Truth is Not With the Majority - What is Jam'aah? PT.1
This article is divided into two parts here are Parts 1 and Parts 2:
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
والصلاة والسلام على أشرف الانبياء والمرسلين
Some misguided groups such as the Barelwis/Salafis/Deobandi, claim they are upon the truth because they form the majority or a plurality within the Umma. While Salafis aren't the majority they use their Ahlus Sunnah status to say it refers to all of Ahlus Sunnah. However, Allah Most High declares in His Book that the majority are misguided:
[11:18]
اَفَمَنۡ کَانَ عَلٰی بَیِّنَۃٍ مِّنۡ رَّبِّہٖ وَ یَتۡلُوۡہُ شَاہِدٌ مِّنۡہُ وَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِہٖ کِتٰبُ مُوۡسٰۤی اِمَامًا وَّ رَحۡمَۃً ؕ اُولٰٓئِکَ یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِہٖ ؕ وَ مَنۡ یَّکۡفُرۡ بِہٖ مِنَ الۡاَحۡزَابِ فَالنَّارُ مَوۡعِدُہٗ ۚ فَلَا تَکُ فِیۡ مِرۡیَۃٍ مِّنۡہُ ٭ اِنَّہُ الۡحَقُّ مِنۡ رَّبِّکَ وَ لٰکِنَّ اَکۡثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا یُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ ﴿۱۸﴾
ENGLISH
Can he, then, who possesses a clear proof from his Lord, and to testify to whose truth a witness from Him shall follow him, and who was preceded by the Book of Moses, a guide and a mercy, be an impostor? Those who consider these matters believe therein, and whoever of the opposing parties disbelieves in it, Fire shall be his promised place. So be not thou in doubt about it. Surely, it is the truth from thy Lord; but most men do not believe.
And if it is argued that this and other Ayat refer to humanity as a whole, and not the majority of those who believe in Allah, then the answer is in this Aya:
[12:107]
وَ مَا یُؤۡمِنُ اَکۡثَرُہُمۡ بِاللّٰہِ اِلَّا وَ ہُمۡ مُّشۡرِکُوۡنَ ﴿۱۰۷﴾
ENGLISH
And most of them believe not in Allah without also attributing partners to Him.
Therefore, Believers are enjoined not to follow the majority. Indeed, to follow the majority of the people is a cause of misguidance, as Allah says:
[6:117]
وَ اِنۡ تُطِعۡ اَکۡثَرَ مَنۡ فِی الۡاَرۡضِ یُضِلُّوۡکَ عَنۡ سَبِیۡلِ اللّٰہِ ؕ اِنۡ یَّتَّبِعُوۡنَ اِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَ اِنۡ ہُمۡ اِلَّا یَخۡرُصُوۡنَ ﴿۱۱۷﴾
ENGLISH
And if thou obey the majority of those on earth, they will lead thee astray from Allah’s way. They follow nothing but mere conjecture, and they do nothing but lie.
Some related verses to this verse are:
[10:37]
وَ مَا یَتَّبِعُ اَکۡثَرُہُمۡ اِلَّا ظَنًّا ؕ اِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا یُغۡنِیۡ مِنَ الۡحَقِّ شَیۡئًا ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ عَلِیۡمٌۢ بِمَا یَفۡعَلُوۡنَ ﴿۳۷﴾
ENGLISH
And most of them follow nothing but conjecture. Surely, conjecture avails nothing against truth. Verily, Allah is well aware of what they do.
And:
[53:29]
وَ مَا لَہُمۡ بِہٖ مِنۡ عِلۡمٍ ؕ اِنۡ یَّتَّبِعُوۡنَ اِلَّا الظَّنَّ ۚ وَ اِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا یُغۡنِیۡ مِنَ الۡحَقِّ شَیۡئًا ﴿ۚ۲۹﴾
ENGLISH
But they have no knowledge thereof. They follow nothing but conjecture; and conjecture avails naught against truth.
