Ahl-i Sunnah --- The Right Path in Islam

--- Kazi Saifuddin Hossain Allah has commanded us all Muslims in Sura Fatiha, verses 5-7, to pray: (In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful)...... Ihdinaas-siraatal mustaqeem; siraatal-ladheena a'n-a'mta a'laiyhim; ghaiyril maghdubi a'laiyhim wa laad-dwaal-leen, ameen; which means, "(O Allah), guide us in the straight path; the path of those whom you have Favored; not of those who have earned Your Wrath and nor of those who have gone astray" (English translation of Imam Ahmad Reza Khan's Tafseer-i Kanz al-Eemaan). This is the straight or right path - the Islamic faith of our beloved Prophet Hadrat Muhammad (sallallaahu alaiyhi wa sallam/peace be upon him) and his Ashab-i Kiraam (exalted companions). Our Prophet in this context said, "My Ummah (followers) will soon part into seventy-three creeds. All will go to Hell, save the one that will survive and enter Paradise." When he was asked as to which creed would attain salvation, he replied, Maa anaa a'laiyhi wa ashaabi; meaning "The followers of my faith and that of my companions will survive" (as narrated by Tirmidhi). Every Muslim should know about these beliefs of our Prophet and his companions; because in the guise of Islam there would appear seventy-two heretical sects whose deviated and corrupt ideologies would be incompatible with the Islamic faith of our Prophet and his companions. The Hadith (saying of the Prophet) regarding the seventy-two heretical sects has come true. Creeds with corrupt beliefs have appeared and are propagating their aberrant views and dogmas. At this critical juncture, we as Muslims should try our utmost to learn the right faith - the faith of our Prophet (peace be upon him) and his blessed companions. This salvation-attaining faith has been clearly pointed out in another Hadith quoted in al-Bukhari and Muslim, where the Apostle of Allah stated, Alaiykum bi sunnatiyy; meaning "My Sunnite beliefs are ordained upon you, O my people!" He also declared, Maan ragheba a'n sunnatiyy fa laiysa minniyy; meaning "The person who rejects my Sunnite faith does not belong to my creed" (as narrated in authentic books of Hadith). This is the faith, which he has referred to in the Hadith concerning the seventythree sects mentioned above. Holding on to this blessed faith, the Sunni people will attain salvation in the Hereafter. On the contrary, the seventy-two heretical sects will not adapt themselves to the Sunnite faith and will consequently go to Hell. They will show themselves off as Islamic, yet they will not attain the favors of Allah promised in the Ayah of Surah Fatiha. The Sunni path, upon which Allah has bestowed His favors, is the path of our beloved Prophet (peace be upon him), his exalted companions and the Awliya al-Kiraam (revered Sufi/dervishes). This path has been shown to us by them and by the traditional Islamic savants of the highest eminence. Gawthul A'zam Hadrat Abdul Qadir Gilaani wrote in his book Ghunyat al-Taalibin that the creed which would enter Paradise is Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama'ah (the society of Sunni Muslims). Muslims should follow in the footsteps of the revered Sufi/dervishes and avoid any such sect that castigates this glorious path and the Sunnite faith. In the Golden Era of Islam, the Awliya were the torchbearers of the Islamic religion. Today, many new sects in the forms of Wahhabi, Salafist, Mawdoodi, Tableeghi, Shia, Qadiyani etc have appeared and are castigating the Prophet and the Muslim Sufi/dervishes. They are disseminating their heretical ideologies through sermons on satellite TV channels like Diganta TV, Peace TV, ATN Bangla, NTV, Islamic TV; and by arranging Tafseerul Koran and Siratun-Nabi functions; and also by printing their books and magazines and newspapers. Muslims need to be on guard against these quarters. To conclude, we have shed light on this issue only in the interest of the Islamic religion and Truth. We ask for help from Allah Almighty to purge our degenerate selves from sins through the mediation of our Prophet (peace be upon him) and also his inheritors, the Ulamaa-i Haqqaniyy/Awliya al-Kiraam/Sufi/dervishes, Ameen!