The Narrators of the Islamic Source Texts and the Meaning of the Term ahlu s-sunnati wa-l-jama'ah
As explained in the previous chapter, the narration of source texts plays a central role in all religions. However, from a historical perspective, Islam holds a particularly unique status in its practical implementation.
While continuously engaging with the texts, the thousands of early hadith scholars were deeply committed to adhering to the original doctrine and textual evidence.
These scholars became known by various titles within the first centuries of Islam, such as “the scholars of hadith”, “the scholars of athar”, and likewise, “The People of the Sunnah and the Community.”
The word Sunnah originally means “path” and “method” in Arabic. As explained at the beginning, the Sunnah of the Prophet is the second source of Islamic jurisprudence. It is often defined as all statements, actions, and tacit approvals that have been narrated from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
In the broader sense of the “method of the Prophet” or his path, however, the Sunnah encompasses more than this – namely, the entire religion that was proclaimed by the Prophet.
The use of the word Sunnah in this sense appears in numerous statements of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم himself, which is why those who adhered to the original doctrine of Islam were also generally referred to as “the People of the Sunnah.”
From this, it also quickly becomes clear what a crucial role these scholars played in the establishment of consensus opinions, as was already strongly evident in the previously mentioned quotation from the eminent hadith scholar al-Bukhari.
According to Islamic theology, differences of opinion can certainly exist in many legal matters and subfields of Islamic teachings. In contrast, however, the fundamental doctrine of faith must be clear and unequivocal, as it originates from a single source and must not be subject to scholarly interpretation. The core questions of Islamic creed are therefore not matters in which legitimate differences of opinion are conceivable, a point that the early scholars repeatedly emphasized in their writings.
This singular doctrine of faith was upheld and narrated by a single, unified community throughout the first centuries, which is why the followers of this doctrine were also referred to as “the People of the Community.”
From these circumstances arises the well-known designation “the People of the Sunnah and the Community”, ahlu s-sunnati wa-l-jama'ah.
Thus, it refers to a unified community that adhered to the texts and followed the original doctrine.