The Concept of the Saved Sect

The Concept of the Saved Sect













The Last Messenger of Allah, Muhammed (May the Peace and Blessings of Allah
be upon him) warned his followers....



“Beware! The people of the Book before you split up into seventy-two sects, and
this community (Muslims) will split up into seventy-three; Seventy-two of them
will be in the Fire and only one will be saved.”



The Concept of the Saved Sect



[1] Allah- the Most High - said “And hold fast altogether to the Rope of Allah
and do not become divided.” [Soorah Aal-’Imraan (3): 103]



[2] Allah - the Most High - said “And be not those who commit shirk (associate
partners with Allah), those who split up their Deen (religion) and become sects;
each rejoicing in what is with them.” [Soorah ar-Room (30): 31-32]



[3] The Prophet Muhammed (May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him)
said:

“I advise you to have Taqwaa [1] of Allah and to hear and obey, even if an
Abyssinian slave becomes your leader. Those of you who live long after me will
see a lot of differences, so hold fast to my Sunnah [2] and the Sunnah of the
Rightly-Guided Khaleefahs [3] after me. Cling to it tightly and beware of the
newly-invented matters (in religion), for every newly-invented matter is an
innovation (Bidah [4]), and every innovation is misguidance, and all misguidance
is in the Fire.” Related by Abu Dawood (no.4607), at-Tirmidhi (no.2676),
authenticated by al-Haafidh Ibn Hajr in Takhreej Ahadeeth Mukhtasar Ibnul-Haajib
(1/137).



[4] The Prophet Muhammed (May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him)
warned his followers:

“I have left you upon clear proofs, its night is like its day, and no one
deviates from it except one who is destroyed, and whoever lives (long) from
amongst you will see great controversy. So stick to what you know from my Sunnah
and the Sunnah of the rightly-guided Khaleefahs - cling to that with your molar
teeth.” Reported by Imaam Ahmed (4/126), Ibn Majah (no.43), al-Haakim (1/96) and
al-Baihaqee in al-Madkhal (51)



[5] The Prophet Muhammed (May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) also
said:

“Indeed the people of the Book before you split into seventy-two sects. And this
nation will split into seventy-three sects, seventy-two are in the Fire and one
in Paradise”. And in another narration, “All are in the Fire except one.” It was
asked: Who is that one? He replied, “That which I and my Companions are upon”
Related by at-Tirmidhi (5/62) and al-Haakim (1/128). It has been authenticated
by al-Haafidh al-Iraaqee in Takhreejul-Ihyaa (3/199) and al-Albaanee in as-Saheehah
(no.204).



[6] Ibn Mas’ood (May Allah be pleased with him) said: “Allah’s Messenger drew a
line for us and then said, “This is Allah’s Path.” Then he drew lines to its
right and its left, and said “These are different paths, upon each of them there
is a shaytaan (devil) calling to it”. Then He recited the verse “And Verily this
is My Path, so follow it, and do not follow other paths for they will separate
you away from His Path.” Soorah al-An’aam (6): 153. Related by Ahmed (1/435) and
al-Haakim (2/318)



.

[7] Shaykh Abdul Qaadir al-Jeelaanee (d.561H) - rahimahullah - said:

“As for al-Firqatun-Naajiyah (the Saved-Sect) it is Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah,
and there is no name for Ahlus-Sunnah except one - and that is Ashaabul-Hadeeth
[5] (the People of the Hadeeth)” Al-Ghuniyatut-Taalibeen (p.212)



Allah - the One free from all defects - orders us to hold fast altogether to the
Noble Qur'aan, and not be like the mushriks [6] who split-up their Deen and
become sects and parties. And the Prophet (May the Peace and Blessings of Allah
be upon him) informed us that the Jews and the Christians will be divided into
many sects and that Muslims will split-up even more. And that all such sects
will deserve the Hell-Fire for their deviations and their being far from the
Book of their Lord (Rabb) and the Sunnah of their Messenger. But just one sect
will be saved from the fire and enter Paradise - and that is the Jamaa’ah (those
who cling to the Book and the authentic Sunnah and to the actions of the
Companions of the Prophet). Their Beliefs being white and pure, manifest and
untainted, such that its night is just like its day!



O Allah! Make us from amongst the Saved-Sect and grant the Muslims the guidance
and ability to be from it.



FOOT NOTES



[1] Taqwaa: To protect one’s self from the anger of Allah, by doing what He has
commanded and avoiding what He has forbidden. It also means being conscious of
Allah.



[2] Sunnah : literally meaning ‘the way’. Islamically it refers to the sayings,
actions and silent approvals of the Prophet Muhammed (May the Peace and
Blessings of Allah be upon him).



[3] This refers to the Khilaafah (ruling period) of the Companions: Abu Bakr,
Umer, Uthman, and Alee’ (May Allah be pleased with them all).



[4] Bidah: Innovation in religious rites and principles



[5] Ashaabul-Hadeeth or Ahulul-Hadeeth: (lit. People of the Hadeeth) A term
given to the scholars of Islam who preferred to avoid excessive reasoning and
instead relied heavily upon the literal interpretations of sayings and actions
of the Prophet Muhammed (May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him). The
only criteria for being among the Ahlul-Hadeeth is the correct Aqeedah (creed)
and Knowledge of the Book and the Sunnah. However in more recent times, it has
become a term used for those who oppose the blind-following of any single
madhhab, since they refer back to the views (Ijtihaad) of all the scholars of
Islam in matters that have no reference in the Book of Allah or the Sunnah



[6] Those who associate partners with Allah in the matters that are particular
to only Him



This booklet is based upon an article that appeared in Al-Ibaanah magazine
(Issue no.3). This is orignally part of “Minhaaj al-Firqatun-Naajiyah
wat-Taaifatul-Mansoorah” by Shaykh Muhammed ibn Jameel Zaynoo (p.6-17)