Which Sect Is Closest to the Prophet’s Islam

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Question:

Which sect of Islam is most similar to what Prophet Muhammad practiced? - A comparison of Islamic sects to determine which most closely follows the teachings and practices of Prophet Muhammad. :::

Answer:

It would be wrong to call those group of people who follow the pristine form of islam as a sect, because sect is something which goes against the teachings of Islam.

However if you want to refer to a group of individuals who strive to follow Islam in the manner as preached by the prophet saws and as understood and followed by the sahabas R.A then it will be the Salafi or Ahle Hadeeth group.

The Pious Forefathers (i.e. As-Salaf as-Saalih) of the Islamic Community of Believers are the Companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, their Followers (the Taabi’een and the Taabi Taabi’een (i.e. the first three generations of Muslims) and the Scholars of the Ahl-us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah after them who followed their way in belief and deed.

Among them are : Imam Abu Hanifah (150 AH), Al-Awzai (157 AH), Ath-Thawri (161AH), Al Laith ibn Saad (175 AH), Imam Malik (179 AH), Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak (181 AH), Sufyan ibn Uyainah (198 AH), Imam Ash-Shafi’i (204 AH), Ishaq (238 AH), Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal (241 AH), Al-Bukhari (256 AH), Muslim (261 AH), Abu Dawood (275 AH) and others. Ibn Taymiyyah (728 AH), and his students: Adh-Dhahabi (748 AH), Ibn al-Qayyim (751 AH), Ibn Katheer (774 AH) and others. Muhammed bin ‘Abd al-Wahhab (1206 AH) and many of his students. And in our time: Abdul Aziz bin Baz, Muhammed bin Saalih Uthaimeen, Muhammed Naasir-ud-Deen al-Albaani.

The Salafis are the Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah. They are the Taaifatul- Mansoorah (the Aided, Victorious Group) and the Firqatun-Naajiyyah (the Saved Sect) which have been mentioned in the following statements of the Messenger, peace be upon him:

“There shall not cease to remain a single group from my community upon the Truth, victorious; they are unharmed by those who abandon them and those who oppose them. They will remain (in my community and in such a state) until they fight the liar (i.e. the Anti-Christ (Dajjal).” [Reported in Sahih Muslim]

“Verily those before you from among the People of the Book split into seventy-two sects and verily this religion … ”

and in another narration

” … this Ummah will split into seventy-three sects: seventy-two will be in the Fire and one in Paradise and that is the Jamaa’ah.” [Reported by Abu Daawood - Sahih]

“And this Ummah will divide into seventy-three sects all of which except one will go to Hell and they (i.e. the Saved Sect) are those who are upon what I and My Companions are upon (i.e. those who follow My Way and the Way of my Companions.)” [Reported by at-Tirmidhee - Hasan]

A Brief Introduction to the Salafi Dawah

One important point to be noted is that a person does not become from the saved sect just by calling himself a salafi or a ahle hadeeth, a person is a salafi as long as he adheres to and tries to stick to the way of the pious predecessors.