As for the Sawad al-A’zam, which is usually but incorrectly translated to mean “the great majority”, it actually means the great blackness. According to a Hadith:
إِنَّ أُمَّتِي لَنْ تَجْتَمِعَ عَلَى ضَلاَلَةٍ فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمُ اخْتِلاَفًا فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالسَّوَادِ الأَعْظَمِ
“Verily, my Umma will not unite upon misguidance. So if you see differing, then follow the Sawad al-A’zam”
But this Hadith is extremely weak due to the two narrators Mu’an b. Rifa’a and Abu Khalaf Hazim b. Ataa, the latter a confirmed liar. And if the term ‘Sawad al-A’zam’ is indeed authentic from the Prophet [sall Allahu alayhi wasallam], it does not mean the majority of the Umma in all times and places.
Those who insist that the majority is upon the truth cite other Hadith which speak of adhering to the Jama’a of the Muslims, for example:
عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْجَمَاعَةِ وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَالْفُرْقَةَ فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ مَعَ الْوَاحِدِ وَهُوَ مِنَ الاِثْنَيْنِ أَبْعَدُ مَنْ أَرَادَ بُحْبُوحَةَ الْجَنَّةِ فَلْيَلْزَمِ الْجَمَاعَةَ
“Adhere to the Jama’a, beware of separation, for indeed Satan is with one, and he is further away from two. Whoever wants the best place in Paradise, then let him stick to the Jama’a”
(Jami at-Tirmidhi, #2165)
And:
يَدُ اللَّهِ مَعَ الْجَمَاعَةِ
“Allah’s Hand is with the Jama’a”
(ibid, #2166)
In explanation of the term ‘Jama’a’, the compiler of these narrations, Abu Isa al-Tirmidhi [rahimahullah] said:
قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى وَتَفْسِيرُ الْجَمَاعَةِ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ هُمْ أَهْلُ الْفِقْهِ وَالْعِلْمِ وَالْحَدِيثِ . قَالَ وَسَمِعْتُ الْجَارُودَ بْنَ مُعَاذٍ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ عَلِيَّ بْنَ الْحَسَنِ يَقُولُ سَأَلْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ الْمُبَارَكِ مَنِ الْجَمَاعَةُ فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ . قِيلَ لَهُ قَدْ مَاتَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ . قَالَ فُلاَنٌ وَفُلاَنٌ . قِيلَ لَهُ قَدْ مَاتَ فُلاَنٌ وَفُلاَنٌ . فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ أَبُو حَمْزَةَ السُّكَّرِيُّ جَمَاعَةٌ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى وَأَبُو حَمْزَةَ هُوَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَيْمُونٍ وَكَانَ شَيْخًا صَالِحًا وَإِنَّمَا قَالَ هَذَا فِي حَيَاتِهِ عِنْدَنَا
“The explanation of the Jama’a, according to the people of knowledge, is the people of fiqh, knowledge, and Hadith.” He said: “I heard al-Jarud bin Mu’adh saying: I heard Ali bin al-Hasan saying: ‘I asked Abdullah bin al-Mubarak: Who is the Jama’a?’ So he said: ‘Abu Bakr and Umar.’ It was said to him: ‘Abu Bakr and Umar have died.’ He said: ‘So-and-so.’ It was said to him: ‘So-and-so, and so-and-so have died.’ So Abdullah bin al-Mubarak said: ‘Abu Hamza as-Sukkari is a Jama’a.’” [Abu Isa said:] “Abu Hamza is Muhammad bin Maimun, he was a righteous Shaikh, and he only said this about during his life, according to us.” [ibid, #2167]
In other words, the term ‘Jama’a’ does not always refer to the majority of the Muslims. In explanation of the Prophet’s [sall Allahu alayhi wasallam] Hadith:
كَيْفَ أَنْتَ إِذَا كَانَتْ عَلَيْكَ أُمَرَاءُ يُؤَخِّرُونَ الصَّلاَةَ عَنْ وَقْتِهَا أَوْ يُمِيتُونَ الصَّلاَةَ عَنْ وَقْتِهَا قَالَ قُلْتُ فَمَا تَأْمُرُنِي قَالَ صَلِّ الصَّلاَةَ لِوَقْتِهَا فَإِنْ أَدْرَكْتَهَا مَعَهُمْ فَصَلِّ فَإِنَّهَا لَكَ نَافِلَةٌ
“How would you act when you are under the rulers who would delay the prayer beyond its prescribed time, or they would make prayer a dead thing as far as its proper time is concerned?” I [Abu Dharr] said: “What do you command?” He said: “Observe the prayer at its proper time, and if you can say it along with them do so, for it would be a supererogatory prayer for you.”
