Literal translation: The people of the traditional way and of the congregation.
Meaning: The people who follow the Prophetic Sunna and adhere to the largest mass of the Muslims beginning with the congregation of the Companions of the Prophet .
Antonym: "Ahl al-Bid`a wa al-Dalala" = the people of innovation and misguidance, i.e. all non-Sunni Muslims.
Some proof-texts:
"My Community shall divide into seventy-three sects, all of them in the Fire except one: [Those that follow] that which I and my Companions follow." A sound narration from `Abd Allah ibn `Amr by al-Tirmidhi (h.asan gharib).
Another version states: "My Community shall divide into seventy-three sects, all of them in the Fire except one: the Congregation (jama`a)." Narrated from Abu Hurayra by Ibn Majah and, as part of a longer h.adith, from Mu`awiya by Abu Dawud and Ah.mad all with good chains as stated by al-`Iraqi in al-Mughni while al-H.akim (1:128=1990 ed. 1:218) said "a sound chain" and al-Dhahabi concurred, and from Anas by Abu Ya`la in his Musnad as stated in Kashf al-Khafa.
In the same sense the Prophet said ‚ Allah bless and greet him and his family: "My Companions are trustkeepers for my Community" [Narrated from Abu Musa al-Ash`ari by Muslim and Ah.mad as part of a longer h.adith] and "Mankind makes up one portion (h.ayyiz) and I and my Companions make up one portion [counter-balancing it]." Narrated from Abu Sa`id al-Khudri, Rafi` ibn Khadij, and Zayd ibn Thabit by Ah.mad and al-T.abarani in al-Kabir (3:341 #4444), the former with a chain of sound narrators according to al-Haythami (5:250, 10:17), "a sound chain" according to al-Zayn in the Musnad (10:72 #11110, 16:43 #21521) and al-H.akim (2:258 ‚ al-Dhahabi concurred) while al-Arna'ut declares Ah.mad's chain "cut off" (munqati`) but the h.adith itself s.ah.ih. li ghayrih in his edition of the Musnad (17:258 #11167); also by Ibn Abi Shayba (14:498-499), al-T.ayalisi in his Musnad (#2205), al-Qud.a`i in Musnad al-Shihab (#845), and al-Bayhaqi in Dala'il al-Nubuwwa (5:109-110). The complete narration states: "When the verse { When comes the Help of Allah, and Victory} (110:1) was revealed, the Messenger of Allah ‚ Allah bless and greet him and his family ‚ recited it until he finished it and said: `Mankind makes up one portion and I and my Companions make up one portion.' And he said: `There is no longer emigration (hijra) after victory but there remains jihad and intention (niyya) [for emigration].'"
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