrator of major sins with the positions of the Kharijites, the Mu'tazilites, and the Murji'ites Wasatiyyat Ahl al-Sunna b…+1.
  3. Divine Decree and Predestination (al-Qadr): Situating Ahl al-Sunna between determinism and the total denial of predestination Wasatiyyat Ahl al-Sunna b….
  4. The Companions: Examining Sunni reverence for the Prophet's companions in contrast to the stances of the Kharijites, the Mu'tazilites, and those who combined extremism and animosity Wasatiyyat Ahl al-Sunna b….
  5. Veneration of the Prophet and the Righteous: Addressing the balance between illicit excess and neglect in honoring the Prophet and pious believers Wasatiyyat Ahl al-Sunna b…+1.

The book concludes with a summary of findings—arguing that the term Ahl al-Sunna is an early designation traced back to the Companions rather than an appellation originating with later schools like the Ash'arites—followed by specialized indices for Quranic verses, hadith reports, sects, cited sources, and subjects Wasatiyyat Ahl al-Sunna b…+1.