[Sahih Muslim]
And:
سَيَلِي أُمُورَكُمْ بَعْدِي رِجَالٌ يُطْفِئُونَ السُّنَّةَ وَيَعْمَلُونَ بِالْبِدْعَةِ وَيُؤَخِّرُونَ الصَّلاَةَ عَنْ مَوَاقِيتِهَا فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنْ أَدْرَكْتُهُمْ كَيْفَ أَفْعَلُ قَالَ تَسْأَلُنِي يَا ابْنَ أُمِّ عَبْدٍ كَيْفَ تَفْعَلُ لاَ طَاعَةَ لِمَنْ عَصَى اللَّهَ
“Among those in charge of you, after I am gone, will be men who extinguish the Sunna and follow innovation. They will delay the prayer from its proper time.” I [Ibn Mas’ud] said: “O Messenger of Allah, if I live to see them, what should I do?” He said: “You ask me, O Ibn Umm Abd, what you should do? There is no obedience to one who disobeys Allah.”
This hadith should not be taken as rebelling as an authority figure or government as 1. The Quran is clear to obey those in authority among you 2. This hadith is hasan meaning there is a break in the chain of narrators.
Sayyidina Ibn Mas’ud [radi Allahu anhu] said:
إنما الجماعة ما وافق طاعة الله وإن كنت وحدك“The Jama’a is none other than that which complies with the obedience of Allah, even if you are alone.”
[Sharh Usul I’tiqad Ahl us-Sunna wal-Jama’a lil-Lalika’i; #160]
And:
إن جمهور الجماعة هم الذين فارقوا الجماعة الجماعة ما وافق الحق وان كنت وحدك
“The majority are those who split off from the Jama’a. The Jama’a is that which agrees with the Truth, even if you are alone.”
[Tahdhib al-Kamal lil-Mizzi v.22 p.264]
The great muhaddith, Nu’aim b. Hammad [d. 228 H] likewise said in explanation of this Hadith:
إذا فسدت الجماعة فعليك بما كانت عليه الجماعة قبل أن تفسد وان كنت وحدك فإنك أنت الجماعة حينئذ
“If the Jama’a becomes corrupt, then you must adhere to its practice before it became corrupt. Even if you are alone, then you by yourself would be the true Jama’a.” [ibid, p.265]
In explanation of the term Sawad al-A’zam, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya [rahimahullah] wrote:
واعلم أن الإجماع والحجة والسواد الأعظم هو العالم صاحب الحق وإن كان وحده وإن خالفه أهل الأرض
“Know that the Ijma [concensus], Hujja [proof], and Sawad al-A’zam is the scholar, man of the Truth, even if he is alone, and even if the people of the Earth oppose him.” [I’lam al-Muwaqi’in v.5 p.388]
Then he brings the example of the great Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal [radi Allahu anhu]:
وكان الإمام احمد وحده هو الجماعة
“And the Imam Ahmad alone was the Jama’a” [ibid, p.389]
طُوبَى لِلْغُرَبَاءِ ، فَقِيلَ : مَنْ الْغُرَبَاءُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ؟ قَالَ : أُنَاسٌ صَالِحُونَ ، فِي أُنَاسِ سُوءٍ كَثِيرٍ ، مَنْ يَعْصِيهِمْ أَكْثَرُ مِمَّنْ يُطِيعُهُمْ“Tuba is for the Ghuraba.” It was said: “Who are the Ghuraba, O Apostle of Allah?” He said: “A righteous people in the midst of the numerous evil people. Those who disobey them are more then those who obey them.”[Musnad Ahmad b. Hanbal]
