Question:

This person asks—may Allah protect you—saying: I bear witness before Allah that I love you for His sake. O Sheikh, is it possible for the united body (Jama’ah) of Muslims to gather upon falsehood? And how do we reconcile the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): ‘Allah’s hand is with the Jama’ah, and whoever isolates himself isolates himself in the Fire,’ with the saying of Allah the Exalted: “And if you obey most of those on the earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah’s Path.” [al-An’am, 6:116] ? And do the Muslims have a Jama’ah in this current time?

Answer:

Yes. Muslims have a Jama’ah in every era, and praise be to Allah. However, the Jama’ah may decrease or increase—the Jama’ah may decrease or increase. It is the body advised by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) when he said: ‘Indeed, Allah’s hand is upon the Jama’ah.’ The ‘Jama’ah’ is that which is upon the truth, not necessarily defined by majority. The Jama’ah, even if they are few, are the Jama’ah as long as they are upon the truth—even if they are two or three, or even if there is only a single person upon the truth, he is considered the Jama’ah and is to be followed.

This is the meaning of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): ‘Indeed, Allah’s hand is upon the Jama’ah’—meaning those who are upon the truth are the Jama’ah, even if they are few.

As for those who are upon falsehood, they are not the Jama’ah, even if they are numerous. This must be understood: the standard is the truth.

As for consensus (Ijma’), the Ummah does not gather upon misguidance, and praise be to Allah. ‘My Ummah will not gather upon misguidance’—a Hadith came regarding this, meaning the Ummah of Islam, the Ummah of truth, not a chaotic and floundering nation. The intent is that the people of truth do not gather upon misguidance; the people of truth do not gather upon misguidance. As for the people of falsehood, they do gather upon misguidance.

Therefore, the standard is gathering upon the truth—they are the Jama’ah, and they will not gather upon misguidance. Yes.